PSR
Geoff Thomas
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opi...y-transfer-window-signings-article271979.html
In our Top 10 best buys feature, we argued that the January transfer window isn't just about desperate managers making ill-informed panic buys or pay over-the-odds for other clubs' cast-offs .
Although, it must be said, that it quite often is, as this Top 10 of rubbish buys proves:
And at one time we employed 3 of this Top Ten - Not that I agree with this list!!!! Though the Mirror does make arguably good points for some of them.
10) Afonso Alves (Heerenveen to Middlesbrough, £12million, 2008)
Proof that holding a Brazilian passport doesn't automatically make you a footballing God, Afonso Alves pitched up at the Riverside on transfer deadline day with a CV boasting 45 goals in 39 starts for his previous club. Unfortunately for long-suffering Boro fans, that club was Heerenveen in the somewhat shonky Dutch league. Alves' return of nine goals from 29 Premier League matches tells its own story…
9) Jimmy Bullard (Fulham to Hull, £5million, 2009)
Hull City fans thought they'd pulled off one of the transfer coups of the millennium when they snapped up contract rebel Jimmy Bullard for a relatively bargainsome £5million. Sadly, the only winners in this deal appear to be Fulham. The midfielder's time at the KC Stadium has been blighted by injury, and despite bagging two goals, Bullard's six starts in 12 months represents shocking value for money for one of the Premier League's less wealthy clubs.
8 Kevin Nolan (Bolton to Newcastle, £4million, 2009)
A hero at the Reebok, Kevin Nolan pitched up at St James' Park as a potential England star with a reputation as one of the Premier League's most tenacious midfield generals. That he's currently plying his trade in the Championship with as much chance of playing in the 2010 World Cup as you or I sadly says as much about the chaotic stewardship of Magpies owner Mike Ashley as it does Nolan's talents.
7) Andy Reid (Nottingham Forest to Tottenham, £4million, 2005)
Signed as part of a package that also took Michael Dawson to Spurs, Andy Reid's mercifully brief tenure at White Hart Lane will be remembered more for his ever-increasing girth than the solitary goal he notched in a 5-1 rout of Aston Villa. Spurs were more than happy to take a £1million hit when they offloaded him to Charlton the following August.
6) Scott Parker (Charlton to Chelsea, £10million, 2004)
Proof, if proof were needed, that flaunting your newfound financial wealth in January is no guarantee of success (hello, Manchester City fans), Chelsea forked out a fortune for this - then - young England star, only to then let him rot in the reserves for almost all of his year and a half stay at the Bridge. Parker made just eight league starts for the Blues before eventually being offloaded to - where else? - Newcastle for just £6.5million.
5) Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid to Liverpool, £6.3million, 2005)
Rafa Benitez has had as many misses as hits in the transfer market since taking over at Anfield, but few have been as disastrous as Fernando Morientes. The Spaniard was touted as one of the best strikers in Europe when he arrived from Real Madrid. Liverpool fans were queuing up to drive him to the airport when he was eventually sold to Valencia in a cut-price deal in July 2006.
4) Marlon King (Watford to Wigan, £4million, 2008)
Despite missing almost all of Watford's disastrous 2006-07 Premier League campaign, Marlon King's reasonably prolific strike rate in the Championship persuaded Steve Bruce to take a pricey punt in 2008. One goal in 15 league starts later, the forward was unceremoniously shipped out to newly-promoted Hull on a season-long loan. The custodial sentence he received in October 2009 for sexual assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, only compounded the folly of this panic purchase.
3) Jean-Alain Boumsong (Rangers to Newcastle, £8million, 2005)
The Cameroon defender arrived at St James' Park with a fine reputation following successful spells in Scotland and France. Unfortunately, he then set about dismantling said reputation with a series of woefully inept defensive displays that made even Titus Bramble look good in comparison. Just 18 months - and 47 comical league games - later he was on his way to Juventus at a loss of almost £5million.
2) Savio Nsereko (Brescia to West Ham £9million, 2009)
To cushion the blow of Craig Bellamy's departure to Manchester City, German Under-20 prospect Savio was sold to bewildered West Ham fans as one of the best young talents in Europe. It didn't take too many of his 10 appearances in the claret and blue for those same fans to realise they had, in fact, been sold a pup. The Hammers' record signing was eventually shipped out to Fiorentina six months later.
1) Nigel Quashie (Portsmouth to Southampton, £2.1million, 2005, and West Brom to West Ham £1.5million, 2007)
Look away now, MK Dons fans: if the man nicknamed Uncle Albert - after the Only Fools And Horsescharacter who went down on every ship he sailed on - is linked with your club this January then you might as well give up on the season now. He only failed at West Ham to repeat his trick of relegating Southampton four months after signing when injury forced Alan Curbishley into playing Mark Noble instead. Well, that and Carlos Tevez, obviously.
In our Top 10 best buys feature, we argued that the January transfer window isn't just about desperate managers making ill-informed panic buys or pay over-the-odds for other clubs' cast-offs .
Although, it must be said, that it quite often is, as this Top 10 of rubbish buys proves:
And at one time we employed 3 of this Top Ten - Not that I agree with this list!!!! Though the Mirror does make arguably good points for some of them.
10) Afonso Alves (Heerenveen to Middlesbrough, £12million, 2008)
Proof that holding a Brazilian passport doesn't automatically make you a footballing God, Afonso Alves pitched up at the Riverside on transfer deadline day with a CV boasting 45 goals in 39 starts for his previous club. Unfortunately for long-suffering Boro fans, that club was Heerenveen in the somewhat shonky Dutch league. Alves' return of nine goals from 29 Premier League matches tells its own story…
9) Jimmy Bullard (Fulham to Hull, £5million, 2009)
Hull City fans thought they'd pulled off one of the transfer coups of the millennium when they snapped up contract rebel Jimmy Bullard for a relatively bargainsome £5million. Sadly, the only winners in this deal appear to be Fulham. The midfielder's time at the KC Stadium has been blighted by injury, and despite bagging two goals, Bullard's six starts in 12 months represents shocking value for money for one of the Premier League's less wealthy clubs.
8 Kevin Nolan (Bolton to Newcastle, £4million, 2009)
A hero at the Reebok, Kevin Nolan pitched up at St James' Park as a potential England star with a reputation as one of the Premier League's most tenacious midfield generals. That he's currently plying his trade in the Championship with as much chance of playing in the 2010 World Cup as you or I sadly says as much about the chaotic stewardship of Magpies owner Mike Ashley as it does Nolan's talents.
7) Andy Reid (Nottingham Forest to Tottenham, £4million, 2005)
Signed as part of a package that also took Michael Dawson to Spurs, Andy Reid's mercifully brief tenure at White Hart Lane will be remembered more for his ever-increasing girth than the solitary goal he notched in a 5-1 rout of Aston Villa. Spurs were more than happy to take a £1million hit when they offloaded him to Charlton the following August.
6) Scott Parker (Charlton to Chelsea, £10million, 2004)
Proof, if proof were needed, that flaunting your newfound financial wealth in January is no guarantee of success (hello, Manchester City fans), Chelsea forked out a fortune for this - then - young England star, only to then let him rot in the reserves for almost all of his year and a half stay at the Bridge. Parker made just eight league starts for the Blues before eventually being offloaded to - where else? - Newcastle for just £6.5million.
5) Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid to Liverpool, £6.3million, 2005)
Rafa Benitez has had as many misses as hits in the transfer market since taking over at Anfield, but few have been as disastrous as Fernando Morientes. The Spaniard was touted as one of the best strikers in Europe when he arrived from Real Madrid. Liverpool fans were queuing up to drive him to the airport when he was eventually sold to Valencia in a cut-price deal in July 2006.
4) Marlon King (Watford to Wigan, £4million, 2008)
Despite missing almost all of Watford's disastrous 2006-07 Premier League campaign, Marlon King's reasonably prolific strike rate in the Championship persuaded Steve Bruce to take a pricey punt in 2008. One goal in 15 league starts later, the forward was unceremoniously shipped out to newly-promoted Hull on a season-long loan. The custodial sentence he received in October 2009 for sexual assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, only compounded the folly of this panic purchase.
3) Jean-Alain Boumsong (Rangers to Newcastle, £8million, 2005)
The Cameroon defender arrived at St James' Park with a fine reputation following successful spells in Scotland and France. Unfortunately, he then set about dismantling said reputation with a series of woefully inept defensive displays that made even Titus Bramble look good in comparison. Just 18 months - and 47 comical league games - later he was on his way to Juventus at a loss of almost £5million.
2) Savio Nsereko (Brescia to West Ham £9million, 2009)
To cushion the blow of Craig Bellamy's departure to Manchester City, German Under-20 prospect Savio was sold to bewildered West Ham fans as one of the best young talents in Europe. It didn't take too many of his 10 appearances in the claret and blue for those same fans to realise they had, in fact, been sold a pup. The Hammers' record signing was eventually shipped out to Fiorentina six months later.
1) Nigel Quashie (Portsmouth to Southampton, £2.1million, 2005, and West Brom to West Ham £1.5million, 2007)
Look away now, MK Dons fans: if the man nicknamed Uncle Albert - after the Only Fools And Horsescharacter who went down on every ship he sailed on - is linked with your club this January then you might as well give up on the season now. He only failed at West Ham to repeat his trick of relegating Southampton four months after signing when injury forced Alan Curbishley into playing Mark Noble instead. Well, that and Carlos Tevez, obviously.
