Topic: Over-rated and Under-rated Players

[Lycan]

Sami Hyypia - one of the most under rated defenders in premier league history

By who? I've never heard anyone say anything other than he was a top defender.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

The real Torres exposed.

Sorry, but that is absolute nonsense. I take it Luis Suarez was massively overrated then, seeing as we only won one league cup on penalties when he was here. Coutinho must be massively overrated as well, seeing as he won sod all with us as well. Same goes for Mascherano.

Oh and a succession of really bad injuries and a loss of form was the reason Torres wasn't able to perform as he did for us at Chelsea btw.

That loss of form lasted way too long. More than 8 years now.

[Lycan]

That loss of form lasted way too long. More than 8 years now.

You just ignoring the part about injuries having a big say in his decline then are you? And what are you going on about 8 years for? Of course he isn't going to be the same player now as he was at Liverpool. He's 33 for Gods sake.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

You just ignoring the part about injuries having a big say in his decline then are you? And what are you going on about 8 years for? Of course he isn't going to be the same player now as he was at Liverpool. He's 33 for Gods sake.

I'm not ignoring anything mate. He was good for Atletico, then he was superb for us for two seasons i think? And shit afterwards. There are bunch of players with two superb seasons in their careers.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

Overrated: Pogba

Underrated: Firmino

[Solomon Grundy]

I'm not ignoring anything mate. He was good for Atletico, then he was superb for us for two seasons i think? And shit afterwards. There are bunch of players with two superb seasons in their careers.

Injuries took there toll on him. For 2-3 years he was one of, if not the best striker in Europe. End of. You won't get anyone agreeing with you that Fernando Torres was overrated during that period. No sane person anyway.

[Thats So Dimitar]

It's weird, I'm sure he is underrated somewhere, but the only place I've personally seen people say Firmino is anything less than a really good player is on this site. I don't watch match of the day or anything like that so maybe that is what people are talking about?

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

Injuries took there toll on him. For 2-3 years he was one of, if not the best striker in Europe. End of. You won't get anyone agreeing with you that Fernando Torres was overrated during that period. No sane person anyway.

A lot of top players get injured, but they always strike back. Aguero for example.
Torres was just overrated, and I'm not going to change my mind on that. 

[CraigDS]

Torres was just overrated, and I'm not going to change my mind on that.

No chance. He was simply devastating for a good 2 seasons for us, if not closer to 3, and was a joy to watch at times. Defenders just couldn't cope with his movement and touch, and his finishing during that time was exceptional.

I fail to believe anyone who watching him play at Anfield during that period could think he was overrated.

[redmark]

Overrated: Pogba

Underrated: Firmino

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/feb/12/premier-league-10-talking-points

1) Firmino’s all-round excellence is Liverpool’s trump card

Let’s call it the Denis Irwin rule, the dictum that when a player is described as underrated so often then it’s probably no longer valid to call him underrated. It’s starting to happen to Roberto Firmino, whose all-round excellence for Liverpool has been recognised much more in recent times. The 26-year-old’s range of skills defy stereotypes. His Brazilian flair was evident in his ingenious flick for Mo Salah’s goal at St Mary’s, Liverpool’s second in a routine victory, and he has a resting heart-rate when all is manic in the opposition penalty area. Yet Firmino is also one of Liverpool’s best defenders and shows a rare appetite for donkey work. He also scores and makes all kinds of goals – including the first early on against Southampton – is two-footed and subtle in his passing and movements. Firmino might not be underrated but he is certainly unique.

Rob Smyth

[Xabi Gerrard]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/feb/12/premier-league-10-talking-points

1) Firmino’s all-round excellence is Liverpool’s trump card

Let’s call it the Denis Irwin rule, the dictum that when a player is described as underrated so often then it’s probably no longer valid to call him underrated. It’s starting to happen to Roberto Firmino, whose all-round excellence for Liverpool has been recognised much more in recent times. The 26-year-old’s range of skills defy stereotypes. His Brazilian flair was evident in his ingenious flick for Mo Salah’s goal at St Mary’s, Liverpool’s second in a routine victory, and he has a resting heart-rate when all is manic in the opposition penalty area. Yet Firmino is also one of Liverpool’s best defenders and shows a rare appetite for donkey work. He also scores and makes all kinds of goals – including the first early on against Southampton – is two-footed and subtle in his passing and movements. Firmino might not be underrated but he is certainly unique.

Rob Smyth

Was literally about to post that, already copied it and was ready to paste!

Very well put by Smyth.

[Solomon Grundy]

A lot of top players get injured, but they always strike back. Aguero for example.
Torres was just overrated, and I'm not going to change my mind on that. 

Are you for real? Not every injury is the same. Not every injury effects players the same way. Some players come back from bad injuries unscathed. Some are never the same player again. That's football injuries for you.

Anyway, you're wrong about Torres. Seriously can't get my head around your thinking about him. He was boss until the injuries got the better of him.

[Phil M]

Torres was just overrated, and I'm not going to change my mind on that. 

Haha, nah.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/feb/12/premier-league-10-talking-points

1) Firmino’s all-round excellence is Liverpool’s trump card

Let’s call it the Denis Irwin rule, the dictum that when a player is described as underrated so often then it’s probably no longer valid to call him underrated. It’s starting to happen to Roberto Firmino, whose all-round excellence for Liverpool has been recognised much more in recent times. The 26-year-old’s range of skills defy stereotypes. His Brazilian flair was evident in his ingenious flick for Mo Salah’s goal at St Mary’s, Liverpool’s second in a routine victory, and he has a resting heart-rate when all is manic in the opposition penalty area. Yet Firmino is also one of Liverpool’s best defenders and shows a rare appetite for donkey work. He also scores and makes all kinds of goals – including the first early on against Southampton – is two-footed and subtle in his passing and movements. Firmino might not be underrated but he is certainly unique.

Rob Smyth

My mind remains unchanged.

[redmark]

My mind remains unchanged.

Any player is underrated, if you ignore everyone else praising them. Firmino's been getting a lot of recognition from the pundits and journalists all season.

[redmark]

Was literally about to post that, already copied it and was ready to paste!

Very well put by Smyth.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

Any player is underrated, if you ignore everyone else praising them. Firmino's been getting a lot of recognition from the pundits and journalists all season.

Fair enough, I don't really read the English press or get to see many English football shows.

In my realm, he is very much underrated. Even among many Liverpool fans I have to talk him up. Pundits share some praise here and there, but mostly after doing something splendid like yesterday. Most fail to recognise his importance to our team, what he brings away from the pretty things. Some even say, still, that he needs to add goals to be recognised as a really good player.

So I guess it depends on where you are to some extent. 

[Hash91]

By who? I've never heard anyone say anything other than he was a top defender.

In my peer group.

Definitely not under rated on here that I agree with

[Brain Potter]

I never ever got Eric Cantona to be honest. I thought he was average.

[Lycan]

A lot of top players get injured, but they always strike back. Aguero for example.

Unlike that Marco Van Basten wno retired at the age of 29  through injury. What a massively overrated shithouse he was.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

Unlike that Marco Van Basten wno retired at the age of 29  through injury. What a massively overrated shithouse he was.

I'm very much aware that's not a very popular opinion, but that's my opinion. I see a lot of names in here that i strongly disagree, but fuck it, I'm not going crazy about it.

[redmark]

Unlike that Marco Van Basten wno retired at the age of 29  through injury. What a massively overrated shithouse he was.

Van Basten had a truly world class goalscoring record over his career as a whole. Torres doesn't. It wasn't even top class encompassing only his career upto his departure from Liverpool. He was devastatingly top class for a very brief period in his career, notwithstanding injury.

[Lone Star Red]

Overrated:
Nick Pope
Wilfried Zaha
Kasper Schmeichel
Alvaro Morata

Underrated:
Dale Stephens
Ryan Bertrand
Christian Eriksen
Harry Kane (mainly on RAWK and a good chunk of the board's weird hatred/obsession of Spurs)
Raheem Sterling (again, mainly by RAWK)
Harry Maguire
Manuel Lanzini

[plura]

I thought for a second that enough people had uttered their shock about seeing Torres getting mentioned as an overrated player. But nah. Torres if anything with the decline he had after his time at us seemed to have caused people like Rick to underrate him for one reason or another. Torres at his time with us, and Atletico before briefly was terrific. The way he could almost toy with defenders, and score whenever he wanted to was at times unreal. Pure magic in his first seasons at Liverpool. I'll hopefully never forget how good he was.

[redmark]

Harry Maguire

Some players are just not very good .

[Lone Star Red]

Some players are just not very good .

We'll agree to disagree then. I think he'll earn a move to a bigger club within the next season or two.

[Fitzy.]

Pogba definitely over rated, but Beckham is the most over hyped and over rated player i can think of.

Under rated? Firminho for sure.

Yeah, Beckham had a strange hold over football for a while. Adulation spilled into blind obsession. His every move was regarded as god-like. It was actually a bit perculiar. Good player but not a great.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Didi Hamann was very underrated.

For people that went to the game, they knew how good he was. Armchairs only saw the TV view so never got the chance to apprecaite just how brilliant he was.

[elpistolero7]

Overrated: Paul Pogba, Dele Alli, Karim Benzema.

Underrated: Bobby Firmino, Mousa Dembele, Gabi.

[Brain Potter]

Didi Hamann was very underrated.

For people that went to the game, they knew how good he was. Armchairs only saw the TV view so never got the chance to apprecaite just how brilliant he was.

I agree. Superb player. He also had a great ability to fall over the ball and draw a free kick.

[the 92A]

I never ever got Eric Cantona to be honest. I thought he was average.

Wouldn't mind that average at Liverpool. Totally get why the Mancs loved him, he'd have been a legend here as well.

[Xabi Gerrard]

Wouldn't mind that average at Liverpool. Totally get why the Mancs loved him, he'd have been a legend here as well.

Agree with that. He wasn't the most talented player in the premier league era (of the top of my head, Gerrard, Suarez, Henry, Bergkamp and Ronaldo were much better, to name just a few), but if I could pick one PL player to drag a big team with a loser mentality kicking and screaming to their first title in 20-something years, it would be him. Big player, big presence and backed it up in the big title defining games.

[Lycan]

Didi Hamann was very underrated.

For people that went to the game, they knew how good he was. Armchairs only saw the TV view so never got the chance to apprecaite just how brilliant he was.

Agree with that. Very classy player.

[Lycan]

Van Basten had a truly world class goalscoring record over his career as a whole. Torres doesn't. It wasn't even top class encompassing only his career upto his departure from Liverpool. He was devastatingly top class for a very brief period in his career, notwithstanding injury.

That wasn't the point I was making. The point I was trying to make is that not every player can bounce back and be the player they once were after a serious injury.

[LanceLink!!!!!]

I never ever got Eric Cantona to be honest. I thought he was average.

Oh come on, if he wasn't a genius, he was very close to it. Brilliant footballer.

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/feb/12/premier-league-10-talking-points

1) Firmino’s all-round excellence is Liverpool’s trump card

Let’s call it the Denis Irwin rule, the dictum that when a player is described as underrated so often then it’s probably no longer valid to call him underrated. It’s starting to happen to Roberto Firmino, whose all-round excellence for Liverpool has been recognised much more in recent times. The 26-year-old’s range of skills defy stereotypes. His Brazilian flair was evident in his ingenious flick for Mo Salah’s goal at St Mary’s, Liverpool’s second in a routine victory, and he has a resting heart-rate when all is manic in the opposition penalty area. Yet Firmino is also one of Liverpool’s best defenders and shows a rare appetite for donkey work. He also scores and makes all kinds of goals – including the first early on against Southampton – is two-footed and subtle in his passing and movements. Firmino might not be underrated but he is certainly unique.

Rob Smyth

Great post. However, can we call it the "Hyypia Rule"?

We've already got people defending Cantona (spits).

[Zee_26]

Speaking of under rated, Maxi Rodriguez anyone?

Boss player, boss song. Just a shame we couldn't get him when he was 3 years younger.

[Pistolero]

I'm very much aware that's not a very popular opinion,

its not so much that its an unpopular opinion, but more the fact that its just complete nonsense....

[Hazell]

Great post. However, can we call it the "Hyypia Rule"?

We've already got people defending Cantona (spits).

Always think Hyypia is underrated. Not by us but the general football public, who seem to tend to see him as a good defender but not much else.

On Firmino, I think it's only the last six weeks or so people have started singing his praises and hence, the Denis irwin comparison. You look back to the start of this season, a significant number of Liverpool fans didn't even rate him that highly so it's no surprise he wasn't seen as such in the wider footballing world. Nice to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves but it's a shame in some respects, would like him to be our dirty little secret.

[afc tukrish]

its not so much that its an unpopular opinion, but more the fact that its just complete nonsense....

El Pistol has entered the house...