But you don't, do you?
Players who fell from grace almost overnight
- Thread starter antsmithmk
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But you don't, do you?
Rooney is still playing at a good level. Hardly a fall from grace overnight.
About Cesc, I think its more of a case of Ramsey currently being a better player. You need a different sort of MF. And what do you think about Cesc.
Thought of him aswell. He was great at CSKA, his transfer to juve started off well but fizzled quickly when Conte came in and shafted him out of his new system. He looked like he would be the second coming of Pavel Nedved with the blonde hair & everything.. He was playing on loan at Bastia last time I saw and now Fenerbache.
He was superb at Forest, all fell away after that.
Can't believe nobody has mentioned Rivaldo. One of the best players in the world, excellent as part of Brazil's 3 R's at a World Cup which he won... then he disappeared. Every now and then he popped up on AC Milan's bench before, I dunno. Probably still playing somewhere in Tajikistan or somewhere
Rooney's no where near the player he was 4 years ago and even further from the player he should be at 28. Cesc will be brilliant I fear, though he's not going to be the best player in the league as he was.
Bojan yes, but I remember Gourcuff being instrumental in Bourdeaux's title win, scoring one of the most elegant goals you'll ever see along the way. He seemed a natural successor to Zidane at that point and everyone expected him to kick on from there, but he never came close to that season again. And he was a member of that shambolic France side at the 2010 world cup, being one its worst performers even iirc. So, quite a dramatic fall from grace I'd say.
Yeah but he's as old as Methuselah FFS.
No I don't. I think Wenger fecked up big style by not buying a world-class player and stopping you getting one. Double whammy reversed.
Wouldn't term it a fall from grace though. He was already quite old at 30/ 32 upon transferring from Barcelona/ Milan. More of an expected natural decline with advancing years IMO.
A couple outside the box.
Michael Carrick went from that phenomenal season to being diabolically awful under Moyes. Granted his role changed to that of something he's never been good at.
Also conjured up the thought of Gary Neville. He was injured at Bolton and came back and everyone knew we was finished.
Michael Carrick went from that phenomenal season to being diabolically awful under Moyes. Granted his role changed to that of something he's never been good at.
Also conjured up the thought of Gary Neville. He was injured at Bolton and came back and everyone knew we was finished.
He had only just turned 30 at the World Cup. And he literally went from a great player to a bench warmer in the space of 1 month
Ronaldinho declined very quickly, it was very sad to watch.
Steve Morrow
Garry Birtles. Superb player at Forest, went to United and turned to shit.
BTW what became of Vicente ? Was quite superb for Valencia and Spain in Euro 2004. Last I read he was playing at Brighton and Hove.. And while we're talking of former Valencia players; Mista, Aimar, Soldado (a bit too early perhaps) and Joaquin would be pertinent to the discussion.
Aimar was absolutely brilliant then went nowhere...
Kaka was the saddest for me. At one point he, Messi & Ronaldo were the holy trinity. Both he and Torres fell from great heights and even though he was a Liverpool player he was a great striker who I liked to watch and I wish he didn't lose his form.
Agreed. Kaka ripped us apart when he was 24/25 in 2007 and his style of play was magnificent.
His performances since he signed that new contract suggest otherwise.
He's shambolic at the minute. Touch is abysmal, he's slow as anything and he doesn't look like he's gonna shake out of it any time soon.
He normally has periods like this every season but he's not been the same Rooney for a long, long time.
It's always about injuries with Wayne.
Really, the fall from the player he was/should be now happened when we rushed him back against Bayern in 2010, never been the same player since.
The change from the exciting, ballistic, world's best young talent that he was at Euro 2004 was hampered by the first metatarsal injury against Portugal and then completely destroyed by the second (and subsequent rush back to fitness) against Chelsea in 2006.
Oh what he could've been...(yes I'm well aware he's almost definitely going to be our top scorer of all time and one of our most decorated players by the time he's done)
Vicente's career was hampered by injuries after the 04/05 season, I think it's kind of harsh including Joaquin, never quite lived up to the early hype but he was pretty good for Valencia and Malaga, even at 33 he still does a decent job for Fiorentina.
Special mention has to be made of Nani. Yes, Nani.
In the pantheon of dramatic falls from grace in the history of the English prem, surely Nani has to be in the top 5.
In the pantheon of dramatic falls from grace in the history of the English prem, surely Nani has to be in the top 5.
I'm not sure he was consistent enough to be considered.
Don't be silly - Nani never got liftoff
The definition of grace at his peak. Cristiano is all about raw power, Messi is a hyperactive buzz on the ball but Kaka was all about poise. Wonderful to watch when at his very best and underrated in terms of just how good he was at his peak. As United fans we'll forever suggest Ronaldo should've won the Balon d'Or in 2007 as well but Kaka was sublime in Europe all throughout the CL that year.
For those saying he was terrible for Madrid, I'd suggest you look at the games he actually played in, especially once he got his first year injury problems sorted. He still missed loads of matches but when he did play there were more than a few flashes of the old Kaka in what he did. Certainly the year Madrid won the league (2010/11?) he was very good when he actually did play. Just people expected him to light up the world and his body wasn't capable of doing it all the time anymore.
He never set a foot wrong. Definitely one of the most naturally gifted footballers over the past decade.
Malouda had one very good season and then....
Antonio Valencia (though not as high profile). What in the name of feck happened to him in the summer of 2012?!
He was always capable of going around full backs with ease and was probably our most consistent crosser. He even started adding to his game in 11/12 by cutting in and linking up with our forwards or running at centre backs/taking more shots. Had his best season for us, scored that goal against Blackburn and won player of the year, only for him to completely fall the pieces from then on.
He did have a similar mini-blip at the start of 11/12 when he wasn't first choice, and basically became what he is now. But he managed to somehow recover from that.
He was always capable of going around full backs with ease and was probably our most consistent crosser. He even started adding to his game in 11/12 by cutting in and linking up with our forwards or running at centre backs/taking more shots. Had his best season for us, scored that goal against Blackburn and won player of the year, only for him to completely fall the pieces from then on.
He did have a similar mini-blip at the start of 11/12 when he wasn't first choice, and basically became what he is now. But he managed to somehow recover from that.
He's like Torres. Lost all semblance of acceleration which means that even though he's still quick at top speed, he can no longer get the burst of pace to get away from a defender and when you're a player that has no tricks and completely reliant on the yard of space your athleticism gives you, you're fecked once it's gone.
Once you know it's gone you lose your confidence and then it just becomes a downward spiral into mediocrity (or in Torres' case, complete and utter misery).
Torres lost his speed through injury, can the same be said of Shevchenko? He was a shell of his former self at Chelsea.
Hate to mention players with injury plagued careers but Neil Webb had the talent, just the body gave out on him.... gone very rapidly really at United.
Hate to mention players with injury plagued careers but Neil Webb had the talent, just the body gave out on him.... gone very rapidly really at United.
Kezman - had 122-105 score for PSV and then... well, Chelsea.
Jardel - same story, just different clubs.
Bojinov - injuries ruined him.
Milevskiy - once a ukrainian best player (he even got awarded for that twice in a row), now only a drunken clown...
Mendieta - got his 50 million euros move to Lazio and was a total failure.
Valeron - his fall from grace was mostly due to injuries, I'd say... always thought he was Iniesta before Iniesta
Diego Tristan - was also brilliant for Deportivo and then just turned to shit for some reason. wasn't even that old...
as for managers... Juande Ramos, Javier Irureta and Hector Cuper.
Jardel - same story, just different clubs.
Bojinov - injuries ruined him.
Milevskiy - once a ukrainian best player (he even got awarded for that twice in a row), now only a drunken clown...
Mendieta - got his 50 million euros move to Lazio and was a total failure.
Valeron - his fall from grace was mostly due to injuries, I'd say... always thought he was Iniesta before Iniesta
Diego Tristan - was also brilliant for Deportivo and then just turned to shit for some reason. wasn't even that old...
as for managers... Juande Ramos, Javier Irureta and Hector Cuper.
Kleberson. Played for one of the most talented World Cup-winning sides ever at the ripe old age of 23, alongside names like Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Cafu and then just... shitstreak.
Torres
Kaka
Kagawa
Robinho
Pato
Julio Cesar
Just off the top of my head.
Kaka
Kagawa
Robinho
Pato
Julio Cesar
Just off the top of my head.
Here's a random one that I thought had something about him as a player but obviously not well in the head.... Zaki. Looked like a player for awhile in England and then Bruce chucked him out the door, justifiably so when you look at how his career has gone.
Javier Saviola
Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso
I think he was on fire for half a season, and then stopped scoring.
Kezman - had 122-105 score for PSV and then... well, Chelsea.
Jardel - same story, just different clubs.
Bojinov - injuries ruined him.
Milevskiy - once a ukrainian best player (he even got awarded for that twice in a row), now only a drunken clown...
Mendieta - got his 50 million euros move to Lazio and was a total failure.
Valeron - his fall from grace was mostly due to injuries, I'd say... always thought he was Iniesta before Iniesta
Diego Tristan - was also brilliant for Deportivo and then just turned to shit for some reason. wasn't even that old...
as for managers... Juande Ramos, Javier Irureta and Hector Cuper.
Was just thinking of another ex Middlesbrough player: Afonso Alves.
He looked a proper player and then the wheels fell off.
Yeah, he was already shit for 6 months at Pool.