Poor signings that came good!

[the magic man]

Hulse definitely, and of course Stead - as has already been said, he oh so nearly kept us up. When he scored that goal at charlton i went mental - one of the best away days for me of recent years. And the finish against West Ham at the lane was sublime. I think if Hulse hadn't been injured the pair of them would have fired us to safety.

But my favourite by miles is the good ship Shipperley

 

[Bayingblade]

Was that the evening when him and Wilf Rostron gifted Sunderland two goals with some of the worst defending ever to (dis)grace the Lane?

It could have been Walthy

 

[JJ Sefton]

Hulse definitely, and of course Stead - as has already been said, he oh so nearly kept us up. When he scored that goal at charlton i went mental - one of the best away days for me of recent years. And the finish against West Ham at the lane was sublime. I think if Hulse hadn't been injured the pair of them would have fired us to safety.

Charlton was an awesome day out, the sort of thing I cast my mind back to whenever I question if supporting United is worth the effort.

Agree about his goal against West Ham too. Walthamstow Snr described it as "Woodward-esque".

 

[Darren]

I seem to remember him struggling during those first 16 games Darren and coming good once we got going.

Although I do recall a superb performance against Sunderland one cold tuesday evening which may have been his turning point? I'm sure you can help with that

If you are referring to the 0-2 defeat on 24/11/90, that was a Saturday, not a Tuesday and, as WB says below, in that game Beesley did gift Sunderland two goals scored by Marco Gabbiadini. The second was particularly appalling. It was the last minute. We were losing 1-0 and instead of lumping it forward he and Rostron were playing passy-passy on the edge of our own box. MG ambled aimlessly forward and one of PB's passes went straight to him leaving him with a short run to plant the ball past Tracey.

Anyway, the main point is that Beesley wasn't a poor signing in the sense that everyone thought he would be rubbish. He was surprisngly rubbish at first and then performed to the standard we originally thought he would.

 

[Bayingblade]

If you are referring to the 0-2 defeat on 24/11/90, that was a Saturday, not a Tuesday and, as WB says below, in that game Beesley did gift Sunderland two goals scored by Marco Gabbiadini. The second was particularly appalling. It was the last minute. We were losing 1-0 and instead of lumping it forward he and Rostron were playing passy-passy on the edge of our own box. MG ambled aimlessly forward and one of PB's passes went straight to him leaving him with a short run to plant the ball past Tracey.

Anyway, the main point is that Beesley wasn't a poor signing in the sense that everyone thought he would be rubbish. He was surprisngly rubbish at first and then performed to the standard we originally thought he would.

I'd disagree about the expectation Darren. He cost what, 375k?? from Orient? and had never played above the 3rd division if I'm not mistaken. While 375k was alot for us at the time, it still wasn't a big fee for a top flight club. My argument is that at first, he looked a poor signing but came good. Agreed?

 

[Darren]

I'd disagree about the expectation Darren. He cost what, 375k?? from Orient? and had never played above the 3rd division if I'm not mistaken. While 375k was alot for us at the time, it still wasn't a big fee for a top flight club. My argument is that at first, he looked a poor signing but came good. Agreed?

sort of. I remember an article in FB at the start of the 90-91 season raving about how good PB was and how he was a very good signing.

 

[Bayingblade]

sort of. I remember an article in FB at the start of the 90-91 season raving about how good PB was and how he was a very good signing.

As it was only 19 years ago Darren, I'm sure you can remember the article word for word.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I'd disagree about the expectation Darren. He cost what, 375k?? from Orient? and had never played above the 3rd division if I'm not mistaken. While 375k was alot for us at the time, it still wasn't a big fee for a top flight club. My argument is that at first, he looked a poor signing but came good. Agreed?

At the risk of being picky I think the point of the thread is players who people thought were crap when they were signed but who turned out ok or better. Its really, I think, a question of what the general perception was of the player and signing at the time it was made. Deane, for example, cost very little (40k?) and turned out to be amazing but was the signing of a young striker for loose change from Donny really that terrible given the lack of cash at the club at the time? As I say, its difficult with the Bassett years because we were always taking punts with peanuts.

Id also be tempted to include Gillespie. Pay as you play initially but came into his own in the Prem (until Reading at least).

 

[Bayingblade]

At the risk of being picky I think the point of the thread is players who people thought were crap when they were signed but who turned out ok or better. Its really, I think, a question of what the general perception was of the player and signing at the time it was made. Deane, for example, cost very little (40k?) and turned out to be amazing but was the signing of a young striker for loose change from Donny really that terrible given the lack of cash at the club at the time? As I say, its difficult with the Bassett years because we were always taking punts with peanuts.

Id also be tempted to include Gillespie. Pay as you play initially but came into his own in the Prem (until Reading at least).

I know what you mean Walthy but that tends to restrict the options because you would need to have an opinion of the player before he'd signed and for many years most of the players we signed we'd never heard of!!

 

[Guesty]

This is a joke..... .right ?

He put together a great side, in fairness.

 

[JohnDenver]

He put together a great side, in fairness.

Was he a great manager or just a lucky one? Charles Green bought Vass Borbokis (of all people). And Mike McDonald's floatation cash funded Paul McGrath and Brian Deane et al.

Quite frankly, if we hadn't played good stuff with those players, we never would.