fbpx
Connect with us

English Premier League

Lingard lacking the screen time he needs most

For the time being, Jesse Lingard remains a professional footballer. How long that remains the case is yet to be determined. Unfortunately for a man with 32 senior England caps to his name, he is becoming more famous for exploits off the field than those on it.

As the Three Lions ready themselves for another shot at World Cup glory, it is worth remembering that Lingard played a significant role in Gareth Southgate’s plans when a memorable run to the last four of FIFA’s flagship event was enjoyed four years ago.

He is just about as far away from replicating those heroics in 2022 as it is possible to get. The phone will not be ringing this time around when a 26-man party is pieced together and charged with the task of bringing football home.

Frustration

That should be a source of serious frustration for Lingard, with England priced at 13/2 in football betting odds to bring a 56-year wait for global to a close as many back them to go well in the Middle East, despite a recent dip in form being endured.

If gold medals were to be picked up before the turn of another calendar year, then those left on the outside looking in will be giving themselves a serious kicking. To have a shot at history fall within reach, only to let it fall through your grasp is careless, to say the least.

In many ways, Lingard only has himself to blame when it comes to an international exiling. He should have been kicking on from 2018, with the campaign immediately prior to a memorable World Cup outing seeing him post personal best returns of 48 and 13 when it comes to appearances and goals over a single season.

A slippery slope has been hit since then, and the bottom may not have been reached. Loyalty to Manchester United was to be applauded for a while, with there an understandable desire to prove a point there, but he ultimately hung around far too long at Old Trafford.

A productive loan spell at West Ham hinted at a new lease of life being enjoyed, but stagnation set in once returning to his parent club and rust has proved difficult to shake. The Red Devils may have started to block his path, but could an alternative route to the exits have been found if he looked hard enough?

Questionable

Free agency was eventually hit in the summer of 2022, but once again some questionable decisions were made. Linking up with Nottingham Forest always felt like a gamble for all concerned, and so it has proved to be.

Within a matter of weeks of arriving at the City Ground, amid the expected flurry of personal promotional videos, Lingard has found himself dropped to the bench and in danger of slipping even further out of sight and mind.

A considerable presence continues to be enjoyed across various social media platforms, with non-sporting business interests booming, but the screen time that should be craved most has remained in alarmingly short supply for the man whose day job is beginning to play second fiddle.

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in English Premier League