The Gems

[Guest Assassin]

Were did it all go wrong for ALT and FSP, they were the brightest stars by a long way on the youth scene but they have been in demise ever since.

 

Were they early developers and then plateau early,did the believe too much in the hype surrounding them, do they have poor attitudes or were they just too young to leave there homeland and go overseas.

 

Thoughts?

[stressederic]

We didn't play them enough when we first got them. They were developing fast but we then stunted it by not exposing them to enough first team football.

[bigdave50uk]

The money we paid for them seemed to go to thier heads. In alt's case he was demanding first team football when he was only 18/19 and similary with flo this seasson.Its a shame because they both had the talent. If they wouldnt have been hyped up so much i think they would both be in the squad now.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

Houllier couldn't afford to play them, too risky.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

and, blackburn excepted, they got loaned out to some s***ty clubs.

[D.Boon]

Too lightweight.

[Guz]

Maybe, they're two more of a long line of young players who just arent as good as their early hype suggests. Pongolle has a bit about him, mainly because of his speed but I dont think either of them put in a performance to suggest they were going to be stars. Even against Juve I thought people went over board with Le Tallec's performance, Baros on the night ran the Juve defence completely ragged. Maybe they'll be late bloomers elsewhere

 

shocking theory i know

Edited May 31, 2006 by Guz

[Will]

Ultimately, neither were really good enough

[Guest Kev]

Ultimately, neither were really good enough

 

Dunno about that, Sinama helped change Olympiacos and Luton Town.

 

Maybe it was a case of not consistently good enough

[Internationinteroperability]

We have improved more as a team than Pongolle and Le Tallec have on their own, so they aren't good enough to be playing @ Liverpool atm and we can't afford having them in the team. Am I right?

 

I don't mean to disrespect them or anything, I have always hoped for the best, but they seem unlikely to make the grade here. As with Morientes, Cissé and many more, we are not in a position to give many second chances and extended runs in the team if the players don't perfom consistently at the needed level.

 

But .... COME ON DENMARK!

[Guest Scot]

Ultimately, neither were really good enough

 

That's the essence of it

[Guest Red Mist]

Pongo has talent but I have never seen anything special with ALT. He gets more attention for his silly hair colouring and white boots than his actual abilities.

ALT should definitely be out the door, but I think we should keep FSP.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

Considering that we probably wouldn't have won the CL or the FA Cup if it wasn't for FSP, I wonder if he can be considered a flop?

[ion]

Out of interest, and given that they were supposed to have this Keegan-Toshackeque understanding, anybody know how many games they were actually played on the field together and in their favoured positions?

[Guest Assassin]

Out of interest, and given that they were supposed to have this Keegan-Toshackeque understanding, anybody know how many games they were actually played on the field together and in their favoured positions?

 

Good point. I cant rememer them playing together with us, they were always special together in the french youth team, it is possible they both need to play together to bring the best out of each other

[mick]

this we didn'tplay them soon enough argument is complete and utter b****x. I remember other people saying the same about John Welsh FFS!!

 

When you sign a player who is 16 or 17 and he has only proved it at youth team level it a big risk no matter how much potenital they have.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

wasn't it Bob Paisley after we signed Ronnie Whelan who waxed lyrical about his background & compared it to the England Schoolboys, who had a failure rate (at the highest level) of [about - as Bob said] 96%?

 

They are part of the 96%

[magneto]

Biggest mistake was to loan them back to Le Havre.

 

Rafa brought in Roque, Barragan, Antwi, Idrizaj and has kept them to get to know the "English way".

[Ripley]

Wasn't N'Zogbia in the same youth team as them and not as well regarded?

[Stevie H]

Wasn't N'Zogbia in the same youth team as them and not as well regarded?

i believe he was yes.

[Mike]

if they've got it in them, they will come good.

they're only young.

[Maldini]

Wasn't N'Zogbia in the same youth team as them and not as well regarded?

Nah, he's a year or two younger, there was another Le Havre guy a CB in the squad.