Anyone remember the lad? I was thinking the other day about players who either flopped or weren't given a proper chance with us over the past few years or so and this guy springs to mind big time. He's now regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders throughout Europe and is arguably Milan's best player right now. Amazing that just 3 years ago the guy was barely even a bit part player with us. Anyone else you guys can think of that never impressed or didn't have the chance to that are now looking like real stars? Can also name players from other clubs too if you like, such as Pique of Barca. Did he even make a first time appearance at Utd? Nowadays he has Champions League medals, La Liga medals, European Championships medals and a World Cup medal to his name, along with any other domestic competitions Barca have won!
The cynical ones amongst us will say that KPB seemed more concerned about his tattoos looking good, than he did his football. By his own admission he was a bit 'wild' in his time with us, and I believe he holds the modern day record for club fines incurred. I think there came a time when something had to give, the coaches were fed up with him and the chairman was fed up with him so he was let go. He seems to have calmed down in his off the field lifestyle and at long last his talent is being realised.
Haha, the day Bentley becomes an actual success at a club is the day I win the Lotto. I don't do the Lotto. :/
Yeah agreed, Boateng was very much someone that cared more for his apperacne than his actual style of play with us (his tattoos were pretty cool in fairness, I have to say). Though in his defence, if I remember correctly, both Jol and Ramos tended to play him a lot in a defensive position, KPB did say when he left he preferred a CAM role and it's showing now in fairness. The player he is right now, I'd love to see at the Lane behind Defoe or Ade.
Taarabt had some of the craziest skills I've ever seen. Yet even to this date still can't seem to be more of a team player. Has star player potential in my opinion. Whether he can fulfil it or not is a different matter. Gio seemed to let his partying antics and lack of determination to prevent him becoming a good player with us, hope it works out for him at Mallorca though.
I know Taarabt is seen as a joke by most, yet I gotta say he does look like he is improving and could mature into a top player under the right management.
Funny thing is, Dempsey and Siggurdson have both been shown much more patience that KPB, Gio or Taarabt were shown. It seems like it's OK to put in mediocre performances on a regular basis as long as you never show any hint of greatness or potential. Not sure it works that way around on the continent.
Interesting point. We've given Dempsey more so than Sig quite a few starts now and it's fair to say he's not shown the form that got him numerous goals for Fulham last season. Sig too though hasn't impressed on his starts for us but he's been played out of position on the wing once or twice which hasn't helped. Baring in mind both players have Prem experience where as KPB, Gio and Taarabt didn't, makes you wonder why we haven't tried switching things up. I have actually said in the Southampton match thread that I'd like to see a 4-4-2 with Ade and Defoe. Just can't see AVB doing it.
He came with a bit of a rep, so it was not surprising he got marginalised. When Harry arrived he was horrified him and a couple of others didn't even have squad numbers, and he corrected that, so we can't say he wasn't given a chance. It would be good at this point to define 'chance'. It would seem a lot of posters think that because we sign players they must be given match time to adjust/prove their worth. Well it just doesn't work like that, certain criteria have to be met well before representing THFC at the weekend, and tossing about in training and your private life is never going to be rewarded with any serious game time. Even exceptional talents like Balotelli, a match winner on his day, can't find regular footy where he is, too many faults. As with all young players they mature, we just picked him up at the wrong time, it happens.
exactly.....notso...who would want to manage an arsehole just because he has a bit of skill....i know i would want an idiot like KPB out of the club....bloody clown..and same goes for Ballotelli. people like this make the club look stupid.
He was played on the right wing, wasn't he? Part of the "Jol wants some wingers, buy him another centre mid" era, I think.
Once or twice but the majority of the time he was deployed back in a DM(ish) role - hence why he made so many fouls and received sh*t loads of bookings.
Another player that blossomed away from a club was Forlan... Sh*t at Utd yet left and was a goal scoring machine out in Spain.
Mounir El Hamdaoui another Spurs player. Didn't feature for the first team yet had a great spell at AZ and had a good scoring record at Ajax despite not being used as much as was expected to be, now at Fiorentina.
I think that El Hamdaoui had a lot of injury problems during his time with us, if I remember right. The list of strikers ahead of him was very formidable too, but I don't think he was available to play that often. Taarabt, Boateng and Dos Santos all had/have a lot of talent, but they need to focus it properly. Didn't happen at WHL.
Pique and Zieler weren't up to standard according to Bacon Face, yet Evans, Brown and O'Shea were. Any other manager would be slaughtered for that. The most frustrating thing about GDS is he stated his desire to get some first team football for the last couple of seasons, but didn't get any even though other players in his best position needed a rest. Although I do have the sneaking suspicion that he didn't play because we would've owed Barca a million quid on top of his initial fee after a certain number of games. Boateng, on the other hand, is a Balotelli type player - he'll occasionally do something to justify his being there, but often he'll be a long drawn-out headache picking up cheap bookings for niggly fouls, diving, or constantly mouthing off to the ref.
Ron Zierler, great shout there HBC, he's now had a few international caps for Germany hasn't he? Not bad considering Germany's got some very good keepers. Gio will always be a "what if" now for us. No doubt he'll produce the goods in Spain and get signed by Real/ Milan/ PSG within 2 years for £20m! Boateng, although I haven't actually watched much of him, does seem to have settled down now and doesn't come across as the "ghetto prince" () which he labelled himself prior to joining us. Some of his link up play and the goals he's scored for Milan certainly suggest he's definitely a player that, if we'd known he'd turn out like he has, would definitely have been worth keeping.
To be honest its hard to name many who flopped at Spurs and then went on to become good players. We've developed quite the knack over the years of ruining seemingly talented young players - Routledge, Bostock, Postiga, Bentley...
