You have players and teams that rise above expectations, the revelations of the seasons that capture the imagination and leave you in awe. Atletico Madrid are a prime example. But for every hero there are zeroes. Teams, players, managers who come up short just when you need the best of them. A hefty price tag, the weight of expectations, the title of ‘the fixer’, sometimes it becomes a bit too overwhelming to endure.
We list the Top Flops of the 2013-2014 season:
Pablo Osvaldo (Southampton/Juventus)
Osvaldo is a naturally gifted player with bags of talent but he comes baggage in equal measure. Heai??i??s no stranger to controversy having clashed with fans and coaches alike. So, when he decided to leave Roma for Southampton, few at the Capital club were left disappointed. Southampton pounced on the opportunity to bring in the Italian International and add him to their ranks. A fee of ai??i??15.1 fell into Romaai??i??s pockets as they went laughing all the way to the bank. Much was expected of Osvaldo but his weak goal return of just 3 goals, and antics saw his dream of playing in the Premier League slowly turn into a nightmare.
Osvaldo was involved in bust-ups with team-mates and his spell with the Premier League side ended after a distasteful incident with team-mate Jose Fonte. A move away was inevitable and Serie A Champions Juventus were first in queue. A return back to familiar home soil was thought to be best for all parties but his lackluster form in front of goal would continue. With the Bianconeri, Osvaldo netted just a single goal in the second half of the season and generally failed to impress on the pitch. His international career took a hit as well, as he wasnai??i??t given a passport by Azzurri manager Cesare Prandelli. He may have won a Scudetto but 2013-2014 was definitely an underwhelming year for such an explosive player.
Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur)
While Erik Lamelaai??i??s A?25.8Ai??m move from Roma seemed a bit low at the time, given the inflated rates that were going around, Spurs will feel robbed at the moment. The Argentine made just 9 league appearances throughout the course of the season as injuries hammered his progress. At 22, time is still on his side to vindicate the price-tag and live up to his undeniable talent. Yet for both players there is a sense of loss as they remain ticketless to a trip to Brazil for the World Cup.
Manchester United
There was a sense of enthusiasm that descended at Old Trafford when David Moyes was given one of footballai??i??s toughest tasks. The former Everton manager was asked to step in Sir Alex Fergusonai??i??s shoes as the legendary manager bid farewell to the top job at Manchester United. Moyes, of course, boasted of a very good spell with Everton which warranted the United job, factor in Sir Alexai??i??s blessings and you could see why there was optimism surrounding his appointment. Factor in the 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the Community Shield which only added to the existing excitement.
But on April of 2014, Moyes was sacked. Fans called for his head as things went from bad to worse for the then reigning Premier League Champions. The fairy tale job for the Scot didnai??i??t quite have the happy ending he would have hoped. A string of poor results culminated in his departure from Old Trafford. Moyesai??i?? sacking meant his spell of 10 months was third shortest in the clubai??i??s history despite the fact that the club signed him on to a 6 year deal. He left United in 7th place in the league and out of a Champions League spot for the first time since 1995.
AC Milan
Seedorfai??i??s inexperience was telling as there were hardly any signs of improvement than under previous boss, MassimilianoAi??Allegri. You can hardly pour all the blame on the Dutchman though. Afterall, this was his first managerial job and he was dealing with a team that was left to him by Allegri. For all the talent in their squad though, youai??i??d have expected Milan to finish closer to the summit but that was not to be the case. Seedorf has since been shown the exit door while Milan turned to Pippo Inzaghi to resurrect them.
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