6 Footballers Whose Reputations Took A Battering At World Cup 2018

Timo Werner, Mesut Ozil, Mario Gomez: take your pick of attacking players to blame for the German's toothless display at this summer's World Cup. They may well have conceded as many goals in three games as their entire qualifying campaign, but their inability to score goals is why the holders have been eliminated.

They had the majority of possession in all of their group games but no-one threatening the opposition, not even the player who came into this tournament having scored ten goals in two World Cups. Muller, it was suggested, could break his compatriot Miroslav Klose's record for World Cup goals in Russia. He didn't even come close.

Muller missed chances and generally looked abysmal with the ball at his feet. Gone was the talismanic character who played a key role in the German's triumph four years ago, replaced by an empty shirt whose talents, much like at club level, appear to be waning.