<
>

Ramos, Alaba and Ibrahimovic among Euro 2016's poor performers

The Euro 2016 group stage is over and plenty of players have failed to shine.

GK Gabor Kiraly (Hungary)

Kiraly was culpable in the confusion that led to Tamas Kadar's conceding the penalty that Gylfi Sigurdsson converted in a 1-1 draw with Iceland.

And against Portugal on Wednesday, Kiraly looked what he is -- a 40-year-old man in a pair of sweatpants -- as he failed to get down in time to stop Nani's near-post effort in that thrilling 3-3 draw in Lyon.

RB Igor Smolnikov (Russia)

Aside from goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, just about any Russian player could be in this team. In fact, it was tempting to pick their entire team. The World Cup 2018 hosts made few friends at this tournament, but the hapless Smolnikov gets the nod, for being at fault for both Slovakia goals in Russia's 2-1 defeat.

Against Wales, the Zenit St Petersburg man had a nightmare in a shambolic 3-0 defeat, as he was repeatedly outwitted by Gareth Bale and was left standing as Aaron Ramsey ran on to a ball from Joe Allen for the opener.

CB Aleksandar Dragovic (Austria)

When you are your country's purported top defender, getting sent off for two reckless offences and missing a penalty in a crucial match must count as a bad tournament. Dragovic was dismissed against Hungary for two dreadful tackles and missed a penalty in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Iceland.

Austria coach Marcel Koller was quick to console a desolate Dragovic in Paris after his spot kick struck the post, but the 25-year-old Dragovic was a symbol of Austria's hugely disappointing Euro campaign.

CB Sergio Ramos (Spain)

Ramos endured a torrid time in a 2-1 defeat against Croatia as Spain lost a match at the European Championships for the first time since 2004.

A couple of communication breakdowns with David De Gea did not help his goalkeeper, who looked shaky in Bordeaux even before Ramos negligently allowed Nikola Kalinic to saunter in and score the equaliser in a 2-1 loss for the defending champions. At 1-1, Ramos's weak penalty was saved and Spain dropped into the tough side of the draw following their defeat, with Italy looming as menacing round-of-16 opponents.

LB Ciaran Clark (Ireland)

He is coming off a season playing for Aston Villa, a team doomed to relegation almost from August, and sadly for Clark it showed in his performances against both Sweden and Belgium.

In Paris, he unwittingly became Sweden's most effective attacking weapon, striking up what looked almost a telepathic understanding with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, eventually scoring an own-goal, Sweden's equaliser, in a 1-1 draw.

In Bordeaux, he was flat-footed as Romelu Lukaku tore Ireland apart in a 3-0 defeat. Martin O'Neill's omitting him for the game against Italy was both merciful and timely.

RM Andriy Yarmolenko (Ukraine)

He is a mainstay of transfer talk and Everton have been linked to signing him for over a year now. The asking price? Around £25 million for the Dynamo Kiev player. But that may require a rethink after a trio of desperate performances in France.

On Tuesday, Yarmolenko wasted his country's best chance against Poland, as the Ukraine, already eliminated, extended their barren run to five matches without scoring at the Euros with a 1-0 loss. He was not much use as a supplier to his strikers, either.

CM Arda Turan (Turkey)

Another player from a super club and another flop, although Turan was perhaps showing the rustiness developed by being only on the fringes at Barcelona. Admittedly, he played well enough in Turkey's 2-0 defeat of the Czech Republic on Tuesday, but that was a victory that came too late; Turkey did not reach the second round.

He was booed during the previous Friday's 3-0 loss to Spain by Turkish fans, his embarrassment doubled by Spanish fans singing his name at the same time. "They made my mother cry," Turan said of his Turkish supporters.

CM Jack Wilshere (England)

Amid the many confusing decisions Roy Hodgson has made so far at Euro 2016, taking Wilshere to France after just 140 minutes of first-team football all season tops the lot. By far.

Hodgson's admiration for the Arsenal man is no secret, but his sluggish performance in England's 0-0 draw with Slovakia was that of a player unfit for purpose.

LM Mario Gotze (Germany)

Gotze is capable of so much more. During Germany's 0-0 draw with Poland, he performed as a false No.9 but never looked like scoring in a toothless attacking performance.

His relaxed style can often make him look unsuited to being an elite-level footballer, and his failings must make coach Joachim Low sorry that Marco Reus was unfit for the tournament. While he didn't play on the left of midfield for Low's men during the tournament, he's been shunted out there in our Flops XI to make way for another underperformer further forward.

No.10 David Alaba (Austria)

It might have been so different had Alaba not struck a post in the opening seconds of Austria's opening match with Hungary. Instead, he will go down as one of Euro 2016's most high-profile flops, playing in a midfield role that coach Marcel Koller felt would bring out the best in Bayern Munich's left-back. He instead looked lost.

Alaba was disastrous in the 0-0 draw with Portugal, completing just 53 percent of his passes before being subbed off early in the second half. He played a little better against Iceland in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat, but he departed the tournament a fallen idol on a team that failed to meet expectations.

FW Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)

Despite all the goals and the trophies, there are those who just do not buy the Zlatan hype, and many of them are Manchester United fans wondering why Jose Mourinho would wish to make a 34-year-old his flagship summer signing.

Euro 2016 will have done little to change those opinions, even if Ibrahimovic played for a Swedish team that asked him to provide creativity and goals at the same time. He could not do it all on his own and Sweden exited the Euros bottom of their group.