[Football] Players who have maximised/wasted their natural ability

[WATFORD zero]

Seeing BDB score last night, he is a prime example of a man who's psychological make up has ensured he has got the maximum from his natural football ability. (See also Ashley Barnes).

Albion 'related' Players who had great natural ability and wasted it - Leon Knight/Wilfred Zaha (I'm watching Palace/Arsenal, how did he never make the level he should have ?)

2 of each

 

[AmexRuislip]

DJ Locadia

Pascal Groß

 

[Hampster Gull]

Beckham

 

[Seasidesage]

Abdul Razak - remember him against Ipswich, thought he was going to be a top player. Waste of a career.

Gary Hart - Very few have ever given it as much as he did every single game...

 

[WATFORD zero]

Beckham

Great example, never had the natural skills of those top level players but got to that level through maximising what he did have..

 

[WATFORD zero]

Abdul Razak - remember him against Ipswich, thought he was going to be a top player. Waste of a career.

Gary Hart - Very few have ever given it as much as he did every single game...

Gary Hart, Pascal Gross.

Different eras but what outrageously brilliant investments of their time

Who are the wastes (not of money, but of talent)

 

[Guinness Boy]

There are loads of the "maximising" type currently in the EPL, mainly playing in midfield. Milner, Henderson and McTominay all spring to mind instantly.

Controversially I'm watching the Spurs game and would stick both Bale and Dele Ali in the other category.

OGH is the best Brighton example of maximisation.

 

[WATFORD zero]

There are loads of the "maximising" type currently in the EPL, mainly playing in midfield. Milner, Henderson and McTominay all spring to mind instantly.

Controversially I'm watching the Spurs game and would stick both Bale and Dele Ali in the other category.

OGH is the best Brighton example of maximisation.

Bale did get 'there' though didn't he ?

Ali good shout though, on course to be a 'nearly' when he looked so good early on

 

[Munkfish]

Marc Albrighton. Done brilliantly at Leicester. He could easily have spent his career in the championship.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Ravel Morrison . Now on his 12th club and not made more than 20 appearances at any of them


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[Weststander]

Maximised their talent - most EPL/Bundesliga/SerieA/Liga players. From 100,000’s of kids and young adults across the globe who had talent and had the benefit of professional coaching, the cream rose to the top. A combination of that talent, physical attributes, relentless hard work and sacrifices made all along the way. Imho Milner, Henderson, Butt, O.Hargreaves, T.Butcher etc were/are very gifted in the big football picture, but obviously not in the creative/scoring sense of Gazza, Grealish, Maddison, Kane.

Chris Wood at Burnley’s surprised me. Ashley Williams certainly found his level.

Collymore, Mutu, N’Zogbia, Micah Richards, Ravel Morrison, Winston Bogarde, Pennant are obvious examples of those who blew it or wasted the second half of their careers. Some have since admitted their regret.

 

[BadFish]

In education, in Australia we are being told that the research says that natural ability is very limited and doesn't take you very far at all. It is all I. application, coaching and practise.

I read an interesting book about it years ago.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Bounce-Myth-Talent-Power-Practice-ebook/dp/B003P2WJ18



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[Johnny RoastBeef]

Paul Merson, such an incredible talent, his highlights reel is jaw dropping if you consider he was pissed for many matches, he only reached 50% of his potential. Such a waste.

 

[B-right-on]

Kevin Kegan always sticks out to me as a 'limited' player who gave 110% all the time, had the best attitude and work ethic to make the most of what he had.

Bendtner was always one that I thought never lived upto his own hype.

 

[Juan Albion]

+ Terry Connor
- Mario Balotelli

 

[Simster]

+Geoff Thomas. Ordinary midfielder who worked hard to get where he got and captained Palace to 3rd in the league and played 9 times for England.
-Mickey Thomas. Talented player but chose not to rebuild his career here by not being arsed with things like turning up to train. Or play.

 

[Robinjakarta]

+Geoff Thomas. Ordinary midfielder who worked hard to get where he got and captained Palace to 3rd in the league and played 9 times for England.
-Mickey Thomas. Talented player but chose not to rebuild his career here by not being arsed with things like turning up to train. Or play.

Mickey Thomas was a disgrace. Worse than Locadia.

 

[Albion in the north]

Im going to be say I always thought that Robbie Savage got further than his talent should have let him.

 

[Icy Gull]

Vinnie Jones (if you discount the blatant thuggery). Nah ignore that he was a Sunday Park footballer and I still don’t get why he lasted in the top division.

Robert Codner - so much talent, so little application most of the time.

 

[Gwylan]

Robert Codner - so much talent, so little application most of the time.

Yep, he's the Brighton player who immediately sprung to mind ... him and Alan Duffy. Jason Peake was another player who had more natural ability than his performances suggested. Fortunately, Brighton have had a lot of players who have been prepared to put a shift in and make the most of the talent they had.