10 WOrst Players at the World Cup - Article

10 WOrst Players at the World Cup - Article

http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8750_5772614,00.html

10. Richard Kingson (Wigan and Ghana)
Part of me feels very sorry for Richard Kingson. After suffering relegation from the Premier League with Birmingham in 2008, he was picked out for criticism by perma-tanned porn mogul and then-City owner David Sullivan, who was less than impressed with his efforts during the season, branding him "a complete waste of space". Which was, I think you'll agree, rather mean. Mean, yes, but perhaps not unfair: for a man capped more than 50 times, Kingson doesn't exactly exude confidence, and the last thing a back four needs is a flaky keeper behind them. Released by Birmingham that summer (most inevitable decision ever?), his old Brum boss, Steve Bruce, offered him a shoulder to cry on at Wigan, where he remains to this day. Wigan, that is, not Steve Bruce's shoulder.


9. Seol Ki-Hyeon (Fulham and South Korea)
South Korea expected big things of Seol Ki-Hyeon when he left for Europe nearly ten years ago, partly because he was quite good as a kid and partly because Asian interest in football mushroomed around the same time. And he did alright for a while, scoring a fair few goals for Royal Antwerp in his first season abroad before joining Anderlecht and becoming the first South Korean to score in the Champions League. Unfortunately, he didn't score many other goals for Anderlecht, and in 2004 was shipped off to Wolves. After a couple of largely uninspiring seasons, Seol's dream of playing in the Premier League was realised by Steve Coppell, who decided what his newly-promoted Reading side needed was a goal-shy striker. �1million later, not much had happened and Seol slinked off to Fulham to continue his policy of avoiding the net at all costs. Currently on loan at Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, he's not doing much better. Still, he did score the equaliser against Italy at the 2006 World Cup. Quality.


8. Adam Federici (Reading and Australia)
The second goalkeeper to make this list, Adam Federici has spent almost all of his admittedly short career on loan, mainly at semi-pro clubs (but also at Bristol City and Southend). In fact, apart from 25 games at Carshalton United during the 05-06 season, this current campaign is his first full season. A decent talent perhaps, but terrifically inexperienced. Also, apparently he once fell down a well, which doesn't say a lot for his balance.


7. Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds and Australia)
"I always want to play at the best level possible - if my level is Hearts in the SPL, then that's how it is." Thus spake Patrick Kisnorbo in 2005 as his contract with Hearts drew to a close. Unfortunately for Paddy, Hearts didn't think he was good enough even for the SPL and didn't renew his contract. Fortunately for the lumbering Aussie, his old gaffer at Hearts, Craig Levein, had taken over at Leicester and snapped him up. His four years at the Walkers stadium were mixed and he was released by Nigel Pearson at the end of the 07-08 season, moving to Leeds in League One. It's yet to be confirmed whether or not this is, in fact, his level. An average footballer at best, it boggles the mind that he has managed to accumulate 18 caps. But then I am Scottish, so maybe it doesn't.


6. Hameur Bouazza (Blackpool and Algeria)
Hameur Bouazza started his career at Watford alongside a certain Ashley Young, and looked, for a while, to have just as promising a career ahead of him. However, after breaking that most trendy of bones, the metatarsal, and missing a big chunk of the 05-06 season, his development stalled and he was loaned out to Swindon. He returned to Watford the following season and, all things considered, was quite good. But a �3million move to Fulham didn't really work out and he was sent on loan to Charlton and then Birmingham. After five days (yes, days) at Turkish side Sivasspor, he ripped up his contract and found himself without a club. He can now be found helping Championship side Blackpool overperform in the Championship. Just don't mention Ashley.


5. Chris Killen (Celtic and New Zealand)
Wikipedia informs me that Celtic benchwarmer Chris Killen attended the same school as former Werder Bremen striker and 'New Zealand football great' Wynton Rufer, which means he's not even the best forward from Rongotai College in Wellington. Not a great start, Chris. Having said that, he did manage to get a contract at Man City when he was but a nipper of 17 years, although he found himself loaned out pretty sharpish, to Wrexham and then Port Vale, playing only three games in three years for City. He managed about a goal every three games in four seasons at Oldham, which clearly wasn't good enough because they let him go. A successful season at SPL side Hibs, spent jumping higher than everyone else, meant that Celtic found themselves compelled to snap him up, much to the consternation of Cardiff, who'd printed shirts with his name on and everything. Anyway, since then he's hardly played. It's just like being at City.


4. Ismael Bouzid (Hearts and Algeria)
Since leaving Metz in 2001, 26-year-old centre half Ismael Bouzid has never stayed longer than a season at any of his seven clubs. He's either very much in demand or a bit s**t. You decide.


3. Sol Bamba (Hibs and Cote d'Ivoire)
Ivory Coast have some pretty fine players: Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and Didier Zokora are three who spring to mind. One who does not is Sol Bamba. This is because Sol Bamba plays for Hibs. Before that, he played for Dunfermline Athletic in the Irn-Bru First Division. They don't see a lot of internationalists in the Irn Bru First Division. It says a lot about Sol Bamba that he's now fully capped, but it says more about the depth of the Ivorian squad.


2. Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle and New Zealand)
If you want your brain to preserve the glamour of professional football, look away now: Rory Fallon's CV is enough to stop kids practising scissor kicks in the park and do chemistry homework instead. Fallon counts Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Swindon, Yeovil and Swansea among his clubs, which really brings home the crushing anonymity of lower-league football. Even the most interesting Rory Fallon statistic - that the �300,000 he cost Swansea is the second-highest fee the club has paid - is so dreadfully average. And we're not even sure that's true. Having said that, there's every chance he'll line up against Totti, Buffon and co next year, so maybe I should shut up.


1. Kris Bright (Shrewsbury and New Zealand)
I have no idea how good or bad Kris Bright is because I've never heard of him, but I do know that he wasn't good enough for either Gillingham or Kilmarnock when he had trials there in 2005 and 2006 respectively. The plucky young Kiwi striker did, however, manage to find gainful employment in Europe, signing on at frankly terrible Dutch second division side Fortuna Sittard in August 2006. After scoring one goal that season he was duly released, finding his level at consonant-heavy Norwegian side Kristiansund Ballklubb. After netting a hatful of goals there, he had a crack at a proper league, helping Greek Super League side Panserraikos get relegated before abandoning any remaining delusions of grandeur and signing for League Two's Shrewsbury. whitby fever2009-12-18 11:26:57

No Mulligan?

My thoughts exactly.

Think its only players playing in the UK.

No one writes anything good on that site anyway. Just read some of John Nicholsons rubbish for an example.

Federici did a good job for Australia at the Olympics, who is this knob?

Doesn't stop me, and I did well in Chemistry without revising.

that's why Oska says "alkaline's men in the A-league rubbish".

(Here we go ...)

Vincent Forrester...

his first mistake was referring to wikipedia,  toss pot w**ker 

Never heard of him.
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FFS it uses wikipedia as a source hahaa gooood journalism

Shocking article. bet i could find 10 worse.

I like how he doesnt mention scotland was to sh*t to qualify

What the f**k has that got to do with anything? Don't get precious cos he says nasty things about some of the AWs players. Lighten up

By the way, sadly, we Scots are well aware how sh*t we are so it's not really something we bother discussing any more, and I won't even bother going down the road of wondering just how far the All Whites would have got if Holland, for one, had been in their qualifying group.

Jag2009-12-21 20:37:02

Would of torn them apart 4-1 tbh.

Using a Wikipedia source = no credibility to anything you write ever. (and yes im aware i have used a wiki source on this forum once before )

those who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.  what was that about getting precious about people saying nasty things. pot to kettle

Jag2009-12-22 11:28:18

Hah, this reminds me of a story (not sure if it's true or an urban legend) about a guy who rang Scottish talkback radio after Scotland drew with the Faroe Islands a few years ago. Apparently he said something along these lines:

"I've been following football for years and years, and have not reached the depths of despair I have right now at this moment. I mean, I know football is a game, and nothing is guaranteed, and anything can happen, and you can't win every game even when you're clearly the better side, and all those other cliches, but this is such an unbelievable kick in the guts that I'm not sure I can recover from for a while. I don't really know where to go from here - I know it can perhaps only get better, but when you're drawing with Scotland, you know you've hit the rock bottom..."

Sad thing is, that's probably not far from the truth at the moment.

well i originally was going to put a smile after my scotland comment but the stupid emoticons thing froze on me. I work with a few glaswegians and enjoy a bit of banter with them on this very subject..

No arguments from me on that one. 

Nowra's finest export.

(Okay, so he grew up in Husky, but he was born in Nowra, and Huskisson is still part of the region!)

Ok, the article isn't newsworthy but some of it's a bit of a laugh from some dude writing a lighthearted sort of piece. Laughed at a few of the comments he wrote. Actually, he basically did say Scotland was crap by including so many players that are seen as rubbish on the basis they didn't even do that well in Scotland. Obviously not to be seen as a definitive guide.