Players Who Never Quite Reached Their Potential
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialGabby Agbonlahor, as a more recent example i'd say... When he first burst onto the scene he looked a class player with the world at his feet, now suddenly he's just found himself in a bit of a rut.
Oh, and Alan Smith. Had he not got in the way of a John-Arne Riise free-kick and broke his leg, he could've been a regular fixture in Man U's midfield for a few more years. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their Potential(Original post by shaunbrockhill)
Gabby Agbonlahor, as a more recent example i'd say... When he first burst onto the scene he looked a class player with the world at his feet, now suddenly he's just found himself in a bit of a rut.
Oh, and Alan Smith. Had he not got in the way of a John-Arne Riise free-kick and broke his leg, he could've been a regular fixture in Man U's midfield for a few more years.
He's always been garbage in midfield.
He wasn't that prolific as a striker, either. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialMatt Piper surely - decent player at Leicester, started off fairly well at Sunderland then became a permanent fixture on the physio's bench.
Kyle Lafferty springs to mind as well, really quite hyped at Burnley and now just a mediocre ****. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialHe showed signs he was improving under Fergie... but yeah, he was mediocre at best as a striker and was never going to cut it leading the line for a top European club; never mind Manchester United! (hahaha see what I did there? MOT)(Original post by Schmucks)
He's always been garbage in midfield.
He wasn't that prolific as a striker, either. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialWhen he was a 'star' at Burnley (when he was 19, this was) he was going out with the girl who sat next to me in one of my classes. She was 15 at the time. Word caught round and when Leeds came to town, all our fans started singing Paedo at him!(Original post by Alofleicester)
Matt Piper surely - decent player at Leicester, started off fairly well at Sunderland then became a permanent fixture on the physio's bench.
Kyle Lafferty springs to mind as well, really quite hyped at Burnley and now just a mediocre ****.
That is my own and only story on Kyle Lafferty. I can't imagine people have two stories on him.
HA! Saw it, loved it!(Original post by shaunbrockhill)
He showed signs he was improving under Fergie... but yeah, he was mediocre at best as a striker and was never going to cut it leading the line for a top European club; never mind Manchester United! (hahaha see what I did there? MOT)
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialGael Kakuta was meant to be the next big thing .
Joe Cole is a famous one.
Whoever said Dean Ashton that's a great shout but that is more to do with injury than anything.
Any player representing England.
Maybe Stan Collymore? -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialYou know nothing about football. Pls go.(Original post by bkeevin)
Well he won all those individual accolades based on his talent but what did he actually achieve/win really? A UEFA cup!!! He missed the penalty kick that deprived Italy of the world cup!!! I feel cheated as I loved the guy so much.
I feel that Stoichkov, Romario, Weah, Ronaldo and Zidane have had much better output in their careers among the the 90s stars I grew up admiring. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialHe's doing pretty well for us at the moment.(Original post by Lamps08)
James Morrison
Watch this space. He'll reach his potential in the next few seasons imo! -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their Potentialyes Collymore was outrageously good but remember he was English at the same time as:(Original post by Heskey)
Maybe Stan Collymore?
Fowler
Shearer
Sheringham
Les Ferdinand
Ian Wright
Andy Cole.
Chris Sutton.
Not much chance to do what he could have done at international level if he came 15 years later.
His other issue is that he was notorious for playing to the beat of his drum so to speak when it came to relationships with team mates etc. Reputed to be difficult to work with which could affect a player. Apparently suffered from depression at times. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialYes I remember when people were saying he was going to be good.(Original post by Alofleicester)
Matt Piper surely - decent player at Leicester, started off fairly well at Sunderland then became a permanent fixture on the physio's bench.
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialI'm probably going to be negged to death for this, but Kaka springs to mind.
I'm aware of everything he's achieved (Champions League winner, Ballon d'Or etc). But earlier at Milan he looked like he could develop into a true great, but he's just never really got there. I know that since moving to Madrid he's had injury troubles and he's still a world class player, it's just that I don't think he's fulfilled the full potential he showed as a youngster. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialAdmittedly some of these are due to bad injury problems but:
Seth Johnson
Matt Jansen
Michael Bridges
Keiron Dyer (those who recall Dyer at Ipswich/early Newcastle will surely remember an unbelievable player)
Emre
Neil Mellor (broke Owen's/Fowler's youth and reserve scoring records at Liverpool)
David Dunn
Dave Kitson, The Player ;-)
Labinot Harbuzi
Ryan Babel
Jermaine Pennant
Andy Van Der Meyde
Dirk Kuyt
Wayne Routledge
Richard Wright
Ariel Ortega
Lee Holmes
Danny Cademateri -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialNot quite right. It was a big set back but it certainly did not ruin him. His play for Newcastle after that got him a big-money move to Real Madrid for significantly more than what Newcastle paid Leeds for him.(Original post by Schmucks)
That one night out in Leeds utterly ruined him. Up until that point, even with the odd injury, he was one of England's brightest prospects and one of the best performing centre backs at the time. It was a joy to watch him.
If he followed the attitude of Bowyer during that court case, he'd have joined Rio at United IMO. That said, Bowyer will have known he was innocent anyway and had nothing to fear. Woodgate clearly did have to fear.
Lots of off the pitch stuff (I'm talking after Leeds) was allegedly another thing that held him back.
Yeah, he was barred from the 2002 World Cup for that Bowyer incident but he did recover as far as club football went. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialThat's not what I was referring to, though - Had Woodgate not lost his mind, Leeds' attack on both the Champions League and the 3rd spot (which meant Champions League football for a second year) would most likely not have floundered at the points they did. He'd have been playing Champions League football for a second year running, following on with title challenges that were almost guaranteed had we made those two extra points.(Original post by KimKallstrom)
Not quite right. It was a big set back but it certainly did not ruin him. His play for Newcastle after that got him a big-money move to Real Madrid for significantly more than what Newcastle paid Leeds for him.
Lots of off the pitch stuff (I'm talking after Leeds) was allegedly another thing that held him back.
Yeah, he was barred from the 2002 World Cup for that Bowyer incident but he did recover as far as club football went.
Woodgate would've been the poster-boy of that defence which would possibly have been the new faces for the Premiership title.
To his own testament, that night effected his career. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialOh no doubt it knocked him temporarily and Leeds could have otherwise carried on in the upper echelons for a little while longer but for some mental lapses.(Original post by Schmucks)
That's not what I was referring to, though - Had Woodgate not lost his mind, Leeds' attack on both the Champions League and the 3rd spot (which meant Champions League football for a second year) would most likely not have floundered at the points they did. He'd have been playing Champions League football for a second year running, following on with title challenges that were almost guaranteed had we made those two extra points.
Woodgate would've been the poster-boy of that defence which would possibly have been the new faces for the Premiership title.
To his own testament, that night effected his career.
However, without meaning to be disrespectful to Leeds, he did move to a bigger club in Real Madrid not long afterwards (he was only at Newcastle for a season). He was not intended to be a bencher at Madrid either. He moved for big big money for a CB.
Yes, Leeds may have been a continuing force if maintaining Champions League status but in no way, shape or form is even that at the same level as Real Madrid in the Galácticos era.
Therefore while I acknowledge your point, I must respectfully disagree. -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialThat's fair enough, although I would state as well that I don't really agree with him being much more than a bencher. Their defence was strong at the time and he wouldn't have been the first name on the teamsheet like he would have here had the 'dream' become reality. I guess it depends on what's more important from that view.(Original post by KimKallstrom)
Oh no doubt it knocked him temporarily and Leeds could have otherwise carried on in the upper echelons for a little while longer but for some mental lapses.
However, without meaning to be disrespectful to Leeds, he did move to a bigger club in Real Madrid not long afterwards (he was only at Newcastle for a season). He was not intended to be a bencher at Madrid either. He moved for big big money for a CB.
Yes, Leeds may have been a continuing force if maintaining Champions League status but in no way, shape or form is even that at the same level as Real Madrid in the Galácticos era.
Therefore while I acknowledge your point, I must respectfully disagree.
This is incredibly hypothetical though, it's assuming had he stayed strong he'd have made us that bit better, then had Leeds go on.
I think it's worth a shout to say Woodgate, from Madrid on, never reached his potential (though there due to injuries). -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their Potential(Original post by KimKallstrom)
Admittedly some of these are due to bad injury problems but:
Seth Johnson
Matt Jansen
Michael Bridges
Keiron Dyer (those who recall Dyer at Ipswich/early Newcastle will surely remember an unbelievable player)
Emre
Neil Mellor (broke Owen's/Fowler's youth and reserve scoring records at Liverpool)
David Dunn
Dave Kitson, The Player ;-)
Labinot Harbuzi
Ryan Babel
Jermaine Pennant
Andy Van Der Meyde
Dirk Kuyt
Wayne Routledge
Richard Wright
Ariel Ortega
Lee Holmes
Danny Cademateri
He was supposed to be a top class player, came through about the same time as Owen and expected to be better than Owen if I remember right...
Which is another suggestion - Owen's career has really been a waste given what he showed in his early Liverpool/England days (the 2-1 arsenal FA cup final and that goal v Argentina in '98 come to mind). -
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Re: Players Who Never Quite Reached Their PotentialBenzema? What are you smoking?(Original post by flyylikejetz)
Owen Hargreaves
Anderson
JUNINHO
Kaka ( At Madrid)
Sahin (At Madrid
Benzema (At Madrid)
You see a little pattern ?
He's always been garbage in midfield. 
