Players you were wrong about..

recently -
connor malley ... he was gonna be the new Souness....
coulson as well
spence (as most people though he was a liability)
 
Paul Merson - didn’t realise just how good he was until he played for us.

A more embarrassing one a long time ago was Peter Beardsley, I thought he was an over rated prima donna until I saw him destroy us when Liverpool won 4 - 0 at Ayresome Park…Pallister, Mogga and co couldn’t get near him let alone tackle him! One of the best individual performances I have seen watching the Boro, an absolutely outstanding footballer.

Another stand out was Gordon Strachan’s debut for Leeds against us at Elland Road, I thought he was finished until I saw him control the midfield that evening!
 
For Boro - Dijksteel. When he first came in as a right back he looked like a rabbit in the headlights. I remember Sheff Wed putting four past us at home and all the goals seemed to be scored as he was missing at the back post. Then there was a game away at Birmingham where it still stands out as one of the poorest individual displays I’ve seen from a Boro player. He then picked up an injury and when he returned and was placed in a back three he was outstanding and since then i genuinely think he is a solid player and the best of our “back three” players but the jury would be out if we ever go back to a back four if he plays right back.

- Paul Ince. I thought he’d be finished when he came to us but for a couple of seasons he was outstanding. A real leader. And you could tell he’d captained Man Utd, Liverpool and Inter and was a class above.

Going the other way - I thought we’d walk the league when we signed Kris Boyd and the rest of the best of SPL. How wrong I was and other than McDonald and Robson the rest were completly appalling.

Non Boro: Declan Rice - I thought he was a West Aaaaaammmm London media lovey but when he started playing regularly for England I was very impressed. Strong in the tackle, looks to get forward, his long legs stretch for every loose ball, and the best centre midfielder England have currently.
 
HolgateCorner said:
Paul Merson - didn’t realise just how good he was until he played for us.

A more embarrassing one a long time ago was Peter Beardsley, I thought he was an over rated prima donna until I saw him destroy us when Liverpool won 4 - 0 at Ayresome Park…Pallister, Mogga and co couldn’t get near him let alone tackle him! One of the best individual performances I have seen watching the Boro, an absolutely outstanding footballer.

Another stand out was Gordon Strachan’s debut for Leeds against us at Elland Road, I thought he was finished until I saw him control the midfield that evening!
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I was at that game with a Liverpool mate. Beardsley was unbelievable that day. We got a train back with a load of Scousers who took pity on me and bought me a few beers, good times.
 
alanmoodysdog said:
recently -
connor malley ... he was gonna be the new Souness....
coulson as well
spence (as most people though he was a liability)
Click to expand...

There'll be more of that ilk to come Alan.
Every young kid who comes through the academy is seen by Boro fans as a world beater and the solver of our latest positional problem. The list is endless.
Just this week, you can add Nathan Wood.
The jury is out on Josh Coburn.
 
Jamie Vardy can’t believe when we were link to a million pound (could’ve been more) bid for him before he moved to Leicester. Think I got that one totally wrong 🙈
 
Players who I thought would be better than they turned out, there's a long list. Marvin Emnes for one, always thought that he would come good and he sort of came OK-ish but no better than that. Players who I thought would be worse than they proved to be, definitely Marc Bola, I thought we'd bought a doppelganger who just happened to bear some sort of facial resemblance to the footballer Marc Bola.

Still not convinced by Djed Spence, if he does get his move to the PL it will be interesting to see if he gets his game...
 
Darren Anderton, until he tore us a new one when he played for Portsmouth.

I always thought McManaman was bang average too, until I heard lots of pro’s talking about him and talking through some of the games, same as Scholes. It’s only when you understand more, and watch it back that you realise how good they were.
 
Peter Crouch, when he played for Southampton, thought he was just a lanky get but he was unplayable at the Riverside Southgate and Ugo could not handle him surprised how good he was technically and on the ball
 
Andy_W said:
Darren Anderton, until he tore us a new one when he played for Portsmouth.

I always thought McManaman was bang average too, until I heard lots of pro’s talking about him and talking through some of the games, same as Scholes. It’s only when you understand more, and watch it back that you realise how good they were.
Click to expand...
I played against McManaman while at school. He was brilliant at about 13. Great talent.
 
Southgate.

I thought £6m was well over the odds for a (in my opinion at the time) slightly above average 30 year old centre back.

Turned out to be worth every penny. Never appreciated how good he was till he played for us. Quite possibly Smac's best signing.
 
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