One of the easiest things to do in world football is to place blame. Whether your team is injury-prone, allowing too many goals, not scoring enough goals (or, that horrific combo where you are suffering from all of the previous issues), or not buying any worthwhile players in the transfer window, the fingers are quick to point out the issues. However, sometimes, players can receive a large amount of praise, large amounts of money, large amounts of time on the pitch, and the best FIFA ratings that EA can muster…while their actual play on the pitch is, dare we say, pitiful. It is in these situations where someone has to point shatter the rose colored glasses and label them “overrated,” so it seems appropriate that someone with zero credentials should be in charge of that…so, here we go!
5. Kevin Mirallas – Everton
While 2013-14 saw the Belgian attacker starting to grow within the Everton squad and actually look like he belonged, 2014-15 has seen Mirallas stepping back into old habits. Much like when he first arrived, Mirallas is too quick to take a shot or attempt to beat several defenders instead of choosing a simpler pass. With manager Martinez continuing to institute positive change around Goodison Park, Mirallas (despite an amazing recent goal against Tottenham) seems to continue to look focused on himself instead of the club. While his play and attitude may result in Everton making an eventual profit and continuing to work with an impressive business model, his usefulness within the Everton 11 feels like it is in an odd place.
4. Erik Lamela – Tottenham
While two of his teammates are making a serious run at the “underrated” list, Lamela has looked like a player whose transfer fee and Europa League/Rabona goal are the only things keeping him on the pitch. Opposition fans and players quickly learn to hate him as he gets caught up in small arguments and petty disagreements, his passes lose their fluidity and accuracy the higher the pressure on Lamela, and other new transfers are starting to show their class as Lamela seems to be farther and farther away from making actual sense on the pitch. His tackles are too risky for him to be employed defensively and Eriksen/Dembele are better choices in the attack…25 millions pounds is always a high price to pay for a player, but will it prove to be too much for the ex-Roma man?
1/2/& 3. Liverpool
Yes, that’s right…the whole team (quit whining…it’s my list). While it is ridiculous to ask a 34-year-old Gerrard to play at his best as often as Liverpool has asked him to, the rest of the squad has been completely abysmal. Flashes of quality from players like Coutinho, Sterling, and a few others only serve as a reminder of how far this team has fallen, but the constant failings of Balotelli, Markovic, Lovren, Mignolet, Allen, Johnson, Lambert, Lucas, Skrtel, etc., etc., etc. show another season of unfulfilled promise. The reason they are only 1/2/& 3 instead of covering all five is because I wanted to keep it uncluttered…and avoid adding too much salt in the recent Man U wound…
“Honorable” Mention
Edin Dzeko – Manchester City
While strike-partner Aguero has been ridiculously amazing this season, Dzeko only has 4 goals and 2 assists in this campaign (with 2 goals coming in the League Cup). Despite the club always seeming unwilling to part with the ex-Wolfsburg player, his filling of the current Aguero-injury-void may determine his future in Manchester.
Fandom
This season has been hysterical for those of us that do have a particular club we root for, but tend to stay away from crying after matches or letting results change our actual lives. Newcastle pre-revelation, Arsenal (always), Liverpool, and countless sets of fans this season have already jumped from two to three different bandwagons/trains-of-thought. If you truly want to enjoy the Premier League, just enjoy it either as a neutral or as someone with a brain (and, a life outside of one club’s 90-minute weekly/bi-weekly performance). Know what I did when Liverpool got knocked out of the Champions League? Neither do I…because it wasn’t that important. Want to insult someone/me on a certain color, flag or jersey I wear? Please…re-examine some priorities…
Keep an eye out for a much more practical, non-Liverpool flooded underrated list to follow. Jordon is already excited as I can guarantee that at least ONE Australian player will probably be on the list. So, what do you think of our overrated list? Do you agree? Disagree? Is there anyone you would add? Let us know! (Although, considering nearly every player that makes this list each season turns around and has a great 2nd half, you guys may end up thanking me!)
at 04:54
If you’re saying that Mirallas is overrated, this post can clearly be the most stupid ever.
He is in absolute stunning form for Everton and links up well with Lukaku (look at their goal-assists to each other) and Barkley (look at how many passes they share in a game, you’d be suprised).
If you post stuff like this then make sure it’s founded. Like Liverpool: Balotelli THAT is an overrated player. Pick of the bunch in that: Ben Arfa. Amazing skills, but does he use them? NO! Mirallas makes himself important EVERY week AND supplies wonderful goals, assists and performances. Overrated my ass.
But then again, what can you expect from a Red.
at 09:01
Lukaku has taken a step back this year as well, which is how I described Mirallas. Stats can be misleading, but watching all the games and matching them up with those numbers is where the basis can be found. Of course, Mirallas would score about 48 hours after this post was written, but I still believe in this list (not to mention that he has one assist this season…so, there’s always that).
Ben Arfa is currently playing for Hull City…he hasn’t been OVERrated in a few seasons.
But, then again, what can you expect from someone clearly displaying fandom (which just so happens to be on the list) for a fellow Belgian.
at 05:09
Andrew
Fandom – Realism. If you would watch every Everton game, like me, you would clearly see that Mirallas is NOT over-rated. What is over-rated anyways? When he plays, he’s always a hand-full for every fullback in the PL. He takes on defenders, always looking for goal AND most importantly: he IS important for Everton. So why over-rated? He is doing exactly what we expect from him.
Also he was injured, so that plays. And we started poorly to the season which is not Mirallas fault, it’s the whole team. So still I ask: why over-rated? Is he one of the best wingers in the world? No, and nobody states it, not even me! He was just coming to form, and recently he is tearing up the wing for Everton, linking up well with Lukaku!
About Lukaku: not taking a step back, just finding form after a frustrating toe injury. Recently scoring in every game he played in. If you decide to make your opinion about a player then make sure it’s correct.
Mirallas does what the world expects from him, at Everton we want him to get past people, we want him to shoot at goal (because: look at the goal vs Spurs, that’s why), he finds the net easy for a winger. Does he needs to work on his stats? Yes offcourse. But if you only look at stats you are not being correct. It’s what he DOES on the pitch: he makes space with runs OFF the ball, he takes on defenders when he is ON the ball, upsetting defenders, making them doubt and run out position. He looks to find Lukaku in de 16m area, he links up well with Barkley, rarely loses posession (important to Martinez) AND is far better then our other wingers at the moment. So no: if someone does what is expected from him then he is not over-rated.
What does he have to do in your opinion? Have 11 assists so far en 20 goals? He’s not Ronaldo or Messi and everybody knows it. He’s had an injury and fought back from it, now he’s injured again (not so difficult if you see how he gets kicked every single game), and he’ll be back after the Southampton game (let’s hope).
He is important for Everton, but surely not over-rated. Take McGeady who I find over-rated, or Besic for the matter (if you have to pick someone in the Everton squad). Like I said before: there are other players who are over-rated. Ben Arfa is playing for Hull? No he’s sitting on the bench. 8 starts and 3 subs: no goals what so ever. HE is not fullfilling it on the Pitch, Mirallas is performing well. Even before he scored last monday. He was running riot the last weeks.
at 06:07
First, this list is an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.
Second, obviously I rated Mirallas higher than you last season because, up to this point, I truly believe he has been overrated. Now, much like Arsenal’s Ramsey (who made an earlier overrated list), it is entirely possible for a player to play their way OFF the list. Towards the end of last season, I thought Mirallas WAS one of the better wingers on show…but he truly seems to have slipped back into some old habits that remind me of when he first slipped on the blue of Everton. His head goes down too quickly, and his play has suffered…will he get it back? I truly think so…but, right now, he’s not the player he was in the last half of the 2013-14 season. I still believe he is a good player, but not the great one that I started to see emerge as the last season came to a close.
I definitely respect your opinion and you make some very valid points, but I want you to know that (since it is my job on this site) that I watch every single BPL game that is shown (sometimes twice) and have yet to miss a game this season (God bless DVR). As for the Ben Arfa thing, once again it is just pure wasted talent…not being overrated. Fans of the game have known what Ben Arfa is for years…his current situation comes as no surprise.
Thanks for reading…and don’t think I’m trying to shove anything your way or tell you that you’re wrong, but I just seem to see Mirallas differently this season.
Plus, getting upset at me for using stats when you wanted to use them to get irate at me in your first comment…that hurts my feelings 😉