Topic: Most underrated footballers (excluding Liverpool players)

[Linudden]

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

Stankovic was phenomenal in his last season at Lazio, but then got a more hidden role at Inter. Bit inconsistent, but definitely was a really good player.

[Medellin]

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.

Underrated in comparison to where he should be amonst the top players of all time.
Too many put lesser players above him,that's why he is underrated.

[Linudden]

Even though Pavel Nedved won the Ballon d'Or once, I feel like he didn't get the credit he deserved. He was extremely influential in taking Lazio to the double in 2000 and then replaced Zidane at Juventus as if though nothing had happened. The difference between him and Zizou was that he didn't show up as much in the biggest games, but for a regular league stroll, he was fantastic. Also, as far as international honours go, don't forget he's Czech (small nation) and still he got to one Euro final and was desperately unlucky not to defeat Greece in 2004, when he, Rosický, Poborský and Baros had playtime until that game.

[Trendisnotdestiny]

Norberto Solano -- Love this type of player.  Wingback, right back, press, work, pass and stir the pot

Romario - within Brazil's pantheon of players needs more recognition (he had it all)

Elias Figueroa - CB for Chile (immense presence - world class)

Silvio Marzolini - Argentina's best left back in history

Papa Bouba Diop - A Hard Man in the middle of the park

Ruben Sosa - Left footed artist with a thunderbolt or two in his arsenal

Eduardo Hurtado - Most capped male South American ever

*** these selections were brought to you by the drafters of the COPA/AFCON draft in the Flagpole Corner. They are not meant to influence any extra voting in this draft, but if you decide to participate these blokes are deffo underrated.

This advertisement was paid for by the Friends of Trend --- helping him adjust to losing in most every draft he competes in.  Because if you do not know who the fool is in the room, its you.

[Nitramdorf]

Jean-Pierre Papin.

[Cruiser]

Zico. An absolute maestro.

[elsewhere]

Jean-Pierre Papin.

If anything, he was overrated at the time for me

[elsewhere]

Rui Costa was underrated imo. Amazing midfielder, he should've gone to bigger teams way earlier

[Linudden]

I thought I'd also nominate David Villa.

Had he gotten his transfer to Real Madrid in his prime and gotten to play as the main man up front rather than Benzema, with those surroundings, he'd banged in 40 goals per season. Had everything in the game on the floor, the speed, technique, two feet, long-range efforts and stuff. No wonder Spain won so much when he was around. Even in secondary wing roles at Barcelona and Atlético, he never failed to deliver, although it was in the central role at Valencia he really carried them and was unbelievable. At Barca he was forced to be Messi's wingman and that didn't suit him as well in terms of goalscoring.

[Something Worse]

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.

Remember reading an interview with Xavi where he said he was his favorite player as a youth.

[elsewhere]

Edin Dzeko is another one for me

[Trendisnotdestiny]

I am probably one of the few here who thinks this, but even though he's a bit of shitbag for work rate/and how he handled leaving West Ham, I think Dmitri Payet could have been one of the world's best.

One season, he was responsible for me watching more West Ham games than I had seen in my entire life (both a Pyrrhic victory and a nauseating prospect).   He dribbled through defenses, weaving his way to glorious goals, hit some unbelievable world class free kicks, and had a deft pass or two for his teammates.

Not really underrated, but in the category of woulda,shoulda, coulda, Payet could have exploded into an entire other category.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/QZMSSeK2RA0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/QZMSSeK2RA0</a>

[Agent99]

Wayne Rooney.

[Hazell]

Wayne Rooney.

Underrated or overrated?

[Cu Chulainn]

Wayne Rooney.

Brilliant player but self-inflicted; his fitness fell off a cliff. If he had (Portuguese) Ronaldo's dedication, he could've been better for a lot longer. 

[Alf]

Thread dedicated to discussing some of the most underrated footballers (excl LFC players).

I’ll kick things off with 2 of my favourites. Neither get included often enough in the greatest ever lists.

Roberto Baggio >> the ponytail, the magician, dribbler extrordinaire.

I don't think Roberto Baggio was underrated, he was a wonderful player and at the time of Italia 90 he was the world record transfer.

[Betty Blue]

So this is where all the drafters are hanging out 

Stefan Effenberg for me. Mostly just remembered as a hard as nails midfield general - which he sure was - but he also posessed incredible vision and deep lying playmaking skills akin to our Xabi's.

Here's a nice video of his passing range:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/TRH1w65ej6c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/TRH1w65ej6c</a>

[elsewhere]

Andreas Moeller, Chapuisat and Jurgen Koehler

[BobPaisley3]

Underrated or overrated?

Overweighted

[Trendisnotdestiny]

So this is where all the drafters are hanging out 

Stefan Effenberg for me. Mostly just remembered as a hard as nails midfield general - which he sure was - but he also possessed incredible vision and deep lying playmaking skills akin to our Xabi's.

Here's a nice video of his passing range:

He was also a bit nuts.  The intensity with Kahn, Effenberg and the usual Bayern suspects had to have been off the charts.

[DangerScouse]

Juan Carlos Valeron

[Trendisnotdestiny]

Miroslav Klose (scored and scored)
Vincent Kompany (yes, I went there)
Dennis Bergkamp (missed him more when he was gone)

[[new username under construction]]

Niall Quinn

Quinn & Phillips was quite a pairing

[beardsleyismessimk1]

Denílson de Oliveira, known simply as Denílson, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a left winger. In a 16-year professional career he played mainly with São Paulo and Real Betis; who made him the world's most expensive player in 1998.

[Zimagic]

Dennis Bergkamp (missed him more when he was gone)

Good shout. I think his aversion to flying and never having won anything major outside of England counts against him but he was a beautiful footballer.

That goal against newcastle....

[BobPaisley3]

Denílson de Oliveira, known simply as Denílson, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a left winger. In a 16-year professional career he played mainly with São Paulo and Real Betis; who made him the world's most expensive player in 1998.

Two things from this:
1. Don’t think he was particularly underrated.
2. Real Betis broke the World Transfer record. Crazy times.

[Keith Lard]

Two things from this:
1. Don’t think he was particularly underrated.
2. Real Betis broke the World Transfer record. Crazy times.

I actually thought Denilson was overrated. Whenever i watched him he was seriously bad. Just did a million stepovers and no end product.

[Lone Star Red]

I am probably one of the few here who thinks this, but even though he's a bit of shitbag for work rate/and how he handled leaving West Ham, I think Dmitri Payet could have been one of the world's best.

One season, he was responsible for me watching more West Ham games than I had seen in my entire life (both a Pyrrhic victory and a nauseating prospect).   He dribbled through defenses, weaving his way to glorious goals, hit some unbelievable world class free kicks, and had a deft pass or two for his teammates.

Not really underrated, but in the category of woulda,shoulda, coulda, Payet could have exploded into an entire other category.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/QZMSSeK2RA0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/QZMSSeK2RA0</a>

His FK against Palace, the last one in that video, still leaves my jaw on the floor to this day whenever I watch it.

Defies logic and physics.

[Roady]

Wayne Rooney.

Good one 😂😂👍👍👍👍

[Clayton Bigsby]

How can a balon d'Or winner be underated?

[red1977]

Roy Keane. c*nt like, But If anyone brings up an all time 11 convo, he comes to mind to hold midfield. With Souness of course. Mancs love him and rightly so, but outside of that you don't hear much and during their purple patch he was their best player for me.

[Clayton Bigsby]

Roy Keane makes most all time premiership 11s.

[Crosby Nick]

How can a balon d'Or winner be underated?

Michael Owen, by Liverpool fans?!

[CHOPPER]

Zico. An absolute maestro.

A poor second to the original Zico.

Though we can't mention him in here.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Michael Owen, by Liverpool fans?!

Not underrated just a massive plum

[Crosby Nick]

Not underrated just a massive plum

Fair. But I think that does sometimes stop us reminiscing about him the way we do about our other top quality strikers. You kind of forget how reliable he was for a sustained period. Then again he never hit the peak numbers those others did over a single campaign.

[BobPaisley3]

I actually thought Denilson was overrated. Whenever i watched him he was seriously bad. Just did a million stepovers and no end product.

Am inclined to agree. Was one of the players to watch at World Cup 98 yet did nothing.

[LanceLink!!!!!]

Marcos Senna

[red1977]

Roy Keane makes most all time premiership 11s.

I donn't think he makes most, a quick google search says he's in a few, but pickers aren't looking for a DM they want Gerrard Lampard and Scholes.

[red1977]

Marcos Senna

yep, good shout that.