The Ballon d’Or is now a five-horse race

Some players just require a single name for the world of football to recognise who they are. They enter public consciousness as teenagers, and they leave in their thirties, with just that single name. That name will remind observers and fans of all their struggles, achievements and triumphs. Messi, the greatest player of all time. Pele, perhaps his strongest rival for the same claim. Cristiano, who might also now be the pre-eminent Ronaldo, replacing the spectacular Brazilian striker in terms of talent. Zinedine, a man who made the Galacticos worth all the strife, and whose last moment in football was to headbutt some Italian who is not worth giving one or two of his names here. One name signals fame earned from greatness, and that is often recognised at the Ballon d’Or award ceremoney, an award that appears to change hands between Ronaldo and Messi on a yearly basis. This year, it’s different. There is serious competition. We look at their closest rivals.

Massimo Luongo (QPR)

Massimo Corey Luongo is not one of those players. Yet. But there’s every reason to believe that he could be one of the next great prospects in football. Some people have been surprised at this, but that merely betrays the ignorance of what is known in West London as the ‘Chris Ramsey Revolution.’

QPR were relegated at the end of the season, with punishments for FFP failures looming, dissatisfied superstars, money worries, and the toxic presence of Joey Barton. Barton was shipped out, the FFP punishments were negated, and other players were moved on. Ramsey moved swiftly and sensibly to reinforce at the other end of the market. Hello, Massimo Luongo.

Luongo’s ascent is frightening. Schooled at Spurs, he then gained vital experience at Swindon Town, and fresh from the enlightening defeat to Preston in the League One play-off final, Ramsey swooped. To QPR’s delight, as well as removing Barton from the squad, they were also able to keep hold of Charlie Austin, which was vital. In just a few months of working with Austin, Luongo has become a devastatingly effectiive player. Some might believe that taking a kid who few had ever heard of and putting him forward for the Ballon d’Or, just because he played with Austin, is a silly joke at the expense of the credibility of the award.

Well, if they did that, they’d also have to object to the sublime Eduardo Vargas also being nominated for the awarded, another benefitting from the now undeniable Chaz Austin Boost in his time at QPR last season. 22 league appearances and four league goals, but what a four league goals.

David Ospina (Arsenal)

Arsene Wenger knows football. Wenger was the man who introduced entirely legal supplements to the English game, along with improving the diet and exercise regime. Vegetables and fish were in, booze and more booze were out. Wenger produced several iterations of brilliant, incisive, lightning-quick and bruising football at Highbury, even achieving a season where his side went undefeated in the league. In short, he is a giant in the game.

And if there’s one thing he knows, it’s goalkeepers. Wojciech Szczesny, Manuel Almunia, Richard Wright and Lukasz Fabianski are all testament to that. He also has Petr Cech, a man who Jose Mourinho was desperate to keep at Chelsea, and his very first Arsenal performance, against West Ham, showed just what Wenger can do for his ‘keepers. Cech, after all, is playing like a man with everything to prove all over again.

And the man driving him on to his very best form is Mr David Ospina. After becoming one of Ligue Un’s undiscovered gems, Wenger rescued him from obscurity. Nobody in England can now claim to be unaware of his work, especially after the Champions League this week.

Wenger was glowing in his praise at his press conference today, saying that anyone who thought that Ospina was the sole reason for the defeat at home to Olympiacos did not understand football. There is no higher praise for an Arsenal goalkeeper in Wenger’s time at the club. Nothing more needs to be said.

Christian Atsu (Bournemouth, on loan from Chelsea)

A lot has been said about the reasons for Chelsea’s failure to spark this season. There was the row with Eva Carneiro, who is now preparing a legal case, it is believed. There is the decline of John Terry, now no longer even a guaranteed starter despite being the club captain. Rumours of a chronic injury to Cesc Fabregas, and the poverty of Nemanja Matic’s contributions have also been raised as a problem.

This is a shallow reading. So far, Pedro has started brightly but failed to sufficiently quickly adapt to the requirements of his new side. Eden Hazard doesn’t actually look like he can be bothered to play football. Willian has done well enough, but Oscar has also struggled to deliver. All three of Loic Remy, Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao have failed to deliver in attack, too. As much as Chelsea have difficulties at the back, the lack of inspiration up front is telling.

Change your attention to Bournemouth, and the story is the same. Yes, they get more leeway because as they’ve just been promoted, and have less money, less is expected of them. But both Bournemouth and Chelsea are struggling, just one point apart in the Premier League. Yes, he’s not actually played a league game for either of them this season, but that’s the point. There is a clear correlation - such is Atsu’s excellence that if he doesn’t play for you, you are guaranteed to have a poor season. Stats like this say more than him actually playing football ever could.