Overrated players (6 Viewers)

[Hullinho87]

Wouldn’t consider them overrated myself. Went big with Hadji, but saying David Bell would be pointless.

Yeah. This is what should be the essence of this thread, as you say.

Overrated is a much different debate to purely not good enough. Although the two are linked.

Biamou is the biggest recent example I suppose. A very decent player at upper end of the Conference/League 2 but many fans rated him above that (confidently thought he would do a job in League 1, he wouldn’t) and some fans way above that (would have signed him back when we got to the Championship (nowhere near Championship standard).

I remember when we got Dennis Wise in for that short period, thinking that was the standard that made me think, wow, I had a distorted overly positive view of how good our players were before he came.

Similarly, the same with Strachan in some of those cameo’s he made in the Prem for us.

 

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[Tommo1993]

There’s not been a player with a better touch of the ball since Mustapha Hadji left.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Atherton made babb look good

Somehow he managed to make him look good even when Babb played for Ireland

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Phil Babb if anything was underrated he was a top defender. When we were selling him to Liverpool a young me was at fans forum and asked Brian Richardson if he planned to sell him he said definitely not he was sold within a week but in my head it was the same night.

 

[Sky Blue Wozza]

Dion Dublin, for me, is strangely underrated.

Villa move soured the memory for a lot of people, including myself at the time. Imagine having a player like that now - goalscorer, leader and more than capable CD?

Robbie Keane seems to have this exalted status based on 13 PL goals and never being involved in an away win.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Dion Dublin, for me, is strangely underrated.

Villa move soured the memory for a lot of people, including myself at the time. Imagine having a player like that now - goalscorer, leader and more than capable CD?

Robbie Keane seems to have this exalted status based on 13 PL goals and never being involved in an away win.

Dublin was the best player in my time of watching others have gone on to do good things but here it’s him.

 

[Sick Boy]

The ever young, Fabio Tavares.

 

[Torquay Sky Blue]

The ever young, Fabio Tavares.

22 starts in five years

 

[Gint11]

Dublin was the best player in my time of watching others have gone on to do good things but here it’s him.

Dublin was class tbf. He had most of the skill
Set you need. Good finisher, great in the air, out himself about, good positioning, great alongside a partner or on his own and even went at CB once or twice.

gutted when he went villa but can’t deny what a good striker he was. His only major flaw was a lack of pace.

 

[Gint11]

Kevin Richardson...? Blimey, he played over 500 games at a level our current lot can only dream about

I loved Kevin Richardson for us. Absolute CM maestro, only really eclipsed by Gary Mac later down the line.

a rolls Royce of a CM

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

22 starts in five years

He made 22 appearances I bet it was under 10 starts.

 

[Skybluedownunder]

Speaking of Kevin’s… an over rated one was Kevin Thornton


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[shmmeee]

Have we had Norman Bassette yet?

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

Useless Eustace

 

[Terry_dactyl]

Yeah. This is what should be the essence of this thread, as you say.

Overrated is a much different debate to purely not good enough. Although the two are linked.

Biamou is the biggest recent example I suppose. A very decent player at upper end of the Conference/League 2 but many fans rated him above that (confidently thought he would do a job in League 1, he wouldn’t) and some fans way above that (would have signed him back when we got to the Championship (nowhere near Championship standard).

I remember when we got Dennis Wise in for that short period, thinking that was the standard that made me think, wow, I had a distorted overly positive view of how good our players were before he came.

Similarly, the same with Strachan in some of those cameo’s he made in the Prem for us.

I dunno if Biamou was overrated or just liked?
Having said that, I did think he’d done enough to earn an extra year with us in the championship, and with the benefit of hindsight think he’d have been more effective than Waghorn.

 

[Sick Boy]

Have we had Norman Bassette yet?

 

[Tommo1993]

Have we had Norman Bassette yet?

This needs pushing and people need to put their big boy pants on and accept it.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

This needs pushing and people need to put their big boy pants on and accept it.

It’s a tricky one…has his potential been overrated? Surely we’ll have to wait and see?

 

[ProfessorbyGrace]

Overrated is a tricky and sometimes subjective mine field; some players can easily fit both overrated and crap though.

Like Paul Williams (signed from Derby): always on the team sheet, but was always on his arse with the opposition cascading past him.

 

[Shannerz]

Overrated is a tricky and sometimes subjective mine field; some players can easily fit both overrated and crap though.

Like Paul Williams (signed from Derby): always on the team sheet, but was always on his arse with the opposition cascading past him.

'You'll always beat Willo.'

 

[BodicoteSkyBlue]

Any mention of Jay Bothroyd yet?

 

[Hullinho87]

I dunno if Biamou was overrated or just liked?
Having said that, I did think he’d done enough to earn an extra year with us in the championship, and with the benefit of hindsight think he’d have been more effective than Waghorn.

Waghorn comparison is a low bar comparison.
If Biamou had gone on to be decent elsewhere the debate might have more credence to it.
We maximised his ability that League 2 season. A few weeks into his Dundee career he couldn’t even make match day squads.

I’ll always appreciate Max but I see him for what he was.

 

[Sick Boy]

I dunno if Biamou was overrated or just liked?
Having said that, I did think he’d done enough to earn an extra year with us in the championship, and with the benefit of hindsight think he’d have been more effective than Waghorn.

His career since shows that it was absolutely the right decision to let him go.

 

[commissioner_gordon]

Anyone remember Tom English?

 

[Terry_dactyl]

Waghorn comparison is a low bar comparison.
If Biamou had gone on to be decent elsewhere the debate might have more credence to it.
We maximised his ability that League 2 season. A few weeks into his Dundee career he couldn’t even make match day squads.

I’ll always appreciate Max but I see him for what he was.

It is a low bar comparison but Waghorn is the player we signed to replace him, so therefore I’d say it’s pretty relevant.
I’m not saying Biamou was any great shakes and I don’t think I overrated him…just seemed like a nice bloke who luckily found himself having an albeit shortish championship career.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

His career since shows that it was absolutely the right decision to let him go.

Longer term yes. But we replaced him with Waghorn. Who was more effective?

Edit: I’m thinking about how they played for us.

 

[Lamps]

Dion Dublin, for me, is strangely underrated.

Villa move soured the memory for a lot of people, including myself at the time. Imagine having a player like that now - goalscorer, leader and more than capable CD?

Robbie Keane seems to have this exalted status based on 13 PL goals and never being involved in an away win.

IIRC joint top scorer one season in the Prem for us on about 20 goals and also our best defender.

 

[The Great Eastern]

Gordon Milnes love child ? Grossly overrated IMHO. We all laughed when Milne moved to Lestah and got the cheque book out to allow English to follow him.

Anyone remember Tom English?

 

[Gleneagles65]

Gordon Milnes love child ? Grossly overrated IMHO. We all laughed when Milne moved to Lestah and got the cheque book out to allow English to follow him.

Wasn’t English a straight swap for Melrose?

 

[Shannerz]

It is a low bar comparison but Waghorn is the player we signed to replace him, so therefore I’d say it’s pretty relevant.
I’m not saying Biamou was any great shakes and I don’t think I overrated him…just seemed like a nice bloke who luckily found himself having an albeit shortish championship career.

To be fair to Waghorn, before he got covid, he was building a decent understanding with Vik, and looked a fairly astute signing.

He was never the most prolific, but had a decent career. He was significantly better than Biamou, but had bad luck when he moved to us.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

To be fair to Waghorn, before he got covid, he was building a decent understanding with Vik, and looked a fairly astute signing.

He was never the most prolific, but had a decent career. He was significantly better than Biamou, but had bad luck when he moved to us.

No doubt he had a better career but I don’t think he was better for us. Didnt Biamou do his ACL? That’s pretty unlucky.

Anyway, it feels like I’m defending Biamou as being overrated. He wasn’t that good…just likeable.

 

[Torquay Sky Blue]

Anyone remember Tom English?

Poor man's Alan Green

 

[Shannerz]

No doubt he had a better career but I don’t think he was better for us. Didnt Biamou do his ACL? That’s pretty unlucky.

Anyway, it feels like I’m defending Biamou as being overrated. He wasn’t that good…just likeable.

Yeah, he was likeable, and played his part in our rise.

I think it's more that Waghorn is often cited as an example of a shit signing, but I always thought him more of an unlucky one.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

Yeah, he was likeable, and played his part in our rise.

I think it's more that Waghorn is often cited as an example of a shit signing, but I always thought him more of an unlucky one.

He clearly was decent at times before he came to us.

I also felt Tyler Walker was unlucky. Seemed to always get injured at crucial times in his development with us…and dropped after scoring. Although again, he wasn’t that good for us really.

 

[ProfessorbyGrace]

IIRC joint top scorer one season in the Prem for us on about 20 goals and also our best defender.

I think it was 17 or 18 in the league, albeit with a fair amount of penalties.

Regardless, he should have been in the WC ‘98 squad ahead of Ferdinand.