Chat Mercurial talent

[Jens]

I'm not a native language speaker, so I fear that the term 'mercurial talent' is a bit lost on me. I presume that it's something very positive (since it appears on the green side of coach reports), but when looking at definitions of 'mercurial', I also found some negative connotations. Mario Ballotelli came up a lot too. I know Ronaldinho and his regens have the description as well on the game. Can anybody explain further?

Also, if you know of any players having the trait, please let me know  I know for certain that Ronaldinho and Leon Bailey have it.

[BatiGoal]

Not native too but I assumed it was like 'something out of this world', exceptional talent etc. 

I had a few of them (Oliver - Atletico) but looks like that label's been taken away from him, perhaps due to his age.

[Jens]

That would be strange since ronaldinho still had the label at 36

[Real_Random]

I'm not sure what effect being a mercurial talent brings to a player but here's a definition of mercurial. 

"subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind" 

My guess is that it means that a player can change the game when they want to

[BatiGoal]

13 minutes ago, Jens said:

That would be strange since ronaldinho still had the label at 36

That's strange indeed. Just wondering why at least two of my players are no longer 'mercurial talents'. They've performed very well. Maybe not "Ronaldinho well"

[nick2528]

its just a cliche phrase in english football, a bit like describing people a "world class"

[Archie Graveluth]

Quote

Mercurial describes someone whose mood or behavior is changeable and unpredictable

I assume this means that, like Balotelli, we can expect the best or the worst from him? A very talented player who can be a valuable asset when he's on a good mood but perform poorly when on a bad temper?

@Alari @Jack Joyce @Marc Vaughan Is this correct?

[Thepremiermanager]

I would define a mercurial talent as someone that is extremely talented but also is prone to wild swings in their performance.

A perfect example would be Balotelli. He clearly has bucketloads of talent but due to circumstances (perhaps his temperament, mood on the day etc) he can blow hot and cold on the pitch. Thinking back some years, Gazza might be another. Brilliant when on top of his game but just as likely to implode.

You are just as likely to get a 10/10 performance as you are a 5/10.

I expect there are hidden attributes that go towards this type of player's performance/development.

Edited December 2, 2016 by Thepremiermanager

[Jack Joyce]

1 hour ago, Archie Graveluth said:

I assume this means that, like Balotelli, we can expect the best or the worst from him? A very talented player who can be a valuable asset when he's on a good mood but perform poorly when on a bad temper?

@Alari @Jack Joyce @Marc Vaughan Is this correct?

Sort of, it generally describes someone that has an unpredictable personality. So this term is usually used for interesting 'characters' e.g. Balotelli, Gazza, Suarez.

[Jens]

1 hour ago, Jack Joyce said:

Sort of, it generally describes someone that has an unpredictable personality. So this term is usually used for interesting 'characters' e.g. Balotelli, Gazza, Suarez.

Makes me wonder whether that's something you'd want in your team tbf

[kts365]

2 hours ago, Jack Joyce said:

Sort of, it generally describes someone that has an unpredictable personality. So this term is usually used for interesting 'characters' e.g. Balotelli, Gazza, Suarez.

 So mercurial is the positive.

Is enigmatic the negative version of this?

[Jack Joyce]

35 minutes ago, kts365 said:

 So mercurial is the positive.

Is enigmatic the negative version of this?

Mercurial can be good or bad. Enigmatic means 'mysterious' basically.

[veerus]

It sounds like mercurial is mostly positive but there is a negative trait that exists for you to find and determine if it's worth the risk. 

[kts365]

2 hours ago, Jack Joyce said:

Mercurial can be good or bad. Enigmatic means 'mysterious' basically.

As a newcastle fan there have been some mysterious players. A recent example would be Sissoko's ability to mysteriously disappear for 30+ games a season despite playing.