Signings which made you ecstatic but ended up disappointing you most

With the news that Gaston Ramirez has been released today, to end his highly unsuccessful spell at the club, it made me wonder about which signings others were overjoyed that Saints had made only for that deal to ultimately end in real disappointment. The player doesn't have to be among the most expensive or high profile signings we've made (but clearly this does heighten anticipation), just ones which ended up being a real disappointment for you.

Gaston would certainly be one, for me. I was delighted when he signed as I thought were making a real statement having just rejoined the Premier League and particularly as we'd rammed Lawrenson's remarks back down his throat, when he said he'd never sign for us. Now I wish Lawro had been right! Another would have to be our first million pound player, Alan McLoughlin. He was decent enough but suffered from being shoehorned into a system which didn't suit him, by Chris Nicholl.

Any other offerings?

Osvaldo and Gaston the obvious 2

A. Delgado

R. Skacel

D. Hirst

J. Clasie

Saganowski. He was superb when he was on loan and I was delighted when we signed him, but as soon as he signed up permanently, his motivation went through the floor and I was glad to see the back of him by the end.

Delgado, obviously. Looked like an amazing prospect in that one game against Arsenal. The whole episode was an unmitigated disaster.

Mark Draper. Not as much hype around his arrival, other than the price tag to some extent. Must be the most expensive single goal in saints history.

Osvaldo. He clearly had class, but combined with the fact he was a record signing and then multiplied by the catastrophic manner in which it ended, he's easily the worst signing as far as I can remember.

Actually.....Tadir?!

Dixon and Speedie, a potent pair at Chelsea but at Saints!!

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?45225-Southampton-s-5-Best-and-Worst-Transfer-Signings-of-the-Past-15-Years

thought there was something like this already

We once signed a South American striker that outscored Gabriel Batistuta in Copa America... The Equadorian bomber bombed really hard for us.

And then there was Osvaldo and Gaston...

There's a pattern here.

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Dixon and Speedie, a potent pair at Chelsea but at Saints!!

And to think they replaced Alan Shearer!

With the news that Gaston Ramirez has been released today, to end his highly unsuccessful spell at the club, it made me wonder about which signings others were overjoyed that Saints had made only for that deal to ultimately end in real disappointment. The player doesn't have to be among the most expensive or high profile signings we've made (but clearly this does heighten anticipation), just ones which ended up being a real disappointment for you.

 

Gaston would certainly be one, for me. I was delighted when he signed as I thought were making a real statement having just rejoined the Premier League and particularly as we'd rammed Lawrenson's remarks back down his throat, when he said he'd never sign for us. Now I wish Lawro had been right! Another would have to be our first million pound player, Alan McLoughlin. He was decent enough but suffered from being shoehorned into a system which didn't suit him, by Chris Nicholl.

 

Any other offerings?

Yep, Alan McLoughlin for me. Our first £1m player I believe and a total let down.

Skacel and Saganowski I always thought were decent players, poorly managed. I never really perceived a lack of effort from either of them, especially Saga who ran his arse off in a lot of game. His permanent contract coincided with Burley losing the plot. I remember needing a goal once and Burley sent Saga on with 90 seconds of injury time remaining.

Osvaldo and Gaston go without saying. I'll add Adam Hammill to the list, was expecting him to be a big player, on loan from Liverpool.

In addition to the ones above Mark Draper.

The obvious Osvaldo and Ramirez

- Mark Hughes

- Andrei Kanchelskis

- Scott Marshall

- Perry Groves

- Stuart Ripley

- Neil McCann

- Louis Boa Morte

slightly contreversial and he hasent been awful, but i don't clasie has lived up to his hype that was expected at all

Skacel, after that entire summer of will he won't he. He ended up being nothing special and he probably pushed us over the line financially.

Gaston - Was a signing that lit the imagination of most. We'd all read all summer how the top clubs were after him, he'd had a great Olympics etc. But apart from 'That villa game™' he never did it at all, just didn't seem suited to the rigors of premier league football and how we setup to play.

Osvaldo - another 'big' signing, and an apparent marquee signing. But a catastrophic failure. He was garbage both on and off the field.

Clasie and Juanmi both offer nothing....

Clasie and Juanmi both offer nothing....

Don't think either come in the 'signings which made me ecstatic' bracket tbh.

Clasie was hyped but he is to lightweight koeman needs to get him on the juice mans a midget lol

20 posts in & no mention of Rory Delap ?!

Charlie George - absolutely fantastic player but injured when he joined us and hardly ever fit. When he was fit he was sensational. You could mention Peter Osgood in the same vein as well. A world class player who could be brilliant - such as when he demolished Marseille - but didn't do it enough for us. But then he should never have had to spend three seasons when he was at his playing peak in the second division.

Steve de Ridder and his YouTube video...

Federico Arias.

Federico Arias - the Torpedo

Frankie Bennett

I thought we were getting a world beater after all the press he received.

Obviously at a lower level but Steve De Ridder was a big let down quite hyped at the time but was actually **** (Reading goal aside). Tadanari Lee was another that at the time seemed an exciting signing but er...... wasn't

Thought of another. What about Ronnie Ekelund? Was delighted when we got him off Barcelona & even more delighted when he played his first few games. What a player & linked beautifully with Le Tiss. Then came the back injury & disagreement over treatment & he was never the same again. Gutted for him & us.

Charlie George

David Prutton

Tommy Forecast

Charlie George - absolutely fantastic player but injured when he joined us and hardly ever fit. When he was fit he was sensational. You could mention Peter Osgood in the same vein as well. A world class player who could be brilliant - such as when he demolished Marseille - but didn't do it enough for us. But then he should never have had to spend three seasons when he was at his playing peak in the second division.

Agreed about George. But Osgood stayed with us in the 2nd division, and of course there was that match in 1976! So I can't say I was disappointed with him.

20 posts in & no mention of Rory Delap ?!

I don't know about other people, but I wasn't ecstatic when he signed. More like ... £4 million for him??

Federico Arias - the Torpedo

This. Our only signing in a particular Jan transfer window, when we were crying out for something extra (if I recall). Don't think he even got any game time, did he?

Oh...and Mark Paul (?) - the non-league Michael Owen.

David Prutton

I was really pleased when we got him, looked a real prospect and was England u21 Captain what a disappointment but he was good at clapping the fans!

Delap was our record signing for so long it was embarrassing and Hirst before that!

Mark Paul. I remember being quite excited when we beat a host of clubs to sign him for £75000 from Kings Lynn.

Never played a game. Disappeared into the depths of non-league obscurity.

And to think they replaced Alan Shearer!

I know what you mean, but I don't think either Dixon or Speedie came anywhere near replacing Al.......

they both left in short order with barely a dozen games each played.... If Osvaldo was a waste of money?...then they certainly were on 1992 prices......

Is it too early to say Charlie Austin yet?

I remember being massively under-whelmed the first time I saw Anders Svennson, it was away at Gillingham either in a pre-season friendly or a league cup game. He had been massively bigged up on what would have been the old version of this site and he wasn't at all what I was expecting, just a bit meh. He was always competent but never really that top-level cut-above than many thought we were buying.

I remember being massively under-whelmed the first time I saw Anders Svennson, it was away at Gillingham either in a pre-season friendly or a league cup game. He had been massively bigged up on what would have been the old version of this site and he wasn't at all what I was expecting, just a bit meh. He was always competent but never really that top-level cut-above than many thought we were buying.

Still one of the best footballers I've ever seen in the red and white stripes, truly wasted in WGS's system but I'll never forget him dismantling Spurs!

Still one of the best footballers I've ever seen in the red and white stripes, truly wasted in WGS's system but I'll never forget him dismantling Spurs!

I agree, wasted by WGS and he was awesome in that game against Spuds.

Fit wife too!!

Don't think either come in the 'signings which made me ecstatic' bracket tbh.

#dutchxavi pal

All the above, plus i'd have to say Uwe Rosler.

Frank Saul

Osvaldo and Delgardo stand out a long way.

David Hurst was pretty dissappointing at the time too.

Mark Hughes & Andrei Kanchelskis for me. I know they came to us late in their careers but when I was a kid first getting into football these two were massive stars at United.

Anyone mentioned Tino Delgado? Also Perry Groves

Steve Di Ridder. My lad got 33 on his shirt and everything

Don't think either come in the 'signings which made me ecstatic' bracket tbh.

People were very excited when he signed - next big midfielder in Europe etc. Smashed a few best signings polls before (and maybe after) Van Dijk came.

For me Delgado was a big 'un. I was also quite excited, if not ecstatic, about Mayuka. That went well.

slightly contreversial and he hasent been awful, but i don't clasie has lived up to his hype that was expected at all

Not controversial at all mate. He's been utterly ordinary.

I might even go back 35 years ago ...and say ..Kevin Keegan.

YES alright ....I know he did great things whilst he was with Saints, but the manner of his departure was very disappointing.