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Failed wonderkids


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@Bothan Spy Freddy Adu is in the game?! I assumed he'd retired! 

Do we count Phil Jones and Chris Smalling? Given Sir Alex Ferguson said Phil Jones could be one of the greatest he'd ever worked with...and also expected Smalling to partner him in defence for the rest of the decade (which you could argue they have done more than any other defenders, but this isn't a positive).

Bojan Krkic (the younger) comes to mind, and Sergi Samper. 

Back to the Man Utd theme Federico Macheda is still kicking about in Greece. Guido Vadala was incredible on FM15 yet doesn't seem that great any more and is back at Boca. 

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Just now, maxfriend said:

Chelsea got a transfer ban for illegality surrounding their signing of Gael Kakuta. Only made a handful of appearances for them and now plays for Rayo Vallecano.

On the same note, Bebe joined United for 8 mil, big money at the time for someone who went on to make two appearances. He is also now plying his trade at Vallecano, so it looks like they may be one step ahead of you in creating a team of failed wonderkids.

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3 hours ago, Bothan Spy said:

I believe Freddy adu is still going but only just!

Only just?? He's not even 30 at the start of the game!

I considered bringing him to my Toronto team - I very quickly decided against it.

Jose Baxter is another one that was touted for big things.

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altidore, saivet, ninis, lansbury, fleck.

not sure if they're all still playing but they were amazing wonderkids.

oh and of course my favourite player of all time, alessio cerci !

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1 hour ago, gunner86 said:

Only just?? He's not even 30 at the start of the game!

I considered bringing him to my Toronto team - I very quickly decided against it.

Jose Baxter is another one that was touted for big things.

Jose Baxter was a BEAST yo!

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Nothing beats Fabio Paim. Arguably (when he was a wonderkid) more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo, playing alongside him at the Sporting's u19 squad. Was then recruited by Chelsea. He's 30yo now, playing for a low league small portuguese team, São Pedro da Cova.

Also Carlos Alberto. With 18yo he was winning the Champions League with Porto, even scoring the first goal in the final against Monaco. Then returned to Brazil and got lost. Now he's 34yo and plays in *let me check, no one knows*, Boavista-RJ, in Brazil. José Mourinho talked about him some years ago, giving him as the example of the failed wonderkid.

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I would like to throw Carlos Fierro in to the mix. If memory serves he was an absolute beast from FM12 through to about FM15, a player who was almost guaranteed to go on to be one of the best strikers in the world if signed by the user and in reality is a mediocre player in the Mexican leagues at best.

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10 hours ago, Geordieboy52 said:

Anderson won the European Golden Boy award in 2008...

He also came on and scored a penalty in the shootout to help win the Champions League final, and started the 2009 final as part of then the 2nd best team in Europe (although Chelsea fans would say 3rd given the refereeing in the semi-final). Admittedly he wouldn't have started were Darren Fletcher available, but still, if he's on the failure list we're setting a pretty high bar for success.

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Alexandre Pato - Once one of Milan's biggest talents

Bojan Krkić - Once one of Barcelona's biggest talents

Ibrahim Affelay - Once one of Holland's most promising talents

Memphis Depay - Maybe not really failed, but definitely not living up to expectations at his clubs

Gregory van der Wiel - Star at Ajax, moved to PSG, now failed and released from his contract at Toronto FC in Canada

 

 

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Do Odegaard and Halilovic come into this? Or do they still have time to come good? Ryan Gauld perhaps too...

Denilson was touted as being the next big thing when Arsenal signed him, don't know of he is still going.

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Em 26/04/2019 em 13:58, Geordieboy52 disse:

Anderson won the European Golden Boy award in 2008...

I can't agree that he is a failed wonderkid. I've followed closely his starting career because it was the team I support, FC Porto, who recruited him from Brazil to Europe. He was a 10, super creative, a player like Deco that required freedom of movements. Either a nr. 10, an advanced playmaker or even Trequartista. Man Utd brought him as such, since he always played like that in Porto. Sir Alex Ferguson, to whom I have the biggest respect, tried to transform Anderson to a DLP, even a defensive midfielder. Can you imagine Deco or Kaká playing as nr. 6? Me neither. And Anderson neither as we end up watching...

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Il y a 5 heures, raymondafc a dit :

Do Odegaard and Halilovic come into this? Or do they still have time to come good? Ryan Gauld perhaps too...

Denilson was touted as being the next big thing when Arsenal signed him, don't know of he is still going.

Odegaard is having a super season in Eredivisie, rumors are saying Zidane wants to keep him in the first team of Real Madrid next season.

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Hachim Mastour... aged 15, he was hyped as the next big thing for AC Milan, despite having looked barely ok in the awful Italian youth league. His YouTube videos were, however, very popular and he became a social media celebrity before having even played a minute of senior football.
"For some reasons" (hint: he was all flash and no substance), he never debuted for AC Milan, was loaned out to Malaga and Zwolle, getting 6 apps and 0 goals. As a free agent, he joined Greek side Lamia, where he failed again to impress and disappeared after a handful of underwhelming games.
At age 21, with such a terrible track record, with many episodes of poor professionalism, he's likely done with top-level football.

 

From the same mould, Nikon "El Maestro" Jevtic. The epitome of the useless, cocky, overhyped one-trick pony. Now available as staff in FM19

 

Il 26/4/2019 in 17:34 , mack4ever ha scritto:

I would like to throw Carlos Fierro in to the mix. If memory serves he was an absolute beast from FM12 through to about FM15, a player who was almost guaranteed to go on to be one of the best strikers in the world if signed by the user and in reality is a mediocre player in the Mexican leagues at best.

I'll add Erick Torres... Probably in the same FM iteration, he was given insane PA and high enough starting CA, making him a top prospect to sign for cheap. IRL he had two decent seasons in MLS in 2014 and 2017, with a whole lot of nothing in-between.
And his record wasn't that great to begin with in Mexico anyway, so I didn't really understand why he was rated so high...

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On 27/04/2019 at 15:28, 99 said:

I can't agree that he is a failed wonderkid. I've followed closely his starting career because it was the team I support, FC Porto, who recruited him from Brazil to Europe. He was a 10, super creative, a player like Deco that required freedom of movements. Either a nr. 10, an advanced playmaker or even Trequartista. Man Utd brought him as such, since he always played like that in Porto. Sir Alex Ferguson, to whom I have the biggest respect, tried to transform Anderson to a DLP, even a defensive midfielder. Can you imagine Deco or Kaká playing as nr. 6? Me neither. And Anderson neither as we end up watching...

That's really interesting as that's what I thought about his career too - that he was pigeon-holed into a position he wasn't suitable for.  I remember reading an article about Jon Obi-Mikel which basically insinuated the same thing, that he had been forced into the role he was best known for by Mourinho and that he should have been this incredible, creative force but wasn't allowed to express it.  Thanks for the reply.

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1 hour ago, Geordieboy52 said:

That's really interesting as that's what I thought about his career too - that he was pigeon-holed into a position he wasn't suitable for.  I remember reading an article about Jon Obi-Mikel which basically insinuated the same thing, that he had been forced into the role he was best known for by Mourinho and that he should have been this incredible, creative force but wasn't allowed to express it.  Thanks for the reply.

It's not quite what Ferguson did to Alan Smith...but yeah he wanted his playmakers deeper and it seemed Anderson wasn't quite cut out for it. If Owen Hargreaves had stayed fit I think things might have been different. Mikel was basically meant to be Anderson at United in 2006, but Chelsea came in and ended up having to pay £12m to convince United not to press charges, and Mourinho apparently went "hey look, a black dude with good positional sense! He'll replace Makelélé!". I think he still played as a 10 for Nigeria for a few years after the shift though.

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Valeri Bojinov if he is still knocking about. 

Alen Halilovic never really reached his supposed potential.

Gai Assulin used to be a beast on old FMs. He popped up at Man City at one point.

Can't forget Sanogo, ex arsenal. My word, what a disappointment.

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Josh McEachran, about to be released by Brentford. Predicted to be a future England star when coming through the ranks at Chelsea but well on a downward spiral now and it's hard to see where his career goes after 4 seasons of producing nothing with us.

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On 27/04/2019 at 08:47, Takamaru said:

Alexandre Pato - Once one of Milan's biggest talents

Yes and no with this one. He was doing really well but had a nasty injury so wasn't really his fault.

On 27/04/2019 at 08:47, Takamaru said:

Bojan Krkić - Once one of Barcelona's biggest talents

Ahhh, but he could do it on a cold night in Stoke...

 

I'd like to add any Chelsea youth player from the last decade to this list.

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Oier Olazabal,Insua,Garay,Jackie Hobbs, Alan Hutton, Saivet,Franc Merida, Zapater, Rossina, Macheda, Bojan

I tried that starting 11 in fm 16.(using editor) almost got relegated and got sacked. idk wheter they are too bad or my central area were too attacking.

Garray were decent but they arent't like world class right now.

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On 26/04/2019 at 16:34, mack4ever said:

I would like to throw Carlos Fierro in to the mix. If memory serves he was an absolute beast from FM12 through to about FM15, a player who was almost guaranteed to go on to be one of the best strikers in the world if signed by the user and in reality is a mediocre player in the Mexican leagues at best.

I remember playing with fierro he often  got 40-50 goals a season for me

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