Football Manager Wonderkids who never were...

RoadTrip

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In light of the fact that the Football Manager database will be used by Prozone Recruiter, a footballing analysis tool online that the majority of PL clubs use, I thought it'd be apt to reminisce of those wonderkids who cemented a regular first team place in your squad and reached stardom for you (or made you big bucks) that never actually became remotely good in reality. Should serve as a reminder that FM doesn't equal real life.

I'll go with a personal favourite of mine, Alexander Pato. Many a time I signed this lad to lead my lines and many goals he scored. Shame he is utter dross now!
 
51 goals in 117 games according to Wikipedia, that's not bad. And he's only 24, same age as Rafael who's just had a disastrous season.
 
That Russian goalkeeper. Might not have been a wonderkid. Igor something.

Freddy Adu

Christ I've forgotten half of them.

Oh my god Bojan is literally at Stoke City :lol:
 
Pato would've probably been classed as a wonderkid to everyone, not just FM players. He was genuinely class but injuries have taken their toll.
 
On FM11, I played with about 3 different teams on that game, and the one kid to stand out was Yaya Sanogo, who would be the top scorer for City (who he would pretty much always sign for) and in the league almost every year. I wasn't surprised to see him move to Arsenal, but I would put him down as "potential" for this to happen (a wonderkid who won't make it). He shows moments of promise, but I can imagine him amounting to little.
 
Joemo said:
51 goals in 117 games according to Wikipedia, that's not bad. And he's only 24, same age as Rafael who's just had a disastrous season.
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But now he's at São Paulo. The fact he scored all those goals yet is now back in Brazil shows how good he actually was and how backwards he's gone.

I agree with the sentiment that Pato was a wonderkid in everyone's eyes not just FM though.
 
Srna. What's he doing now? Pfft.

Edit: I always liked to get Hugo Vienna. I don't think he could run, but was awesome otherwise.
 
Khouma Babacar. Had him an Sanogo up front on one save with United, was pretty much cheating.
 
rpitroda said:
I don't even know who this guy is haha.
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FM2007

SOMS1-1.jpg
 
rcoobc said:
That Russian goalkeeper. Might not have been a wonderkid. Igor something.

Freddy Adu

Christ I've forgotten half of them.

Oh my god Bojan is literally at Stoke City :lol:
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With regards to Bojan, his reputation was enhanced by FM but he had the stats at youth level to back it up and then some. His failure to reach the heights that were predicted is probably down to him more than FM saying he should have been a world beater
 
LARulz said:
With regards to Bojan, his reputation was enhanced by FM but he had the stats at youth level to back it up and then some. His failure to reach the heights that were predicted is probably down to him more than FM saying he should have been a world beater
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He should have been to be fair. He was considered in reality at a similar talent level to Messi at youth level. None the less, still a Fm legend who never made it :angel:
 
Cherno Samba and Tonton Zola Moukoko of off the old Championship manager. Both were absolute beasts.
 
Sherman Cardenas is the ultimate FM wonderkid who never was, he was brilliant in the Premier League at 16 years old, it was absurd. Anderson also had the highest PA in the game on FM2007 :(. Other good ones I can remember are Bojan, Wason Renteria, Oscar Ustari and Andile Jali. Some of the latter may have been older than wonderkid age though.
 
On one of the really old games, I reckon around 96/97, you could pick up Niclas Alexandersson, who went on to play for Sheffield Wednesday and Everton for a few hundred grand from IFK Gothenberg and he could play in every single outfield position on the game. A must have for his versatility.

A couple of years later, Saviola was very good on the game.
 
Kerlon! Always seemed to be a wonderkid no matter how much he struggled to even get on the pitch in RL.
 
Fernando Cavenaghi was monster on FM 2005, on pair with Tevez.

FernandoCavenaghi3.jpg

Andrés D'Alessandro
Henri Saivet
Sotiris Ninis
Gabriel Torje
John Fleck
Nicolas Millan
Johan Vonlanthen
Kerlon
Anthony Vanden Borre
Julius Aghahowa
Denilson
 
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