There are a multitude of factors that lead a football player to slide down the pecking order. Whether it be new signings, managerial change, loss of form or consistent injuries, some players simply seem unable to cut it where they once prospered.
It doesn't necessarily mean that they are a bad player, it just reflects the fact that they are no longer compatible with a specific club.
The beginning of a new season is crunch time for a lot of footballers, as they find out whether they still have a place in the side following a summer of wholesale changes.
With not much time to impress between now and the winter transfer window, here are 10 players who need to up their game quick, or may find themselves on the move very soon indeed.
10. Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a good player, a very good player in fact. Put him at the centre of a team and he can pull the strings all day long. The only problem is that he plays alongside David Silva, who is better and as a result Nasri is usually stuck out wide which limits his effectiveness.
Following the arrivals of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling, the Frenchman really needs to impress this campaign or it is highly unlikely that he will still be a City player next season.
9. Erik Lamela
Erik Lamela was dynamite during the 2012/13 season for Roma as he blasted his way towards 15 Serie A goals. Not bad for an attacking midfielder, I'm sure you'll agree.
But two years in North London and the Argentine has managed to muster just two Premier League strikes. If he does not impress this time around, Daniel Levy will likely sell him in the summer while he still retains some value.
8. Mathieu Debuchy
Mathieu Debuchy's time at Arsenal has been injury-afflicted to say the least. So much so that he's now lost his place in the side to a much younger and sharper Hector Bellerin.
Debuchy played in Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to West Ham on the opening day and did not impress. He has not featured since, so if he gets another chance in the team, it could very well be his last one.
7. Mikel Arteta
Arsenal's midfield is an area of the squad that is packed and one man who is struggling to get a look in is Mikel Arteta.
One problem is that nobody really knows what his best role is. Is he a creator? A deep-lying player? Even a defensive midfielder? Even Wenger seems unsure and at the age of 33 he will have to do something special to remain a Gunner player beyond next summer.
6. Glen Johnson
Towards the end of his time at Liverpool, Glen Johnson had become the butt of many a joke, mainly due to his awful positioning and general lack of defensive nous.
He was always good at going forward and he may have found the perfect team to match his qualities, given Mark Hughes' attempt to play tiki-taka at the Britannia.
5. Andrej Kramaric
Much fanfare followed Andrej Kramaric's £9m arrival at Leicester from Rijeka in the winter, but he has done very little since he joined the club.
To be fair, he has looked good when he has been played, but his total appearances for this season so far stands at one, which was in the Capital One Cup against Bury.
It is clear that Claudio Ranieri prefers other options in attack and he may not be a Leicester player for much longer.
4. Phil Jones
Phil Jones' progress at Manchester United has been halted by a number of injuries sustained since joining the club.
His facial expressions (for a good example look at the photo) have become something of a running joke, but there is still a very good defender in there somewhere.
Many still see Chris Smalling and Jones as the centre of United and England's defence for years to come, but if Jones can't get his head right upon return from injury, then his Red Devils career could go the same way as Jonny Evans'.
3. Dejan Lovren
From calamitous defensive errors, to taking the ball into the middle of the pitch only to lose it to the opposition, Dejan Lovren's time at Liverpool has been underwhelming.
Having played in all four Premier League games so far this term, it seems like he still features in Brendan Rodgers' plans, but a succession of more bad performances could see him on his way out of the club sooner rather than later.
2. Cameron Jerome
He may have scored 21 goals in all competitions last year, but that doesn't mean that Cameron Jerome's place at Norwich is guaranteed in the immediate future.
He has never quite been able to up his game to Premier League level and has failed to score in the Canaries' opening four fixtures of the campaign.
To help remedy the lack of goals, Alex Neil brought in Dieumerci Mbokani, so Jerome needs to up his game and quick.
1. Fabio Borini
After rotting on Liverpool's bench for most of last season, Fabio Borini clinched a permanent move to Sunderland in the last moments of the transfer window.
The only time the Italian has really impressed in the Premier League was during his loan spell on Wearside in 2013/14, so he now has another chance to show that he can cut it in the top flight.
But if he fails to do so, then there may not be many clubs left to take a punt on him.
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