He was excellent at Bolton. Servicable for the Israeli national team. Mediocre at Chelsea. And with an ass full of splinters at Manchester City. At just 22 years of age, Tal Ben-Haim's performances for Bolton were excellent - he even wore the Captain's armband for the club in the UEFA Cup in 2005. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Only 26 years of age - his career has failed to take off, but perhaps a reunion with old manager Sam Allardyce could see a return to form for the powerful central defender.
With all the talk of Manchester City bringing in new players, we often overlook the fact that the squad size will have to be balanced by a few departures. Elano and Jo are rumoured to leave after a dressing room bust up, and Ben-Haim should join them.
Keep an eye on Ben-Haim's form and role under Allardyce. If he starts, he could be a late season fantasy premier league bargain at just 4.4M. Blackburn will surely be tighter at the back under Allardyce than they were under gumshoe manager Paul Ince - and with their next four fixtures against Fulham, Newcastle, Bolton, and Boro - it looks like the low-scoring affairs are set to begin.
By no means is Ben-Haim a fantasy footie stud - but a back of the mind Blackburn bargain he is.
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