Players that could have been

[Evilo]

or at least didn't live up to their talents.

I'll start with the magician himself :

Click to read more...

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

or at least didn't live up to their talents.

I'll start with the magician himself :

I remember my uncle telling me he will be right behind Messi. Oof

Correa,Bojan, are big ones for me.

 

[Evilo]

Gourcuff is a bit harsh in players that could have been because for 2 seasons, he WAS top of the game. One of the very best players in the world. Could have been #1. His one MVP season at Bordeaux was absolutely unreal.
But injuries, mental health issues, insecurity, all of that and that f***ing 2010 WC f***ed his career.

 

[robertmac43]

Jack Wilshere immediately comes to mind. He showed glimpses of being a great MF but could never live up to the hype of the Barcelona game. Did not help that he was English and meant to be a star for country as well as club.

 

[S E P H]

or at least didn't live up to their talents.

I'll start with the magician himself :

Evilo this thread can be renamed Hatem Ben Arfa because I can't think of anybody else who had World Class talent and decided to never put it together.

 

[YNWA14]

Are we talking completely flops or just guys that didn't live up to their talents?

Rafael van der Vaart comes to mind for the latter. He was easily viewed as the biggest talent in the Netherlands coming up, and ahead of guys like Sneijder, Robben, van Persie, etc. Maybe the knee injury at 18 had a big impact on his career overall, and while he wasn't terrible by any means I think the expectations were a lot higher than what he ended up with.

 

[Evilo]

Ben Arfa sure is a big name here.
But he never put it together for more than a few weeks/months.
Gourcuff had almost two years of pure football orgasm.

 

[Evilo]

87 generation in France had Ben Arfa, Benzema, Nasri and Menez as their front 4 (U17 Euro champs).
Only 1 of them had a great career and it was probably the least talented of the 4.

 

[S E P H]

Rafael van der Vaart

Good shout here.

Ben Arfa sure is a big name here.
But he never put it together for more than a few weeks/months.
Gourcuff had almost two years of pure football orgasm.

I don't disagree about that, but Ben Arfa with his dribbling skills, vision, and overall talent could've been Arjen Robben 2.0.

Jack Wilshere immediately comes to mind. He showed glimpses of being a great MF but could never live up to the hype of the Barcelona game. Did not help that he was English and meant to be a star for country as well as club.

He could've been our version of Verratti, but injuries just destroyed his talent.

 

[robertmac43]

Ravel Morrison is another English player who looked solid in his younger years and then got extremely over hyped in England.

 

[Savant]

There was a great book about this. Forgot what it’s called but will find out. Watch this space.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think the big one for American players is Marc Pelosi. A young American LB/CM who was on the verge of breaking through into the Liverpool squad, and then he got his leg broken by a terrible tackle. Never was the same after.

We've had a lot of players like this. Stuart Holden was emerging as one of the better CM's in the Premier League, and also had his leg broken by a terrible tackle. Never was the same after. Charlie Davies was emerging as our top striker, and got into a car accident. Never was the same after that. A while back, John O'Brien, at Ajax was part of our 2002 World Cup team. He was doing great at Ajax, but could never stay healthy.

Charles Renken, Joe Gyau, Josh Gatt, Junior Flores, Gedion Zelalem. We've had so many of these players whose careers were derailed by injuries. Right now, the leading candidate in the current crop is Jonathan Amon. Great young winger, but he's only played 36 minutes in the last year due to nagging injuries. His game is based on his speed, and he's had muscular injuries for almost two years now that have kept him off the field.

 

[Cassano]

Yoann Gourcuff - Dude had 20 injuries in Lyon alone. Hailed as the next Zidane and Arsenal were rumoured for him every year from 2008-2013

Yann MVila - Not exactly sure what happened there, but he was thought of the Patrick Vieira clone for the French NT. Another player who was always linked with Arsenal.

Abou Diaby - Great player, could dominate a midfield on his own at times (are opening Liverpool match in 2012 season), Arsenal were too loyal to him and he was too injury prone.

Pato - Came into Europe with a promising debut but was never really the same after his major injury. Famously made a weird loan with Chelsea’s worst team the past 20 years.

Eduardo - I believe it was Wenger who said he had the purest goal scoring instincts from a player he’s coached. Arsenal had a 5 point lead over the Double winning Utd prior to a talentless ogre breaking his leg. It killed their season.

Daniel Sturridge - Amazing talent, put it all together in the 2013-14 season for Liverpool but his career has otherwise been decimated by injuries. Height, pace, dribbling, finishing dude had it all.

Ledley King - Thierry Henry described him as the best pure defender he has competed against. Played for a small club and was way too injury prone to leave a mark on the game. IMO fully healthy he was the most talented English CB in an era that had Terry Ferdinand and Campbell.

Adriano - Everyone probably knows his trouble with gang violence and depression after his fathers passing.

@Cassano - Totti played with Del Piero, Inzaghi, Maldini, Vieri and Batistuta and the player he said was the best? Cassano. There is the famous quote of him exchanging hookers for baked goods all day in his hotel room during his time at Real Madrid.

Seamus Coleman - I felt he was world class in the 2013-14 season. He got linked with PSG and was reportedly close to moving there, then suffered pretty bad injuries and has been average since.

Tomas Rosicky - A brilliant player that missed half of his Arsenal career with injuries. Club legend for Dortmund and Arsenal regardless.

Mario Gotze - dubbed the German Messi, famously scored the WC winning goal in 2014. Joining Pep in 2014 was supposed to elevate his Bayern career, but Bayern were too stacked and his career was ruined there due to genetic condition. He is probably going to some mid table PL club this summer which is a huge fall from grace.

Clement Grenier - aka Gourcuff jr. Arsenal had a bid rejected for him in 2012 and he had a botched hernia surgery IIRC. Haven’t heard his name for years until looking up Camavinga stats and noticed him there

 

[koyvoo]

Ricardo Quaresma

 

[Savant]

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Big-Thing-Footballs-Wonderkids/dp/1785315013

 

[Savi]

He's still pretty young actually, but Charly Musonda if we're looking at Belgians. Chose money over development way too early.

 

[Evilo]

M'Vila and Diaby are great choices.
M'Vila's character hurt him, but at 20 he was already world class.
Diaby was just a monster at both ends. Injuries killed his career.
Grenier IMO never had the potential of those. Excellent player, and indeed injuries derailed his career, but he borderline NT player, while the others had the goods to be world class.

 

[Evilo]

Gara Dembele in terms of very young players.
Hervin Ogenda was absolutely amazing in youth ranks and very impressive in his first PSG games. He fell of the earth.

 

[YNWA14]

He's still pretty young actually, but Charly Musonda if we're looking at Belgians. Chose money over development way too early.

He actually looked fantastic during his loan at Real Betis from what I saw. I know injuries have played a big part in his development too, but like you said he's still young. He might be able to make it yet.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Ravel Morrison is the one that sticks out for me. The most naturally talented player SAF ever saw, but off field issues and motivation issues derailed his career.

Not 100% sure if he counts here as he’s had a long and successful career, but Nani is another one. My personal favorite player ever and was unplayable when he was focused. He had everything you wanted in a winger and could’ve been up there with the best of them.

 

[les Habs]

Marc Bartra. He's had a good career to be sure and wasn't going to be a generational CB, but I think he'd have garnered more of the spotlight if he'd played more and had a few different turns in his career. BVB was a big move, but timing seemed to be off as he landed when they weren't at their best. It's like his time is bookended by better BVB sides, though the whole bomb thing and his stay being so short-lived it's hard to say. Of course he also should have been given more chances at Barça and left notably sooner. Now at Betis he doesn't play for the best side and doesn't get the attention he might elsewhere.

 

[YNWA14]

Marc Bartra. He's had a good career to be sure and wasn't going to be a generational CB, but I think he'd have garnered more of the spotlight if he'd played more and had a few different turns in his career. BVB was a big move, but timing seemed to be off as he landed when they weren't at their best. It's like his time is bookended by better BVB sides, though the whole bomb thing and his stay being so short-lived it's hard to say. Of course he also should have been given more chances at Barça and left notably sooner. Now at Betis he doesn't play for the best side and doesn't get the attention he might elsewhere.

Gareth Bale stole his soul.

 

[les Habs]

Gareth Bale stole his soul.

I still say that's such an overrated goal. Bale wide open and dribbled like he was David May. Anyway, if he steal his soul he probably left it on a golf course where he left his own. Amazing he actually played the other day.

 

[Evilo]

If Nabil Fekir hadn't blown his knee in his first NT cap, he'd be a top 5 player right now.
Basically, add immense explosiveness to his impressive talent. Messi-lite.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Marc Bartra. He's had a good career to be sure and wasn't going to be a generational CB, but I think he'd have garnered more of the spotlight if he'd played more and had a few different turns in his career. BVB was a big move, but timing seemed to be off as he landed when they weren't at their best. It's like his time is bookended by better BVB sides, though the whole bomb thing and his stay being so short-lived it's hard to say. Of course he also should have been given more chances at Barça and left notably sooner. Now at Betis he doesn't play for the best side and doesn't get the attention he might elsewhere.

Barca pretty much f***ed with his development insured that he wouldnt reach his potential.

I still say that's such an overrated goal. Bale wide open and dribbled like he was David May. Anyway, if he steal his soul he probably left it on a golf course where he left his own. Amazing he actually played the other day.

Case in point barely played him through the campaign then threw him when he wasnt match fit. This game and the Munich CL game. Worst thing they could've done for him.