Players who have Proved you Wrong

[Leo No.8]

Everyone has their own favourite players and players the don't like so much, but one of the most irritating traits in any fan I speak to has to be the inability to hold their hands up and admit they were wrong about a player.

 

So who over the years has proved you wrong? Can people admit to their errors of judgement?

 

What got me thinking about this was watching Alonso totally boss the Madrid midfield last night, he was absolutely immense.

 

I would have let Xabi go (with somewhat of a heavy heart) for what amounted to a straight swap for Barry in the summer, yet he has comprehensively proved me wrong, and for me has clearly been our player of the season so far in 2008/09.

 

At this point I wouldn't swap him for any central midfielder in the game to be honest. I'd still like to see Barry who I rate really highly come next summer, but certainly not at the expense of Alonso and as more of a high class utility player.

 

Kuyt is another one I would have let go before Christmas 2007 when he was really struggling, but the change in formation and his move to the right rejuvinated him in the second half of last season and now he's a vital member of the squad.

 

I think in both cases I can honestly say it has actually been really enjoyable being proved wrong. Each is a fantastic professional and likeable individual who has deserved his success, and I'm so pleased they are flourishing here not somewhere else.

 

I can vaguely remember a few classics like that guy who said he watched Spanish football and Reina was rubbish, and there were a few who really didn't want Torres bought.

 

So who has made you eat your words either past or present players?

Edited February 26, 2009 by Leo No.8

[John am Rhein]

Gregory Vignal - looked a real prospect to me, but turned out crap fairly quickly and AFAIK still is crap.

[carrafan]

Alonso definitely. I wanted Barry to replace him.

 

 

Aurelio is one who proved me wrong. He had a shaky start and an absolute mare against Everton early in the season and i wanted Rafa to choose Riise above him every time. Joke's on me, i guess.

[Sion]

Skrtel

Wouldn't say i exactly had him down as being crap, but i admit after his debut i was thinking 'what have we got ourselves into here'

but he's boss

[Crazy Horse]

I absolutely despised Didi Hamann at the start...oops.

 

I'd love to go back and have a look at some of those early games to see if he was as lazy and useless as I thought, or if his later brilliance was always there and I just couldn't see it.

[surf]

Carragher around 1999/2000, thought he wouldn't amount to more than a squad player.

[fred milne]

Gregory Vignal - looked a real prospect to me.

Me too.

[stressederic]

Carragher around 1999/2000, thought he wouldn't amount to more than a squad player.

 

Yep me too.

[Jarg Armani]

Gerrard, for all sorts of reasons.

[sutty]

There's not many who have proved to be better than I thought.

 

There's a fair few the other way though

 

Kirkland, Keane, Bellamy for starters

[CarraLegend]

Robbie Keane. I thought he'd be immense for us and was buzzing at his signing, you see games like Spurs 4 Chelsea 4 and thought he'd be like that regularly for us but he just wasnt good enough, you quickly see he's slow, a mediocre finisher, poor technically and a bit of a bellend. The Irish lads seem to get a lot of stick on various LFC forums for sticking up for their own to much but the majority seemed to think he was an overrated blert and they were right.

[Sion]

There's not many who have proved to be better than I thought.

 

There's a fair few the other way though

 

Kirkland, Keane, Bellamy for starters

 

Too many to name (and that's only going on the last few years)

 

Cisse, Baros, Lucas, Dossena, Pennant, Kewell, Morientes

[Rimbeux]

Thought we should release Aurelio and get someone we could rely on

 

Thought Babel should have been playing instead of Yossi all season, 'waste of time' I think I called it

 

Thought Barry should have replaced Alonso in the summer.

[madaboutlfc]

id say kuyt.. i lost hope in him last season but he has shown himself this season to have a heart of lion

[sutty]

id say kuyt.. i lost hope in him last season but he has shown himself this season to have a heart of lion

 

His heard was never in question surely?

[Joxer]

In the current team, Kuyt and Yossi.

[jimmylibel]

Aurelio as well. I thought he was a very lightweight player who couldn't defend, was constantly out of position, wasn't passing all that well, was being bullied in English football and was basically unstablising our entire defence. I maintained that position for about 3/4 months after he signed.

 

Little did I know that he was actually a cultured fullback who tackles well and has excellent positionning. A left sided Steve Finnan (when fit).

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Crouch and Aurelio - will have a think, reckon there are more from many years

[John am Rhein]

John Barnes is another one. I certainly thought he was a good player, but didn't really think he'd fit into the way we played.

 

Not quite how it turned out.

[muleskinner]

Peter Crouch in recent years. Its been more of a case of being let down by big name & money strikers over the years.

[gns]

Alonso definitely, was more than happy for him to go as I thought we had seen the best of him.

 

Torres, I thought he would be ok, but never in my wildest dreams did I think he would end up THAT good.

[kop205]

Finnan.

 

Thought he looked a really poor player in his first season but became a rock for a few years after that.

 

McAllister.

 

I thought he was totally shot and it was about 10 years late.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

s

McAllister.

 

I thought he was totally shot and it was about 10 years late.

 

You beat me to it

[Redray]

Paul Stewart

[CaptainXabi]

Yossi. I thought he was a downgrade from Luis (big goals and the like), but I've come to appreciate him a lot. He's a ball carrier (maybe too much so) which is very valuable in our squad since we're not stocked with them, and he scores goals. Not too much to complain about for 5 million.

Edited February 26, 2009 by CaptainXabi