Players Who Never Fulfilled Their Potential

[YorkshireRed 2,980]

On a sombre note. Who knows what Duncan Edwards might have achieved if he hadn’t died so tragically young. 

[Ron B 267]

5 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

It didn't help that Evans wasn't strong enough to manage him. Collymore had a huge house in Rainhill but refused to move up (I think he stayed in Stafford) and would either drive a few hours to training everyday or get twatted and stay in hotels in town. The likes of Fowler and Macca ran that dressing room and once they turned on you that was it you were ostracised. That just made Collymore worse. I doubt Houllier would have signed him but I'd love to have seen how he would have handled him from day 1. Shit loads of talent. 

 

I was at the Woking v Southend game in the winter and Collymore was sat behind me. He's a director or something at Southend. He looked rough as fuck. 

A bit harsh on Evans - aside from a few months at Southend and a couple of years at Forest, Collymore didn’t live up to his potential anywhere, and Evans arguably got more out of him than anyone else. A better criticism might be that we should have done our homework, decided that he was mentally not up to scratch, and spent that same sum on Bergkamp (available for less cash - although probably bigger wages - that same summer), or Ferdinand, or Sheringham. 

[Creator Supreme 1,808]

43 minutes ago, Ron B said:

A bit harsh on Evans - aside from a few months at Southend and a couple of years at Forest, Collymore didn’t live up to his potential anywhere, and Evans arguably got more out of him than anyone else. A better criticism might be that we should have done our homework, decided that he was mentally not up to scratch, and spent that same sum on Bergkamp (available for less cash - although probably bigger wages - that same summer), or Ferdinand, or Sheringham. 

I think Fowler mentioned in his book that Evans said later that Stan did well to get as far as he did with the mental health issues he has!

[Bjornebye 34,302]

50 minutes ago, Ron B said:

A bit harsh on Evans - aside from a few months at Southend and a couple of years at Forest, Collymore didn’t live up to his potential anywhere, and Evans arguably got more out of him than anyone else. A better criticism might be that we should have done our homework, decided that he was mentally not up to scratch, and spent that same sum on Bergkamp (available for less cash - although probably bigger wages - that same summer), or Ferdinand, or Sheringham. 

Yeah you're probably right and trust me I love Roy Evans but he didn't have control over that dressing room. Of course Bergkamp would have been amazing and we were close to singing Sheringham a few times, another top striker who would have been great. 

 

For a good 4/5 months Collymore and Fowler were as good as any partnership you'll ever see. It just went tits up but yep, more down to Collymore than anything else. 

[Lee909 13,106]

Sheringham amd Fowler would have been a brilliant partnership. In and out the nightclubs

 

The one that was a shame was not getting g Jari Litmanen when he initially left Ajax. 

 

Absolutely criminal though how he was wasted at both clubs

[Colonel Bumcunt 810]

Ivan De la Pena

Bojan Krkic

Adriano

Dan Agger

Harry Kewell

Kevin Strootman

Coutinho

Royston Drenthe

Renato Sanches

Milinkovic-Savic

Alex Pato

Ledley King

Pablo Aimar

Jack Wilshire

Yoann Gourcouff

 

[Ron B 267]

Tempted to say a couple of young lads who broke through under Souness. 
 

Redknapp should have been a special player, but the club culture at the time plis his injuries hammered him; from 92-95 he averaged 45 games per season, but for the next seven seasons he averaged barely half that across all competitions. 
 

Don Hutchison had a lot in his locker too. Liked a tackle, could pick a pass, and in the right role he could provide a goal or two. Every good run of performances seemed to be followed by a badly-chosen transfer though. If his career had lasted half as long and was only made up of the good bits, we’d all be talking about what a loss he was; instead he’s just a guy who never lived up to his potential. 

[aRdja 2,922]

Harry Kewell, he was devastating at Leeds,

[Tony Moanero 17,335]

Norman Whiteside. Mind you, winning the FA Cup twice and playing in two World Cups is still a fair achievement. He’s still the youngest player to appear in a World Cup, isn’t he?

 

[Section_31 25,760]

Fowler, best natural finisher I've ever seen, got depressed when Owen came on the scene, did his cruciate and became a property developer.

[aRdja 2,922]

4-4-2

James; Jones, CB, Agger, Heggem; Ox, Redknapp, Keita, Kewell; Collymore, Sturridge

 

Can’t think of another centre half but otherwise  not a bad team at all when fit. 

[3 Stacks 3,455]

Balotelli.

 

And this is incredibly the first time I mention him in years, it's a #StacksThrowback; Ben Arfa.

[Bjornebye 34,302]

1 minute ago, aRdja said:

4-4-2

James; Jones, CB, Agger, Heggem; Ox, Redknapp, Keita, Kewell; Collymore, Sturridge

 

Can’t think of another centre half but otherwise a bad team at all when fit. 

You mean not a bad team 

[aRdja 2,922]

2 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Balotelli.

 

And this is incredibly the first time I mention him in years, it's a #StacksThrowback; Ben Arfa.

Unconvinced Balotelli was ever that talented. He literally showed us not even a hint of that supposed talent,

[Bjornebye 34,302]

9 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

Fowler, best natural finisher I've ever seen, got depressed when Owen came on the scene, did his cruciate and became a property developer.

What a fucking striker. 

[Trojan1892 148]

Dele Alli is another, he looked unreal for a few seasons… the drop off is crazy.

[Bjornebye 34,302]

1 minute ago, aRdja said:

Unconvinced Balotelli was ever that talented. He literally showed us not even a hint of that supposed talent,

Pure cunt but he wasn't without talent. Tried to give it the big I am here and quickly got found out. 

[Bjornebye 34,302]

Just now, Trojan1892 said:

Dele Alli is another, he looked unreal for a few seasons… the drop off is crazy.

Mourinho has a knack of picking on a player anywhere he goes and using them as a power tool. "I'm the boss, you fuck off" he did that with him. Plus, he's a cock. They both are. 

[Section_31 25,760]

Balotelli was shite. Too many shite players get away with this flawed genius crap when very often they're just overrated, lazy cunts. 

[aRdja 2,922]

Michael Owen? He was a brilliant talent, I never saw anything like it. Made the best defenders in the world look stupid with his pace and movements. I know he won a lot of trophies, and Ballon D’Or, but I couldn’t help but think that he could’ve been an all time great, but he never even scored 20 leagues goals in one season, despite all that talent. 

[Tony Moanero 17,335]

Just now, aRdja said:

Michael Owen? He was a brilliant talent, I never saw anything like it. Made the best defenders in the world look stupid with his pace and movements. I know he won a lot of trophies, and Ballon D’Or, but I couldn’t help but think that he could’ve been an all time great.

It seemed inevitable that he would become England’s record goalscorer.

[aRdja 2,922]

Michael Essien is another, for two seasons he was arguably the best centre midfielder in the league, then he got a bad injury and that was it his career was done. 

[3 Stacks 3,455]

1 hour ago, aRdja said:

Unconvinced Balotelli was ever that talented. He literally showed us not even a hint of that supposed talent,

He on paper had every quality a striker needs, except heart and determination, and he's played for big clubs like us, Inter, Milan and also City, who at points greatly believed in his ability. He fits the criteria of this thread very well.

[Ron B 267]

1 hour ago, aRdja said:

4-4-2

James; Jones, CB, Agger, Heggem; Ox, Redknapp, Keita, Kewell; Collymore, Sturridge

 

Can’t think of another centre half but otherwise  not a bad team at all when fit. 

Dom Matteo; if he’d knuckled down instead of being a pisshead, the defence would have been built around e him for a decade. 

[kemskem 190]

Markus Babbel was on course to become a legend before that bastard illness.