High Press Episode 27: Wasted Talents of the Premier League Era

High Press Episode 27:

Episode 27 of High Press looks at some of the unfulfilled talents in English football. They discuss the causes, and remember some players who fell a long way short of expectations.

Host Vai Bhardwaj is joined by Dean Jones, Liam Twomey & Dom Smith to cover mental health, expectations, overhyping prospects and analyse how players like Jack Wilshere, Dele Alli and Ravel Morrison underachieved.

What factors play into unfulfilled potential?

Bhardwaj begins the episode by asking the Twomey to define what factors are involved in unfulfilled potential.
Twomey responds, “It’s partly a function of external expectations. And you can’t always control how much hype is put on you at a certain age.”

Jones then talks about the media’s role in ‘overhyping’ players, and how that is sometimes going to be inevitable when football fans are providing the coverage of these exciting young talents. He uses Kobbie Mainoo as an example, with English journalists inevitably getting excited about the impact he could have for Gareth Southgate’s team.
Moving to a big club has derailed a few careers.

Mental health in football

Jones says, “You’ve got to be sure that when you’re making a big move at a young age, that you’re going to an environment where they’ve got your back. There’s health management – that’s physical and mental – then there’s also the wealth management.”

Twomey mentions the role social media has to play, before looking at how little fans really know about young players.
“We often forget, in the good times and bad, that we’re always judging on incomplete information. We only know the little we see on the pitch and the little we hear about someone… we don’t know how mentally they might be prepared to handle all of the things off the pitch.”
Ravel Morrison is the first player the panel focus on.

Twomey remembers his run of form at West Ham, then says, “Ultimately our opinions don’t matter as much as what the player thinks of themselves. I think Morrison’s a classic example of a player who would look in the mirror and think ‘I’m not happy with the way my career’s panned out’.”

Smith talks about Morrison’s ADHD diagnosis, and how that has impacted many footballers over the years. He also adds how Alex Ferguson said Morrison could be even better than Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, which was not necessarily helpful for his development.

Dele Alli

Jones remembers Dele Alli’s first touch in professional football being a backheel, and speaks very positively about his ability and self-belief.
Twomey believes journalists have a ‘responsibility’ to ‘not jump to the most vilifying interpretation of why a player might be underperforming’.
The panel agree about the responsibility they have. Jones even talks about former players and how they should be more careful with their comments on social media and podcasts.

Marcus Rashford is in the crossroads of his career

Turning to Jack Wilshere, Jones calls the former Arsenal midfielder a ‘generational talent’ before the panel break down where his career went wrong.
The episode wraps up with a look at what the future holds for Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips, who are both at a crossroads in their respective careers.

How can English clubs look after players?

How can English clubs do a better job of looking after young players? Let us know your thoughts…

The panel are in agreement that this is the best title race in the Premier League era. Do you agree? Who are you backing to lift the trophy?

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