I liked diawara, but remember a few stories about him turning up for training pissed. Dowie described him as "the best defender you've never heard of" and whilst he was good, maybe no thought went into settling him in?
Traore... worst ever ECL winner ever surely? Imagine being part of the starting line up of a champions league winning team and being valued at what? 5 million? Liverpool knew... then mugged us off on the shelvey price a few years later...
Also.. not sure we paid a fee but biggest let down? Jesper Blomqvist.. I remember being at school among Man U, Spurs etc fans... when we signed him I finally had an excuse to give it the big un for the first time ever.. my counterparts were suitably impressed.. what a fucking let down that was.
I liked diawara, but remember a few stories about him turning up for training pissed. Dowie described him as "the best defender you've never heard of" and whilst he was good, maybe no thought went into settling him in?
I think you’ll find it was Murray who described him as that.
Because I'm late and all the obvious ones have been mentioned... Left field, I'll go with Igor. Don't blame him too much, we made him play injured and basically ruined him.
But I remember that pre-season and first couple of months. Five goals in his first five league games including a double at Brighton. Shame it didn't last.
Because I'm late and all the obvious ones have been mentioned... Left field, I'll go with Igor. Don't blame him too much, we made him play injured and basically ruined him.
But I remember that pre-season and first couple of months. Five goals in his first five league games including a double at Brighton. Shame it didn't last.
Remember an absolutely outrageous goal he scored at Pompey in a friendly , thought we'd found someone very very special after how he started and then he was completely mismanaged and we never saw that player again. Oh what could have been.
Because I'm late and all the obvious ones have been mentioned... Left field, I'll go with Igor. Don't blame him too much, we made him play injured and basically ruined him.
But I remember that pre-season and first couple of months. Five goals in his first five league games including a double at Brighton. Shame it didn't last.
That doesn't make him one of the worst buys. He did well for us but, like you point out, had his injury problems exacerbated by our handling of him.
Jack Burkett was a bit of a flop after being an ever-present at West Ham. I think the fee was small, but he moved on to Millwall and Southend (twice) without playing a game.
Because I'm late and all the obvious ones have been mentioned... Left field, I'll go with Igor. Don't blame him too much, we made him play injured and basically ruined him.
But I remember that pre-season and first couple of months. Five goals in his first five league games including a double at Brighton. Shame it didn't last.
Igor was on fire 🔥 when he first joined before the injury happened. On that basis, he would be on my didn't fulfil potential list rather than rubbish list.
I have family in Ireland and was over there at the time when he was scoring. I was walking along the local high street and a guy stopped and shouted iggoooorrrrrr at me.
Was trawling through the posts wondering why Ralph Milne' s name hadn't been mentioned. On signing he was described as a combative midfielder with a ferocious shot on him. Ha ha, I remember watching him lurking out wide, very occasionally getting the ball, then doing nothing with it. I swear he had one leg shorter than the other. I reckon we bought an insurance write off.
Was trawling through the posts wondering why Ralph Milne' s name hadn't been mentioned. On signing he was described as a combative midfielder with a ferocious shot on him. Ha ha, I remember watching him lurking out wide, very occasionally getting the ball, then doing nothing with it. I swear he had one leg shorter than the other. I reckon we bought an insurance write off.
I liked diawara, but remember a few stories about him turning up for training pissed. Dowie described him as "the best defender you've never heard of" and whilst he was good, maybe no thought went into settling him in?
I think you’ll find it was Murray who described him as that.
Yeah and he meant it sarcastically at the time, if I'm not mistaken.
Neil Redfearn is my shout. Very excited we signed him at the time, and I have a lot of memories of our first year in the prem, but I don't remember him doing anything.
That two year period after Curbs left we wasted so much money (that sadly Curbs would have spent wisely):
Faye £2m Traore £2m Diawara £3.7m (and a £900k loss in a year) Varney £2m (loaned out and lost £1m a year later) McLeod £1.1m
Diawara was a cracking player - had an excellent career after leaving Charlton.
He was awful for us, couldn’t handle the aerial stuff in the English game, got bullied for fun by the aggressive number 9s.
By the end of the season was dropped for HH an the Elk.
Diawara made a couple of mistakes as he adjusted to rhe hoofball game that was being played - don't remember him being bullied. A class player compared to HH etc..
Was trawling through the posts wondering why Ralph Milne' s name hadn't been mentioned. On signing he was described as a combative midfielder with a ferocious shot on him. Ha ha, I remember watching him lurking out wide, very occasionally getting the ball, then doing nothing with it. I swear he had one leg shorter than the other. I reckon we bought an insurance write off.
Who went onto play for Man Utd 😎
Yep. Think he went there after a stint at Bristol City. For me, still one the most unlikely/bizarre transfers in modern times.
That two year period after Curbs left we wasted so much money (that sadly Curbs would have spent wisely):
Faye £2m Traore £2m Diawara £3.7m (and a £900k loss in a year) Varney £2m (loaned out and lost £1m a year later) McLeod £1.1m
Diawara was a cracking player - had an excellent career after leaving Charlton.
He was awful for us, couldn’t handle the aerial stuff in the English game, got bullied for fun by the aggressive number 9s.
By the end of the season was dropped for HH an the Elk.
Did we sign another Diawara ? because the one that i saw who played for us was class.
I think how bad he was has been overstated a little bit but he definitely wasn't class for us. He played 26 games in a defence that conceded 60 goals and finished 19th. I think if we'd been less bad overall he might have had a bit more time to adapt but he was a long way from class sadly
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By the end of the season was dropped for HH an the Elk.
But I remember that pre-season and first couple of months. Five goals in his first five league games including a double at Brighton. Shame it didn't last.
Remember an absolutely outrageous goal he scored at Pompey in a friendly , thought we'd found someone very very special after how he started and then he was completely mismanaged and we never saw that player again. Oh what could have been.
He did well for us but, like you point out, had his injury problems exacerbated by our handling of him.
Dave Mehmet
We have a winner, close the thread
I have family in Ireland and was over there at the time when he was scoring. I was walking along the local high street and a guy stopped and shouted iggoooorrrrrr at me.
edit
I was wearing a Charlton top
Was trawling through the posts wondering why Ralph Milne' s name hadn't been mentioned. On signing he was described as a combative midfielder with a ferocious shot on him. Ha ha, I remember watching him lurking out wide, very occasionally getting the ball, then doing nothing with it. I swear he had one leg shorter than the other. I reckon we bought an insurance write off.
Neil Redfearn is my shout. Very excited we signed him at the time, and I have a lot of memories of our first year in the prem, but I don't remember him doing anything.
A particularly vivid memory was him absolutely shitting the bed vs Sheffield United at home and being subbed for Bougherra in the last 15 minutes.
No doubt he had quality in the French game but he wasn’t cut out for English football.