Average players you REALLY wanted us to sign....

[mouse1989]

Darren Bent

[eeyore]

Darren Bent

That must hurt

[Tony Moanero]

 

 

Was made up when he signed and absolutely gutted when he left.

[neopulian]

Gary Neville obviously. 

Kidding asides, Bruno N'Gotty, I thought he was an uber stud when we played PSG in the old CWC semi -- and was annoyed that good old Roy Evans only signed players from the Scandinavia rather than someone like him. He had a good career, but not great. 

I fell hard for Dribril Cisse. He did win us a Super Cup though he got nowhere near living up to his early potential. 

Ross Barkley. 

 

The opposite side of this coin, unglamorous players that I wish to have stayed longer: Craig Bellamy. Howard Gayle for some reason reminds me a lot of the mad Welshman. 

[Ne Moe Imya]

I was absolutely gagging for us to sign Lucas Moura.

 

Was talking with a friend from Brasil, he told me to keep an eye out for him so I suppose there was a hipster factor in that I sort of felt "I knew him before he was a big name" effect.  But then he tore up the U20 World Cup and I just knew he was going to be a huge star.  Linked with United, us, Bayern, all sorts, and his youtube clips were insanely good.

 

Then he chased the money and went to PSG as one of their first big-money signings after the takeover and ... well, he hasn't been awful, but he's never lived up to his potential.  Still only 25, I suppose there's time to turn it around somewhat, but it's pretty clear he's never going to be the next Rivaldo like people thought 5 years ago.

 

On his way out of PSG this summer, be interesting to see where he ends up.  Could be a case where he goes somewhere like Sevilla and revives his career, or could be something where he goes to a mid-table Premier League club like Jese did and just ends his career a damp squib.

[El Dangerous]

Danny Invincible. Never even seen him play.

[Grinch]

Surprised no one has said Carroll or Benteke yet, I thought the former was going to be good alongside Suarez....

[Trumo]

 

 

 

Was made up when he signed and absolutely gutted when he left.

 

 

To be fair, by the time he left he was behind both Fowler and Collymore in the pecking order. Was a legend all the same.

[Trumo]

Andrei Arshavin. He wasn't an average player by any means but he was pretty mediocre at Arsenal, except for when he played against us. He'd looked great for Zenit the season before when they won the UEFA Cup, and he played a key part in getting Russia to the semi finals at Euro 2008. I recall us wanting to sign him from Zenit in January 2009 but we didn't have the cash, despite selling Robbie Keane back to Spurs.

[Kevin D]

The 2000s were quite full for me.

 

We had a chronic lack of pace which meant that A) anyone who could run always made me sit up and B ) if they were playing against us, a player who could really run, looked like a world beater.

 

Mr Speaker, enter Aaron Lennon.

[Hades]

The 2000s were quite full for me.

 

We had a chronic lack of pace which meant that A) anyone who could run always made me sit up and B ) if they were playing against us, a player who could really run, looked like a world beater.

 

Mr Speaker, enter Aaron Lennon.

 

This is why Kuyt, good player though he was, made my blood boil. He was symptomatic of a team lacking in pace and genuine creative magic everywhere. If he had been put in a Klopp team I'd likely have a more favourable opinion of him.

[Pidge]

Surprised no one has said Carroll or Benteke yet, I thought the former was going to be good alongside Suarez....

 

I thought Carroll was the right player at the wrong price.  Might have been, but his fucked knees have turned him full clogger so in retrospect it wouldn't have worked at any price. Don't see many more 20 yarders being swept into the corner in his future.  He went from 'up-and-coming' to 'fucked and past it' faster than Pete Doherty.

[Pidge]

Cast your mind back to that August night in 2014. The frustration of the weeks before, missing out on Alexis Sanchez. The terror of Lambert or Borini leading the line. The agony of rejection. The ecstasy of seeing Balotelli's little head popping out of the car. The bright red moon shoes. The belief in Rodgers that he knew what he was doing.

 

Come on, you know you wanted it. I'm not the only one, am I?

 

Like Shaqiri, has the talent, but not the application.  Shaqiri is a bit smarter (a bit) at least.

[Kevin D]

I thought Carroll was the right player at the wrong price.  Might have been, but his fucked knees have turned him full clogger so in retrospect it wouldn't have worked at any price. Don't see many more 20 yarders being swept into the corner in his future.  He went from 'up-and-coming' to 'fucked and past it' faster than Pete Doherty.

I said it at the time that we should not sign Bentenke, for reasons that were extremely obvious, but he's a very good premier league striker.

 

One doesn't have to be Henry, to be really effective in this league. If you play to his strengths he'll get you 18-25 goals a season, which is a rare thing at this level.

[Grinch]

I said it at the time that we should not sign Bentenke, for reasons that were extremely obvious, but he's a very good premier league striker.

 

One doesn't have to be Henry, to be really effective in this league. If you play to his strengths he'll get you 18-25 goals a season, which is a rare thing at this level.

Palace have been playing to these supposed strenghts of his. Isn't getting them anywhere either.

[Pidge]

I said it at the time that we should not sign Bentenke, for reasons that were extremely obvious, but he's a very good premier league striker.

 

One doesn't have to be Henry, to be really effective in this league. If you play to his strengths he'll get you 18-25 goals a season, which is a rare thing at this level.

 

Yep and at the time (still coming off the Rafa years), when we were often frustrated and concentrated more on defence anyway, I always felt we could do with a different option.  I always liked Crouch because he gave us a roll of the dice off the bench at least, thought we missed having a player like him at the time.

 

Looking back he was a much better player than either of them and they were brought in to be first choice!

[Kevin D]

Palace have been playing to these supposed strenghts of his. Isn't getting them anywhere either.

He was brilliant for Villa and has been for Belgium.

 

I have two words, for you mate: Brendan Rodgers.

 

Maybe Rodgers told him he was fantastic human being and would he like to go see Tinie Tempah with him at the Arena, but then he went with someone else. That killed his confidence.

[Dave D]

Mark Draper when he was at Leicester (he eventually joined Villa)

 

Charles NZogbia.

 

Scott Dann- although he's still probably better than what we have

[Dicko]

I always thought the other young defender at City, Onouha, was going to be decent.

 

Er, no.

Is this St Alban's finest?

I'm a fleeting visitor now and everybody keeps changing their name and I lose track.

 

If it's not please except my humblest apologies.

[UnwelcomeinPeru]

Andy Awford.

[thegreatelephant]

Ulrich van Gobbel

[Red74]

Nigel Clough

[Gnasher]

Eric Cantana from Leeds ended up being not good enough to get a game for a shit French national team, became disillusioned with the club he was with so packed it all in to do beer commercials.

[VladimirIlyich]

 

Was made up when he signed and absolutely gutted when he left.

Did a good job for us. I wish our average signings did as competent a job as he did.

[Boss]

This was a corker from Nightcat a while ago. 

 

REMEMBER THE DATE AND TIME.

 

Will Buckley who signed for Sunderland from Brighton, will be PHENOMENAL. He is a top top player. He will be playing for United, City or Chelsea next summer.