10 Most Inconsistent Players in Football

There is nothing more important in life more than consistency in the field of work, whether football or something else. In football, consistency matters a lot. It separates good players from legendary players. There have been many players who have done wonders season after season, including the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Henry, Ronaldinho and many more. But there have been players who sometimes perform exceptionally, but sometimes are awfully bad.

Here is the list of ten players who are the most inconsistent players in football at the moment.

10) Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder is one of the finest midfielders in this generation of football players. But the Dutch man has had a career full of good and bad performances. After his early success at Ajax, he was signed by Real Madrid, where he couldn’t settle down and was eventually sold to Inter Milan. He enjoyed two stellar seasons with Inter, guiding them into a historic treble. Sneijder was also instrumental in Netherlands’ run to the final in the 2010 World Cup. But his form again took a dip after 2011, after which Sneijder has never found his best form. After joining Galatasaray, he has shown some glimpses of his old form, but still Sneijder has never been consistent with his form over his career.

9) Cesc Fabregas

When Cesc Fabregas was at Arsenal, there was no stopping him. The former Arsenal captain was at that  time among the best midfielders around in the Premier League. But his form faded away after his highly controversial move to Barcelona. Fabregas struggled to find a spot in the already packed midfield of the Catalan club, consisting of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Fabregas forced a move out of Barcelona and joined Chelsea out of the frustration of not finding a place in the first team. His start to the season at the Blues was terrific, as he piled up 15 assists by January. But his form faded away after mid-season, as he added just three more to his assists tally. Fabregas has made a quiet start to this season, but he has the quality to come back strong and make an impact on Chelsea’s performance.

8) Samir Nasri

Once considered as one of the finest young prospects for France, Samir Nasri has been a player who plays on will. When he gets going, there is no stopping the mercurial midfielder. But much of his downfall has been brought upon by himself. His controversial celebrations and his lack of respect towards his teammates led to his omission from the French squad of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. As a result, Nasri retired from the national team at the age of just 29. His form at Marseille and Arsenal was quite sensational, as he was consistently amongst the goals – both scoring and assisting. He started well at Manchester City too, but his form declined as the time went by, and since then he hasn;t been able to find a place in the first team.

7) Mesut Ozil

Arguably Germany’s finest and most creative midfielder at the moment, Mesut Ozil’s tenure at Werder Bremen and especially at Real Madrid was awesome. He piled up the most assists in the La Liga in the 2012-13 season. He was on the radar of many top clubs, as Real Madrid were in pursuit of Gareth Bale. They had to sell a player in order to make way for the Welshman, and Ozil was that player. Arsene Wenger splashed out $60 million for Ozil, making him the most expensive German player in history. Ozil started off well at Arsenal too, but his form took a sharp dip. He showed glimpses of his Blancos form, but couldn’t find his feet in the Premier League. He ended the 2014-15 season on a high, when he picked up his form, and has also started this season wonderfully.

Hopefully he will continue to play like this, as Ozil is one of the best midfielders around in football.

6) Robinho

Pele once defined Robinho as the man who will take up the Brazilian legend’s mantle and would lead Brazil. As a young player at Santos – the breeding ground of Brazilian talent – Robinho was extra-ordinary. His brilliance was seen by the representatives of the biggest club in the world – Real Madrid. The Blancos signed Robinho as an 18-year-old teenager. He lighted up the Spanish league with amazing performances. Manchester City brought him at the age of 22 for a hefty fee of $50 million. Robinho wasn’t at all the same in England, as he lost his sharpness and pace. Eventually, he was sold back to Santos, where he performed a little better, but his inconsistent form at the Italian club, AC Milan forced him to move to the Chinese club, Guangzhou.

5) Hatem Ben-Arfa

Hatem Ben-Arfa was the star of the Newcastle team which finished fifth in the Premier League in the 2011-12 season. His skills, dribbling and control were matched with the likes of Messi and Ronaldo. But the attitude of Ben-Arfa towards the game was frustrating. He fell out with the then manager Alam Pardew, which reflected directly in his performances. Next, he moved to Hull City where he failed to settle down under Steve Bruce. He has moved back to France, and is playing well for Nice. But the Frenchman will be considered as one of those wonderful talents who never realised their potential.

4) Mario Balotelli

One of the deadliest finishers in world football at the moment, Mario Balotelli has been one of the most inconsistent players in recent years. His ability has never been questioned by anyone. But he is often criticized for his attitude towards the game. He started at Inter Milan as a bright young powerful striker, but soon his attitude problems started to grow as he was sold to Manchester City. His form at City was a roller-coaster – he was excellent at times, but was often surrounded by controversy which affected his performances. He was then sold to AC Milan, where he performed well and was signed by Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool desperately needed someone to replace Luis Suarez. But his dismal display at Liverpool forced Rodgers to loan him back to AC Milan.

3) Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor has been a player who has travelled a lot ; from playing in France to England to Spain and then again back to England, he has played across various clubs in various countries. Adebayor’s performances in Monaco were impressive, on the back of which he joined Arsenal. He enjoyed a wonderful season at Arsenal, in which he was the second highest top scorer in the league, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. But after moving to Manchester City for a fee of around £25 million, the Togo striker never found his old form and was loaned out to Real Madrid and Spurs. He briefly shone at Spurs, but after moving to White Hart Lane permanently, Adebayor’s form dipped alarmingly. Currently he is a free agent, much due to the inconsistency he has shown throughout his career.

2) Nani

Nani is one of those players who had the potential of being one of the greatest players in football history. Like his Portuguese compatriot Crisitiano Ronaldo, Alex Ferguson signed Nani from Sporting Lisbon as a young mercurial winger. Cristiano had proved himself as a wonderful buy for Ferguson, and many expected Nani to perform at the same level. Nani had all the talents – dribbling, speed and shooting from distance. Nani showed some glimpses of real good quality, but often his over confidence let him down. He scored some magnificent goals for United and was often involved in the game, but he never achieved the heights that should have been owing to his failure to learn. He’s currently playing for the Turkish club, Fenerbahce.

1) Kevin Prince-Boeting

The most inconsistent player in the world, Kevin Prince-Boeting is a monster of a player. On his day, he might tear apart the best of teams in the world. His strength, pace and his ability to shoot from distance have been his major assets. His rough play has seen some disciplinary actions taken against him. His form at AC Milan was good, but his attitude problems forced the club to sell him to Schalke, where he didn’t find any sort of form. He was sent back from his Ghana national team during the World Cup 2014 due to his wrong actions. Boeting has also been indefinitely suspended from playing for Schalke for lack of commitment towards the club. He is a very fine player, but his attitude is not the one of a football player.