The former aces who now can’t cut it.
Following Arsenal and Liverpool’s disappointing results in the Champions League on Tuesday there were some clear examples of players who can no longer cut it for their clubs.
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So here CaughtOffside picks out the nine Premier League players who showed so much promise or talent, but are now simply past it or failed to live up to expectations.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal
At Everton this Spanish midfielder was a standout talent and upon first joining the Gunners he was an important part of the team, but although now captain Arteta increasingly looks like a liability in his new defensive midfield role.
Wes Brown, Sunderland
As the calamities keep on coming many are suggesting it’s about time this 35-year-old hung up his boots, with Brown already having had a successful career beyond his capabilities at Manchester United.
Sylvain Distin, Everton
Now aged 36-years-old and finally things seem to have caught up with the perennially young Distin, who has been dropped by Roberto Martinez after a string of bad performances at the back in a usually resolute Toffees team.
Steven Gerrard, Liverpool
Could be a controversial one with Reds fans as their skipper is considered to be one of the best players in the club’s history, but if Brendan Rodgers’ team have serious Champions League ambitions then they need to move on from Gerrard.
Glen Johnson, Liverpool
Staying at Anfield and it’s a right-back four years the junior of his captain and yet has regressed much more rapidly, with Johnson now equally awful going forward as he always was defending.
Aaron Lennon, Tottenham Hotspur
Once considered to be one of the most exciting young English talents in the country, Lennon’s pace only got the now 28-year-old so far and it is genuinely shocking how bad a supposed winger’s crossing ability is.
Steven Taylor, Newcastle United
For some reason Newcastle hold onto extremely average players for a long time – also note Shola Ameobi – and Taylor can only be relied upon to post stupid things on Twitter, despite supposedly being in his prime at 28-years-old.
Yaya Toure, Manchester City
We know there is such a thing as aging, but surely not over a summer? Toure has gone from arguably the best box-to-box midfielder in the world to complete liability in a matter of months and his City days may well be numbered.
Ashley Young, Manchester United
A little like Lennon big things were once expected of this winger and to be fair to Young was good when he first joined the Red Devils, but now the Englishman is only famous for birds pooing in his mouth.