Bleacher Report's 'Ballon Poor' XI
The shortlist for the 2014 Ballon d'Or award was released on Tuesday, giving a glimpse of the 23 men in the running to be crowned World Footballer of the Year at the glitzy FIFA ceremony in Zurich in January.
As the football community debates the merits of a shortlist that celebrates success, we've taken the opportunity to take an alternate approach: The "Ballon Poor."
It's an anti-FIFPro World XI, looking at the players who have endured a lower standard of play than would be expected of them during the 2014 calendar year.
Take a look at our 4-3-3 of disappointment and leave your Ballon Poor nominations in the comments...
GK: Iker Casillas
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Iker Casillas was the FIFPro World XI goalkeeper for five straight seasons until last year, when he ceded the position to Manuel Neuer.
The Spaniard's form seems to have been gently slipping since Jose Mourinho's controversial decision to drop him from Real Madrid's regular starting XI.
Casillas' confidence also seems to have taken a dive, particularly after a very shaky performance at the World Cup. His recent blunder against Slovakia epitomises his fall from grace.
LB: Pablo Armero
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Colombian defender Pablo Armero may not have had a terrible World Cup campaign, but he started 2014 with a loan move to West Ham after Rafa Benitez dropped him from his Napoli team due to poor form.
After a handful of games for the Hammers that drew plenty of criticism, Armero moved back to his old stomping ground Udinese in June.
He was then immediately sent out to Milan on loan, where he has made one appearance from the bench.
Not a strong year for the left back.
CB: Gerard Pique
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Not so long ago, Gerard Pique was considered one of the best centre backs in the world. His dominance, however, appears to directly correlate with that of the Spanish national team, who have also had a disappointing 2014.
After a trophy-free campaign with Barcelona and a World Cup in which he was certainly at fault for one or two goals, the man himself admits his form has dipped.
“Right now I’m not even top three in the world,” he said. “I can’t be for the season I had with Barca and the World Cup with the national team."
Is Shakira somehow to blame?
CB: Rio Ferdinand
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Once an infallible rock at the back for Manchester United and England, Rio Ferdinand has really started to show his 35 years in recent times.
Ferdinand's poor form began in late 2013 under David Moyes and he appears to have lost another yard of pace since joining Queens Park Rangers.
RB: Glen Johnson
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Liverpool's defending leaves a lot to be desired this season, but—despite the performances of Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel—no one's form in the Liverpool back line has deteriorated quite like Glen Johnson's.
Once a key player whose attacking capabilities always posed a threat, Johnson's stock is so low that many Reds fans celebrated when he picked up an injury in August.
LM: Paulinho
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In the summer of 2013, Tottenham spent £17 million on Paulinho (who moves to the left of centre in our lineup).
It seemed like a negligible chunk of the Gareth Bale sales proceeds for such a highly rated midfielder from Corinthians, but he has failed to make a significant impact in north London.
Mauricio Pochettino clearly doesn't rate him, which is why he hasn't started a Premier League game since returning from a poor World Cup campaign.
Spurs will almost certainly take a hit when they try to sell him in the next few windows.
CM: Yaya Toure
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On his day, Yaya Toure can be devastating; cutting through the centre of a team like a steam train before unleashing a rocket of a shot.
However, in 2014, the Manchester City talisman hasn't had an awful lot of those days. Some have suggested Yaya's dip in form was due to him grieving over the tragic passing of his brother, while others—in light of the whole birthday cake furore—may question his motivation.
Either way, it's not been a vintage year for the Ivorian.
RM: Wilfried Zaha
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Wilfried Zaha looked like a superstar in the making when he guided Crystal Palace into the Premier League, but was given little opportunity to prove his worth under David Moyes at Manchester United.
Wilf started 2014 on loan at Cardiff, where he performed far below par. Now back at Palace, the precocious winger appears to have fallen below Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon in the pecking order, starting just two games this season.
FW: Nicklas Bendtner
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Even by his own standards, Nicklas Bendtner has had a bad year.
The not-so-great Dane started 2014 brightly with a goal for Arsenal on New Years Day, but hardly contributed until he was sold to Wolfsburg in August.
A career renaissance has yet to blossom in the Bundesliga, with Lord Bendtner left out of Wolfsburg's squad last weekend on account of the kind of form that has seen him deliver nothing in six league appearances.
Regardless, Lord Bendtner's off-the-scale self-confidence will leave him wondering why he isn't in the running for the main Ballon d'Or prize.
FW: Mario Balotelli
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Mario Balotelli was great value at £16 million, they said. This is the Italian's last chance to show the world he is a true great, they said.
After a hot-and-cold start to the year with Milan, Super Mario made his move to Liverpool. According to ESPNFC, in seven league games so far, he has scored no goals from 32 attempts on goal (only 10 of which were on target).
That statistic alone is worthy of a Ballon Poor nomination.
FW: Fernando Torres
11 of 11Why is Nando rounding out this team? This attempted scissor kick from Milan's match with Fiorentina on Sunday tells you everything you need to know.
