Great players who seemingly turned to shit overnight

Originally Posted by Dueling Banjos

This picture

Originally Posted by RedMenace

Van Persie had a fairly rapid decline too. A few good games here and there afterwards but 2013 was basically his last hurrah as a top player.

Hat trick today

Still only Feyenoord though.

Originally Posted by Seamus

Steve Daley

Now makes a living on the after dinner speakers circuit from how utterly disastrous a signing he was

(my sister saw him a few years ago)

Theo Walcott was decent, briefly, absolutely and completely nothing now. He can’t be 30 yet?

Originally Posted by andyroo

This picture

Absolute sheer delight at another's misery. Delightful.

Robbie fowler was another one.

From 1993 until 1997 he was absolute dynamite. Banging in 30+ goals every season, made finishing look completely easy.

Then he had a rather innocuous looking knee injury and when he came back he was completely overshadowed by michael owen and was a shadow of the player he was. Went to Leeds and was shit.

Fowler did his cruciate didn’t he, while he was at Liverpool? Lost a yard and was never quite the same. Then did his hip before moving to Leeds and was half the player again. Was a ghost of his former self at City. Still a superb finisher though. His left peg ffs.

Fergie deffo wanted to sign him.

Fowler played for the entire Axis Of Evil, one of just a handful to do so.

Originally Posted by TheFatGoth

John O'Shea

From Irish Roberto Carlos when he first broke through to clumsy, utility oaf within a season.

Injury is the common theme. Once those ligaments and tendons are snapped and repaired they necessarily take away some of physical prowess that gave the great ones their edge.

Could it be that in days gone by (when they were basically all piss cans) the fitness levels were sub optimal so a slight loss of pace wasnt so noticable. Whereas now when they are all essentially race horses any drop off from what made them great is glaringly apparent.

That and surgery being so advanced that half the injuries they come back from would have meant the end of their career in the old days.

Originally Posted by Hands of Scone

That and surgery being so advanced that half the injuries they come back from would have meant the end of their career in the old days.

And that's even before you get to the likes of Pep and his "miracle methods"

Dunno if he's been mentioned but, Alexandre Pato..

From this..

https://youtu.be/dtkikbRs0e0

To unable to get off the bench at Chelsea by the age of 26 Currently still only 29 running amok in China.

Mbappe

Originally Posted by dunk

Dunno if he's been mentioned but, Alexandre Pato..

From this..

https://youtu.be/dtkikbRs0e0

To unable to get off the bench at Chelsea by the age of 26 Currently still only 29 running amok in China.

Injuries robbed him of his pace, wasn't much else to his game.

Originally Posted by MartialLaw

Injuries robbed him of his pace, wasn't much else to his game.

Disagree with that. Very technically gifted player.

Mentally not that bothered. Ronaldinho a terrible influence at Milan