Topic: Most underrated footballers (excluding Liverpool players)

[Clayton Bigsby]

Le Tissier. Not sure you could away with his defensive invisibility in this day and age but I was a schoolkid when he was doing his thing and he was the talk of the playground. Use to basically keep Southampton up by himself, scored 49/50 penalties and 208 goals in total in 500 odd games.

[Max_powers]

I was always impressed by Mario Jardel's scoring record

1996–2000   Porto   125   (130)
2000–2001   Galatasaray   24   (22)
2001–2003   Sporting CP   49   (53)

The first column is games the second goals.
But he only had 1 goal in 10 caps for Brazil, then went to a host of clubs and didnt do anything including Bolton.

Oscar Cardozo is a similar player. Still banging them in for fun back in Paraguay.

[gravey101]

Paul McGrath and Micheal Laudrup

[Max_powers]

What is really crazy about Socrates is that he smoked and drank heavily while playing! Was also a doctor. Different times I guess.

He had his vices but he was a very principled man. He wasn't a George Best type of character. He trained hard, and had a strong and outspoken personality. Captained both the club and the country. Was certainly one of the most nuanced and interesting figures in football. Above all he wanted to use football to make the world around him a better place. There are many things modern footballers can learn from him.

[Crosby Nick]

Messi/Ronaldo Esque. Surprised a big club didnt try to bag him

I did on Champ Manager 97/98. Goal machine!

[ScouserAtHeart]

Zvonimir Boban for me. Unlucky to be around so many quality players at both club and national level so he wasn't seen as a standout

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

Dejan Stankovic

You sure you don't mean Dejan Savićević? Stankovic was bang average 

[I've been a good boy]

Figo, Rivaldo, Batistuta, Del Piero and Baggio. All world class players back in the day but hardly hear about them these days which is a shame. These in their prime would instantly improve any team today.

[Clayton Bigsby]

You sure you don't mean Dejan Savićević? Stankovic was bang average 

loved Savićević. Looked him up today for this thread. Played alot less than I remembered

[Wullie160975]

Figo, Rivaldo, Batistuta, Del Piero and Baggio. All world class players back in the day but hardly hear about them these days which is a shame. These in their prime would instantly improve any team today.

He's the one I would have brought up.

[PoetryInMotion]

Most of the players mentioned here are not anywhere near under-rated. Just because they're not mentioned in the same breath as Messi, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Maldini etc. etc. doesn't mean they're under-rated. Most of the players I've seen in this thread are known to be some of the best players in their position & a few others were at least recognized world class during their time.

Baggio? Batistuta? Figo? Rivaldo? Hagi? Redondo? Sammer? Puyol? De Rossi? Eto'o? Brehme? Romario? Come on. Bonkers. They're all known legends.

Very few mentioned here were/are actually under-rated.

[tubby]

Agreed.  A real example of an underrated player would be Finidi George, who coincidentally is playing right wing in my AFCON/COPA draft team.

[whtwht]

Recoba.. at Inter

[DanA]

Current footballers.

Jamie Vardy....has anyone scored more consistently than him over the last 5 years beside Kane?
Kevin Volland....Just a really good player that isn't talked about.
Daniel Pajero.....He's been consistently good for a decade but nowhere near the plaudits he deserves
Ryan Shawcross...I think he should have been in the England team the last 5-6 years but has the smell of Stoke on him

[Hazell]

Agreed.  A real example of an underrated player would be Finidi George, who coincidentally is playing right wing in my AFCON/COPA draft team.

Totally Football Show has an episode on the mid 90's Ajax side, really worth a listen:

https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/episodes/zonal-marking-special-ajax-95/

[Hazell]

Recoba.. at Inter

Yep, a real example of an underrated player would be Alvaro Recoba, who coincidentally is playing left wing in my AFCON/COPA draft team.

[tubby]

Totally Football Show has an episode on the mid 90's Ajax side, really worth a listen:

https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/episodes/zonal-marking-special-ajax-95/

Ta, downloaded.  Loved that Ajax team.

[Crosby Nick]

Agreed.  A real example of an underrated player would be Finidi George, who coincidentally is playing right wing in my AFCON/COPA draft team.

I’ve always felt Paulo Da Silva flew under the radar.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

You sure you don't mean Dejan Savićević? Stankovic was bang average 

Savicevic as well but Stankovic wasn't average. He was an integral part of Inter's midfield during their treble year,  one of Mourinho's main starters in the years he spent there.  not only that but he was part of Lazio's successful mdifield alongside Nedved Simeone and Veron, he wasn't a part time player for either club under various managers.

He's literally won every single European trophy with Lazio and Inter, and domestically as well.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Most of the players mentioned here are not anywhere near under-rated. Just because they're not mentioned in the same breath as Messi, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Maldini etc. etc. doesn't mean they're under-rated. Most of the players I've seen in this thread are known to be some of the best players in their position & a few others were at least recognized world class during their time.

Baggio? Batistuta? Figo? Rivaldo? Hagi? Redondo? Sammer? Puyol? De Rossi? Eto'o? Brehme? Romario? Come on. Bonkers. They're all known legends.

Very few mentioned here were/are actually under-rated.

I'll speak on Puyol since I mentioned him. When the discussion is about top class centerhalves or legends of the game, in the past, whether it be in the media, or within the circle of people I've come across, in my experience, he hardly gets mentioned.

[RedSince86]

Didier Deschamps, shamelessly known as the water carrier thanks to the inferior Cantona.

He won multiple titles in France and Italy,CL winner with 2 different teams, captain of a world cup and European championships winning team and he was doing the termed "Makele role" years before Makele was even a top footballer.

Great leader and one of only 3 players to lift the World Cup, Euros and CL as captain.

Easily in the top 5 greatest defensive midfielders of the last 25 years.

[elsewhere]

Many of you may not remember but there was this Czech player in old Atletico Madrid named Bejbl, he played like he had 5 lungs. Add Kiko from same team to underrated list as well.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

loved Savićević. Looked him up today for this thread. Played alot less than I remembered

Had a up and down relationship with Capello, but Berlosconi was a huge fan and forced Capello to patch things up with him.He[Capello] wasted his best years, not playing him [and when he did play he played really well]. Once he won him ove, Capello reverted back to not playing him as he was cautious in his approach on the pitch. The foreign rule in Italy also didn't help, you could only field 3 foreigners at the same time, and there were some great player during his stint there. The injuries came later and he played less.

[elsewhere]

Didier Deschamps, shamelessly known as the water carrier thanks to the inferior Cantona.

He won multiple titles in France and Italy,CL winner with 2 different teams, captain of a world cup and European championships winning team and he was doing the termed "Makele role" years before Makele was even a top footballer.

Great leader and one of only 3 players to lift the World Cup, Euros and CL as captain.

Easily in the top 5 greatest defensive midfielders of the last 25 years.

He was great but i think Nedved and Davids from same team was massively underrated as well.

[Medellin]

Romario.

Riquelme.

Ronaldo. (tubby)

Lee Carsley.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Romario.

Riquelme.

Ronaldo. (tubby)

Lee Carsley.

Ronaldo isn't underrated. Come on now

[RedSince86]

Many of you may not remember but there was this Czech player in old Atletico Madrid named Bejbl, he played like he had 5 lungs. Add Kiko from same team to underrated list as well.

Kiko was the one who had 2 ankle operations at the same time and never really played much again post op.

He was a brilliant player, was in his pomp around the time Sky first started showing Spanish football and he was one of the top stars in the league then.

Shame his career got curtailed by those operations in his prime years.

[Chakan]

Ronaldo isn't underrated. Come on now

I’d love to see that post...

[rafathegaffa83]

Juninho at Lyon. Free-kick maestro
https://youtu.be/OvSZ81bB2VI

[Hazell]

I’d love to see that post...

Ronaldo: Why the fuss?

[Medellin]

Ronaldo isn't underrated. Come on now

Fat Ronaldo is one of the best players to grace this game,ask anyone who is in their all time top 10 & he won't make it.
Shame his career wasn't prolonged.

[rafathegaffa83]

Most of the players mentioned here are not anywhere near under-rated. Just because they're not mentioned in the same breath as Messi, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Maldini etc. etc. doesn't mean they're under-rated. Most of the players I've seen in this thread are known to be some of the best players in their position & a few others were at least recognized world class during their time.

Baggio? Batistuta? Figo? Rivaldo? Hagi? Redondo? Sammer? Puyol? De Rossi? Eto'o? Brehme? Romario? Come on. Bonkers. They're all known legends.

Very few mentioned here were/are actually under-rated.

Yep

[Linudden]

Antonio Di Natale stands out to me. He really loved Udinese to never ask for a move away from there.

Among today's footballers, I feel like Thiago really doesn't get the credit for what he does to Bayern and how he just play-toys around with the midfields in Bundesliga whenever he's not injured. He was in the shadow of Xavi and Iniesta at Barcelona, but they really messed up letting him go.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Fat Ronaldo is one of the best players to grace this game,ask anyone who is in their all time top 10 & he won't make it.
Shame his career wasn't prolonged.

You're surrounded by idiots then 

[Boaty McBoatface]

Des Walker.

Bit of a tit off the pitch but IMHO arguably the best english centre back of his generation. Fastest player to 50 caps for England but when he made a couple of high profile mistakes, his spiky character and disdain for the written press afforded him no protection.

I genuinely believe if we'd have bought him in the late 80's/early 90's we'd already have number 19, and more.

[goalrushatgoodison]

Niall Quinn

[BobPaisley3]

You're surrounded by idiots then 

If you’re over 30 and he’s not in your top 10 you must have seen players that most of us haven’t heard of. The fat man was incredible. Remember Des Lynam before the 98 final. Something like ‘rumours are reaching us that Ronaldo isn’t on the Brazilian team sheet.’ Grim.

[DanA]

Fat Ronaldo is one of the best players to grace this game,ask anyone who is in their all time top 10 & he won't make it.
Shame his career wasn't prolonged.

Just googled top 10's. He made the first three I checked. One of them had him ahead of Garrincha. He's not underrated at all IMO.

[Medellin]

You're surrounded by idiots then 

Probably why i think I'm so clever! 

I'd take Ronaldo over the other one in their prime,players can be revered yet still underrated.

[RedSince86]

Laughable that someone can say Ronaldo is underrated.

All they have to do is check that Youtube video of his only season Barcelona and see the 40+ goals he scored that season at 20 years old as the starting point of many ridiculous videos of him there.

I remember watching that game live on Sky when he was Barca and he scored that amazing goal that left Bobby Robson literally gobsmacked, 1st season of Spanish football on Sky and it was the season of Ronaldo at Barcelona, then we got to see him on channel 4 on Sunday afternoons with Italian football.

He's top 3 of all time, never have i seen a player with all the attributes rolled into one of pace strength skill balance and finishing.

Like Messi is today, he was a cheat code in real life football.