Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
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Mr Eboue
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Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by Mr Eboue »

A list of players who go to show that you can't always believe the hype. These are my top 4 failed footballing flops.
Anyone else for the list?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK8sxngSWaU

Freddy Adu
The much hyped American wonder kid that everyone wanted when he was 14, dubbed the next Pele, he was reportedly being courted by Utd, R.Madrid and others, went to Benfica for £2mil, didn’t settle and now at 23 turns out for Philadelphia Union. Still a full US International player though, but his career has never quite lived up to the hype.

Savio Nsereko
This tricky winger signed for West ham for £9mil in 2009, he failed to settle starting only one game for the Hammers before moving to Fiorentina – didn’t play a competitive game and most recently turned out for SpVgg Unterhaching in the German 3rd Division. Now a free agent, he was arrested in Thailand for faking his own kidnapping and trying to extort ransom money out of his family.

Francis Jeffers
Ah, a potential Arsenal great here, bought from Everton in 2001 for a princely £8mil he never quite lived up to the hype that made Arsene sign him, he scored 4 times in 24 games for the Gunners. Not that good a return on the initial investment.
In 237 competitive club appearances Jeffers has scored 39 goals total, something that Thierry Henry did in one season in 03/04. Now turns out for Maltese side Floriana – he is also a member of the England 1 cap/1 goal club, scoring on his debut against Australia in 2003. A certain Wayne Rooney also made his England Debut in that match.

Nii Lamptey
Hailed by Pele himself as his successor, Lamptey lit up Belgium and Dutch football in the early 90’s, was Ghana’s star player in the 1991 U-17 World Championships and was voted best player of the tournament.
Unfortunately the hype would not last, dodgy agents convinced him to move to Aston Villa in 1994 where he failed to impress. He didn’t score a league goal until 1997 when he was turning out for Ankaragucu in Turkey. Became a nomadic football playing in Dubai/China/Germany/Ghana before ending his career at Jomo Cosmos in S.Africa in 2008. Is now a cattle farmer in Ghana.

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donaldo
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by donaldo »

Rat Boy Bentley- he was going to be the new Beckham.Well the haircuts were the same.Now playing in Russia

Denilson-Under 19 captain of Brazil :roll:

John Bostock- last seen selling the big issue

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highburyJD
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by highburyJD »

When Aliadiere was beating FA yoof cup scoring records I told everyone he'd be terrorising the Prem soon...

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spendsum4uckingmoney
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by spendsum4uckingmoney »

Cherno Samba

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hugh jardon
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by hugh jardon »

Every individual player peaks at a different age. This is nothing new.

Also gullible fans only have themselves to blame for believing everything they read. The modern day fan may never even step inside a football ground but subscribing to Sky Sports and what they read on the Internet or papers makes them believe they have an informed opinion. Zaha and Stirling current examples. Has anyone really seen much of Zaha's short career? No but some Arsenal fans are desperate to sign him!

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TheCook
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by TheCook »

Sonny Pike

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cusamano
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by cusamano »

Abou Diaby

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DarylAFC
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by DarylAFC »

Podolski if we keep playing him as a bloody midfielder :roll:

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QuartzGooner
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by QuartzGooner »

Basically impossible to judge a teenage player...so many things can happen..injury...personal problems...illness....unproductive loan spells.

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DB10GOONER
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by DB10GOONER »

QuartzGooner wrote:Basically impossible to judge a teenage player...so many things can happen..injury...personal problems...illness....unproductive loan spells.
Agreed 100%. Too many influencing factors can come into play. You can see the ones that very obviously have the extra bit of magic (Cesc, GrannyshaggerRooney) but for 99% of teen players it's impossible to know how far they'll go. And even the really obviously gifted ones can have their career ruined/ended by injury or lifestyle...

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Arsenal Till I Die
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by Arsenal Till I Die »

Arturo Lupoli - dubbed the one of the stars of future in Italian football, never lived up to the hype and after stints at Derby, Fiorentina, Treviso, Norwich, Sheffield United and Ascoli he now plays for Serie B side Grosseto.

I think Stathis Tavlaridis made quite a decent reputation for himself in France after he left us.

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MK Gould
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by MK Gould »

I hadn't realised that the "fox in the box" scored that many goals for us. Actually a much better return than I'd thought....!

And didn't Middlesbrough once sign someone on the strength of a DVD they'd been sent from South America? Can't recall the guys name though.

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Arsenal Till I Die
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by Arsenal Till I Die »

MK Gould wrote: And didn't Middlesbrough once sign someone on the strength of a DVD they'd been sent from South America? Can't recall the guys name though.
Newcastle signed Xisco by scouting the player on Youtube

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GranadaJoe
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by GranadaJoe »

I think Manure paid 7 million for Bebe.

Plus:

Peter Marinello

Ted McDougall

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DarylAFC
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Re: Footballing Flops - Don't Believe the Hype!

Post by DarylAFC »

Arsenal Till I Die wrote:
MK Gould wrote: And didn't Middlesbrough once sign someone on the strength of a DVD they'd been sent from South America? Can't recall the guys name though.
Newcastle signed Xisco by scouting the player on Youtube
Barca must've signed Song by using the same method

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