Bit Part Players - Who Could Have Starred if Given More of a Chance?

Voted for three on the poll and would include Jarosik in the list.

 

Jarosik is a great shout, thought he could of done something

 

PADDY McCOURT!!

 

Problem is JJ and Donatii both were signed to do the anchor CM man role and complement a more mobile forward running CM like Graveson or broony but it was very clear in both cases that JJ and Donati were not up to the defensive tracking part of the game or the lack of space. WGS basically started his season II with no intention of Lenny being a first pick but he was forced to drop JJ and bring Lenny back after a few weeks. Donati was a very similar story. Good players but not suited to the SPL. Both played better (and IMO justified their fees) in helping us in our CL runs.

 

Forgot all about graveson. How did that guy ever play for real Madrid?

 

Steve Guppy

 

Roy keane. Obvious from the start that WGS didnt want him here.
Still had class and might have stayed another season if WGS hadnt constantly kept him on the bench.

 

Pearson had a cracking first season, won Yong POTY, just got pushed out of the team a bit. Beattie was terrific in Strachan's first season I thought, but then got injured and never really re-claimed his place. The one who stands out for me though is Riordan. He must have come off the bench about 8 times during the season and did superbly in each, a proven talent at Hibs, and I could not for the life of me figure out why he never got a look in, particularly when we had crap like Jarosik and Sno playing week in week out. Another thing that irritated me about the whole episode was I remember very clearly a newspaper story when he first signed about how he was worried that he wouldn't get first team football if he came here, and Strachan told him it was the rest of the team who should be worried about that.

 

People absolutely loved Graveson a couple of years earlier. He was a dream signing in theory. Could have been a legend. He just seems to have basically become mentally unstable in the period shortly before he arrived with us. Needed to be given a free role which doesnt really work in a 4-4-2.

 

Agreed, think that was the problem with Donati under Strachan too.

 

I liked Sno, i thought he was strong.

Killen never got a fair crack, but usually when a 1st choice forward was injured so was Killen.

Thought Pearson was really good, especially against Barcelona.

I think Broto was offered a contract, but left thinking he was going to walk into a big spanish club.

Riorden and Caddis were total neds.

Crosas was usually pretty lame.

The only good thing about Graveson was his girlfriend.

 

Thought Misun should have got more playing time while he was here. Could have been the answer to our defensive problems

 

riordan, caddis, broto and pearson. really liked the four of them!