Underwhelming signings that you were wrong about

[OntarioFox]

Albrighton and Simmo are both club legends. Both were cast-offs and, in Danny's case, a lot of us actively didn't want him here given his past.

Honourable mention for Vardy - most of us would have been pleasantly surprised for him to end up being a solid Championship-level striker coming from non-league, and he looked like failing to even do that in his first year here. Instead he's gone on to become one of the Premier League's all-time greats and probably our greatest ever player. It's a funny old game. Cheers to Nige for persevering, because I like to read that Middlesborough match thread from 13/14 back occasionally to laugh ruefully at how wrong we all were about him.

Edited 18 February 2022 by OntarioFox

[martyn]

5 hours ago, Lineker's Left Foot said:

Various in Brian Little’s first season in charge - Colin Gordon, Paul Fitzpatrick and Nicky Platnauer to name but a few but they all did a job in getting us to the 1992 playoffs - with City having being abysmal for years

My abiding memory of Platnauer was that he was utterly useless. My brain may be playing tricks with me though.

[urban.spaceman]

17 hours ago, Manini said:

Danny Simpson is the answer here. Nobody saw that working out, everybody had something to say regarding his personal life, including me.
 

Went down in history as a legendary fullback for us and hardly ever let us down. Changed my opinion on him massively, one of my favourites from the title winning side. 

I was speaking to someone midway through the 15/16 season who had worked at the club and closely with the players, who was in contact still with people there at the time. I was still quite uneasy having Danny play for us given the serious nature of what he'd been convicted of. They said that Danny had been horrified at what he'd done and with the club and chaplain's help he'd been working really hard on himself, his behaviour and other issues and was desperate to reform himself and be a better man. This was around the time Claudio had changed the fullbacks to Simpson and Fuchs. I was a bit skeptical at first but I kept a close eye on his performances and how he conducted himself in interviews and it's clear to me that I'd been told the truth. 

[Hamilton Fox]

10 minutes ago, martyn said:

My abiding memory of Platnauer was that he was utterly useless. My brain may be playing tricks with me though.

I thought he was useless as well, my memory is that he was the slowest player I have ever seen (until I saw vestergaard)

[Langston]

Agree with Taylor-Fletcher shouts, was so handy over that festive period in 13/14.

[PAPA LAZAROU]

Lineker. Seriously the first time I saw him play I thought he was too lightweight and would never make it.

[tickler28]

When we signed an old and much travelled Tony Cottee. 

[baldeagle]

Another one was  Kevin Phillip’s chipped in with some crucial goals thought he was completely past it 

Edited 18 February 2022 by baldeagle

[Poco]

2 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

O'Neill was the master of the underwhelming signing.

 

You could say that about 80% of his signing.

 

Legend. 

Cottee was the one that stands out for me. I thought he was finished before he went to Malaysia (probably looked worse because West Ham were so 'hot and cold' at the time!) so when we signed him, I thought O'Neill had lost the plot! How wrong I was! 😄

[Electric Yetis]

Just now, Poco said:

Cottee was the one that stands out for me. I thought he was finished before he went to Malaysia (probably looked worse because West Ham were so 'hot and cold' at the time!) so when we signed him, I thought O'Neill had lost the plot! How wrong I was! 😄

I think O'Neill regretted it for a while too. He barely had a look in and was sent out on loan to Birmingham.

 

Wasn't his first goal the winner away at Old Trafford - then it all took off from there.

[Hamilton Fox]

Not turned out good for us but I thought Harry Kane would never make it at top level he was woeful for us. Every goal he scores against us is just him making me eat all my words

[teblin]

Julian watts and Spenser prior.

[Tommy Fresh]

Chris Powell, just for his age really but turned out to be a good squad filler and I imagine good to have around the squad and club in general.

 

Not underwhelming as a signing initially but I'm sure we were all massively underwhelmed when we first saw Robbie Neilson and his long throw. Think we were expecting Delap levels right on to Steve Howard's head.

Edited 18 February 2022 by Tommy Fresh

[sammy82]

Does anyone remember us having a 1.5 million bid accepted for 35 year old rob lee at Newcastle but he turned us down in the O’Neill days?? Or am I imagining it?? 

[sammy82]

4 hours ago, Rain King said:

I'd go the other way with Impey. Was really pleased with his signing - he'd looked good for both QPR and West Ham and Redknapp was angry he'd been sold.

 

Thought he was a huge let down here.

I remember us being linked with the likes of Trevor Sinclair and blomqvist, I was a bit meh when we signed impey but he ended up being a really reliable wing back for us

[Bablemikey]

Nobby Solano. I thought he was well past it when he came, but he still put in some great performances.

[Mickyblueeyes]

Not a player signing. But I was so underwhelmed when we appointed Pearson. I remember thinking we'd messed the appointment up again and shouldve gone someone more experienced. 

 

I now love the man. What a boss. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

Dickov and Deane. Again, I thought we'd missed a trick by not sticking Sturridge next to Akinbiyi as I thought they would scored loads in the Championship. 

I'm actually quite shit at judging signings. 

[Foxaholic ME]

19 hours ago, Nalis said:

I thought Taggart would be shite but he was alright.

So did I after his first game but he was definately more than all right

[FoxinNotts]

Jannick Vestergaard. Despite an unbelievably shakey start, he went on to help us win our first European trophy, and secure us a top half finish, in his first season, putting in some great consistent performances whilst making no individual errors and winning nearly everything in the air, for his last 20 games of the '21/22 season. 

[Electric Yetis]

1 hour ago, sammy82 said:

I remember us being linked with the likes of Trevor Sinclair and blomqvist, I was a bit meh when we signed impey but he ended up being a really reliable wing back for us

Yeah he was fine and did a decent job. Suppose I was just underwhelmed after the fan fare surrounding him and seeing what he had done previously, especially at QPR.

[Sampson]

Found the transfer thread from when we were first linked with Big Wes. Seemed to be a split between people who were up in arms and people who were excited saying he was great and in team of the season the season before and had an injury that season. Who’d have known what a player he’d become for us. 
 

Many seemed distrust we were selling Sean St Ledger, as apparently Big Wes wasn’t half the player of St Ledger! 

Edited 18 February 2022 by Sampson

[Guest Fox-66]

On 17/02/2022 at 19:41, Vacamion said:

 

You lot are just naming recent decent  players...  

I was not impressed when Rodney Fern signed on for us from Measham Imps. Yes, Measham Imps FFS!    But surely we all must remember his spectacular over-head scissor kick at the Kop end against Birmingham? First game of the 1969-70 season  - Yes? . We won 3-1  Rodney was our top scorer that season with 18 goals and was the original owner of  the song...."He's here, he's there, he's every ****** where, Rodney Fern, Rodney Fern" .  The previous season, we reached the F.A. Cup Final    but lost and then got relegated into 2nd tier.   Welcome to the roller coaster that we all love. 

Edited 18 February 2022 by Fox-66

[Fox92]

40 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Found the transfer thread from when we were first linked with Big Wes. Seemed to be a split between people who were up in arms and people who were excited saying he was great and in team of the season the season before and had an injury that season. Who’d have known what a player he’d become for us. 
 

Many seemed distrust we were selling Sean St Ledger, as apparently Big Wes wasn’t half the player of St Ledger! 

I like my post

 

Quote

I do think he is a good defender. But, I question why we are going for him

 

[adejo92]

Vestergaard.

 

I Knew he would be bad but nothing could prepare me for just how bad.

Edited 18 February 2022 by adejo92