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Wasted Talent

Guest firetotheworks

by Guest firetotheworks
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Tooj

Tooj

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I think a lot of people thought Wes Brown was always shit, but is a decent utility defender. If anything, he's overcome his critics.

 

Jermaine Pennent - Was excellent as a young player, even scored a hatrick against Leeds. Had his chance at Liverpool and although he did quite well for them, was sold.

 

N'Zogbia

 

Early but Walcott, it doesn't help that he's always injured, and English playing for Arsenal.

 

Viduka' date=' Dyer, Bramble, Woodgate, [b']Calogero from A Bronx Tale.[/b]

 

Anyone else catch that?  :lol:

 

Wes Brown was class when he first broke on the scene. He just never seemed the same after his first cruciate injury.

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Village Idiot

Village Idiot

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Mmmm... Spanish players:

 

- Guti. Oozles of talent, zero work ethic.

- Iván de la Peña. Epithome of the confidence player. Couldn't deal with the hype around him, but was a magnificient talent. Found his feet again at Espanyol.

- Raúl Tamudo: world-class forward in his prime, should have gone to a better team instead of pissing off his career with a bottom club.

- Alfonso: again couldn't deal with the pressure of playing at top clubs (flopped at both Real and Barça). Most naturally gifted forward to come out of Spain in the last 20 years, but he didn't have the mental strength to deliver.

- Vicente: one of the best wingers we produced, crippled by injury.

- Manuel Pablo: Deportivo's RB, did his knee in every imaginable way and was never the same after coming back (missed 18 months...)

- Pavón: not his fault, he was never more than an average defender, but Florentino and the Real Madrid media machine hyped him up to an insane degree.

 

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Guest kingdawson

Guest kingdawson

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Mmmm... Spanish players:

 

- Guti. Oozles of talent, zero work ethic.

- Iván de la Peña. Epithome of the confidence player. Couldn't deal with the hype around him, but was a magnificient talent. Found his feet again at Espanyol.

- Raúl Tamudo: world-class forward in his prime, should have gone to a better team instead of pissing off his career with a bottom club.

- Alfonso: again couldn't deal with the pressure of playing at top clubs (flopped at both Real and Barça). Most naturally gifted forward to come out of Spain in the last 20 years, but he didn't have the mental strength to deliver.

- Vicente: one of the best wingers we produced, crippled by injury.

- Manuel Pablo: Deportivo's RB, did his knee in every imaginable way and was never the same after coming back (missed 18 months...)

- Pavón: not his fault, he was never more than an average defender, but Florentino and the Real Madrid media machine hyped him up to an insane degree.

 

 

What about Javier Portillo? wasn't he meant to be the new Raul. Another player i really rate but thought could be up there with the elite is Roberto Soldado. He's young though and doing well now so he's still got time.

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Interpolic

Interpolic

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I saw this this article a while back, and it's a very good read.  It's about a guy called Paul Lake who played for Man City who was an absolutely fantastic prospect but was restricted to 134 games due to horrifc injury problems.  The article's quite long but I recommend it, it's a great read as I say and it inspired me to read up more on him:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A42751785

 

Paul Lake - The greatest player you never saw

 

When you think of talented footballers who never fulfilled their potential then, for my generation, Paul Gascoigne is the first name that springs to mind.

 

Yet despite his injuries and off-pitch problems, Gazza played professionally until he was 37, won more than 50 caps for England, spent time in Serie A and and collected a lorry-load of trophies with Rangers - think of the waste if he had been cut down in his prime?

 

That was the fate of Paul Lake, a name which may be forgotten outside of the blue half of Manchester, but who will live long in the memory of any Manchester City fan.

 

Lake, who turns 40 on Tuesday, played only 134 games for City and his career was effectively over by the time he was 21. He suffered the same cruciate ligament injury that clipped Gazza's wings - only his curtailed his career completely.

 

An elegant six-footer, Lake was skilful, fast, intelligent and versatile - he could play anywhere across the middle of the park and pretty much anywhere across the back too.

 

Like Gascoigne, his senior by 18 months, Lake was named in Bobby Robson's provisional England squad for the 1990 World Cup but, while that tournament made the Tottenham player a global star, Lake was cruelly denied the chance to reach those heights.

 

In fact, despite being capped at Under-21 and B level, Lake never made a senior appearance for his country although he received several call-ups into the full squad. Injury meant he had to drop out on each occasion.

 

For those who followed Lake's progress from the time he made his first-team debut for City in January 1987, it had become a familiar story. Sometimes it just appeared the youngster from Denton was jinxed.

 

Before he began his futile battle to save his career, Lake was involved in another horrific incident in March 1989 when he was knocked unconscious in a clash of heads during a game against Leicester City and, with his airways blocked, almost died of suffocation.

 

But Lake was soon back in action to help City win promotion back into the top flight that season - and his effortless style sparkled in the old Division One too.

 

In the aftermath of Italia 90, Liverpool made a £3m bid for Lake - a huge fee at a time when the British record was the £2.3m Manchester United had paid Middlesbrough for Gary Pallister a year earlier - but then-City chairman Peter Swales rejected the offer, rightly fearing a revolt on the terraces if he allowed Lake to leave.

 

Instead, Lake signed a five-year contract and was installed as City captain. It should have been the start of something special for player and club. Sadly, just a few months later, his career was all but over.

 

An innocent-looking collision with Aston Villa's Tony Cascarino on 5 September ended up ruling Lake out for two years. He returned in 1992 but, eight minutes into his second game back against Middlesbrough, his cruciate ligament snapped again.

 

This time Lake went to America for a pioneering transplant, in which dead men's ligaments were inserted in place of his own. In all he had 17 operations but, over the next four years, every time he tried to return, his knee would swell up painfully.

 

"Each time it was worse and worse," Lake told BBC Sport. "I'll never forget being asked by fans 'Paul, how long are you going to be, when are you back?' and I always used to say 'hopefully about six weeks'. I don't know where that came from - I used to say it in my sleep in the end.

 

"Season in, season out I was going to City on Saturday, watching the games, seeing fans. Trying to be upbeat and positive. Looking back now I honestly don't know how I did it. I was training two or three times a day, I was as strong and as fit as I could be but my knee was failing and nobody seemed to be able to help me.

 

"There were bad times. I would come home to an empty house and check on ceefax to see how City had got on away from home. I watched players come and go and saw the squad list go from 20 to 60 with me 59th or 60th on that list of players. Other people knew full well that I would never come back but I never thought that.

 

"But there was still plenty of black humour around the club. The other players used to call me Robocop because I had to wear a full-length leg brace to enable me to train."

 

Eventually, in January 1996, Lake had to accept the inevitable and retire. Another, final, major operation to straighten his leg followed a few days later.

 

His former manager at Maine Road Howard Kendall led the tributes at the time when he said: "I used to value him at £10m when clubs asked about him but that was in the days when clubs couldn't afford that sort of money. I would be frightened to put a price on his head these days.

 

"It is a tragedy he has had to retire without being able to prove to people how good he was."

 

The 90s were a lean decade for City fans and I was not the only one to think things would be better had Lake been around. Yet the last we saw of him was his testimonial against Manchester United in October 1997.

 

"I was always projecting myself into a City shirt and thinking 'if only'," Lake added. "When I retired there was the uncertainty of what was around the corner. I suppose I was clinically depressed at the time but you don't realise that because you just put on a front and say the right things.

 

"From being 21 to being 30 was the most miserable time in my life. The games I played are blighted by four years of operations and surgery. I don't know how I coped."

 

What helped Lake move on was a close network of family and friends, who helped him come to terms with life as an ex-professional footballer.

 

They encouraged him to take a sports therapy course, which Lake says "lit a candle in me" and from there he went to Salford University to study physiotherapy.

 

Upon graduation he worked at Burnley, Altrincham and Macclesfield before taking a post with Bolton Wanderers in November 2007.

 

It would be easy for Lake to feel sorry for himself and be bitter about missing out on a potentially glittering - and lucrative - career but that couldn't be further from the truth. He is more bothered about his future than the past.

 

"All the trapping and financial rewards which could have been on my door had I played on and even been three-quarters of the player I was - that has not bothered me at all," Lake explained.

 

"I am a firm believer in fate and I wouldn't be where I am today with my wife and my children and good friends who have been there through thick and thin without going through this massive, if unfortunate, learning curve."

 

The legacy of the repeated operations Lake underwent does rankle, however.

 

"Just to be able to throw my shorts on and go out for a run for 20 minutes and come back the following day and not have any problems, that is what I miss, that is what I am bitter about," he added.

 

"I can run on to a pitch and treat a player because I am on and off in 30 seconds, I can ride a bike in the gym but that is all I can do.

 

"I can't go for a run anymore and the inevitably of needing a knee replacement is getting nearer and nearer as time elapses.

 

"That is where I am at 40, as a dad, a husband, and a physio in professional football I couldn't be happier but with regard to my health and the surgery I was exposed to, it has been an absolute disaster."

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Village Idiot

Village Idiot

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I could also add Julen Guerrero, too. He started his career with a flash, and he really was something special. But I think his lack of ambition (always refused to move from Athletic, and became a bit lazy by being the king of that place) prevented him from becoming the world class attacking midfielder everyone thought he could become

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Guest gggg

Guest gggg

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Aliadiere, really thought he would be massive a few injuries later he plays for Middlesbrough.

 

After failing at Celtic, West Ham and Wolves and scoring less than 5 goals at 25 years old.

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Tooj

Tooj

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Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

 

He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years.

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zolton

zolton

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Shearer I’d say was someone who made the maximum out of limited talent. His mental strength and intelligent reading of the game allowed him to over-achieve.

 

Best has to be top of the list. He was the most talented footballer I ever saw, but gave up at the top level at the age of 26. I can’t think of another example of a player turning their back on so much ability.

 

 

Shearer also had great touch, passing, crossing, shooting and decent pace (before injury) - think he had most of the talent you need to be a world-class player.

 

It might have been achieved through a load of graft on the training ground, not sure if that makes a difference.

 

We had him on trial as a kid and let him go! :mackems:

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Village Idiot

Village Idiot

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Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

 

He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years.

 

True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss.

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Tooj

Tooj

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Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

 

He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years.

 

True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss.

 

You're getting confused with Ronaldo as he used to be called Ronaldinho too. ;)

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Village Idiot

Village Idiot

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Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

 

He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years.

 

True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss.

 

You're getting confused with Ronaldo as he used to be called Ronaldinho too. ;)

 

Nah, Ronaldinho (Gaúcho) in his prime had more to his game.

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Guest gggg

Guest gggg

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Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

 

He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years.

 

True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss.

 

You're getting confused with Ronaldo as he used to be called Ronaldinho too. ;)

 

Nah, Ronaldinho (Gaúcho) in his prime had more to his game.

 

The league was better too, some of the teams Ronaldo was up against must have been pub teams judging by the clips.

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Ronaldo

Ronaldo

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I think a lot of people thought Wes Brown was always s***, but is a decent utility defender. If anything, he's overcome his critics.

 

Jermaine Pennent - Was excellent as a young player, even scored a hatrick against Leeds. Had his chance at Liverpool and although he did quite well for them, was sold.

 

N'Zogbia

 

Early but Walcott, it doesn't help that he's always injured, and English playing for Arsenal.

 

Viduka' date=' Dyer, Bramble, Woodgate, [b']Calogero from A Bronx Tale.[/b]

 

Anyone else catch that?  :lol:

 

Well played. :thup:

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Tooj

Tooj

Posted
Posted

 

Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

 

He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years.

 

True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss.

 

You're getting confused with Ronaldo as he used to be called Ronaldinho too. ;)

 

Nah, Ronaldinho (Gaúcho) in his prime had more to his game.

 

The league was better too, some of the teams Ronaldo was up against must have been pub teams judging by the clips.

 

Judging by the clips? So that means you never really watched him play against some of those sides? Ronaldo was an absolute monster in his prime. He is all about what the modern game is now about, pace, power and absolutely clinical.

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