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Charlton players you rated that never reached the level you expected...

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  • soapboxsam
    soapboxsam Posts: 23,229
    Charlie McDonald. I thought he was going to be the next Michael Owen. 

    If only Charlie had the pace of young Owen!

    I was at the game when he was about 19 and scored against Newcastle in the Premier at the Valley. Twenty years later I saw Charlie play for Glebe against Whyteleafe in the FA cup qualifying.

    Now 23 years later and 21 clubs later (some on loan) Charlie Mcdonald is still playing at 42 years old.
    I believe it's Barking but he may have moved again.

  • Simonsen
    Simonsen Posts: 5,503
    Ahmed Kashi.....he looked immense in his first few games. Covered every blade of grass and had a great range of passing.

    He was superb in that early spell but suffered a bad injury. I'm convinced we would have stayed up had he remained at pre-injury levels. 
  • Sillybilly
    Sillybilly Posts: 9,236
    Swisdom said:

    Two spring to mind who have done ok but I though would be destined for bigger and better:

    Lookman has petered out a little albeit still at decent level. His Everton debut alongside Lukaku was the stuff of dreams but he didn’t kick on. 

    Gudmundson has had a decent turn at Burnley in the Premiership and championship but I thought he was good enough to do better.  
    4th in Serie A is hardly petering out...
    My bad. Hadn’t realised that’s where he’d ended up. I stand corrected……
  • Charlie McDonald. I thought he was going to be the next Michael Owen. 

    If only Charlie had the pace of young Owen!

    I was at the game when he was about 19 and scored against Newcastle in the Premier at the Valley. Twenty years later I saw Charlie play for Glebe against Whyteleafe in the FA cup qualifying.

    Now 23 years later and 21 clubs later (some on loan) Charlie Mcdonald is still playing at 42 years old.
    I believe it's Barking but he may have moved again.

    It was that appearance (sub I think) and goal against Newcastle that made me think we had a player on our hands.

    Cheers for the reply, I often wondered where his career went.
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,145
    Parker my top choice, but also Shelvey to some extent. Was sure he’d be an England regular. Seems temperament may have been a factor.
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,601
    Andy Jones - scored bucket loads of goals for Port Vale (37 in 86/87 season) - we sign him, and what a let down - I was genuinely excited when we bought him, and was desperate for him to do well for us
    A rare transfer flop for Lennie Lawrence. Like you, I was excited when we bought him. I was seeing a girl in Prestatyn at the time and got her to drive me to a Rhyl (where Jones started his career) reserve game so I could go to the programme shop and buy a couple from when he played for them. 
  • Recent players for us... Dylan Gavin

    I guess some youngsters don't adapt to the Men's game, like they do in Youth games, but thought he'd do better than he has done.

    Was constantly appearing on the Scoresheet for the U18s

    Went on loan to Billericay, who got relegated, but he still scored nine goals in 18-games, and then... Nothing
    He can't get a game for a very poor Athlone Town in the League of Ireland First Division (2nd tier). 2 goals in 16 games in a division that really is lacking in quality and a club that are a basketcase.
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,045
    edited November 2023
    Andy Jones - scored bucket loads of goals for Port Vale (37 in 86/87 season) - we sign him, and what a let down - I was genuinely excited when we bought him, and was desperate for him to do well for us
    A rare transfer flop for Lennie Lawrence. Like you, I was excited when we bought him. I was seeing a girl in Prestatyn at the time and got her to drive me to a Rhyl (where Jones started his career) reserve game so I could go to the programme shop and buy a couple from when he played for them. 
    I hope you did not get him to sign one, he'd miss the page.
    PS, You know how to treat a girl!!
  • As well as a few others mentioned, I'm going to say a slightly controversial one.... Jonatan Johansson.

    Yes, he did a job for a few years, but after he got 10 in his first 15 games or something, he never reached that level again, getting 4 or 5 a season after that.
  • Andy Jones - scored bucket loads of goals for Port Vale (37 in 86/87 season) - we sign him, and what a let down - I was genuinely excited when we bought him, and was desperate for him to do well for us
    A rare transfer flop for Lennie Lawrence. Like you, I was excited when we bought him. I was seeing a girl in Prestatyn at the time and got her to drive me to a Rhyl (where Jones started his career) reserve game so I could go to the programme shop and buy a couple from when he played for them. 
    Did you ask her to Prestatyn?
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  • Andy Jones - scored bucket loads of goals for Port Vale (37 in 86/87 season) - we sign him, and what a let down - I was genuinely excited when we bought him, and was desperate for him to do well for us
    A rare transfer flop for Lennie Lawrence. Like you, I was excited when we bought him. I was seeing a girl in Prestatyn at the time and got her to drive me to a Rhyl (where Jones started his career) reserve game so I could go to the programme shop and buy a couple from when he played for them. 
    Lennie did have a worse signing than Jones - Ralph Milne !!

    In fact Ralph belongs on this list as well - won the league with Dundee Utd, played in Europe with them - what a pile of poo he was for us 
  • Clem_Snide
    Clem_Snide Posts: 11,739
    Maybe controversial, but I think Linvoy Primus could be counted in this. He looked way ahead of Rufus when he broke through, but ended up being an average Joe in the lower leagues.
  • Alan Campbell 
    Richie Bowman
    Bob Curtis
    John Stenson
    Jonjo Shelvey
    Diego Poyet, of course

    Reminds me of Alan Ellis young midfielder how came up from the youth team.
    Only made a handful of appearances but looked re class. Around 1970 of the top of my head.
    Yes, indeed. He liked like dynamite in the reserves, had a handful of first team games and never kicked on.
  • Going back a bit, Jim Ryan our Wales u/23 centre forward. He told me that he fell out with Frank Hill, manager, and lost his enthusiasm, which just goes to show how important the coaches/managers are to maintain confidence.
    Oh no doubt Diego Poyet should have been a super star but he just burnt out.
    I remember Jim Ryan. He looked promising. In a reserve game, he punched and laid out one of the Brady brothers of Millwall. I think he joined Millwall subsequently.
  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 63,766
    edited November 2023
    Chris Solly and Rhoys Wiggins both done by injuries otherwise they would’ve been Premier League full backs I’m sure of it.


    Wiggins especially, felt like he should’ve had a career trajectory very similar to Dale Stephens who came from the same team.
  • SELR_addicks
    SELR_addicks Posts: 15,448
    Vetokele after watching him single-handedly destroy Brentford on the opening day of the season way back when. 

    Thought Ajdarević was decent too outside of his fitness issues. 
  • As well as a few others mentioned, I'm going to say a slightly controversial one.... Jonatan Johansson.

    Yes, he did a job for a few years, but after he got 10 in his first 15 games or something, he never reached that level again, getting 4 or 5 a season after that.
    Was played wide a lot of times though tbf.
  • Maybe controversial, but I think Linvoy Primus could be counted in this. He looked way ahead of Rufus when he broke through, but ended up being an average Joe in the lower leagues.
    Primus played for 5 years in the premier league and most of his career in the top two divisions. He wasn't a success at Charlton but he took a step back after leaving us and had a good professional career. 
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,145
    Vetokele after watching him single-handedly destroy Brentford on the opening day of the season way back when. 

    Thought Ajdarević was decent too outside of his fitness issues. 
    Good call re Vetokele. Injury again. Not so sure sbout Ajdarevic. But I liked Buyens and the Belgian journo I was in touch with about Douchebag, who was a Standard fan, assured me he was class. But when he went back to Belgium he just kept on a downward trajectory it seems.
  • Andy Jones - scored bucket loads of goals for Port Vale (37 in 86/87 season) - we sign him, and what a let down - I was genuinely excited when we bought him, and was desperate for him to do well for us
    A rare transfer flop for Lennie Lawrence. Like you, I was excited when we bought him. I was seeing a girl in Prestatyn at the time and got her to drive me to a Rhyl (where Jones started his career) reserve game so I could go to the programme shop and buy a couple from when he played for them. 
    Lennie did have a worse signing than Jones - Ralph Milne !!

    In fact Ralph belongs on this list as well - won the league with Dundee Utd, played in Europe with them - what a pile of poo he was for us 
    Have to agree, but he still scored against us in 3-0 win for Utd at Old Trafford.
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  • Primus on his league debut against Birmingham at Upton Park was made man of the match in 0-0 game.
  • ElliotCAFC
    ElliotCAFC Posts: 2,553
    Vetokele after getting two quality goals vs Brighton away. I thought we had a world beater on our hands, such a shame about injuries
  • Richard Rufus - injuries
    karlan ahern-grant 
  • charltonbob
    charltonbob Posts: 8,259
    MarcusH26 said:
    Moutouakill looked incredible on his debut then got injured away at Stoke???? (Think it was on Sky) and then was never the same player again. 
    Yes remember watching it on Sky in Greenwich Pub, thought he was superb but never the same after injury.
  • Andy Jones - scored bucket loads of goals for Port Vale (37 in 86/87 season) - we sign him, and what a let down - I was genuinely excited when we bought him, and was desperate for him to do well for us
    A rare transfer flop for Lennie Lawrence. Like you, I was excited when we bought him. I was seeing a girl in Prestatyn at the time and got her to drive me to a Rhyl (where Jones started his career) reserve game so I could go to the programme shop and buy a couple from when he played for them. 
    Lennie did have a worse signing than Jones - Ralph Milne !!

    In fact Ralph belongs on this list as well - won the league with Dundee Utd, played in Europe with them - what a pile of poo he was for us 
    Have to agree, but he still scored against us in 3-0 win for Utd at Old Trafford.
    Ferguson on record as stating Ralph his worst signing ever 
  • lolwray
    lolwray Posts: 4,902
    Alan Campbell 
    Richie Bowman
    Bob Curtis
    John Stenson
    Jonjo Shelvey
    Diego Poyet, of course

    Reminds me of Alan Ellis young midfielder how came up from the youth team.
    Only made a handful of appearances but looked re class. Around 1970 of the top of my head.
    Yes, indeed. He liked like dynamite in the reserves, had a handful of first team games and never kicked on.
    I am sure Alan Ellis had a career ending injury..he would have been mustard but for that 
  • lolwray
    lolwray Posts: 4,902
    Vince O kane
  • charltonbob
    charltonbob Posts: 8,259

    MrLargo said:
    Chris Dickson, "the next Ian Wright".

    Thought Paul Sturgess was another in the Scott Minto mould.


    Can remember in a programme him saying he was going to 'fire us' back to the Premier League, didn't he end playing in the Cyprus Premier League, still would have been a bit warmer over there.
    Ha one game & you knew he was non league standard. Yes he was in Cyprus for a while but I don't think that was the premier league that he was talking about  :D
  • Primus on his league debut against Birmingham at Upton Park was made man of the match in 0-0 game.
    Live on ITV. Incredibly dull game.
  • charltonbob
    charltonbob Posts: 8,259
    Charlie McDonald. I thought he was going to be the next Michael Owen. 

    If only Charlie had the pace of young Owen!

    I was at the game when he was about 19 and scored against Newcastle in the Premier at the Valley. Twenty years later I saw Charlie play for Glebe against Whyteleafe in the FA cup qualifying.

    Now 23 years later and 21 clubs later (some on loan) Charlie Mcdonald is still playing at 42 years old.
    I believe it's Barking but he may have moved again.

    That's brilliant an ex pro playing for the love of the game. Wasn't Ricardo Fuller doing the same just a few years ago ?