Gerrard.
Your most overrated footballer
- Thread starter Paxi
- Start date
I am maybe guilty of overrating Riquelme, Okocha (basically my fav premiership player ever), Raul(dubious), Vicente, Beckham, Boksic, Saviola
Seems like a fair amount of people misunderstood the thread.
Tomasz Kuszczak gets my shout. After all those save of the season nominations/awards I thought he was good enough to be our long term no1.
As a fellow Pole I really liked him and wanted him to succeed which clouded my judgment.
The question was who was your overrated player, so whether Bergkamp, Henry or Scholes were overrated by some really depends on how highly they originally thought of them. Whether he was truly world class is immaterial in the context of this thread.
Last edited:
Sterling. At one point the English media were trying to claim he was the 3rd best player behind Messi and Ronaldo 
Theo Walcott is genuinely the worst footballer I’ve seen in person, I find it amazing he has been a Premier League player for so long. Couldn’t pass it, made the wrong runs every time, awful decision making - he makes Nani look like Zidane.
I wouldn’t say he’s overrated though, because I don’t think anyone rates him.
I wouldn’t say he’s overrated though, because I don’t think anyone rates him.
you are misunderstanding the thread. Its players YOU personally overrate.
Also the Scholes bit is meaningless. Because he doesn't get much credit compared to others, ex pros are now overcompensating by labelling him the GOAT. its happened with other underrated players before
Stop wasting your time here and get into the awards thread
This answer plays into philosophy what success looks like in a post-modern setup so is a little embarrassing in tone, and I might be explaining it poorly in one paragraph, but if Ozil had Cristiano's "drive" I don't know if he'd be selfless enough to be composed to the extreme level he was at in his decision making and passing, if that makes sense. It's possible, but Cristiano's "drive" and being desperate to score goals seems easier to replicate than having a fanatical drive to be calm and unselfish enough to hit 20+ assists without the long passing of a De Bruyne or Beckham.
He doesn't get credit for his team's defending because people don't realize that quality distribution and being available and pegging teams back by virtue of your passing threat aid in defending. They think it's just done without the ball or via tackling or pressing.
I'd definitely have him above Benzema. In the Suarez/Lewa/Etoo tier but maybe at the bottom of it if you're talking about fitting into a good team and 2nd behind Suarez if you've got a weaker side.
Okocha can never be overrated.
In hindsight, some managers/teams from the early 2010s would have done well to get ahead of the 3 at the back curve in order to accommodate 2nd strikers like Defoe, and wingbacks who weren't natural fullbacks or wingers could have been bought cheaper than their actual value.
Like Nasri and Nani, he had a 6 month run as a top 2-3 player in the Prem, so if you think of that era first you likely overrate him, and if you think of their down periods you probably underrate them.
I've yammered on about this elsewhere but the big what-if for Rooney's career for me will always be what if Fergie hadn't fecked up the 2011 CL final and had played Rooney as a lone striker with Chicharito off the bench and gotten another body into midfield. Rio and Vidic were up for it that day , and if we'd have won 1-0 or 2-1 off of Rooney terrorizing their CBs like he did as a lone striker dropping deep to start counters, his peak might be remembered differently (if only because CBs get overrated so their greatness would have faded, it's not like people wax lyrical over Umtiti and Varane dominating the World Cup in 2018). He was pretty damn good that year.
Robert Earnshaw was always the thinking man's Defoe
As a child I thought David Batty was good. I also liked Leon Osman as a player for a long time. United wise possibly Cantona. He's probably not the greatest man and player that ever lived. Probably.
He was stood behind me in a queue at the cinema once about a decade ago. Asked him if he was the thinking man's Defoe. He thought about it for a minute.
As a kid it was Nani, I remember him scoring a couple goals in his first pre season and therefore expecting Cristiano levels of output from him 
These days Jack Grealish, been raving about him to friends for nearly two years. Even said a year ago that he was in top 5 best Premier League players in the league
Use to be a big fan of Luca Toni for some reason back in the day, man was a machine for Fiorentina
Use to be a big fan of Luca Toni for some reason back in the day, man was a machine for Fiorentina
My personal favourite player I overrated was Anderson, I still think he was as good as Fred is now for United, maybe even slightly better at his very best for United, there was something very endearing about the way he played and he really ran a few games I saw live. But injuries and maybe not a great attitude didn’t help him. Even when he was a joke figure for other fans I still defended him. He also had some pretty bad games and you couldn’t rely on him for a season.
Bergkamp did win two UEFA Cups however (when it was still a competition comparable in quality to the European Cup) and was top scorer in one of those seasons.
Bergkamp not flying to away games really contributed to Arsenal’s failure in the Champions League during those seasons which shows how important he was during that 1998-2004 period.
To be honest, that kind of sums up the negative aspect of Bergkamp: he was a bit of a bottler. Let down his club and country by being too cowardly to fly and also let them down by refusing to take penalties after missing in the FA Cup semi. The Netherlands could have reached the Euros final if he’d taken the penalties rather than De Boer or Kluivert vs Italy and would probably have qualified for the 2002 World Cup if he hadn’t retired after deciding he wouldn’t fly to Asia.
I might be getting my stories mixed up, memory is saying it was an italian player - he skipped a plane journey which ultimataly crash landed in a crocodile swamp.
Maybe during the US world cup.
Anyway was a creepy story iread years ago
John Terry
Fernando Torres
Thiago
Coutinho
Fernando Torres
Thiago
Coutinho
Luke Shaw and Martial would be the main two from current team. Shaw is a horiffic player and stealing a living at 150K a week. Martial 80% of the stuff he attempts doesnt work.
Edgar Davids probably the most overated player of all time.
Edgar Davids probably the most overated player of all time.
Personally, I think I overrated Veron. For me, he's one of the best CM in the world during his career, on the same level as Scholes, even after his time here.
And now he could order a fish & chips and make a headline about how inhumane he is.Sterling. At one point the English media were trying to claim he was the 3rd best player behind Messi and Ronaldo
how much does bitterness from Liverpool fans in media contribute to that?
Gabriel Heinze
Aguero. He's good but I don't really rate him as world class.
But scholes versatility is why I'd have him over both xavi and pirlo. He was a star attacking midfielder when he was moved there. He had the energy, agility off the ball movement and shooting to still play wel higher
Fabregas. I never saw what all the fuss was about. Also Mikel, United dodged a bullet there.
Probably the majority of Man Utd players i overrate due to being at the club.
Neymar
All the current Liverpool players
Can only think of fairly recent examples.
Probably Kovacic. He's a good player but I've always thought he was incredible and on the precipice of world class play. Just really like Croatians for some reason.
Jean-Michel Seri a few years back. Had fully bought into the hype and was convinced he'd tear it up at Barca. Move ended up not materializing and now he can't get a game for Fulham.
Finally, Marco Asensio. He's still pretty young and could improve but I've definitely overrated him since he broke through at Mallorca. Really have a thing for left footed technicians who can strike a ball but he doesn't have much else to his game to be honest
Probably Kovacic. He's a good player but I've always thought he was incredible and on the precipice of world class play. Just really like Croatians for some reason.
Jean-Michel Seri a few years back. Had fully bought into the hype and was convinced he'd tear it up at Barca. Move ended up not materializing and now he can't get a game for Fulham.
Finally, Marco Asensio. He's still pretty young and could improve but I've definitely overrated him since he broke through at Mallorca. Really have a thing for left footed technicians who can strike a ball but he doesn't have much else to his game to be honest
Kleberson, remember buzzing United had signed him after the 2002 World Cup only to find he either couldn't cope with the pace of the game in England or he just didn't fancy the physical aspect.
I know Sir Alex has since said he could tell he wasn't fitting in straight away but I was genuinely excited we had a world cup winning Brazilian from that great 2002 side.
My memories of him were really a weak individual getting bullied a bit on the ball, I think Sir Alex actually tried him out right in one or two games and he was even worse there.
I know Sir Alex has since said he could tell he wasn't fitting in straight away but I was genuinely excited we had a world cup winning Brazilian from that great 2002 side.
My memories of him were really a weak individual getting bullied a bit on the ball, I think Sir Alex actually tried him out right in one or two games and he was even worse there.
Big Dunc
What a player on the ground as well as unstoppable in the air, didn't play enough games through injury, 3 month sentence and being sent off, 9 red cards (record)
to justify teams paying what they did for him
Scotland
4M Dundee Utd to Rangers, scored 2 goals for Rangers
England
4M Rangers to Everton
8M Everton to Newcastle
3.75M back to Everton
15.75M transfer total in England
Newcastle, 8 goals for their fee (8m - 3.75m) = £531k a goal plus wages
Everton, 60 goals for £7.75M, £129k a goal plus wages
this was back in the 90's / 00's
What a player on the ground as well as unstoppable in the air, didn't play enough games through injury, 3 month sentence and being sent off, 9 red cards (record)
to justify teams paying what they did for him
Scotland
4M Dundee Utd to Rangers, scored 2 goals for Rangers
England
4M Rangers to Everton
8M Everton to Newcastle
3.75M back to Everton
15.75M transfer total in England
Newcastle, 8 goals for their fee (8m - 3.75m) = £531k a goal plus wages
Everton, 60 goals for £7.75M, £129k a goal plus wages
this was back in the 90's / 00's
Last edited:
Paolo Maldini. Never any decent wingers in Italian football.
And Raul. Bamford could have scored more in those Madrid teams.