Unsung heros

I think there are a few players who are massively important to their clubs but hardly get a mention. Players like Clint Dempsey or Jonas Gutierrez. Who would you add to the list?

Although he does get some credit, I would say Jamie Carragher is an unsung hero. He has been the heartbeat of Liverpool for years, and should in my opinion have been the captain instead of Gerrard. Technique wise not the best, but more than made up for it with sheer passion and determination. Can't beat the extra passion a few local lads bring to a team.

The paradox with unsung heroes is of course once you point out that they're unsung, they're no longer unsung.

I think somebody like Danny Murphy is an unsung hero, he's the Paul Scholes of the Fulham team. He is the metronome of the team and allows the more creative players such as Dembele and Dempsey flourish.

For Norwich I would say these players:

John Ruddy - Everyone is talking about Holt for England but surely he is more realistic and deserving. Player of the season in my eyes.
Kyle Naughton - The definition of consistency this season. Can play RB, LB or CB.
David Fox - He is the force in midfield that makes Norwich tick. When he isn't there we aren't nowhere near as good passing the ball.

Dirk Kuyt although he's not been as good this year. He will run all day and is good enough to play in the Dutch team.

Leon Britton at Swansea deserves a mention I think. I'm very impressed with Swansea when I watch them and he along with others keeps the ball extremely well.

Stella wrote:Dirk Kuyt although he's not been as good this year. He will run all day and is good enough to play in the Dutch team.

He's been worse than 'not good' this year, he's been truly awful. I have always been a big supporter of Kuyt and tried to protect him from criticism but he has had literally no end product this year. He's come good a couple of times such as against United in the FA Cup and the Carling Cup final, but for the most part he has added nothing to the team, even his work-ethic hasn't been enough. I would honestly rather see us play Andy Carroll or Maxi Rodriguez than Kuyt these days, which shows how little he adds.

It's a shame as just last year and the year before he was one of those players you could always rely on to give you a 7/10 performance every game.

Crimey wrote:

Stella wrote:Dirk Kuyt although he's not been as good this year. He will run all day and is good enough to play in the Dutch team.

He's been worse than 'not good' this year, he's been truly awful. I have always been a big supporter of Kuyt and tried to protect him from criticism but he has had literally no end product this year. He's come good a couple of times such as against United in the FA Cup and the Carling Cup final, but for the most part he has added nothing to the team, even his work-ethic hasn't been enough. I would honestly rather see us play Andy Carroll or Maxi Rodriguez than Kuyt these days, which shows how little he adds.

It's a shame as just last year and the year before he was one of those players you could always rely on to give you a 7/10 performance every game.

That's fair enough, I've hardly seen him this season.

Any other year and I've have agreed with you, but really not this year.

If you're talking about a Liverpool unsung hero I think it has to be Martin Skrtel, still some people consider him a liability and a poor defender but he has been a rock at the back for the past two years. He is so much more confident these days and he has kept Carragher out of the side, no easy feat. Commanding in the air, strong in the tackle and even chips in with a few goals these days. While Agger gets a lot of plaudits beside him I think Skrtel is fast catching him up in terms of talent, and without Skrtel I fear our season would have been even worse.

ambrose at crystal palace for sure

ollyrules wrote:For Norwich I would say these players:

Everyone is talking about Holt for England

Don't confuse everyone with yourself

Koscielny has had a good season.

Whoever mentioned Britton is wrong I'm afraid, he rarely passes forward, and often slows down/takes momentum out of counter attacks. He has no goals or no assists this season and has only had 3 shots. (!) http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/7957/leon-britton?cc=5739

Joe Allen is a million times better.

I would say that Danny Murhpy isn't a unsung hero has he often is praised and has been for the last few season while at Fulham. On the other hand Dempsey for me has had a fantastic season, a attacking midfielder getting just over 15 goals for a mid-table team at best, it's only been this past month or so people have started taking any notice of him.

For me B.Robson from Middlesbough is a good shout for unsung hero. Can tell when he's not in the side as he makes them tick with a fantastic range of passing. If 'Boro fail to go up this season they'll miss his presence in the side next season as he if of to the MLS.

Jose Enrique - Great season at Liverpool. Very Consistant.
Yohan Cabaye - Fantastic creative midfielder at Newcastle
John Walters - Never stops working. Stoke 2nd top scorer.
Michael Carrick - Pinpoint passes, consitent, never really gets mentioned.
Hoolalan - Solid season, quick, eye for goal.
Victor Moses - Fantastic talent for Wigan. Will surely depart if Wigan go down.

will serve mosses righ for ditching palace..

nah just kidding- good luck yo him- brilliant player- i hope he gets a good club- i can see him going all the way to the top.

d260005p wrote:Jose Enrique - Great season at Liverpool. Very Consistant.
Yohan Cabaye - Fantastic creative midfielder at Newcastle
John Walters - Never stops working. Stoke 2nd top scorer.
Michael Carrick - Pinpoint passes, consitent, never really gets mentioned.
Hoolalan - Solid season, quick, eye for goal.
Victor Moses - Fantastic talent for Wigan. Will surely depart if Wigan go down.

Enrique has dips and can get caught out easily espicially against pace
Carrick showed against Wigan hes not back to his best yet

Carrick has had a much better season this year than the last couple. I would rate Pablo Zabaleta in this list, he plays in a variety of positions, always gives his all and never looks out of place when in the team.

d260005p wrote:Jose Enrique - Great season at Liverpool. Very Consistant.
Yohan Cabaye - Fantastic creative midfielder at Newcastle
John Walters - Never stops working. Stoke 2nd top scorer.
Michael Carrick - Pinpoint passes, consitent, never really gets mentioned.
Hoolalan - Solid season, quick, eye for goal.
Victor Moses - Fantastic talent for Wigan. Will surely depart if Wigan go down.

He runs our attack sometimes. How he has only one cap for Ireland I will never know

d260005p wrote:
Enrique has dips and can get caught out easily espicially against pace

The man could have been sprinter in Spain before deciding on football?

"From the age of 7 José Enrique was a keen athlete due to his blistering speed. He was a member of the Benimaclet running club in Valencia and was soon picked up as a hot prospect. When he turned 16 he had the difficult choice of making a career in sprinting and representing Spain in huge competitions such as the Olympics, or signing a youth scholarship with Levante"

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:
The man could have been sprinter in Spain before deciding on football?

"From the age of 7 José Enrique was a keen athlete due to his blistering speed. He was a member of the Benimaclet running club in Valencia and was soon picked up as a hot prospect. When he turned 16 he had the difficult choice of making a career in sprinting and representing Spain in huge competitions such as the Olympics, or signing a youth scholarship with Levante"

yeah i dont think hes especially troubled by pace but he does have a couple of issues, the most noticable is that he more often than not tries to outmuscle his opponent, and that isnt always the best way to deal with the player and has backfired a few times, still the best left back weve had in a good few years though

im not entirely sure this player falls into the unsung heroes catergory, maybe more underappreciated/underrated, but i would pick glen johnson, at the start of the season, i wouldnt have been too bothered if he had been sold as we had kelly as an understudy, but when he has played, he has been nothing short of fantastic, apart from suarez, he is the only other first teamer in our squad that has the intelligence and trickery to beat players from a standing start, is a fantastic all round attacker, can play comfortably on either side, and the part of his game which is often slated in his defensive work, has been consistent and a big part of our defensive record, and for me, a no brainer to be the starting right back for england at the euros

I agree about Glen Johnson, too often people aren't looking at his current play but basing it on his previous reputation. Ashley Cole used to be criticised for being too attacking and a poor defender but then improved and I genuinely believe Johnson has too. Not that he and Cole are on the same level but they have followed similar paths.

Johnson has been one of the best attacking threats in almost all the games he has played, but I haven't felt he has been a liability at the back because of this, his pace means he can get back to his position fairly quickly and his positioning has improved ten-fold so now I don't see him as a defensive weakness at all.

I really like Kelly, and I can see Johnson's influence on him with his attacking skills getting better and better, as seen best in the Everton league game where he was constantly bombing down the right-hand side and creating chances. My worry with Kelly is that he doesn't have the pace like Johnson to get back quickly enough to into defensive position if faced with a quick counter attack.