Players you wrote off early in their careers?

[bringbackbebe]

Bebe. Didn't take long to figure that one out. Also Manucho, Obertan, David Bellion, Liam Miller. They were all quite terrible when they first started for us with no hope of ever making it anywhere, let alone United.

I also wrote off the likes of Bale, Van Persie (when Arsenal purchased him) and Dalot and of course, I was wrong there.

 

[MadDogg]

I can't think of any Utd players that I wrote off early. I tend to give players a fair bit of time to win me over before truly writing them off. I'm sure there have been a few, but none that really come to mind.

In terms of other players that I got badly wrong, David Silva is definitely one for me. I thought he was a good little player in Spain, but at the time that many posters on this site were desperate to sign him I thought he was the classic example of somebody who would struggle in the English game. Certainly proved me wrong when he went to City.

 

[peacefulwarlord]

Hakimi, thought he was poor at RM.

 

[jm99]

I'd say quite a lot of people wold have written off bale, particularly during that streak where Tottenham didn't win a game that he played, it was that game vs maicon that was the big turning point

 

[shamans]

Macheda. Nothing special.

the other player I thought the same about was Rashford…

 

[BarryWinks]

Memphis Depay for me. Never saw it watching clips of his best bits with PSV, and definitely didn't see it with him at that 2014 WC. Was surprised the CAF seemed to love him, and partly sure @NLMax was the player himself.


Funny how 8 years later some posters were still asking us to get him back. And I think he's even less explosive (although a better goalscorer) now than he was then.

 

[jm99]

Macheda. Nothing special.

the other player I thought the same about was Rashford…

I think you might have misunderstood the threading you're including macheda, I think it's supposed to be players that you wrote off who came good

 

[LASpurs]

When Gareth Bale first rocked up at Spurs I thought he was a total waste of space. Messing around with his hair clips all the time. There were rumours Redknapp was going to off him to Forest at one point. Would never have guessed his trajectory when he first arrived there. There were a tone of games too that he played where Spurs didn’t win.

Kane was the other one of course. Thought the bloke was a total carthorse in his sub appearances he made at the start of his Spurs career.

 

[meamth]

Players I've written off then he became great or good players?

Nani, frustrating player before Ronaldo left and took a couple of seasons to really kick on and became a proper United player.

Valencia, thought he is an average player but hardwork and determination brought him to another level and became a good player for United.

Another player I've written off early was Lingard when he usurped Januzaj as the main wonderkid. Really seen nothing to suggest he will be great for us. In the end he is a decent player and brought a trophy for us.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

Sterling

 

[Chairman Steve]

I remember looking at Theo Walcott and thinking he wasn’t going to live up to that huge hype that was set up for him 15 years ago. I thought he was going to be another Francis Jeffers for Wenger, who was a reason why Wenger was always better shopping abroad and had a blind eye to British talent (Ferguson was the master at British talent).

 

[slored1]

I thought McTominay only played because Mourinho wanted to prove a point. I still think so.

 

[Borys]

Memphis Depay for me. Never saw it watching clips of his best bits with PSV, and definitely didn't see it with him at that 2014 WC. Was surprised the CAF seemed to love him, and partly sure @NLMax was the player himself.


Funny how 8 years later some posters were still asking us to get him back. And I think he's even less explosive (although a better goalscorer) now than he was then.

+1 for Depay, I never understood what's the fuss about him. When he joined I was watching some clips where he was running with the ball with nobody attacking him, and not because he was so fast but for some reason he had acres of space. Good luck having that in EPL. Overall game was not impressive as well.
I also thought he had weak mentality, in a way he didn't like a challenge of physical defenders. Looked a player in frendlies. I am afraid Sancho is going down that path as well.

 

[RunTheTrap]

Luke Shaw. I remember United and Chelsea fighting for his signature for £30 million. Crazy to think £30 million was seen as an obscene amount for a teenager back in those days. Even more crazy when you hear he was the most expensive teenager at the time. Anyways, he was okay but he never moved me. Then I think fell out of favour with the coach and struggled for game time. And for the final nail in the coffin he suffered that horrible leg break in that PSV match, and I was certain he was done for. I saw the same thing with Eduardo. He’s had some ups and downs with form since then, but since the Euros I think he’s been one of best fullbacks in world football.

 

[Ladron de redcafe]

Players I've written off then he became great or good players?

Nani, frustrating player before Ronaldo left and took a couple of seasons to really kick on and became a proper United player.

Valencia, thought he is an average player but hardwork and determination brought him to another level and became a good player for United.

Another player I've written off early was Lingard when he usurped Januzaj as the main wonderkid. Really seen nothing to suggest he will be great for us. In the end he is a decent player and brought a trophy for us.

That's the main one that comes to mind for me but he was really great during the 2010-11 season and really good the following season as well. It just took him a while to improve his decision making and as soon as he did that, he became a great player.

 

[avgp_1]

Lewandowski. I thought he wasn't that special in that season at Dortmund when he broke through (2011-12 was it?) and was linked with us. TBF I didn't watch the Bundesliga much back then

 

[Irrational.]

David N’Gog
Anthony Le Tallec
Florent Sinama-Pongolle

All judged to be Ronaldo level talents at the time Liverpool signed them (roughly around the same time we signed Ronaldo)

 

[tentan]

I remember looking at Theo Walcott and thinking he wasn’t going to live up to that huge hype that was set up for him 15 years ago. I thought he was going to be another Francis Jeffers for Wenger, who was a reason why Wenger was always better shopping abroad and had a blind eye to British talent (Ferguson was the master at British talent).

But he didn't really live up to his hype did he?

 

[Red in STL]

Januzaj

A lot of us should choose him

 

[Stacks]

Brandon Williams, Tuanzebe

 

[M15 Red.]

Ronnie Wallwork. Labelled him as a driving force in the mid 00's.

 

[Chipper]

Donald Love. Hardly a genius for that, but he looked so out of his depth i his couple of appearances for United. It looked obvious he'd never be up to the standard of a future United regular.

Obviously miles better than I could ever dream of being though and fair play, he's carved out a career as a pro.

 

[JagUTD]

Not myself, but back when we signed Ronaldo, just about everyone I knew who didn't support United immediately wrote him off. It was similar across the football world, everyone, even some United fans though he was a bit of a joke.

I don't like to write players off as they all mature at different rates. For example, I still hold a crumb of hope Martial will get somewhere close to his potential, and players who might not make it at one club, De Bruyne, Salah being great examples, can thrive at another.

 

[TheReligion]

Most of our youngsters coming through in the last 15 years. I would say my hit rate is > 95%.

You couldn’t even name the youth team now

 

[DRJosh]

Greenwood. Thought he would struggle in the first team but after a few electric performances I saw van Persie like similarities in terms of his guile and shooting. But sadly that story didn’t end well.

 

[Galactic]

Evra and Vidic.

 

[Red in STL]

Evra and Vidic.

Evra is a good shout, I think quite a few of us thought WTF after his first game, TBH I was a little like that with DDG's first few games as well

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Lukaku. I thought he was limited at best even in his good season for us, as he often was useless against top teams. Then when he put on the extra bulk and had come back as a full on donkey, I turned full heel against him. Have thought he's shit ever since, even when he was spouting off at Inter about how he's one of the best in the world. Feel vindicated with every montage I see of him these days.

 

[BarryWinks]

I bet at least half the responders in this thread didn't understand the OP.

Anthony Le Tallec
Florent Sinama-Pongolle

All judged to be Ronaldo level talents at the time Liverpool signed them (roughly around the same time we signed Ronaldo)

Those two, especially Le Tallec I was sure was going to be a superstar. I wasn't on the CAF back then so couldn't compare their ceiling with Ronaldo's, but during the U-17 world cup played around 2001 I think, they were genuinely the best players alongside a certain Femi Opabunmi. Le Tallec in particular impressed me so much that tournament I was sure he was going to be special.

 

[Ødegaard]

99% of this forum for Ødegaard, as a teenager.
Although they were wrong.

 

[simonhch]

People listing the young players they were right about being shite, is some sort of sick joke; when just about every young player who has ever played for us has been written off within their first two seasons by a good chunk of the resident forum mouth frothing, knee jerkers. Often in categorical and vitriolic fashion.

Players you were right about being shite: 3
Players you wrongly wrote off early: 11,487

 

[Scroto Baggins]

Harry Kane. Was not blisteringly fast to go past his man. Not a mazey dribbler to get defenders worried in one on ones, not amazing in the air. Now I was not on board with the 'one season wonder' schtick, I thought he could get to Carroll levels without the injuries Carroll constantly had. Or maybe another Defoe level player for Spurs.

Certainly not his astronomical trajectory to one of the best strikers in world football. The guy just does everything well, and some things he is just exceptional at, his hold up play to drag defenders around whilst holding them off, bringing others into play around him. And if you give him an inch of space on either foot he is more than happy to take on the shot.

 

[kaiser1]

Anthony Martial. I legit thought he had Balon dor top 5 in his future

 

[kaiser1]

I bet at least half the responders in this thread didn't understand the OP.



Those two, especially Le Tallec I was sure was going to be a superstar. I wasn't on the CAF back then so couldn't compare their ceiling with Ronaldo's, but during the U-17 world cup played around 2001 I think, they were genuinely the best players alongside a certain Femi Opabunmi. Le Tallec in particular impressed me so much that tournament I was sure he was going to be special.

In that 2001 U17 there was a stocky Argentine forward called Carlitos that did live up to.

In Europe he became Carlos Tevez

 

[RedTiger]

Brian McBride. I thought he was a meh MLS player but he just got better with age.

 

[MiceOnMeth]

Anthony Martial. I legit thought he had Balon dor top 5 in his future

He had 30 goal a season striker written all over him. What a massive waste of talent.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Lyon had this striker that we were rumoured to be going after back in 2009 or so. I made it very clear that this guy was completely over rated and it would be a waste of money. And when Real Madrid bought him, I literally laughed out loud. "Ha ha ha ha" said I. I don't think I need to say who this person was or just how wrong I was. Good news is, I haven't been wrong since. EVER...

 

[MackRobinson]

Aguero
Salah
Clint Dempsey

 

[Red in STL]

Pique - never thought he's do much for United