Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

paul6565 12:02 Tue Aug 22
How are they Premier League Players ?

I watch all football when not working and wonder sometimes how these players arrive at top level ? My examples and correct me if you think I am wrong. Please lets discuss. Not hatred players like for me McGin at Villa but real fortunates.

Jordan Ayew
Alexander Iwobi
Tom Davies

Chi-townHammer 4:14 Fri Aug 25
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Adama Traore...always baffled me. Excellent athlete but,...footballer?

Jasnik 6:08 Fri Aug 25
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

MLS

Jasnik 6:07 Fri Aug 25
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Sorry my mistake Messi was never Premier League quality he finally found his level at MSL.

Jasnik 6:04 Fri Aug 25
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

I thought pre wee was being sarcastic. But how about Messi that park player who has a few step over tricks he scored a few.

kylay 5:59 Fri Aug 25
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Pee Wee 12:18 Tue Aug 22

52 goals in all comps last year. Name me a player who has banged in more.

Jim C 9:01 Thu Aug 24
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Helmet

Redknapp was a quality player, injuries meant we didn't see that quality often.

zico 7:01 Wed Aug 23
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

I remember Paul Gascoigne saying that his best mate when they were kids (Keith Spraggon I think was his name) was a better player than Gazza. It was Keith's younger brother who was tragically killed in a traffic accident that started all of Gazza's demons. Pretty sure that must have affected Keith's focus on football as well as everything else but a player better than Gazza, can you imagine?

Bexley Ironworks 6:46 Wed Aug 23
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Remember Dean Ashton saying in an interview that he wasn't even the 3rd best in his year at school. What a player he turned into. His injury was gutting. Nailed on England player there for years....

I.want.that.one 6:10 Wed Aug 23
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Helmet,

Only Bent works for talksport

Helmut Shown 5:41 Wed Aug 23
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Jermaine Jenas
Tom Huddlestone
Michael Dawson
Ledley King
Jamie Redknapp
Darren Bent
Ryan Mason
David Bentley

All Tottenham reserves, all capped by England and most now employed by Talkshite

Gary Strodders shank 9:51 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Iast season I watched a player called Jordan Slew play for Halifax in the national league against my local side Wealdstone.
He had been a very talented youngster at Sheffield United a decade earlier which prompted Blackburn to splash out over a million pounds for him but hardly played a game for them.
Since then he had been the length and breadth of the UK playing for various clubs and gradually dropping down the divisions.
He showed nothing in the game against Wealdstone and was subbed not long into the second half.

Like him the there are many many others especially with the academy system now prevalent where players are pampered at under 23 level playing on the best pitches etc and having everything laid on.

Very often these players are sent out on loan by clubs at national or lower pro league clubs to toughen them up or find themselves at that level after being released and mostly those who stick at it become journeymen.
One example to look at is Sam Howes who won a young hammer of the year award back in about 2014 and is now at Leyton Orient.

Jim C 9:45 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Solds post reminded me of a confrence I attended years ago at Twickenham Stadium.

Kelly Holmes was guest speaker, and she said so many people would always say things to her about how she must have dominated athletics as a kid. She said she did at her school but when it came to district events there were two girls who were better and she often came 3rd, 2nd at best.

However, once they reached teenage years, one, then both stopped competing as they preferred parties with their mates.

It really does take a huge amount of talent but also will power snd undoubtedly in some cases a bit of luck too.

Jim C 9:25 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Well said Alex.

Alex G 7:49 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Years ago I played five a sides against a lad who'd gone through the youth set up and played a few games for the reserves of a Spanish third division side.

Doesn't sound a particularly high standard, but his positioning and shot stopping were impeccable and not only did he save everything but his saves meant the ball stopped dead and there were no rebounds. Once I beat him, only to see the ball rattle the post, most frustrating football experience of my career!

Simple fact is that anywhere who gets anywhere near the professional game is streets ahead of the average Sunday league player. Anyone who can play regular premier league football will probably be in the top 0.01% or so of players.

Northern Sold 3:37 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Best player I played with and against as a youngster was a mate of mine from school... still in contact... Richard Sharpe... also played Cricket with the bloke... never seen such natural ability and such a lack of heart and drive in a player... saw him as a youngster (playing for WHU youth... same team as Incey and Pottsy) destroy a Arsenal youth team... that had a load of their 89 champions team in it.. mate had Tony Adams marking him that day and he ruined him... think he got at least a hatrick.. Liverpool got in touch and took him up there for a trial... he turned them down as did not want to up sticks... he became a marked lad and could not handle the rough stuff... he gave up saturdays and at one stage was playing the same standard of football on a Sunday as I was... of course... you used to just whack him and that was him out of the game. Played Cricket with him until mid 20's in which he went and done a US soccer scholarship... he done pretty well out there playing College and UNi' soccer... set goal scoring records that will never be beaten ... became his colleges sportsman of the millenium or something... on this was signed up to the MLS (Colorado Rapids IIRC) and then became a pro when Rochdale took him on at about the age of 26... Oh took the easy way out of an insurance claim on his knee at the age of 27.... he admits he wasted the talent he had...

zico 3:14 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

El Scorchio 1:14 Tue Aug 22

Good shout on the Neville's. I'm reading Mark Nobles book at the moment. It's a bit we played them on the Monday and won at the other on the Saturday, but it does show his drive and determination to sacrifice all the things most teenagers do just to make it. Read a book by Jimmy Connors as well recently and again you really have to want to succeed. I am sure there were better runners than Seb Coe but few would have stuck to getting up at 4am to pound the hills of Sheffield every day!

Tomshardware 2:05 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

I played alongside a lad at youth level, he was on a different level to the rest of us. He ended up going to Lilleshall academy and was signed by Man Utd. But was released without playing a single game, played a couple of games for Bolton and then went into lower leagues.

Russ of the BML 1:59 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Gary Strodders shank 12:34 Tue Aug 22

Nailed it.

Thomas couldn't lace Martin Allen's boots for ability and technicality.

But Geoff Thomas was a ultimate professional. And a leader. Had a great stature and proper way about him. Was fit and could run all day long and put his body on the line. Reliable, dependable and took responsibility on the pitch. Those things go a hell of a long way.

Northern Sold 1:43 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Played against Steve Jones a few times... got to admit was surprised as fuck he made a PL player .... and even more pleasantly surprised when he scored that goal at WHL in the 94 rout...

El Scorchio 1:33 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Pee Wee 1:14

And he was probably taking it really easy as well. I've played a game (but on the same team) with an ex pro as well who played internationally and in the Premier league a handful of times, and basically jogging round taking it easy he was by far better than everyone else going full pelt.

BRANDED 1:17 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

Manuel 1:07 Tue Aug 22
Re: How are they Premier League Players ?

I would say every successful person is very obsessive about their thing. If you are not you will be beaten.


BTW, I watched a bit of the athletics last night and there are some sports where you are just the best at on the day. Football is much more complicated.

Page 1 - Next