Bunch of 5s - 'Rather unfair comparisons'

There's nothing quite like a new signing to set the pulses racing. As the manager drafts in new blood the supporters naturally look to those newcomers full of hope and optimism about what they might bring to the side.

Nowadays some people seem content to rely on a montage of highlights on Youtube or the lowdown from a so called expert on Twitter as a reliable authority on which to pin their hopes. But every now and again we don't even have to go to such trouble when the manager himself tells us all just what we can expect from his latest signing by comparing him to another well known (and more often than not world class) player.

With little knowledge of the player coming in, us Reds were left with nothing more than these well, shall we say rather misleading comparisons. They have been labelled unfair because they're not only a blatant misrepresentation of the new player's ability to the fans but it also puts enormous pressure on the player coming in. A comparison to one of the greats has almost become the kiss of death on a player's career at Liverpool before they have even kicked a ball in vain.

Here are just five such faux pas made by those in the Anfield hot seat....

Number 1: Joe Allen

This one springs to mind because it's the most recent in the list. I should caveat this because Allen is also the only current player in the list and he still might (or at least we hope) become a great Liverpool player. However if Joe was under any illusion as to what was expected of him at Anfield he didn't have to wait too long before it smacked him square between the eyes.

As if it wasn't bad enough being told by your new Managing Director (Mr Ayre hang your head in shame) that your shirt number was 69, the young Welshman had to endure being introduced to Liverpool fans by Brendan Rodgers as "the Welsh Xavi".

Yeah that's right, that diminutive midfield master who has passed his club and country to World and European Cups glory and who some will tell you is the reason Messi can play like he does for Barca but not for Argentina. What made it all the worse for Allen was that it went out on the Fox documentary "Being Liverpool". No pressure then Joe, it was only being broadcast to well any household in the watching world with a working television.

Allen's career actually started full of promise and Yaya Toure commented after last season's two all draw with Man City at Anfield that it was the toughest match of his Premier League career, due in the large part to him chasing Joe Allen passes. However Allen soon lost his place in the side to Jordan Henderson and he doesn't look like reclaiming it any time soon. Joe needn't worry though. Start playing like Xavi and he'll be back in the team quicker than you can say er, sixty nine. Easy.

Number 2: Antonio Nunez

Tony Nunez flew into Liverpool in 2004 as part of the deal that took Michael Owen to Real Madrid. Liverpool fans could be forgiven for thinking that their club had got a bit of a raw deal out of the Owen transfer.

An £8 million fee was not exactly market value for a player who had consistently been the club's top goalscorer and whose CV included a balon d'or. But the miserly fee was largely disregarded when Rafa Benitez disclosed that the deal also comprised a part exchange deal with Nunez coming in the opposite direction.

A Real Madrid reserve player who Rafa apparently knew all about from his time in Spain was surely a shrewd piece of business, right? Not just that but Rafa went on record as describing Tony as a "right sided John Arne Riise". Now Riise might not have been everyones cup of tea but he was a solid Premier League player that served his club well for a number of years. At this time Riise was regarded as one of the best left backs in the league who could get up and down the pitch and who possessed a ruthless left foot shot, something our blue friends in the Park End knew all too well.

Step forward then Tony Nunez. In a Liverpool career that lasted just one season Nunez failed to establish himself as a regular and he never went on to emulate his team mate Riise. However, by scoring in the League Cup final against Chelsea in 2005 Tony "the baby faced assassin" Nunez ensured his name was to be enshrined in Anfield folklore as he is still to this day the only player to score one goal for the club which was to come in a major cup final.

Another comparison levied at Nunez when he arrived, albeit not by Rafa, was "the Spanish Shaun Wright-Phillips" but I think we'd all have to agree that's doing a massive injustice to Tony, who also boasts a European Cup Winners medal for his exploits with the Reds.

Number 3: Bruno Cheyrou

This feature simply couldn't have been written without including at least one of the triumvirate of signings made by Gerrard Houllier in that fateful summer of 2002. Bruno Cheyrou was the cheaper of a treble that included the delightful Senegalese pair of Diao and Diouf, but his value to the team was apparently going to be unparalleled.

The ink was barely dry on Bruno's contract before Houllier came out and said that his new midfielder "had all the attributes of Zinedine Zidane". Prior to Lionel Messi setting the world on fire there could have only been one contender for the greatest modern day footballer and in Zidane France had a player who had helped them to consecutive international titles in 1998 and 2000.

Little wonder then that the French FA had failed to notice his compatriots ability. I'm sure even Cheyrou would have been embarrassed at the comparison and it goes without saying he didn't achieve anywhere near the unrealistic expectations Houllier had placed on his shoulders. Although come to think of it he didn't really achieve anything of note.

A winning goal at Stamford Bridge was one of very few highlights, oh and ensuring Danny Murphy stopped getting called "Zizou" by his team mates in training...the real aire to Zidane's throne having supposedly now arrived. Come to think of it that's probably the reason Houllier came out with what he did, either that or he thought he was signing Bruno's brother Benoit, a player who every time I have seen play for Marseille looks decent, even if the Zidane comparison is still well wide of the mark.

Number 4: Josemi

A player perhaps best remembered as the lad who got airbrushed out of a picture Steven Gerrard now has hanging up in pride of place at home. (There's nothing more annoying than being photo bombed by a team mate in what is supposed to be the crowning glory of your career is there?). Yet for Jamie Carragher there was something much more annoying.

Not only had reserve player Josemi had the cheek to take Carra's place next to Stevie at the front of the podium when receiving old big ears in Istanbul, he had also come in as Rafa Benitez's first signing and dubbed by Rafa as a player with all the characteristics of Carra himself. Anyone who wants the full version of Carra's insight and opinion on this odd comparison should read his autobiography but I think the man from Bootle sums up everyones thoughts on this obvious error of judgement when he says "Fuck me how bad does Benitez think I am?".

Josemi was a likeable enough player and I'm sure he didn't ask Benitez to go on record as saying he was similar to Carragher but if the truth be told he really wasn't fit to lace Carra's boots. As it happens Josemi can think of himself as something of a trend setter. Long before a certain John Terry was getting changed into his full kit to run around the pitch holding a trophy aloft in spite of playing no part in the game, our very own Josemi was doing it in Istanbul and indeed "doing a Josemi" was to become a common term of endearment heard around the corridors of Melwood for years to come.

Carragher was known to say it to Pepe Reina with reference to his lack of contribution to Spain's World and Euro success. Meanwhile Josemi never did get anywhere near the ridiculously high standards set by Carragher and he has still never made it back onto Steven Gerrard's picture. I think that in itself probably tells you the story of his Anfield career.

Number 5: Djimi Traore

Just where do you begin with the enigma that is Djimi Traore?! A man seemingly capable of the sublime and yet utterly ridiculous in one movement, never mind one game! Djimi just about scrapes into this list of unwarranted comparisons by virtue of falling foul of yet another one of Gerrard Houllier's infamous and frankly shocking endorsements.

When Djimi arrived from club side Laval in France its fair to say expectations were pretty high as the beanpole defender had to deal with being described as a cross between world class defenders Marcel Desailly and Lilian Thuram. Perhaps it was because Djimi was deciding which of these two stalwarts he wanted to most be like that he never hit the heights Houllier promised when the Malian first arrived.

But in a career that spanned 7 years at Liverpool Djimi can hold his head up high. He certainly made a contribution and his performances in Istanbul and in the games leading up to the final deserve special mention. Not living up to two of Frances best defenders of all time is no disgrace and it seems Djimi has now accepted that he never will, instead rattling in Tony Yeboah like volleys whilst turning out for the Seattle Sounders in the MLS.

Danny King