Unfullfilled potential

[hallamblue]

The raw ability Barkley had was at a different level to most of these guys being mentioned. Between not being properly coached, injuries and poor transfer decisions he ended up a meh player when at his best he was capable of dominating a game in a way few can.

Barkley doesn't have a "football brain", that's why he never fulfilled his potential. Makes the wrong decision in the final third too often.

 

[Neiler]

….in the 90’s we had an Academy player called Jon O’Connor that was expected to be the next big thing. It was a time when the country’s most talented youngsters travelled and trained with the full England squad but sadly it never happened for this lad.

I suppose Kieran Dowell never truly fulfilled his potential after winning the World Cup with England youth. Saying that, he’s made a very decent living out of the game, I notice him coming on as sub for Rangers recently. Ryan Ledson in a similar category, captaining his country at youth level but has had a decent career in the Championship.

Remember Hallam Hope.

 

[Neiler]

Would say Barkley myself, he had a generational talent. went unfulfilled in the main, much higher ceiling then ever achieved.

Shane Duffy, Martin Keown and Richard Dunne - probably didn't achieve their potential here.

Anthony Gordon and Rooney as well achieved it elsewhere.

 

[W84 Dum Freeze]

Anthony Gordon will end up like Franny Jeffers and Jack Rodwell, overhyped to command a needed big transfer fee, he'll find his true level after his next move.

 

[Eggs]

Would say Barkley myself, he had a generational talent. went unfulfilled in the main, much higher ceiling then ever achieved.

Shane Duffy, Martin Keown and Richard Dunne - probably didn't achieve their potential here.

Anthony Gordon and Rooney as well achieved it elsewhere.

….Dunne didn’t reach his potential here because he moved on but he had a terrific career. Colin Harvey rates him as one of the best to come through the Academy.

 

[Loadsofchemistry]

Tony grant. I remember him being highly rated, scored for us in Europe and the commentator saying something like “ the promise of Tony Grant, grantona”

Think kanchelskis said he was the player he most enjoyed playing with aswell. The spit of Rodney trotter.

 

[bcblue1878]

Billy Wright, Bill Kenny, Danny Cadamarteri, Jose Baxter, Jack Rodwell all should have gone on to better things tbh!
The likes of Michael Branch, Tom Davies and Kieron Dowell probably just found their level and were not really “unfulfilled potential”!
Arguably Ross Barkley has done ok, just unfortunately left Everton in the wrong way, and is doing ok now back at Villa.

 

[roy vernon]

Billy Kenny had all the tools to have been a top drawer player, such a waste of talent.

 

[daza_1973]

John Ebbrell our wonder kid from Lilleshaw

 

[Ferguson1878]

Richard gough

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

Is it mad to think Lukaku played his best football here? Gone for 100 million twice and yet had a pretty unspectacular career.

 

[moyeslovechild]

James Vaughan should be nowhere that list.

Due to his fearless, one hundred miles an hour style of play, injuries did him.

He`d have gone onto be a legend, if his knees hadn`t gone at such a young age.

Saying hes unfulfilled potential doesn't mean that it was his fault imo. Theres a whole variety of reasons players don't fulfil their potential, injury sometimes a big one.

 

[heatmeiser]

Barkley doesn't have a "football brain", that's why he never fulfilled his potential. Makes the wrong decision in the final third too often.

Scored the winner in the Champions League the other night so I'm not sure he's completely wasted his potential.

Billy Kenny was one of the only ones that I thought was going to be a proper star and ended up doing nothing

 

[Blue peter]

Agree with the Billy Kenny shouts. I know it’s a bit odd because he won everything, but I also think Rooney disappointed at an individual level.

He was assimilated by Fergie into a team ethos and was a great team player, having to adjust his position to accommodate the likes of Ronaldo but I always felt as the years went by there was the odd bit of brilliance but never the explosiveness he showed with us.

I think he should have been a Ballon D’or winner, but it just never materialised. His care was obviously brilliant, just think he could have been more.

 

[Lanolin]

It’s hard to say because some of what we would think of as potential will really just have been hype, so some of the names mentioned were probably never that good to begin with.

Barkley’s a difficult one, over 400 games at the top level, 30 odd England caps and still playing in the CL is a career most people would be happy with but I get the argument that he could have been better.