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"I coulda been a contender..."

Faustus

By Faustus,
in FF - Football Forum

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Faustus Grand Master

Faustus

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Bit of a weird one this, but me and my mates were talking footy last night down the pub over a few and pints and we got on the subject of certain players who looked as though they had all of the tools to be world class and go down as legends of the game, but just fell short for whatever reason. I wouldn't say a case of unfulfilled potential, because a lot of the players we mentioned went on to have good careers in the game (and some of those we mentioned are still doing alright), but, like I said, just fell short of greatness for whatever reason.

 

An example my mate gave is Eduardo, who used to be at Arsenal. I liked the look of the lad when he was playing for them. Great left foot on him, superb movement and his ability to finish was just exceptional. I just looked him up on wikipedia before and he seems to be doing alright with Shakhtar, but there'll defo always be a case of 'what if' with the lad because of the bad injury he suffered.

 

One player I mentioned was Gaizka Mendieta. Unbelievably good in a superb Valencia that were very unlucky not to win the European Cup and I thought that he'd be down as a special player who'd always be remembered. Moved to Lazio in the prime of his career and he just seemed to have lost his mojo all of a sudden. His career went on one hell of a downward trajectory after that and finished up as a bit-part player at Middlesbrough. What a goal this was as well for Valencia:

 

 

Thought that this might make an interesting thread for the good people of the FF. Anybody got any other cases of gifted players who just fell short?

 

Can anybody remember the lad who played for Milan and moved to them in the early 90s for a world record fee? Lentini was it? Supposedly shit hot and then was never quite the same player after a car crash.

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brucespanner Experienced

brucespanner

Posted
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Bit of a weird one this, but me and my mates were talking footy last night down the pub over a few and pints and we got on the subject of certain players who looked as though they had all of the tools to be world class and go down as legends of the game, but just fell short for whatever reason. I wouldn't say a case of unfulfilled potential, because a lot of the players we mentioned went on to have good careers in the game (and some of those we mentioned are still doing alright), but, like I said, just fell short of greatness for whatever reason.

 

An example my mate gave is Eduardo, who used to be at Arsenal. I liked the look of the lad when he was playing for them. Great left foot on him, superb movement and his ability to finish was just exceptional. I just looked him up on wikipedia before and he seems to be doing alright with Shakhtar, but there'll defo always be a case of 'what if' with the lad because of the bad injury he suffered.

 

One player I mentioned was Gaizka Mendieta. Unbelievably good in a superb Valencia that were very unlucky not to win the European Cup and I thought that he'd be down as a special player who'd always be remembered. Moved to Lazio in the prime of his career and he just seemed to have lost his mojo all of a sudden. His career went on one hell of a downward trajectory after that and finished up as a bit-part player at Middlesbrough. What a goal this was as well for Valencia:

 

 

Thought that this might make an interesting thread for the good people of the FF. Anybody got any other cases of gifted players who just fell short?

 

Can anybody remember the lad who played for Milan and moved to them in the early 90s for a world record fee? Lentini was it? Supposedly shit hot and then was never quite the same player after a car crash.

 

Correct. World beater before, absolute shite after.

 

I'll nominate Franny Jeffers, because it makes me chuckle.

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Faustus Grand Master

Faustus

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Robin Friday was one another of my mate's mentioned.

 

I don't know if he's been mythologised because of certain hedonistic pursuits, but there was a great article on him in Four Four Two a while back. Used to play for Reading and was voted as their greatest ever player, knocked back Arsenal several times and was earmarked as a future England player but was more interested in birds, booze and drugs. If I remember rightly, there was a story in the article along the lines of Reading paying for a newly furnished flat for him as part of an improved contract and he complained about the green and orange wallpaper because he said it'd be a nightmare to look at when he was stoned. It also said in the same article that he scored with a chip from about 40-45 yards against Tranmere one game. Clive Thomas was the ref and even he stopped to applaud it and said it was the best goal he's ever seen.

 

The fella's immortalised on the cover of the Super Furry Animals' single 'The Man Don't Give A Fuck'.

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Jim MM Mentor

Jim MM

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Fernando Torres? Looked like one of the very best in the world for a while with us. Then he lost heart and looked like he didn't care for a while, so he moved, but he hasn't got his mojo back and the slump has been so long that it is legitimate to wonder if he ever will.

 

Torres...Torres? Rings a bell, was he the Senegalese guy? He certainly fell miles short of what was promised.

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Trumo Grand Master

Trumo

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...Gaizka Mendieta...

 

The first time I ever watched Liverpool at Anfield, we played Valencia in the UEFA Cup back in late 1998. We wore an all-white kit and Valencia were all-orange that night for some unfathomable reason. Mendieta absolutely ran the show and looked every bit the world class box-to-box midfielder. The game finished 0-0 and we won the tie on away goals. The move to Lazio really stifled his career but didn't affect Valencia, who just rejigged their midfield with a tandem of Albelda and Baraja.

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