They’ve Flattered to Deceive: The XI of World Cup Flops to Date
They’ve Flattered to Deceive: The XI of World Cup Flops to Date
By Darshan Joshi, writing from Australia
The World Cup, unfortunately, has the tendency to cause individual (and team) performances to vary in a highly schizophrenic fashion; some players shine like a supernova for their clubs, but at the same time, combust like a supernova for their countries.
The group stages this year started off slowly, and seemed to pick up after the first round of matches (a predictable feat, partially explained here) but that didn’t mean all the stars did indeed pick up. Some players, terrifying hyped up in the build-up to the tournament, are looking more likely to emerge with more than a few pounds shaved off their potential transfer fees than a Manchester City-induced price pregnancy: far from good news for their current employers.
Of course, there have been more than eleven flops: my list thus far actually has a satisfying assemblage of thirty-three names. Some would be obvious selections, some controversial.
Please note, too, that I’m only going to pick from players who have actually played, as it only seems fair that way. And I decided to go with a 4-3-1-2.
