The Endangered Side Of Present Day Football

Ronaldinho as a reference point, graced the spectators and ardent followers of the round leather game with so many mind blowing skills and tricks on the pitch during his playing days.

It's a little bit difficult this days picking or selecting a handful of footballers that take it upon themselves to deliberately try or attempt to take opposing players on with their skills and trickery effortlessly,  and also doing it successfully. 

Over the years, we've had players that have lit up the English Premier League with trickery and silky moves as they charge up and down the flanks, centre field and opposition 18-yard box, mesmerizing defenders and putting the spectators on the edges of their seats, fascinated by what's on display. The daring moves, sharp twists and turns and incredible footwork.

From Cristiano Ronaldo to Thiery Henry to Eden Hazard, just to mention a few. These individual players were a joy to behind when it comes to flair, trickery and dribbling ability.

The league at the moment is quite short of players in this form that possess this ability and technique. Players with flair, that dazzles on the ball and give fans the true definition of what entertainment is about, which football as a sport is much more about rather than the final score line at the end of the game.

Emphasis and focus has always been on who wins the league title, the fight for top 4 finish, qualification for European competition, Relegation dogfight and recently added to this list is the Video Assistant Referee popularly known as VAR controversies dominating almost every match of the day.


Undeniably, all this provides for entertainment in itself, gives the spectators and an average football fan something to look forward to and what to expect which are always unpredictable and builds up to the excitement of the game as a whole. But more excitement can still be added.

For the Week 12 fixture for the current 2019/2020 season, Manchester United squared up against Brighton and Hoves Albion, with United going into the tie hoping to string back to back wins and get all 3 points to push them further up the league table just before the international break.

In the 75th minute, United already having a 3-1 lead, Marcus Rashford unleased a Ronaldinho's elastico or also known as "The Snakebite" on Brighton's   defender Davey Propper. The audacity of the move and the successful attempt at it was a beauty to behold. In seconds Rashford had lost the defender and left him chasing shadows. But for the quick reflexes of Ryan, Brighton's goalkeeper, the resulting shot at goal from Rashford in a tight angle, could have produced one of the best goal of the season.

It provides for good advertisement in the league and Manchester United as a football club, having a player like Marcos Rashford in the team with such boldness to attempt release such a skill at  skill at that moment, rolling back the time we once had a player in Ronaldinho who is always fond of pulling up that silky move.

Certainly, Marcos Rashford is below the level and standard of many household names that have once graced football over the years and seasons gone by in terms of tricky, individual skill display and dribbling. But this singular act is compelling and enthralling. It should be encouraged across board, among other teams in the league.

Every now and then, there is always one or two cases of players going overboard about this, showboating or being over elaborate, becoming careless with the ball in the process, which could lead to losing possession in the process and his team conceding a goal.

 Yes, there is always those situations but this is not to say some bit of freedom and leeway shouldn't and cannot be given to players to express themselves on the pitch  - especially players with flair and trickery up their sleeves for offer - which in the ending gives additional entertainment that spectators in general crave for in football.

Sharing Responsibilities And Alexis Sanchez Injury Woes

In hindsight, the loaning out of Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan was a well thought out decision by Manchester United that deserves commendation.

At the early stage of the 2019/2020 football season, the club had a shake up and reshuffling of personnel, i.e loaning out and selling of some players in preparation for the upcoming season.
Alexis Sanchez was among the players the club did away with, sending him out on loan to Inter Milan haven had an unimpressive period in the club since he was signed 2017/2018 mid-season.

Loaning out him out was perceived by a to be a knee jerk reaction and unnecessary against the backdrop of United not replacing Romelu Lukaku that had already been sold to the same Inter Milan during this period. 

Invariably loaning out Sanchez, another attacker leaves the team short of attackers up front, it was thought and believed especially in the social media space.

Sanchez loan move looked to have revitalized him, scoring a couple of goals for his new club Inter Milan and he even took this impressive form with him to the international stage for his country while on national duty. This even ignited the buzz and frenzy further among football followers.

"Sanchez is back to his best. He is getting back the form he once had while at Arsenal before moving to United. He shouldn't have been loaned out. United are paying for the services of a player that is not in the team. Sanchez is now enjoying his football in Inter Milan..." Comments and opinions of this form flooded the football community on-line.

In retrospect, there is a valid school of thought that Sanchez was loaned out to ease the financial burden of his astronomical wages with little to show for it, performance-wise, on the pitch. His goal returns and unending injury ordeal since he became a Manchester United player has made his signing somewhat regrettable to the club.

His weekly wages has always been a line of discuss every time he steps out in the colours of Manchester United. Which is probably down to the popular saying that "to whom much is given, much is expected". So there is always that high expectation and demand for Sanchez to deliver and give more on the pitch.

The club showed equal desperation in loaning him out as it did when Sanchez was to be signed from Arsenal. With the Chilean on the brinks of signing for Manchester City which somehow didn't materialize, Manchester United swong in and capitalized and Sanchez ended up being a United player.

Sanchez injury track record is also a thing of concern. His period at United  as been marred and hampered with niggling injuries. It was only a matter of a couple of games before another injury lay off strikes again. Rightfully so in early October while he was away on International duty for Chile he suffered a dislocated ankle and tendon damage. Sanchez is expected to be out of footballing action for an estimated 3 months.

Despite glimpses of good performances and what seemed to be a  renaissance at the start of the season for both Inter Milan and the Chilean National team, the decision by the club to loan him out was a masterstroke and a win-win situation for Manchester United.

This invariably means, Manchester United now shares the responsibility of the weekly wages of an injury prone Alexis Sanchez with Inter Milan and the burden of getting him back to full fitness after he recovers from this recent long term injury lay off and also gives Sanchez another chance to revitalize his football career in the Serie A in Italy, the place that gave him the spring board into the limelight as a good footballer.