Players who haven't reached their potential

[Cruyff14]

Marco Asensio. Looked like he was going to be a top three player in the world in a few years ago, but he really hasn't progressed as he should have.

Winding the clock back a bit further, Balotelli. Attitude obviously cost him. Ben Arfa is another. Could have been something very special IMO.

Whether it be due to injuries, attitude, or just not getting there, who are some players you think belong in this category?

 

[RossFC]

Marco Asensio. Looked like he was going to be a top three player in the world in a few years ago, but he really hasn't progressed as he should have.

Winding the clock back a bit further, Balotelli. Attitude obviously cost him. Ben Arfa is another. Could have been something very special IMO.

Whether it be due to injuries, attitude, or just not getting there, who are some players you think belong in this category?

Naby Keita. Shows glimpses, then gets injured, repeat.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Sebastien Deisler. Knee injuries destroyed his career

 

[SM]

James Rodriguez. Philippe Coutinho. Wilf Zaha.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

James Rodriguez. Still a good player but hasn't reached anywhere near the heights so many expected after his 2014 World Cup. Renato Sanches is another. Best young player at the Euros, spudded it up at Swansea and we hardly hear anything about him anymore. Andre Schurrle could've been so much more if it wasn't for injuries.

 

[Cruyff14]

James Rodriguez. Philippe Coutinho. Wilf Zaha.

All excellent shouts.

Especially the first two.

 

[jod23]

I dont know about the Coutinho shout. What potential hasnt he reached? I mean he was one of the best attacking midfielders for years at Liverpool. Didnt go too well at Barca for a myriad of reasons, played well for Bayern Munich.

I thought this was more talented players who never reached their peak. We saw Coutinho's peak at Liverpool for years and he was very, very good. He just hasnt had a good run of it since leaving.

 

[chef]

Oscar.

Booted out a future club legend to build our attack around this guy and he turns out pretty meh and fails to reach the heights expected.

 

[RPCB]

Marco Asensio is the big one for me. I remember asking on a forum what happened to Asensio and that was about 2 years ago. His rise and then drop off has come very rapidly. Weird for a young player that was hyped up the way Mbappe and Haaland have been.

 

[joop]

Patrick Bamford, still has time though.

 

[Sozabarus]

I suspect Dele Alli might be headed down this path.

 

[hawkman]

I suspect Dele Alli might be headed down this path.

That would have been my nomination as well.
Also Eriksen, in his early Spurs years i thought he would have followed the Modric path and become a good player at one of the Spanish giants now can't get a game at Inter

 

[iluvparis]

Eric Djemba Djemba

 

[Buckleys Jocks]

Some of the names listed here just show how quick how we are to overhype players IMO. Renato Sanches is the standout there - I never got that hype at the time. I always thought Asensio was being overhyped as well but TBF he's had an awful run with injuries.

A few names that I'd consider:
Robinho - Still had a good career but he never hit the heights that were being predicted when he burst on to the scene.
Gio dos Santos - Very talented player and highly rated youth who has had a pretty ordinary career.
Pato - He was an outrageous talent in his youth but to be fair he was absolutely decimated by injuries.

Bojan Krkic another shout as a youth prodigy who never kicked on at the senior level. Injuries a big factor here as well though.

 

[DBAH0]

Ravel Morrison.

 

[Solska]

I dont know about the Coutinho shout. What potential hasnt he reached? I mean he was one of the best attacking midfielders for years at Liverpool. Didnt go too well at Barca for a myriad of reasons, played well for Bayern Munich.

I thought this was more talented players who never reached their peak. We saw Coutinho's peak at Liverpool for years and he was very, very good. He just hasnt had a good run of it since leaving.

Agree. How much better do people think Coutinho could’ve gotten? A very harsh/poor assessment saying he never reached his potential.

 

[Solska]

For Chelsea, Oscar stands out the most. Looked like the second coming of Kaka until he got Mou’d.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

I’d have to say Pogba. Looked an absolute beast at Juventus and in a way reached his potential to a certain degree, he was regarded as one of the best mids at the time when we signed him in 2016, and apart from a decent amount of performances, he has massively underperformed for us while being in his prime.

 

[Thistle]

Oscar I always felt was important to us and had a bright future with the club but we and him ultimately received an offer that was too good to refuse

 

[SM]

I dont know about the Coutinho shout. What potential hasnt he reached? I mean he was one of the best attacking midfielders for years at Liverpool. Didnt go too well at Barca for a myriad of reasons, played well for Bayern Munich.

I thought this was more talented players who never reached their peak. We saw Coutinho's peak at Liverpool for years and he was very, very good. He just hasnt had a good run of it since leaving.

Playing in a successful team =/= reaching YOUR potential. Rodriguez played at Real, does that mean he reached his potential?

He wasn't that good at Pool. He showed promise but really wasn't all that, which people from the outside regularly told Liverpool supporters who wailed and gnashed their teeth at the thought of losing him. And then weirdly you sold him and you were.. fine.

 

[LFTWNG11]

Milan Baros; man he looked like the complete striker. Pretty sure his drop off came about as he got into a relationship with some Czech supermodel.

Phil Jones; when Manchester bought him from Blackburn it was like they had bought the best defender of a generation.

Kepa; hands down takes this one out though. Most expensive keeper at such a young age and already seems finished at the top top level.

 

[jod23]

Playing in a successful team =/= reaching YOUR potential. Rodriguez played at Real, does that mean he reached his potential?

He wasn't that good at Pool. He showed promise but really wasn't all that, which people from the outside regularly told Liverpool supporters who wailed and gnashed their teeth at the thought of losing him. And then weirdly you sold him and you were.. fine.

Yeah nah. We were fine because we had a lot of other great players and we have Klopp who then used that money on Virg and Ali to sure up the defense. We still sold a hell of a player. He was fantastic at Liverpool, you're miles off here mate.

 

[SM]

Yeah nah. We were fine because we had a lot of other great players and we have Klopp who then used that money on Virg and Ali to sure up the defense. We still sold a hell of a player. He was fantastic at Liverpool, you're miles off here mate.

He had one great season with you where he managed 13 goals but outside of that he was flashy without being brilliant.

 

[jod23]

He had one great season with you where he managed 13 goals but outside of that he was flashy without being brilliant.

I'll disagree. He had 12 in 20 before leaving half way through a season. Was on course for 25 goals from attacking midfield. He was different gravy. He reached his potential for mine.

 

[SM]

I'll disagree. He had 12 in 20 before leaving half way through a season. Was on course for 25 goals from attacking midfield. He was different gravy. He reached his potential for mine.

5 in 5 in the CL pads that stat a bit but agree to disagree. I might just be coloured by the fact he was mostly rubbish against us.