Transfer Flops - The official hall of shame

voldemort · 01-12-2007, 05:42 AM

Bosko Balaban - Aston Villa

Signed by John Gregory for 6.5 million from Zagreb, played 40 minutes for the first team in a uefa cup tie and 5 minutes in the carling cup scoring 0 goals.

Marco Boogers - West Ham

Harry Redknapp wasn't always the streetwise London gaffer he is today. The arrival of 'Mad' Marco Boogers for £1m from Sparta Rotterdam in July 1995 was just one of a number of misjudged West Ham imports. Coming on as a substitute against Manchester United in only his second appearance for the club, Boogers was almost immediately red carded for 'a sickening horror tackle' (The Sun) on Gary Neville. He promptly disappeared, discovered several weeks later hiding in a mobile home in a Dutch caravan park. The Boogers debacle, which ended in a loan deal and subsequent free transfer to Groningen despite his protestations - 'I'm not mental' - was the worst of a dreadful Redknapp collection: Florin Raducioiu arrived for £2.4m in July 96 and was sold at a £600,000 loss six months later after missing training for a Harvey Nichols shopping trip; Portuguese supermodel Dani lasted five months before being thrown out for excessive nightclubbing; and £2m star Javier Margas went missing in February last year, turning up later at home in Chile. He, unlike Boogers, did come back.

Massimo Taibi - Manchester United

Sir Alex signed him to replace Peter Schmeichel? In 1999, with Raimond van der Gouw always wearing his bridesmaid’s outfit and Mark Bosnich too cocky by half, Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £4.5m on Venezia journeyman Massimo Taibi. The omnipresent tracksuit bottoms should have caused Ferguson to pause for thought. Instead, Taibi conceded two sloppy goals at Liverpool on his debut and one to Wimbledon the following week. Then the fun began: Southampton scored three at Old Trafford, including a Matthew Le Tissier “shot” that trickled through Taibi’s legs and was so soft, it barely crossed the line. Eight days later, Chelsea put five past him at Stamford Bridge and this Italian’s job was over, little more than a month after it had began. Taibi rotted in the reserves until Reggina took him on loan before a £2.5m purchase at season’s end. He was, noted a generous Roy Keane, “clearly a good keeper”. Clearly.

Juan Sebastian Veron - Manchester United

signed for 28.1 million from lazio on a five year deal and lasted just 2 years before being sold onto Chelsea for less than half man utd payed. The strange thing is he was touted as one of the best midfielders in the world and seem to lose all talent the minute he steped off the plane at Manchester Airport.

Winston Bogarde - Chelsea

His career at Chelsea is notable because, only weeks after signing his contract with the club, the newly-appointed manager Claudio Ranieri wanted him to leave. According to Bogarde it would be next to impossible to find a team that would offer him a contract comparable to the one he had at Chelsea . Bogarde demanded that his contract at Chelsea be respected; as a result Bogarde never played for Chelsea again. In the end, he only appeared eleven times during his four-year contract, reportedly earning £40,000 a week during this period. His contract ended in 2004.

Corrado Grabbi - Blackburn Rovers

How the Italians chuckled in 2001 when Graeme Souness, manager of Blackburn Rovers, paid £6.75m for Juventus cast-off Corrado Grabbi, who had just scored 19 goals in 34 Serie B (not to be confused with Serie A) games for Ternana. Grabbi’s work ethic was never in doubt, but two goals in 30 Premiership games suggested Souness might have been better buying a Serie A player. After an especially profligate performance in the 2003 Uefa Cup against Genclerbirgli, Souness lost patience. Grabbi was bought by Ancona. The fee was undisclosed, but it wasn’t £6.75m.

Sergi Rebrov - Spurs

In June 2000 he was transferred to Tottenham Hotspur for a then-club record £11 million but after the sacking of George Graham in March 2001, he was unable to establish himself under new manager Glenn Hoddle. He went out on loan first to Fenerbahce and subsequently to West Ham United.

Hugo Viana - Newcastle

signed for 12 million-played 39 times in his first season (mostly as a sub), then went on loan to Sporting Lisbon ,then came back to Newcastle to fight for his place and never made the subs bench

Tomas Brolin

In Euro 92, England fell to a superb goal from a hugely promising young Swedish striker. Eight years on, the scorer, now a vacuum-cleaner salesman based in Stockholm, could only reflect on a career which went grindingly wrong. Tomas Brolin at his peak was graceful, skillful and captivating. Past it, he was one of the most limited players in world football. The decline set in soon after Euro 92, but apparently went unnoticed by then Leeds boss George Graham, who paid Parma £4.5m for him in 1995. When Brolin arrived looking like Keith Chegwin's tubby twin, Graham was panic-stricken. Brolin made just 19 appearances in two years before his career collapsed amidst a series of training ground walk-outs and dietary rumours. Leeds paid out the remainder of his contract. He returned to England for a final Premiership fling at Crystal Palace in 1998, but, after 13 appearances, was deemed too fat to play, and made assistant manager to Attilio Lombardo when Steve Coppell was moved aside. Palace were instantly relegated - Brolin hasn't been seen in this country since.

Sean Dundee - Liverpool

In 1998, Karlsruhe were relegated from the Bundesliga. Their tubby star forward, Sean “Crocodile” Dundee, scored just three times. These facts did not deter Liverpool manager Roy Evans from splashing out £2m for the German international who claimed to be as fast as Michael Owen. In fact, he wasn’t as fast as Liverpool fan Michael Howard. Liverpool’s official website raised the notion that Dundee was “possibly the worst player to have donned the red of Liverpool

Wim Jonk - Sheffield Wednesday

Not only did Jonk look like Michael Palin, but he was as tough in the tackle as him. The Dutchman, signed for £2.5m from PSV Eindhoven in 1998, lolloped anonymously around Wednesday’s midfield for two seasons, the second of which saw them relegated. After experiencing the hurly burly of two First Division games, he sat out the remaining year of his contract, citing a tummy ache. At the end of that season, he retired to concentrate on his poetry. Wednesday fans had their own rhymes for him.

01-12-2007, 05:42 AM	#1 (permalink)
voldemort Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 9,158	Transfer Flops - The official hall of shame Bosko Balaban - Aston Villa Signed by John Gregory for 6.5 million from Zagreb, played 40 minutes for the first team in a uefa cup tie and 5 minutes in the carling cup scoring 0 goals. Marco Boogers - West Ham Harry Redknapp wasn't always the streetwise London gaffer he is today. The arrival of 'Mad' Marco Boogers for £1m from Sparta Rotterdam in July 1995 was just one of a number of misjudged West Ham imports. Coming on as a substitute against Manchester United in only his second appearance for the club, Boogers was almost immediately red carded for 'a sickening horror tackle' (The Sun) on Gary Neville. He promptly disappeared, discovered several weeks later hiding in a mobile home in a Dutch caravan park. The Boogers debacle, which ended in a loan deal and subsequent free transfer to Groningen despite his protestations - 'I'm not mental' - was the worst of a dreadful Redknapp collection: Florin Raducioiu arrived for £2.4m in July 96 and was sold at a £600,000 loss six months later after missing training for a Harvey Nichols shopping trip; Portuguese supermodel Dani lasted five months before being thrown out for excessive nightclubbing; and £2m star Javier Margas went missing in February last year, turning up later at home in Chile. He, unlike Boogers, did come back. Massimo Taibi - Manchester United Sir Alex signed him to replace Peter Schmeichel? In 1999, with Raimond van der Gouw always wearing his bridesmaid’s outfit and Mark Bosnich too cocky by half, Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £4.5m on Venezia journeyman Massimo Taibi. The omnipresent tracksuit bottoms should have caused Ferguson to pause for thought. Instead, Taibi conceded two sloppy goals at Liverpool on his debut and one to Wimbledon the following week. Then the fun began: Southampton scored three at Old Trafford, including a Matthew Le Tissier “shot” that trickled through Taibi’s legs and was so soft, it barely crossed the line. Eight days later, Chelsea put five past him at Stamford Bridge and this Italian’s job was over, little more than a month after it had began. Taibi rotted in the reserves until Reggina took him on loan before a £2.5m purchase at season’s end. He was, noted a generous Roy Keane, “clearly a good keeper”. Clearly. Juan Sebastian Veron - Manchester United signed for 28.1 million from lazio on a five year deal and lasted just 2 years before being sold onto Chelsea for less than half man utd payed. The strange thing is he was touted as one of the best midfielders in the world and seem to lose all talent the minute he steped off the plane at Manchester Airport. Winston Bogarde - Chelsea His career at Chelsea is notable because, only weeks after signing his contract with the club, the newly-appointed manager Claudio Ranieri wanted him to leave. According to Bogarde it would be next to impossible to find a team that would offer him a contract comparable to the one he had at Chelsea . Bogarde demanded that his contract at Chelsea be respected; as a result Bogarde never played for Chelsea again. In the end, he only appeared eleven times during his four-year contract, reportedly earning £40,000 a week during this period. His contract ended in 2004. Corrado Grabbi - Blackburn Rovers How the Italians chuckled in 2001 when Graeme Souness, manager of Blackburn Rovers, paid £6.75m for Juventus cast-off Corrado Grabbi, who had just scored 19 goals in 34 Serie B (not to be confused with Serie A) games for Ternana. Grabbi’s work ethic was never in doubt, but two goals in 30 Premiership games suggested Souness might have been better buying a Serie A player. After an especially profligate performance in the 2003 Uefa Cup against Genclerbirgli, Souness lost patience. Grabbi was bought by Ancona. The fee was undisclosed, but it wasn’t £6.75m. Sergi Rebrov - Spurs In June 2000 he was transferred to Tottenham Hotspur for a then-club record £11 million but after the sacking of George Graham in March 2001, he was unable to establish himself under new manager Glenn Hoddle. He went out on loan first to Fenerbahce and subsequently to West Ham United. Hugo Viana - Newcastle signed for 12 million-played 39 times in his first season (mostly as a sub), then went on loan to Sporting Lisbon ,then came back to Newcastle to fight for his place and never made the subs bench Tomas Brolin In Euro 92, England fell to a superb goal from a hugely promising young Swedish striker. Eight years on, the scorer, now a vacuum-cleaner salesman based in Stockholm, could only reflect on a career which went grindingly wrong. Tomas Brolin at his peak was graceful, skillful and captivating. Past it, he was one of the most limited players in world football. The decline set in soon after Euro 92, but apparently went unnoticed by then Leeds boss George Graham, who paid Parma £4.5m for him in 1995. When Brolin arrived looking like Keith Chegwin's tubby twin, Graham was panic-stricken. Brolin made just 19 appearances in two years before his career collapsed amidst a series of training ground walk-outs and dietary rumours. Leeds paid out the remainder of his contract. He returned to England for a final Premiership fling at Crystal Palace in 1998, but, after 13 appearances, was deemed too fat to play, and made assistant manager to Attilio Lombardo when Steve Coppell was moved aside. Palace were instantly relegated - Brolin hasn't been seen in this country since. Sean Dundee - Liverpool In 1998, Karlsruhe were relegated from the Bundesliga. Their tubby star forward, Sean “Crocodile” Dundee, scored just three times. These facts did not deter Liverpool manager Roy Evans from splashing out £2m for the German international who claimed to be as fast as Michael Owen. In fact, he wasn’t as fast as Liverpool fan Michael Howard. Liverpool’s official website raised the notion that Dundee was “possibly the worst player to have donned the red of Liverpool Wim Jonk - Sheffield Wednesday Not only did Jonk look like Michael Palin, but he was as tough in the tackle as him. The Dutchman, signed for £2.5m from PSV Eindhoven in 1998, lolloped anonymously around Wednesday’s midfield for two seasons, the second of which saw them relegated. After experiencing the hurly burly of two First Division games, he sat out the remaining year of his contract, citing a tummy ache. At the end of that season, he retired to concentrate on his poetry. Wednesday fans had their own rhymes for him.

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Transfer Flops - The official hall of shame

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