When did a decision humble you

[It'sblueupnorth]

9 minutes ago, Danno said:

I thought Soyuncu would go on to be one of the best in the world 🤣 

His drop off has been crazy tbh. Premier league team of the year to milling about in the Turkish prem at 29. Wonder what actually went wrong

[fazzyfox]

On 16/10/2025 at 14:24, Guy said:

Yep, Fenton the flop! Surprising as he was a relatively young age when signing for us and looked good to get goals aplenty for us, given how he was at Blackburn beforehand. 

I always remember this O’Neill classic quote after a game, I think it was Chelsea away:-

 

Reporter - “Emile Heskey only looked 50% fit”

O’Neill “50%? More like 10% but a dead Emile Heskey is still a better option than the alternatives”

Fenton was fit, available and on the bench! A pretty damning ability assessment - worse than a corpse!!

[Guy]

see below

Edited 18 October 2025 by Guy

[Guy]

1 hour ago, fazzyfox said:

I always remember this O’Neill classic quote after a game, I think it was Chelsea away:-

 

Reporter - “Emile Heskey only looked 50% fit”

O’Neill “50%? More like 10% but a dead Emile Heskey is still a better option than the alternatives”

Fenton was fit, available and on the bench! A pretty damning ability assessment - worse than a corpse!!

Lol, damning indeed. I'm assuming we lost that game then?! It was a well known fact at the time that O'Neill had more of an eye for great bargain buys but was woeful when it came to spending big! Overall his signings were great but the longer he was here for then they became a wee bit strange for sure. The obvious masterstrokes (your Steve Claridges, Matt Elliots, Spencer Priors, Kasey Kellers, Ian Marshalls, Neil Lennons, Muzzy Izzets, and Steve Guppys),  to more than get us promoted with some of the signings and the rest to well equip us to stay up once in the Prem......were mixed in latterly with some strange ones like the aforementioned Fenton (albeit who appeared to be an inspiring one to begin with but who just never got going), along with say an Arnar Gunnlaugsson! Robbie Savage, Tony Cottee and Gerry Taggart were the more inspiring latter signings after he'd been with us for two seasons though....

[tinpot_fox]

On 16/10/2025 at 13:09, LeePhilpottsBaldSpot said:

I try not to get over-excited any more when I've actually heard of a player we've signed, as it generally has meant they're past it.

 

Coady, Keown, N'Gotty, Upson, Johansson, Howey, Wise, Decordova-Reid, Bennett, Dublin, Vassell, Fenton...

 

There are exceptions of course (Huth, Evans, Cottee) and I know every signing is a gamble, but our record signing "experienced pros" feels poor at best.

 

I reckon poorly the performing "experienced pros" at Leicester is skewed by 2 or 3 seasons and at least 1 managers signing his ex player through his mate of an agent.

 

On 18/10/2025 at 11:35, Danno said:

I thought Soyuncu would go on to be one of the best in the world 🤣 

To be first I do think Atlético Madrid did make a profit on him 

[GorlestonFox]

Announcing Claudio as the new manager 

[Danno]

On 18/10/2025 at 12:45, It'sblueupnorth said:

His drop off has been crazy tbh. Premier league team of the year to milling about in the Turkish prem at 29. Wonder what actually went wrong

Don’t think he was ever actually that good, was just lucky to be in a good team at the time. 

[The Horse's Mouth]

I did think signing matt mills was a real statement that we’d turned the corner and we’re going to piss the league 

[Leicesterpool]

Thinking the goalkeeper Ricardo was world class, super buzzing when we signed him. The goalkeeper who knocked England out twice, famous for taking his gloves off when making the saves... what did we get?

 

Wow he was terrible made Conrad Logan look better.

[Westlife]

I remember thinking selling Spencer Prior midway through the 98/99 season was a mistake, even though we'd signed Frank Sinclair and Gerry Taggart. Then we won the Premier League in 2016, so I guess I'm the one with egg on my face . . . 

[HybridFox]

Thinking we didn't need to sign anyone in the January 2020 window...

 

The Champions League misses were hard to swallow but the one that humbled and probably a sign of things to come was the League Cup semi final tie vs Villa and the way Brendan approached the games.

 

Absolutely tw*tted them home and away in the league scoring 4 goals in each. To the extent their fans were dreading playing us and it's like we completely sh*t the bed forgetting how to play football in both legs!

 

I was fully expecting us to be in that final, let alone hope. At least we managed the FA Cup later I guess but I felt we warranted something in 2019-20. People were debating whether they were better than our title winning squad at one point ffs!

Edited 21 October 2025 by HybridFox

[ramboacdc]

When Kante came on for his debut against Sunderland, I honestly left the ground thinking that he was dreadful. 

 

I also thought Iheanacho would bring more than he did when we signed him. 

[murphy]

I thought we would get promoted this year.

[CrazyKopCorner]

On 21/10/2025 at 13:55, The Horse's Mouth said:

I did think signing matt mills was a real statement that we’d turned the corner and we’re going to piss the league 

Yes I seemed to remember it being huge news that’s he made the big decision to leave Reading and he’s making his way up the M1. He’s from Rothley as well you know

[worthosoriginals]

On 21/10/2025 at 17:32, ramboacdc said:

When Kante came on for his debut against Sunderland, I honestly left the ground thinking that he was dreadful. 

 

I also thought Iheanacho would bring more than he did when we signed him. 

Proof that the drugs dont work.

[Swarles Barkley]

Before the Portsmouth game I said in the Cifuentes thread we’re a left back and striker away from comfortable top 6. I have since come to realise we are a squad of mostly shite players l, even accounting for the level of the Championship 

Edited 25 October 2025 by Swarles Barkley

[spacemunky]

When I chose to support the team that my dad grew up watching.

[Dan]

Been a very long time I have to say. Just become a doom-merchant and you'll win 95% of the time nowadays.