Not qualified to talk about that guy.
Top ten wasted talents
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Maybe not a great but a fantastic talent.. De La Red
Both Best and Maradona could have easily been 2-3 times better then they actually where
I would hardly describe him as a 'wasted' talent.
Didnt his heart stop a few times or something? Maybe his heart was overated!?
Oh dear
Best and Maradona.
Both were the best players in the world at some point in their career and both get named amongst the greatest of all time. Not sure how that is 'wasted'.
Only thing is that George should've possibly had a few more years at the top had he managed himself. But even so he was hardly 'wasted' (except when he was drunk ofcourse).
Both were the best players in the world at some point in their career and both get named amongst the greatest of all time. Not sure how that is 'wasted'.
Only thing is that George should've possibly had a few more years at the top had he managed himself. But even so he was hardly 'wasted' (except when he was drunk ofcourse).
He was brought up on a previous page. Not long after moving to Valencia on loan he had a torn knee ligament which kept him out for six months. He returned to action near the end of that season but then picked up the same injury again and returned just a couple of months ago.
He's featured in a few games since but hasn't lasted 90 minutes yet (could be that they want to take things slow with him so he doesn't get another injury so soon like what happened last time). Don't know how he's been doing, but it will probably be next season before he gets back on track having a full preseason behind him - unless he's unlucky and picks up another injury again.
How do you even quantify a footballing carreer? Not to mention, if it were possible, the vast difference between 2x and 3x in such a context making an estimate of 2-3 totally meaningless.
I'm not disputing it's possible they could have enjoyed even more success, and that their carreers could have lasted longer, had they taken better care of themselves off-pitch. I just think you're rendering the concept of 'wasted talent' meaningless by including two of the most iconic football players of all time in that group.
What does that mean? That their team could have started and won matches with 8 players. That they would have scored double or treble the amount of goals/create assists? That they would have run 25-30km a game?
And that could have easily happened. If they would have tried harder, does that mean that they would have been 4-5 times better?
I remember him, he was having a very good season. Shame that his career ended for him in such a young age.
How do you even quantify a footballing carreer? Not to mention, if it were possible, the vast difference between 2x and 3x in such a context making an estimate of 2-3 totally meaningless.
I'm not disputing it's possible they could have enjoyed even more success, and that their carreers could have lasted longer, had they taken better care of themselves off-pitch. I just think you're rendering the concept of 'wasted talent' meaningless by including two of the most iconic football players of all time in that group.
They wasted chance to be even better than wasted their talent completely.
Both had great careers, both are consider as one of the greatest players ever, but it's frightening to even try to imagine what they could've have been if there weren't theirs off the pitch distractions since such was their talent for the game.
Similar to that is Ronaldo, who is in my opinon best player ever alongside Messi from the players I've seen in my lifetime, and who had great career but in his case injuries wasted his chance to be even better player and that's something I'll never get over since I've adored him from the first time I saw him play.
None of those 3 players wasted their talent, rather wasted chance to be even better for different reasons, but then how better can you be if you're already in top bracet of players that played the game? It's something I always ask myself about Ronaldo, since I didn't see Maradona or Best play.
Meho Kodro.
Johan Cruyff signed him for Barca and turned him from a 25 goal a season striker into a bag of nerves.
Johan Cruyff signed him for Barca and turned him from a 25 goal a season striker into a bag of nerves.
I wonder if we will see one Mario Ballotelli in the list in 10 years time.
I have no idea what he's at now but the lad Drenthe was supposed to be the bollocks. Another career ruined by Madrid or just over rated? He's still young mind and I have no idea what he's at now.
Sean Wright Phillips? Very highly rated as a kid. Linked to us and arsenal but his career never really took off.
I have no idea what he's at now but the lad Drenthe was supposed to be the bollocks. Another career ruined by Madrid or just over rated? He's still young mind and I have no idea what he's at now.
Sean Wright Phillips? Very highly rated as a kid. Linked to us and arsenal but his career never really took off.
Cudicini? wtf?
Free agent, I think.
Drenthe was signed after his performance in the 2007 U-21 Euros. He was great in that tournament, as was Babel.
And according to Wiki, Drenthe signed with Russia club FC Alania Vladikavkaz after his loan at Everton
And according to Wiki, Drenthe signed with Russia club FC Alania Vladikavkaz after his loan at Everton
I never understood how Chelsea allowed Bogarde to stay. Surely there's a breach of contract where a player is expected to stay fit and try to get into the team? If I arsed around work all day and refused to do anything, I wouldn't be long being shown the door.
His story pisses me off so much.
His story pisses me off so much.
He did stay fit and he trained with reserves, he just wasn't interested in moving on as he was happy with his contract and where he was living.
He was well within his right even though it was a disgrace.
He was well within his right even though it was a disgrace.
The fact that 'he was within his rights' is what's wrong with it.
The world and its mother knew he was taking the piss , so where was the legal protection for the club. Has the law changed since? Could this be prevented from happening again?
The world and its mother knew he was taking the piss , so where was the legal protection for the club. Has the law changed since? Could this be prevented from happening again?
People do this in all walks of life, i.e. coast in their job and don't look to better themselves or try too hard.
They don't get anywhere better and nobody respects them, including their employer.
I doubt his contract says he has to 'try hard', so I don't know why you're discussing legal action or even care. Chelsea gave him the contract, it could have said whatever they wanted it to.
David Bentley?
At one time pointed out as the heir to Beckham, but for what will he be better remembered:
At one time pointed out as the heir to Beckham, but for what will he be better remembered:
I'd put Quaresma in any top-10 of this sort. During his time at Sporting, very young, he seemed the sort to become an unstoppable player. He was very good for Porto, but other than that... Meh.
For me this list should be split into two. 'Wasted talents' and 'Great but should've been greater'. Just a few that spring to mind:
Wasted Talents:
Florent Sinama Pongolle
Nii Lamptey
Michael Johnson
Adriano
Valeri Bojinov
Adrian Mutu
Lee Sharpe
Great/greater:
Ronaldinho (lifestyle)
Best (lifestyle)
Maradona (lifestyle)
Van Basten (injury)
Ronaldo (injury)
Gascoigne (lifestyle)
Wasted Talents:
Florent Sinama Pongolle
Nii Lamptey
Michael Johnson
Adriano
Valeri Bojinov
Adrian Mutu
Lee Sharpe
Great/greater:
Ronaldinho (lifestyle)
Best (lifestyle)
Maradona (lifestyle)
Van Basten (injury)
Ronaldo (injury)
Gascoigne (lifestyle)
Lars Ricken
I don't see how Maradona could have been "greater".
He was left off the XI in 1978, when he was arguably then already the most talented Argie footballer. Not long after he joined Barcelona, he came down with hepatitis. Then he suffered that horrible injury, which he came back from but then lost his head at the end of that craze-fukked game against Bilbao (or was it Atletico? It was so long ago I can't remember now.). He went on to do great things with Napoli and then in 1986 and got to a WC final in 1990.
He had an incredible 11-12 year run from his early days with Argentino Juniors where he just lit it up through his Napoli days. International level too, of course.
Was the man fukked in the head by the devil? Probably. But then again, genius often comes at the price of being a bit deranged. Not always, of course. You look at Pele and Messi and you see two of the most professional of footballers who ever lived. Maradona could not have been "greater" than he already was.
He was left off the XI in 1978, when he was arguably then already the most talented Argie footballer. Not long after he joined Barcelona, he came down with hepatitis. Then he suffered that horrible injury, which he came back from but then lost his head at the end of that craze-fukked game against Bilbao (or was it Atletico? It was so long ago I can't remember now.). He went on to do great things with Napoli and then in 1986 and got to a WC final in 1990.
He had an incredible 11-12 year run from his early days with Argentino Juniors where he just lit it up through his Napoli days. International level too, of course.
Was the man fukked in the head by the devil? Probably. But then again, genius often comes at the price of being a bit deranged. Not always, of course. You look at Pele and Messi and you see two of the most professional of footballers who ever lived. Maradona could not have been "greater" than he already was.
Disagree, late nights, booze, coke & hangin with Camorra types is not the best regime to realise your full potential on the pitch. You can see in some periods of his time in Napoli that he's clearly overweight.
Not that he still wasn't the best or anything though.
Gaizka Mandieta anyone? Always thought he was class but somehow didn't really play at a top club.
Freddy Adu has just signed for Bahia in Brazil. Still only 23.
1. Darko Pancev
2. Denilson
3. Gascoigne
4.Van Basten
2. Denilson
3. Gascoigne
4.Van Basten
George Best. Think what he could have been.
And if you include injuries then Michael Owen.
And John Barnes never really reached the heights that you think he should have done. Or perhaps he was just what he usually appeared to be, a highly competent PL player.
Kanchelskis would be a decent shout as well in terms of not reaching his potential. Not on the scale of some of the car crashes in the OP but still a bit of a waste.
With Kelberson going the other way to Philadelphia.
A perfect storm of over-hype if not necessarily wasted talent.
Marco Borriello
Open to interpretation i guess but seems a bit harsh to include Van Basten. Its not that he 'wasted' any of the talent at his disposal, its just that due to injuries we didn't see it for long enough.
Not convinced about Denilson either. He was a flash in the pan that could do stepovers. Not sure he was an amazing talent, just one that got found out pretty easily.
Imagine Maradona of then playing in our modern day football with the nutrition and top conditioning of players.What kinda player would we have ?
Sembastian Diesler
Paul Lake
Michael Branch
Gianluigi Lentini
Duncan Edwards
Matthias Sammer
Paul Lake
Michael Branch
Gianluigi Lentini
Duncan Edwards
Matthias Sammer
I get it, but that only goes to suggest his career could have been longer, not greater. When he hit his peak from around 1982 to about 1987 it's hard to imagine him being any greater than he actually was. But I suppose your point is that he actually could have been greater at hs peak and not just that he could have played at a very high level for another few seasons.