Scott
Players you feel made extraordinary leaps in development far beyond what you thought possible for them?
- Thread starter Fortitude
- Start date
Pogba
I remember seeing Harry Kane on loan at Norwich & he looked truly truly terrible. Thought that kid will never make it. Must have just been a bad game or he technically improved so much in his development l
I know a guy on a different forum that’s been going on about VVD for years as potentially the best CB in the world (since he was at Celtic):
he made a bunch of posts even earlier but the forum migrated its database and the search function is iffy. He had multiple compilation videos about VVD at Celtic saying he was going to be the world’s best CB
he made a bunch of posts even earlier but the forum migrated its database and the search function is iffy. He had multiple compilation videos about VVD at Celtic saying he was going to be the world’s best CB
Darren Fletcher
Most people are trying to claim exactly this aren't they.
Yet no one at all said it at the time, and most of us couldn't see why City and Liverpool especially were falling over themselves to get after him
When did this happen?
Vardy seems like an obvious one but Van Dijk's development at Liverpool has been ridiculous. He didn't look like a 75 million CB when he was at Southampton & Celtic imo. I wanted us to sign him but thought at the time that we massively overpaid.
I think Van Dijk, at least, had all the tools to become a world-class center-back, he just had to work on his understanding of the game. It’s quite often that those players don’t develop mentally and end up like David Luiz. I didn’t expect him to become unquestionably the best defender in the world though.
Salah, Mane, Firmino, Wijnaldum, Henderson... you see the trend. Klopp and his magic. Harry Kane, obviously.
If we’re talking a bit further away, than Xavi. He was a good midfielder, nothing more (at least he seemed to be at the time). Very tidy and smart, but that was it. There were always more talented midfielders around — de la Peña, Deco etc. Barca wanted to sell him, but newly-appointed Pep stopped that. And then he dominated anyone who faced him on the pitch regardless of their talent or workrate, game after game, season after season. When Iniesta came through, he was seen as a mercurial talent —Xavi wasn’t.
Salah, Mane, Firmino, Wijnaldum, Henderson... you see the trend. Klopp and his magic. Harry Kane, obviously.
If we’re talking a bit further away, than Xavi. He was a good midfielder, nothing more (at least he seemed to be at the time). Very tidy and smart, but that was it. There were always more talented midfielders around — de la Peña, Deco etc. Barca wanted to sell him, but newly-appointed Pep stopped that. And then he dominated anyone who faced him on the pitch regardless of their talent or workrate, game after game, season after season. When Iniesta came through, he was seen as a mercurial talent —Xavi wasn’t.
I saw Andy Cole play for Arsenal and Fulham and didn't think he was all that.
Vardy, obviously. I still don’t get how a guy who regularly drinks Red Bull and vodka keeps that insane level of intensity on the pitch — and then combine it with Van Nistelrooy’s ruthlessness and an odd van Persie-esque volley.
This seems like a joke but I think it's probably true
How about Paul Warhurst at Sheff. Weds?
C.Ronaldo. Thought if he matured well enough he'd maybe get to Giggs/Figo level of brilliance. Never thought he'd go so far beyond them and virtually everyone else.
Scott McTominay; I thought, it was so sad to see him playing for United - I thought to myself, what in earth we were doing with a player in the squad with so little talent. Today he is one of my favorit player in our squad. He is so important for Uniteds midfield.
Think I missed out “one of” though for a period I’d argue he was.
Gnabry's talent was well known at Arsenal. He was just loaned to the wrong team.
Maybe it's the Red Bull & vodka that gives him wings.
haha I hear you on DDG. There was even an article of him caught shoplifting in a convenience store and I truly thought SAF would can him. That was the year he shared goalkeeping duties as well
However he did show great glimpses of that ridiculous reaction speed so I did think he would be pretty good
The one for me is Giggs. Who wouldve thought he could have played at such an influential position for that long? He can probably still walk into the team now. Amazing
As Gio said, Frank Lampard, he wasn't considered the pick of those young West Ham players by any stretch, he turned himself into something extraordinary.
While I always thought Rashford was very talented, it feels as if we're in an accelerated phase of his development and it's exciting to think where that may lead.
Did anyone honestly think Salah would become the player he has? I didn't see it. Nor Gnabry.
While I always thought Rashford was very talented, it feels as if we're in an accelerated phase of his development and it's exciting to think where that may lead.
Did anyone honestly think Salah would become the player he has? I didn't see it. Nor Gnabry.
True, I think he gave up running circa 2013?
in last couple of years Rashford, Salah, Robertson
Darren Fletcher?
Sergio Busquets: Guardiola's greatest discovery to date, IMO...quite appropriate that unearthed Barcelona's next great #6, following in the foot-steps of Cruyff (who had established Guardiola in the first team in 1990). Xavi and Iniesta's ascent to All-Time great status came as a surprise to many, but both came with immense reputations as youth players – the former masterminded Spain to the U-20 World Cup title against a field that boasted Ronaldo, Cambiasso, Cole, Simão, Forlán...while the latter also excelled at U-16/U-19/U-20 levels. In contrast with them, Busquets was much more obscure, and his career could have gone in a very different direction if not for Pep's tutelage (starting with the B team in the Tercera División). Thought he was an adequate system player who would hit a developmental roadblock sooner or later, but he came up leaps and bounds to define an entire generation of #6 play.
Andrea Barzagli: decent player at Palermo, nothing too special from what I recall. But quietly the best defender at Juventus when Bonucci and Chiellini got a disproportionate amount of praise in certain circles. Didn't reckon he had it in him to reach a level where he was arguably the best pure defender in football for a period of 2-3 years after only Godín.
Franck Ribéry: seemed a good talent on the basis of a few games at Marseille and the 2006 World Cup, couldn't have foreseen him becoming one of the most consistently brilliant playmakers in club football as well as the best left-winger or left-sided midfielder since Giggs/Nedvěd (and a near-equal of Robben). The duo following him as Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, Nasri and Ben Afra, didn't produce even half of his impact.
Andrea Barzagli: decent player at Palermo, nothing too special from what I recall. But quietly the best defender at Juventus when Bonucci and Chiellini got a disproportionate amount of praise in certain circles. Didn't reckon he had it in him to reach a level where he was arguably the best pure defender in football for a period of 2-3 years after only Godín.
Franck Ribéry: seemed a good talent on the basis of a few games at Marseille and the 2006 World Cup, couldn't have foreseen him becoming one of the most consistently brilliant playmakers in club football as well as the best left-winger or left-sided midfielder since Giggs/Nedvěd (and a near-equal of Robben). The duo following him as Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, Nasri and Ben Afra, didn't produce even half of his impact.
If you mean when he first broke into the Spurs team then I thought he was brilliant right from the start. If you're talking when he was out on loans before that then can't answer I as didn't see him play.
Probably the whole Liverpool XI bar Alisson and to a certain extend VVD
Lewandowski, Pisczczek, half of the Dortmund squad during 2010-2015
Son, he was extremely inconsistent at Hamburg
Müller, Gnabry (favorite Bayern player currently)
Busquets, Piqué
Bale
Rashford has also surprised me alot. Great talent.
Lewandowski, Pisczczek, half of the Dortmund squad during 2010-2015
Son, he was extremely inconsistent at Hamburg
Müller, Gnabry (favorite Bayern player currently)
Busquets, Piqué
Bale
Rashford has also surprised me alot. Great talent.
Ronaldo. Always thought he would become our new Giggs, type of skillful winger who will provide us with some excitement and assist in the game, didn’t expect he will go on and score 700+ goals in his career and break almost every record out there, and become one of the GOAT.
VVD. At one point I thought he is only as good as our Bailly. Didn’t expect he would become the best CB in the world.
De Bruyne. Heard he is good in his early days, not never seen much from him at Chelsea with limited no.of game time. Didn’t expect he will become best midfielder in the world, or become my favourite midfielder.
VVD. At one point I thought he is only as good as our Bailly. Didn’t expect he would become the best CB in the world.
De Bruyne. Heard he is good in his early days, not never seen much from him at Chelsea with limited no.of game time. Didn’t expect he will become best midfielder in the world, or become my favourite midfielder.
Bale is a very interesting one. He had that long run without wins for Spurs. Then suddenly devloped into a world class player when moved to the wing and bulked up. Probably find some great drugs to build all those muscles 
. Although he never learned how to avoid injuries.
Could not see Vardy turning into the player he is today. Although I didn't follow him in the lower leagues though. He keeps getting better and it surprise me more and more.
. Although he never learned how to avoid injuries.Could not see Vardy turning into the player he is today. Although I didn't follow him in the lower leagues though. He keeps getting better and it surprise me more and more.
Ronaldo - never thought he'll become one the top two/three players of all time.
When Kane is on top form - he's defo in the conversation as the best CF in the World, no doubt about that.
He's also spent his entire career at a club that has a culture of bottling and doesn't ever win trophies.
If you put Kane at Real, or City (as Aguero has been for Kane's entire career), or in this Liverpool side can you imagine his numbers and trophies by now...?
Genabry seemed as the typical Arsenal flop and last year was bundesliga player of the year...
Might not have said the worlds best centre back but I knew Van Dijk was going to be an amazing signing. I wrote this back in 2017 when it was rumoured Chelsea were looking at him:
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/tra...-english-translation-too.424394/post-20658932
Tough one. I mean, it's hard to understand a footballers potential and generally we don't tend to define what a player can or cannot do, so I imagine this limits the discussion to players who we definitively believed had a certain level of ability or whose development came about as a bit of shock.
I reckon I'll go for these
Ronaldo - never saw the goalscoring and physicality he acquired, coming.
Mane - was an explosive player but I didn't expect this level from him
Sterling - unlike many I do remember him being a special talent at Liverpool but under Pep he'd been incredible
Xavi - odd inclusion but under Rijkaard he didn't look that special to me. Unlike Iniesta who from a young age looked an incredible talent
Pique - This should probably be TOP to be honest. When he left us I thought we were letting go of a pretty good talent who was clearly not as good as Johnny Evans. For fecksake he obliterated expectations
Modric - I thought he was brilliant when I saw him for Croatia. Then I thought he was good for Spurs but I was a bit disappointed. Needless to say he was exceptional for Madrid. In a way he was in line with my original impression, but much better than my second take.
De Gea - I don't think when be joined and struggled I had any idea he was going to be an all time great for us.
I reckon I'll go for these
Ronaldo - never saw the goalscoring and physicality he acquired, coming.
Mane - was an explosive player but I didn't expect this level from him
Sterling - unlike many I do remember him being a special talent at Liverpool but under Pep he'd been incredible
Xavi - odd inclusion but under Rijkaard he didn't look that special to me. Unlike Iniesta who from a young age looked an incredible talent
Pique - This should probably be TOP to be honest. When he left us I thought we were letting go of a pretty good talent who was clearly not as good as Johnny Evans. For fecksake he obliterated expectations
Modric - I thought he was brilliant when I saw him for Croatia. Then I thought he was good for Spurs but I was a bit disappointed. Needless to say he was exceptional for Madrid. In a way he was in line with my original impression, but much better than my second take.
De Gea - I don't think when be joined and struggled I had any idea he was going to be an all time great for us.
Yep. The fact that he's a PL footballer, playing for England surprised me. Like I said, I thought Thorpe was better and he's now playing in India. The topic isn't about which had a surprising jump to reach world class or something like that. It's relative to where the footballer started.
Tevez... He may be a prick, but when he left for City he reached heights I didn't think he would have had he stayed at Utd.
Most of the names in here were always touted as wonderkids so it's hardly surprising they reached a top level despite how long it took or whether they struggled at first.
Bale was a laughing stock when started as LB. Combined with that "unique" face.
In his 4 years at Fulham, I don't think anyone would've ever thought that VdS would turn to be one of the greatest Gk of all time. So did that Gk from Bronby which moved to United as 28 y.o.
Forlan. Couldn't score from 1 yard at United, turned into such talisman for Atletico and Uruguay.
In his 4 years at Fulham, I don't think anyone would've ever thought that VdS would turn to be one of the greatest Gk of all time. So did that Gk from Bronby which moved to United as 28 y.o.
Forlan. Couldn't score from 1 yard at United, turned into such talisman for Atletico and Uruguay.
Last edited:
Now I realized how generic this player was in old school Fifa and PES. Nobody cares about Xavi until Pep came along. Good shout out there.