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Players you were certain would be world class?


Mike

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Genuinely thought Papiss Cisse's goal run was going to propel him into the elite. Failed to accept it was a purple patch and it was impossible to be based on luck and flukes - alas I was wrong. 

 

Suppose Robin Friday's story at least deserves a mention too whilst I'm here

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Chris Holland looked a great prospect in his few first team appearances before some bastard through ammonia (?) in his face.  Struck a ball very much like Gazza did, remember one or two 100mph looping crosses from the right. Poor kid could have been sending them in for Sir Les and Big Al a year or two later

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16 minutes ago, gbandit said:

We should have an inverse of this thread. Players who went on to be world class that you were sure wouldn’t make it, like Kane 

Cristiano Ronaldo was a little bit of a joke figure in his first season or so at Man Utd, with his ridiculous pedaladas that went nowhere.  

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Just now, TheBrownBottle said:

Cristiano Ronaldo was a little bit of a joke figure in his first season or so at Man Utd, with his ridiculous pedaladas that went nowhere.  

I remember, his dribbling got massively overrated for what it was and I never thought he’d get close to the level he got to. I’m not a fan of him as a person but he got every ounce out of his career. His dribbling was never close to world class but his heading was probably the best ever and his striking off both feet is up there amongst the very best. His attitude is probably the biggest thing though. Fair play to the wanker 

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7 minutes ago, gbandit said:

I remember, his dribbling got massively overrated for what it was and I never thought he’d get close to the level he got to. I’m not a fan of him as a person but he got every ounce out of his career. His dribbling was never close to world class but his heading was probably the best ever and his striking off both feet is up there amongst the very best. His attitude is probably the biggest thing though. Fair play to the wanker 

Haha yep, completely agree

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I remember bigging up Erik Lamela when we was about to go to Spurs, telling some mates that he was absolutely class. I didn’t think he was world class but I thought he was going to go that way but he ended up being another one with huge talent but just completely plateaued 

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1 hour ago, andycap said:

Casiraghi was great but his career was cut short at chelsea. 

 

He was 29 when he joined Chelsea. Bit late to become world class if he wasn't already :lol:

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1 hour ago, gbandit said:

We should have an inverse of this thread. Players who went on to be world class that you were sure wouldn’t make it, like Kane 

Joselu, from Newcastle flop to Spanish international and Real Madrid starter. Okay maybe not world class, but worth a mention!

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1 minute ago, Rafalove said:

Isco, Gotze, Pogba, Dybala, Sergio Canales, Tiote, Perez, Thauvin, Thiago Alcantara, Sebastian Haller.

Out of all of those, Thauvin must have been the biggest flop. Pogba was world class inconsistently for a short period. Alcantara has had a great career really and probably closest in terms of consistency in his later years

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44 minutes ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

Lee Holmes

Obafemi Martins (Inter version, thanks to PES)

Freddie Woodman

 

Bah, you've taken mine there. Was convinced he was gonna be amazing and was beyond excited about his signing. Tbf for a couple of seasons he was very decent. 

 

My other contribution is Carroll. Maybe not world class, but I thought he looked like he was gonna be a really dangerous striker early on in that 09/10 year. Took a bit of time but fuck he was a good player by the time he left.

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2 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Bah, you've taken mine there. Was convinced he was gonna be amazing and was beyond excited about his signing. Tbf for a couple of seasons he was very decent. 

 

My other contribution is Carroll. Maybe not world class, but I thought he looked like he was gonna be a really dangerous striker early on in that 09/10 year. Took a bit of time but fuck he was a good player by the time he left.


10/11. He was shit in 09/10 until mid-season. Looked outrageously good in first half of 10/11 in terms of being difficult to defend against. 

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2 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:


10/11. He was shit in 09/10 until mid-season. Looked outrageously good in first half of 10/11 in terms of being difficult to defend against. 

 

He was mint from the moment we signed Leon Best; I had a good feeling about him from early on - always looked physically capable.

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8 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Bah, you've taken mine there. Was convinced he was gonna be amazing and was beyond excited about his signing. Tbf for a couple of seasons he was very decent. 

 

My other contribution is Carroll. Maybe not world class, but I thought he looked like he was gonna be a really dangerous striker early on in that 09/10 year. Took a bit of time but fuck he was a good player by the time he left.

 

He would have been a good 80-100 goal PL striker if it wasn't for that recurring injury with his ankle I think it was.

 

 

Edited by Dr.Spaceman

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Maybe not world class, but worth mentioning for the level of anonymity that was reached:

Chris Llewellyn at Norwich in 98. Went on record with it too.

Liked the cut of his jib. Two stylish goals at Sheffield United.

 

For us - Lua-Lua, once honed by Sir Bobby.

 

 

Edited by Jonas

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4 hours ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Steve Watson had a good career, but I think was held back somewhat (paradoxically) by how flexible he was positionally. But I thought him and Alan Thompson (hampered somewhat by a bad car crash) would go on to be the best homegrown talent of their generation/consistent internationals. 

Yes. Was either his home or full debut against Derby and he was raw but the star of the show, probably the best solo performance I'd seen a Newcastle player turn in at that point aside from hat-tricks and the like. Never put a performance in like that again on the wing and was intrigued to see a bit of the Bristol Rovers game 4month later over Christmas and that he was as early as that playing full-back.

 

 

Edited by Jonas

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