I don't think the list did that bad. Many are established players, some even stars.

 

I can start off by saying that #100 turned out better than #1.

 

Was Cherno Samba ever really good? i remember him being class eventually on CM0102, but now he plays for no one, after playing just 4 times for FC Haka during 08/09..

 

Filip Trojan was a good player in CM but a bust in real life

 

Samba was a case of CM single handedly hyping a player. Kaka at 95 was a bit pessimistic as well. Certainly deserved to be ahead of 94.

Looking at it again though, its really not such a bad list. A few good calls in there.

 

Only Serb on there is Bojan Djordjic, the man flopped at pretty much every club he's been, despite that debut goal against Celtic for Man Utd and a terrific lob for Red Star in Europe. Had the talent, but obviously missed a lot of other things.

No Vidic on the list though, says enough. :thmbdown:

But some other names are pretty funny as well, Theo Janssen for instance is a decent player, but was never considered a top talent in Holland and neither was Van Beukering, became a below average striker like most expected him to.

Mauro Rosales looked to be a decent signing for Ajax when they got him, but couldn't adapt, returned to Argentina and I haven't heard from him since, anyone know how he's doing?

 

haha Kaka at #95 :howler:

 

Come on guys you all know this is a very hard thing to do. Make a top 100 list now of U21 players and in 2017 see how you ended up...

Cisse back then was very highly rated.

 

Come on guys you all know this is a very hard thing to do. Make a top 100 list now of U21 players and in 2017 see how you ended up...

Cisse back then was very highly rated.

Perhaps a good idea for a thread, but 100 would be too much I think, we should limit it to 50 or less and see how well we've done in a couple of years. Could be a lasting thread as we're able to monitor progress or lack of it. :thumbsup:

 

I can't go wrong if I put Pato at #1 roud:

 

Very good idea Krle :thumbsup:

 

I've created it, just have to wait for a mod to approve. Should be interesting.

 

Damn does this bring back SPorting memories of Marius Niculae (22) and Hugo Viana (26). WHere are they now? Niculae kept getting hurt and VIana did the usual youth move of changing clubs after one season with the senior SPorting squaD. Of course he went to Newcastle which is essentially a death sentence (even then). He should have stayed with SPorting another season or two to be really ready

 

Johnnier Montano, I remember him. Never rated him too highly though.

Shame about Djordjic though, I really thought he would become world class.

 

Niculaue is in Inverness I think. Viana Valencia??

 

Niculae left Inverness just before or just after Euro 2008 to join Dinamo Bucharest. He left a lot of unpaid bills and a hefty credit card bill(allegedly).
Viana is still owned by Valencia but was on loan at Osasuna last season-2008-2009.

I have to agree that these type of lists are always very difficult to pick. A quick trawl through old copies of World Soccer will throw up some long forgotten names who people thought couldn't possibly fail.

A few Scottish players on the list. Darren Fletcher has done well. Reasonably useful player for Man Utd. Shaun Maloney is back at Celtic after an unhappy spell at Aston Villa. Injuries seem to have slowed him down and not quite reached the level expected of him.

Mark Fotheringham has had a very unusual career(at least through a Scottish prism). I think he was one of the youngest players to ever play for Celtic but it quickly became clear that he wasn't living up to expectations-I doubt he played more than 10 games for Celtic. He was never a key part in the Scotland u-21 sides of the time despie playing for Celtic at a young age.

He was eventually released and played for Dundee without greatly impressing. Mark then took a detour to Freiburg in the Germany and FC Aarau in Denmark. I must admit I clean forgot about him until it was reported in the Scottish press that he'd been disciplined by Norwich and stripped of the captaincy at Carrow Road for a bust up after being subbed. He never played again for Norwich and is currently without a club. I still find it odd that he was rated so highly,most Scottish fans would have been only dimly aware of him in 2001.

 

Miralem Pjanic is a starter for Lyon and one of the better players from the starting lineup. He's 19 years old and a midfielder. According to this website that stacks up the performances of all the games in Ligue 1 so far, Pjanic is the 2nd best midfielder: http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/NOTES_D1.html

He scored a beautiful freekick against Anderlecht, and a week later scored a goal in Ligue 1..he assisted like 2 goals for BiH NT the week before Anderlecht. He's a very good talent and has been a starter for Lyon so far this season. He's definately better than Ribery was at 19 or Gourcuff at 19 for example. He has a huge career up ahead of him. Ribery played in regional leagues in France at that age, but Pjanic is Lyon's key player right now. If he were 22 and not 19 right now..he'd still be considered a huge talent.

 

1. Djibril Cisse (STR, Panathanikos, 37 Caps, 9 Goals) - Has always scored plenty of goals while in France while he has scored something like 1 in 3 for France. Not a shocking record for a player who really only relies on pace.

2. Andres D'Allesandro (AM, Internacional, 26 Caps, 4 Goals) - An amazingly gifted player whose brain doesn't match his talents. Lovely player, technically awesome, plenty of tricks up his sleeve and scores some nice goals, but he is greedy and seems to fight with everyone everywhere he goes. He is like Riquelme but the problem is he hasn't found his Boca or Villareal yet where they can put up with his attitude.

3. Leandro Bonfim (AM, Club Universidad de Guadalajara) - To be honest never seen him play before and looking at Wikipedia, he is currently without a club and has never had much success anywhere. Definetly not reached potential.

4. Fernando Jose Torres (STR, Liverpool, 71 Caps, 23 Goals) - Reached his potential and is one of the worlds most dangerous strikers. Quick, skillful with an excellent shot, his move to Liverpool has taken him up to a new level.

5. Jermaine Pennant (R/WNG, Real Zaragoza, ) - Has been average everywhere he has played except a season for Birmingham. Capable of causing many problems down the flanks, his problem lies in you get about 3 decent games from him a season. Flopped.

6. Rafael Van der Vaart (AM, Real Madrid, 74 Caps, 15 Goals) - An amazing player capable of creating and scoring plenty of goals, and leading a team on his own, he was brilliant at Hamburg but for one reason or another he hasn't settled in Madrid. Needs a move to kickstart his career but definetly an excellent player.

7. Florent Sinama-Pongolle (FWD, Sporting Lisbon, 1 Cap) - Struggled with the physicality of the English game but his speed, energy and skill has made him a success at Recreativo, he has failed in the goalscoring front at Athletico.

8. Piotr Trochowski (L/WNG, Hamburg, 24 Caps, 2 Goals) - Such a frustrating player with lots of talent but he struggles to get it together. Capable of beating players on the left and he has a great shot with both feet. While he always seems to score a few screamers a season, he is also very frustrating due to his attitude towards tracking back and selfish style of play. Needs to find some consistency now to take it up a level.

9. Anthony Le Tallec (AM, Le Mans) - I remember him when he first broke into the Liverpool team breaking forward constantly with plenty of pace and energy. He has not settled at a club since and I havn't seen him play for years so I have no idea what level he is at. Fair to say he hasn't justified his position on this list.

10. Mourad Meghni (AM, Lazio, 9 Caps) - He is a very talented player, technically very strong with a great passing range and vision, but he has struggled to get attention. Reason is that he still plays like a teenager, and is very tactically naive.

Will keep along the list in a while, got lots of travelling on trains in the next few days so this will be a great time killer haha

 

good stuff rule, only you could do the whole list :thumbsup:

 

:thumbsup:

 

Pjanic played a fantastic game today for Lyon...

He also scored the winning goal against Fiorentina

Lyon 1-0 Fiorentina

76' M. Pjanic

He's been amazing so far this season both for club and national team. Who needs Juninho

 

I don't see how Pjanic fits into a thread about young talents from 2001, but okay.

 

11. Pedro Mantorras (STR, Benfica Lisbon, 30 Caps, 4 Goals) - There were big hopes for Mantorras and I thought myself seeing him for the first time at Benfica thought he would be a star. Direct, skillful with a wicked shot, injuries though have ruined him and now when he should be in his prime, he is a shadow of the player he was before.

12. David Odonkor (R/WNG, Real Betis, 16 Caps, 1 Goal) - I have never liked Odonkor and the only reason he is a footballer is his amazing sprinting abilties. He is lightning fast but he is technically shocking and has suffered from injuries in recent seasons. Had one good world cup and has lived off that since.

13. Darren Fletcher (C/MF, Manchester United, 46 Caps, 4 Goals) - An unnoticed player who is one of the best in the world at what he does. He works so hard covering players, closing down space and making space with his runs. Developed into a very useful player but will never get the plaudits as what he does is very easily unnoticed.

14. John Welsh (C/DM, Tranmere) - He has been off the radar for years and I think he is at Tranmere or Chester at the moment. Player who had the technical ability but never the physicality or fitness to be a top level footballer. Too slow, small and injury prone.

15. Kim Kallstrom (CM, Lyon, 71 Caps, 13 Goals) - One of the most complete central midfielders in the world in my opinion. Works very hard and gets stuck in, but can also control a game and create with his passing range. Excellent freekick taker as well.

16. Philippe Mexes (CB, AS Roma, 13 Caps) - Love him or hate him, Phillipe Mexes has developed into a worldclass defender. Not a weakness in his game in my eyes either then his attitude and lack of discipline. A top defender though world class in the air, a rock in the tackle and tactically excellent.

17. Johnny Heitinga (CB, Everton, 51 Caps, 6 Goals) - Now at Everton after a poor spell in Spain. Part of the Holland team and a solid defender. Excellent tackler of the ball and a smart organiser, just lacks the height, strength or speed to take himself to the next level as a defender.

18. Juan Andreu Melli (CB, Real Betis) - Can't remember ever seeing him play before but looking on wikipedia he has played regularly for Betis over the last few seasons.

19. Baldo Di Gregorio (CB, Rot Weiss Ahlen) - Another I havn't seen play and at the moment players in Second Divison for Ahlen according to Wikipedia.

20. Andres Iniesta (CM, Barcelona, 39 Caps, 6 Goals) - Has developed into one of the best and most entertaining players in the world. Technically amazing with the ability to never give the ball away and always create things with his flicks and one touch passes. Barcelona's best player overall last season in my eyes and a player who doesn't get enough credit.

 

Great review.. keep them coming.

 

Now I have some spare time, I thought I get back on to completing this list.

21. Milan Baros (STR, Galatasaray, 77 Caps, 38 Goals)- Has had a strange career of highs and lows. From being a star at Euro 2004 and at Liverpool, to struggling to get into the Aston Villa and Portsmouth team, then again he is up again, scoring plenty of goals in Turkey for Galatasaray. He is a real poacher. His game is based on his speed, technical ability and deadly finishing. I actually think he is a decent player when given the service, but can't cut it at a small club. I also don't like him as a person as to me he seems way too much like a mercenary.

22. Marius Niculae (STR, Dinamo Bucharest, 37 Caps, 13 Goals)- I actually think Niculae would have had a much more successful career if he could just find some consistency. Now back in his native Romania after spells in Germany, Portugal and Scotland, where at times he was brilliant, others shocking. I think he is a good target man. Strong, good at holding the ball up, good in the air and he has an excellent rocket of a shot. Sadly just hasn't been able to produce on a regular basis throughout his career.

23. Fabricio Coloccini (CB, Newcastle, 33 Caps, 1 Goal)- Strange career as he has gone from one of the best centrebacks in Spain with Deportivo to a laughing stock at Newcastle. I still don't think he is that bad, I think the pace of the premier league took him by surprise and he wasn't able to get his confidence back leading to several shocking mistakes. He is a good player, he will work hard, give his all and fly into every tackle, and he aint bad in the air, just needs to get his confidence back.

24. Ricardo Bernardo Quaresma (R/WNG, Inter Milan, 24 Caps, 3 Goals)- Is like a weird flower, is brilliant in a certain environment, but shrivels and becomes shithouse in an environment that don't suit him. He is a fantastic player and showed that at Porto. Always got a trick up his sleeve, technically worldclass, quick, can cross and shoot brilliantly with his right foot. Problem is he is also very lazy, inconsistent and needs to be the star of any team he is in.

25. Maicon (RWB, Inter Milan, 55 Caps, 5 Goals)- Has developed into possibly the best rightback in the world, capable of handling the defence and offensive work of two players. He is an amazing athlete. Lightning fast, super strong and he just never seems to stop running. Is better going forward where he can beat players and get in plenty of crosses. Top player.

Will do another 5 tomorrow or even later today if I get the time

 

26. Hugo Viana (CM, Valancia on loan at Braga, 33 Caps, 2 Goals)- Hugo Viana has not settled at a club since he was a teenager at Sporting Lisbon. His failed moves to Newcastle and Valencia, have led to loan spell after loan spell, without him ever finding his rhythm. I think Viana has been unlucky as he has struggled with injuries and to be honest, I think he needs to move to Italy where the style would suit him, as he is the kind of player who needs lots of a ball and time. He is technically very good, reads the game excellently, he has got good vision and an outstanding left foot. He is just so ridiculously slow and seems to be made of glass, and can't handle the physical pressures. Wasted talent.

27. Arjen Robben (L/WNG, Bayern Munich, 45 Caps, 11 Goals)- Has developed into one of the best wingers in the world. On his day is unstoppable. He is Lightning fast but he knows how to dribble and use his speed expertly. He is one of the most dangerous players in the world for a defender to go one on one with, and he also had a solid consistent final ball. He has struggled with consistency and injuries, but on his day a fantastic player.

28. Julio Colombo (CB, Montpellier)-Who? I have searched him up on Wikipedia and he seems to just be a backup at Montpellier as he has only managed 61 games in 8 years.

29. Gregory Vignal (LB, Birmingham)- Vignal has had a journeyman career expected of a average fullback. He has played for some big clubs, Liverpool, Rangers at the start of his career but recently its been more the likes of Lens, Southampton and Kaiserslauten. Now he is at Birmingham, and again doesn't look the standard.

30. Jermaine Defoe (STR, Tottenham, 38 Caps, 11 Goals)- You play Defoe, you get goals. He has been a consistent goalscorer in the Premier League for what feels like years. He seems to have settled at Tottenham and is creating a great partnership with Peter Crouch. He is blessed with plenty of pace and a brilliant ability to get behind defenses time and time again, and he scores so many goals. His size, laziness, consistency and greediness have all been brought into question over the years, but Defoe keeps proving them wrong by putting away the goals.

 

Colombo...when was he ever considered a big talent? Bought him on FM once, he was useless even there.

Nice work btw Milwall.

 

49. Francesco Lodi (AM, Empoli/Parma)
50. Massimo Donati (DM, AC Milan)
70. Matteo Brighi (CM, Juventus)

:undecide: