The Premier League is off and running, and with a number of new foreign imports now plying their trade in England for their first season, it is only a matter of time before the inevitable word ‘flop’ starts doing the rounds. It is a word that has haunted so many throughout their time in England and one that gets used all too often in the English press.
Players like Andrey Shevchenko, Fernando Morientes and Mateja Kezman had all done it at a high level in Europe for their respective clubs before moving to the "best league in the world", but do you think they got away with it? Absolutely not. You can mention any of the above player’s names in relation to their time in England and BANG – flop! There it is again. “They couldn’t cut it in England” is what they’ll say. “The league was too fast paced for them”.
It is a fair point to some degree, as some of these players maybe did not adjust to the league very well and reached nowhere near the level they had shown across Europe, but let’s be realistic, they were no Afonso Alves were they? (Middlesbrough’s £13m signing in 2008).
Two players who have been branded with the title in the last year are Tottenham’s Erik Lamela and Manchester City’s Stevan Jovetic. Anyone who is a follower of Serie A could tell you that these two young players lit up Italy during their time spent in the league and it is very clear they both possess fantastic talent.
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Lamela, predominately a left sided winger was majestic during his time spent in Rome and was a target for many top European clubs, he chose White Hart Lane and was ridiculed from the start. An injury ridden season combined with the fact that he was not very good when he did get the chance led him to being labelled a failure.
This could not be further from the truth. Now, with the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, Lamela can flourish. The Argentinian has played in both of Tottenham’s opening two games and has been outstanding, picking up two assists against QPR on Sunday in a 4-0 win. It takes time to settle into the Premier League and Lamela is a player who will grow to become a top player for Spurs this season.
Similarly, Stevan Jovetic had an up and down first season with Manchester City. He managed to net three goals in only thirteen appearances last season as City went on to be crowned champions. He was injured for the majority of the season and never really broke into the team when fit, but after a great pre-season this term, Pellegrini has given him his chance. He has played from the start in both of City’s opening two victories and has shown exactly what he is capable of after bagging a brace against Liverpool last night.
This is the type of performance he will have to produce week after week with Sergio Aguero lying in waiting to make his return. His link up play with Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri and David Silva on Monday night was second to none and he was worthy of his man of the match award. A fit Jovetic is a new signing for City and last night’s performance makes you realise why Manuel Pellegrini hasn’t bothered going into the transfer market for another striker.
These players have far too much ability to be criticised so early into their Premier League careers and have to be given time to prove their worth. The problem with some pundits and journalists alike, is that they don’t see enough European football to make an informed judgment. A bad season gets compared to a sizeable price tag and before they’ve even kicked a ball, they’re finished.
As the season progresses, no doubt there will be some that fall into the notorious "flop" bracket but others may just need a little time.
