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Signings which made you ecstatic but ended up disappointing you most


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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?

Edited by Ivan Katalinic's 'tache
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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.

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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?!

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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.

 

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Edited by Ivan Katalinic's 'tache
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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.

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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.

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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!

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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......

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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.

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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!

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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!!

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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.

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