Which player is the biggest underachiever in the history of T&T football?

[Dutty]

I'd say Latapy - could have done so much better than Porto and Rangers

I kinda confused by some ah allyuh men answers

What would you classify as an underachiever?
Any man who has gone on to fame and fortune ..or even made a decent living playing football cant possibly have under achieved
In the case of Dwarika I could agree, cause the man had the opportunity on a plate and blow it off

As for other like Latas?? St. Louis? Marcelle?....allyuh men standards for achievement REAL high dread

Is achievement a starting spot in the English premiership only?...ah hadda tell yuh dat real unrealistic given the limited number of foreigners playin dey

[vb]

I think it's a little unfair to categorize Marcelle, Faustin and Charles as "underachievers."

The latter they did very well for the Sr. team but never got that big break. STill can't understand why.

Marcelle got spited by a Coach/Capt. that he had a fight with at Barnesley whilst in the Prem. He literally disappeared from football for a year.

At 32 his options were then the lower div. team.Was still doing damn well a few years ago inthe FA Cup....I think vs. Chelsea.

Underachiever would be a man who get chance and just plain FUC^ UP!!!

Dwarika...and to some extent...Boney...but I feel fellas like Boney and Nixon have a side to that story.

Rocke explained that Santos wanted to take advantage of him in the contract.....the MLS was offering him half of what he made in the A League...and the TTFF basically ignored him during his prime, no matter how many All Star teams he made at University on in the Combine.

Peace,
VB

[big dawg]

Sometime in the early 90's (about the same time we were gearing up for the USA 94 Campaign) Clint Marcelle had all the characteristics of becoming a star on a squad that already had many stars in their own right..... He was in perfect position to be poised for some success...

[sportscolonel]

i agree dwarika should've done greater things in his career......but look at his stats....the caps, the goals, the regional awards.......what has jemmot done? jemmot is the biggest underachiever.....atleast dwarika has his stats.

[richpy]

I'd say Latapy - could have done so much better than Porto and Rangers

I kinda confused by some ah allyuh men answers

What would you classify as an underachiever?
Any man who has gone on to fame and fortune ..or even made a decent living playing football cant possibly have under achieved
In the case of Dwarika I could agree, cause the man had the opportunity on a plate and blow it off

As for other like Latas?? St. Louis? Marcelle?....allyuh men standards for achievement REAL high dread

Is achievement a starting spot in the English premiership only?...ah hadda tell yuh dat real unrealistic given the limited number of foreigners playin dey

Well said Dutty,
 Men have to define underachievement here. If it means you did not fulfuil your potential due to some fault of your own, I don't think Latapy falls in this bracket. First of all, Latapy's best days were with a top European club. People, Porto was/is a big big club!
Rangers/Hibernian/Falkirk were the winding-down stage of his career. Considering that Latapy is from the Caribbean, I think he did extremely well to play for Porto. I do think that he would have gotten a greater look if he was from, say Brazil though.

[Tongue]

Nigel Pierre/Brent Rahim

[Savannah boy]

Is true Croc should be de first one on de list.  Irasto Knights is another one wit more rep (bark) dan bite.

[Filho]

Latas...given his skill and abilities he should have been playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona not Porto or Rangers.

i hadda reosectfully disagree with arrow and Ryan on this one. Teams in Serie A and La Liga do not have any network estabilished with T&T football, especially not when Latas was in the ascendancy. Latas ended up in the Portuguese 2nd division via Jamaica. And then went on to be recruited by the dominant team in Portugal...a regular Champion's league qualifier and winner 3 years ago. Doh slight that achievement at all. Given his age (he was not old, but no longer a youth), size, nationality, that is a great achievement. And the truth is, he was not even Porto's best player. As great as Latapy was and still is and as much as he did for T&T football...on the world stage, there were many who were just as good or better. Latas was never likely going to play for Barca or Real Madrid. I agree, he would have been good enough at his peak, but if you think that is all it takes to make it to the greatest teams...you are being naive. The fact that Latas never played for those teams has little to do with him underachieving, but more to do with the fact that he was never likely to be on those teams' radar until he made it at Porto. Experience shows that a mediocre player from Brazil or Holland is far more likely to play for Barca, Milan, Juventus etc..than a gem of a player from T&T...no matter how well he plays. As for Latas career in Scotland..at the age he went there, it has been extraordinary.

[Pointman]

Latas...given his skill and abilities he should have been playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona not Porto or Rangers.

i hadda reosectfully disagree with arrow and Ryan on this one. Teams in Serie A and La Liga do not have any network estabilished with T&T football, especially not when Latas was in the ascendancy. Latas ended up in the Portuguese 2nd division via Jamaica. And then went on to be recruited by the dominant team in Portugal...a regular Champion's league qualifier and winner 3 years ago. Doh slight that achievement at all. Given his age (he was not old, but no longer a youth), size, nationality, that is a great achievement. And the truth is, he was not even Porto's best player. As great as Latapy was and still is and as much as he did for T&T football...on the world stage, there were many who were just as good or better. Latas was never likely going to play for Barca or Real Madrid. I agree, he would have been good enough at his peak, but if you think that is all it takes to make it to the greatest teams...you are being naive. The fact that Latas never played for those teams has little to do with him underachieving, but more to do with the fact that he was never likely to be on those teams' radar until he made it at Porto. Experience shows that a mediocre player from Brazil or Holland is far more likely to play for Barca, Milan, Juventus etc..than a gem of a player from T&T...no matter how well he plays. As for Latas career in Scotland..at the age he went there, it has been extraordinary.

That is precisely what we need to work towards changing. It was my hope that when Dwight, Latas and Shaka made it to the big stage the spotlight would be shone on T&T  and European scouts would give us a closer look. That hasn't really happened, so perhaps a good showing at the WC would help reignite the European's curiousity.

[g]

I think why people would be inclined to nominate Dwarika is becuse with all his success internationally with Caps, Goals and CFU player of the year etc this was during an era in local football when things were in a semi/ non professional state. And the opportunities to go abroad were there, not to a top team but to a lower division team and the fact that he left that situation for NON FOOTBALL reasons says something about underachievement, the facts are that coming from T&T to a club abroad you must show something extra to become a fixture in your lower division team farless ascend to another team playing in a high divison. Now few of us can identify with having to move to a country and play in completely foreign conditions daily but the fact that others from our country have done so and succeded so it will always be negatively percieved as a lack of application and mental toughness to want to make it at a higher level.

[maxg]

Listen, All dem Mexicans musbe under achieve, considering they at almost every world cup, and like dem scouts still doh look at them......and the amount of football Trini fans know, and we now getting to WC, well T&T supporters musbe underacieve, and here is another wonderful Topic, If we had BeenE in '89, chances are we woulda be WC long time, and wha bout Italy with they big players and big league, and dem ain't win in so long, and England with it's great league, and now going back WC (and have to beat we ) dem musbe real feeling like they underachieve all these years,....and howabout Scotland and Wales & Ireland, right dey, and still cyar make, musbe they not so good, and/or underachieving.....shim, here is ah name, man say Dwarika underachieve, wha bout he friends, Parents, advisors, fans, his government, his idols...nah he musbe do it all by heself..probably, drinking and nuh listening to nobody since he bout 7 or 8, he real let some ppl down..
sorry, in the future I would try not to comment when ah do have something sensible to add to such an intriguing topic...oh I have a contribution "Why do everybody(that means everybody in the world/even the Lord) mess up at some point, and who helps dem step out and who jus points and reminds dem they standing in a mess?"

[g]

Listen, All dem Mexicans musbe under achieve, considering they at almost every world cup, and like dem scouts still doh look at them......and the amount of football Trini fans know, and we now getting to WC, well T&T supporters musbe underacieve, and here is another wonderful Topic, If we had BeenE in '89, chances are we woulda be WC long time, and wha bout Italy with they big players and big league, and dem ain't win in so long, and England with it's great league, and now going back WC (and have to beat we ) dem musbe real feeling like they underachieve all these years,....and howabout Scotland and Wales & Ireland, right dey, and still cyar make, musbe they not so good, and/or underachieving.....shim, here is ah name, man say Dwarika underachieve, wha bout he friends, Parents, advisors, fans, his government, his idols...nah he musbe do it all by heself..probably, drinking and nuh listening to nobody since he bout 7 or 8, he real let some ppl down..
sorry, in the future I would try not to comment when ah do have something sensible to add to such an intriguing topic...oh I have a contribution "Why do everybody(that means everybody in the world/even the Lord) mess up at some point, and who helps dem step out and who jus points and reminds dem they standing in a mess?"

Maxg, i think yuh posting with a lot of emotion dey but with respect to the original topic, yea some of us think Dwarika has underachieved but what can he do?

He can continue to contribute towards the development of Trinidad and Tobago football by helping in developing the Professional Football League with good application and talent, helping his team to play quality football and win the title. Will that change some of our perceptions of him? Who knows but he has another opportunity to do something where for others that will never happen. We could argue that he is probably one of the luckier players in Trinidad and Tobago football as well. Respect.

[kicker]

Latas...given his skill and abilities he should have been playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona not Porto or Rangers.

i hadda reosectfully disagree with arrow and Ryan on this one. Teams in Serie A and La Liga do not have any network estabilished with T&T football, especially not when Latas was in the ascendancy. Latas ended up in the Portuguese 2nd division via Jamaica. And then went on to be recruited by the dominant team in Portugal...a regular Champion's league qualifier and winner 3 years ago. Doh slight that achievement at all. Given his age (he was not old, but no longer a youth), size, nationality, that is a great achievement. And the truth is, he was not even Porto's best player. As great as Latapy was and still is and as much as he did for T&T football...on the world stage, there were many who were just as good or better. Latas was never likely going to play for Barca or Real Madrid. I agree, he would have been good enough at his peak, but if you think that is all it takes to make it to the greatest teams...you are being naive. The fact that Latas never played for those teams has little to do with him underachieving, but more to do with the fact that he was never likely to be on those teams' radar until he made it at Porto. Experience shows that a mediocre player from Brazil or Holland is far more likely to play for Barca, Milan, Juventus etc..than a gem of a player from T&T...no matter how well he plays. As for Latas career in Scotland..at the age he went there, it has been extraordinary.

That is precisely what we need to work towards changing. It was my hope that when Dwight, Latas and Shaka made it to the big stage the spotlight would be shone on T&T  and European scouts would give us a closer look. That hasn't really happened, so perhaps a good showing at the WC would help reignite the European's curiousity.

Dwight Latas and Shaka can't change the landscape, if such a huge portion of our young players are not up to par......because they will be seen as the exception.....and not a fair indication of the standard football coming out of Trinidad.

[maxg]

Maxg, i think yuh posting with a lot of emotion dey
is football not life, so only lil bit emotion  
but with respect to the original topic, yea some of us think Dwarika has underachieved but what can he do?
I know this answer, absolutely nuthen
He can continue to contribute towards the development of Trinidad and Tobago football by helping in developing the Professional Football League with good application and talent, helping his team to play quality football and win the title. Will that change some of our perceptions of him?

I know this answer too...No !

Who knows but he has another opportunity to do something where for others that will never happen. We could argue that he is probably one of the luckier players in Trinidad and Tobago football as well. Respect.

Human nature is in many cases not really natural at all, buh a response, sometimes negatively, sometimes positively, to the environment within which they live....Even if the individual underachieve, then we as their fans/supporters, parents, country must partly take the blame, unless yuh is a Birchall of course, but even then his Trini mudder would have some influence, and T&T environ would have had some Influence at some point on her development....but these guys had us direct, so don't blame dem is all what I saying, if we going to look at a fix, let's look at the whole fix, not just change the tire, and not look at the carberator.....Who knows where their next station in life is to determine where they are now, if you are 30, did you know you would be here, when you were 17....many in T&T probably growing up figuring they won't see 30 ( even though it is not that bad)..Ppl could make the best of plans, and ah lil bug, cause ah chain reaction that changes that individual whole life......wha the frig...me ent smoke nuthen nah, is this family round meh ha meh chatting all this high talk so...anyway think out it.....lehme climb orf this chair....
poppee, come give meh ah hand dey...Scratch meh back for meh....

[palos]

If yuh was to only watch dis thread....yuh woulda swear T&T only start playin football since Yorke & Latas yes.

[ffreturns]

I say Yorke is the biggest underachiever in the history of T&T football  for all the bigname he had when it came to playing for T&T he was a total buss .

[Lower St. John]

Nigel (Bound To Unscore) Pierre without a doubt!!! #1 Underachiever!!

A lot of promise, many opportunities, all the attributes for a soccer player and he never did it.

[arrow]

Allyuh take Dwarika and Hardest name off dat list one time.  Dey just buss de net for Joe Public yesterday!!

[palos]

Allyuh take Dwarika and Hardest name off dat list one time.  Dey just buss de net for Joe Public yesterday!!

And? 

[Jefferz]

Nigel (Bound To Unscore) Pierre without a doubt!!! #1 Underachiever!!

A lot of promise, many opportunities, all the attributes for a soccer player and he never did it.

I agree with you there.. the man certainly didnt play out his potential... but this one is clear cut between Hardest and Dwarika... both very talented and both have failed to make it big in the international footballing sector becuase of behavior issues and the likes...


but I think Jemmot does edge out infront becuase Dwarika, of course, did become quite a polished T&T player while Jemmot who possessed probably just as much talent... couldnt cop as much success as Dwarika...


So this one really goes to Jemmot....

[big dawg]

If yuh was to only watch dis thread....yuh woulda swear T&T only start playin football since Yorke & Latas yes.

Agreed...
 T and T Football was founded 1908. It impossibe to give a proper answer unless yuh talk to yuh great great great grandfather

[kicker]

If yuh was to only watch dis thread....yuh woulda swear T&T only start playin football since Yorke & Latas yes.

well the majority of the people on the board are relatively young, and can only comment on players that they were able to follow relatively closely.......I would love to comment intelliegently on how much our players in the early 1900's underachieved, but I can't........and I figure that's the case for most on here.

[palos]

If yuh was to only watch dis thread....yuh woulda swear T&T only start playin football since Yorke & Latas yes.

well the majority of the people on the board are relatively young, and can only comment on players that they were able to follow relatively closely.......I would love to comment intelliegently on how much our players in the early 1900's underachieved, but I can't........and I figure that's the case for most on here.

I hear wha yuh sayin...but den man shouldn't come wit titles dat talkin bout T&T football history.

Cheers.

[Storeboy]

I say Yorke is the biggest underachiever in the history of T&T football  for all the bigname he had when it came to playing for T&T he was a total buss .

That is so much baloney!  Where do you all come up with this stuff.  Yorke underachieve?  Coaching is the major reason for the TnT underachievement over the years.

[Midknight]

How much TI pay yuh to post this?

 

[Ponnoxx]

 The player I want to talk about underachieve so much that nobody might even know about him

[Dutty]

A LOT of names have been bandied about here over the years. Names of supposedly very talented  trinbago footballers that have somehow faded into obscurity

Just curious as to the fellahs that a lot of you are convinced had the physical tools to make a decent living playing football at, say, minimum a division 2 euro club or even the MLS... but due to, drugs, lack of mental fortitude, lack of interest or just plain bad luck somehow just never got over that hump

'Hardest' of course is the first to come mind and the fellah who the brit scouts came to see (Hutchinson?) but end up scoutin Yorke instead.

De men who coulda do ah wicked spanner during ah intercol match doh count.

[Midknight]

We have about 50 threads like this...

Irasto Knights
Zane O Brien

[Dutty]

We have about 50 threads like this...

Irasto Knights
Zane O Brien

ok.

mods do yuh wukk and merge de ting.

[kicker]

De men who coulda do ah wicked spanner during ah intercol match doh count.

Yuh run de risk of bussin' yuh own thread there...