Did you ever write off a player...and get it wrong?

18-02-2017 10:03PM #1

Early in his career, thought C Ronaldo just wouldn't cut it, fancy dan stuff. Got that wrong, he has become one of the greatest of the last 20 years...but suspect I wasn't the only one.

Remember a certain A Shearer scoring a hattrick for Southampton as a 17 year old and thinking "meh, David Kelly did that at international level".

acquiescefc · 18-02-2017 11:00PM

I remember watching a certain French guy play 6 a side for us against Baltimore Blast.

upandcumming · 18-02-2017 11:06PM

Wrote Diego Costa clean off when he joined Chelsea. Happy to say I called Hazard to bury Spurs last year!

Beasty · 18-02-2017 11:11PM

I've seen a number written off at United by a lot of people only for them to continue working hard and overcome the negative commentary. First one I remember a lot of disquiet about was Remi Moses - he was never going to be a World beater but equally he ended up doing a very solid job. The likes of Wes Brown and Chris Smalling flattered to deceive early in their careers but in the end won the fans over. Even Michael Carrick was subject to a lot of criticism but ended up being one of the most influential players in the squad

With Ronaldo I was watching him week in and week out when he arrived and I never doubted his talent. However adapting to a new country and teammates at such a young age was always going to be a challenge. Think it was the 2004 FA Cup final when I really started thinking he was going to be something very special

mansize · 18-02-2017 11:11PM

Aaron Ramsey...

keeponhurling · 18-02-2017 11:13PM

When that young lad Messi came onto the scene, I felt nobody with a mullet like that can amount to much.

Turned out he did ok

Tom Mann Centuria · 18-02-2017 11:16PM

The fact Victor Moses still gets a game for big teams is a shock to me. He's not terrible, but he's definitely over achieving with his last two clubs, he's just 100% trier, all game, every game, which is maybe rarer these days. I wrote him off 3 clubs ago.

keeponhurling · 18-02-2017 11:16PM

^was Wes Brown not the opposite?
When he emerged on the scene he won the treble and looked like he had it all. Fast, strong, could attack, great defender etc.

Still had a solid career but never quite fulfilled potential (maybe largely due to injuries)

The_Kew_Tour · 18-02-2017 11:20PM

Yep Ryan Giggs around 2003

Lol, yep I know, of all the players to get most of his career

HalloweenJack · 19-02-2017 05:19PM

I don't write players off but more the opposite, I build players up and then see them fail with bewilderment.

Chancer3001 · 19-02-2017 05:21PM

Paul Scholes.

All that lad is score goals. Doesnt do anything else.

Then I saw him live....joke

19-02-2017 05:49PM

Early days but David Luiz has turned it IMO
Laughed at Chelsea when they re-signed him but I was wrong
Aided by Conte and the protection of Kante but still. Credit where credit is due.

Jose has worked wonders on Marcus Rojo
I wanted him gone last summer and he's now one of our most consistent defenders

Unearthly · 19-02-2017 05:49PM

Thought Harry Kane would be just another purple patch English striker 2 years ago

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 19-02-2017 05:56PM

I thought Falcao had utterly lost it but he's doing well at Monaco again.

GreNoLi · 19-02-2017 06:08PM

Carrick, woefully misused by England surprise surprise.

JaMarcusHustle · 19-02-2017 06:14PM

Darren Fletcher for a large part of his early years at United. Hated seeing his name in the line up. A couple of years later he was first name in the team sheet then. He really turned it around.

Minderbinder · 19-02-2017 06:15PM

Thought Coutinho would never do anything in the PL. He looked so lightweight and ineffective at Inter.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 19-02-2017 06:24PM

Imagine if Eamonn Dunphy was a poster here.The longest post in boards history would be recorded on this thread.

Nalz · 19-02-2017 07:16PM

JaMarcusHustle wrote: »

Darren Fletcher for a large part of his early years at United. Hated seeing his name in the line up. A couple of years later he was first name in the team sheet then. He really turned it around.

Me too.

But I've been right about everyone else :-)

Osmosis Jones · 19-02-2017 08:23PM

I remember talking about how Ibrahimovic wasn't all that about 2 hours before he put 4 past England.

billyhead · 19-02-2017 08:38PM

As a United fan there have been a few Ronnie Johnson, Ruud Van Nistlerooy and Andrei Kanchelskis

Ferris_Bueller · 19-02-2017 09:26PM

I thought Mane would be a complete flop at Liverpool this season, still early days but he has probably been their best player to date.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 19-02-2017 09:30PM

Drogba after his first season at Chelsea.

Ivefoundgod · 19-02-2017 09:45PM

Minderbinder wrote: »

Thought Coutinho would never do anything in the PL. He looked so lightweight and ineffective at Inter.

I couldn't believe a PL team had signed him, very same as you I thought he would have no chance in the PL. Was really really poor for Inter, not sure if tactics didn't suit him but not like he was playing a different position. I suppose Inter weren't setting the world on fire at the time either. I saw him ending up playing for the likes of Villareal at best. Having said that I still don't think he's as good as some people rate him.

19-02-2017 10:10PM

Another one, thought Viduka was just too slow to cut it in the Premier League, and had an attitude problem.

And then this happened...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-qA557gKw

Dirty Dingus McGee · 19-02-2017 11:10PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Another one, thought Viduka was just too slow to cut it in the Premier League, and had an attitude problem.

And then this happened...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-qA557gKw

Such a talented player who underachieved.

If he'd actually bothered his arse he'd have been one of the worlds great strikers, on his days he was lethal.Strong,good in the air, great touch,composed finisher and a rocket of a shot.He basically single handedly saved Leeds from relegation in 2002-2003 when he went on a ridiculous run of firm in the last 15 games or so.

Top class player but an unfulfilled talent.

19-02-2017 11:47PM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Such a talented player who underachieved.

If he'd actually bothered his arse he'd have been one of the worlds great strikers, on his days he was lethal.Strong,good in the air, great touch,composed finisher and a rocket of a shot.He basically single handedly saved Leeds from relegation in 2002-2003 when he went on a ridiculous run of firm in the last 15 games or so.

Top class player but an unfulfilled talent.

I don't think he underachieved. He just got caught up in the spiral down that was Leeds. I remember thinking that they got lucky with Bridges, who was great, and then he got injured, and they brought in Viduka, and he had such a great touch and eye for goal. Plus he stuck with the club after a lot of others bailed. He always looked a bit overweight and unbothered, but he was one hell of a striker, so calm in front of goal.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 19-02-2017 11:49PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think he underachieved. He just got caught up in the spiral down that was Leeds. I remember thinking that they got lucky with Bridges, who was great, and then he got injured, and they brought in Viduka, and he had such a great touch and eye for goal. Plus he stuck with the club after a lot of others bailed. He always looked a bit overweight and unbothered, but he was one hell of a striker, so calm in front of goal.

He never really bothered his arse though.If he had worked a bit harder he would have got a move to a much bigger club (he was linked with some of the big Italian clubs early in his Leeds days).He done brilliantly for Leeds but he could have been playing for an even bigger club.

Iang87 · 20-02-2017 06:39AM

Zlatan at Inter.

Never thought much of him. Thought he was incredibly overrated. I gave him zero credit for all he could do bringing players into play and focused purely on his scoring and thought he didn't do enough of it when it mattered.

I the went full circle on him and really enjoyed watching him thinking he was great until last summer when I wrote him off again.

I think I'll just continue to write him off cos when I get it right it'll be right forever

corcaigh07 · 20-02-2017 09:16AM

Gareth Bale, I was happy to see him play against Liverpool once upon a time. Guaranteed win if he was playing against you, I completely wrote him off.

But then, he moved up the pitch and now praying Ireland keeps him quiet in the Aviva.

gimmick · 20-02-2017 01:12PM

How about the opposite? I thought Bojan had it all to become close to par with Messi. In 2007 - 2009 he looked different class. That changed fast.

Did you ever write off a player...and get it wrong?

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