Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

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Post n°1

Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Tweesus Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:26 am

Who is it for you?

For me, its between Shevchenko and Aquilani. Knee jerk, perhaps, but he's been crocked for most the time, and when he has played, he's looked horribly average.

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Post n°2

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Fade out Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:29 am

What about Arshavin, Nasri and Vermaelen? Razz

To make it easy for Saints

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Post n°3

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Allez les rouges Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:40 am

Oh what a silly thread, he hasn't even had a chance yet.

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Post n°4

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Fade out Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:42 am

Does it further confirm Tweeds as a Manc in disguise. Question

I was warned and PM-ed by fellow ABU's that he & Saints were both Man utd fans. Crazy

fcb

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Post n°5

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by fcb Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:42 am

Oooh! Provocative thread title, rather than just "worst EPL signing of the noughties?" Harsh to include Aquilani though, he's only be around for about 4 months of the 'noughties'.

Has to be Shevchenko...huge price tag, huge reputation...hugely disappointing.

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Post n°6

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Tweesus Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:44 am

The provocative title was to get the debate rolling. A bit of Liverpool bashing always provokes debate.

@ Laudrup

Walcott could be a possible inclusion, but if I include him I also have to include players like Babel, Nani and Anderson.

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Post n°7

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Allez les rouges Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:54 am

All of whom are far bigger flops than Aquilani because they've hactually had chances aplenty to prove themselves.

It's of course Shevchenko by a mile.

Aristoskank

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Post n°8

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Aristoskank Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:23 am

Laudable Laudrup wrote:What about Arshavin, Nasri and Vermaelen?

To make it easy for Saints

Arshavin and Nasri aren't bad players, they just aren't anywhere near as good as the hype.

Vermaelen is astonishingly average.

Arsenal's worst flop signing of recent times is Walcott or Rosicky.

However, for once I'm siding with the popular view and saying Shevchenko. He was fucking rubbish in this league, even worse than Berbatov has been for Man U.

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Post n°9

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by fcb Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:27 am

Just remembered one big flop Arsenal had who everybody already seems to be forgetting - Reyes. Should at least make the list of nominees, if for nothing then the manner of his departure.

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Post n°10

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Romford Pele Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:34 am

Bubbles wrote:

Laudable Laudrup wrote:What about Arshavin, Nasri and Vermaelen?

To make it easy for Saints

Arshavin and Nasri aren't bad players, they just aren't anywhere near as good as the hype.

Vermaelen is astonishingly average.

Arsenal's worst flop signing of recent times is Walcott or Rosicky.

However, for once I'm siding with the popular view and saying Shevchenko. He was fucking rubbish in this league, even worse than Berbatov has been for Man U.

What makes you say that?

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Post n°11

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Parks lives Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:39 am

Shevchenko is obviously the big stand out.

Plus players like Babel, Nani & Berbatov haven't come close to proving their value.

However just checked and Zhirkov has played one league game this season and he cost £18 million pound! Not sure if that's a flop but it's just ridiculous.

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Post n°12

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Romford Pele Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:49 am

Parks lives wrote:Shevchenko is obviously the big stand out.

Plus players like Babel, Nani & Berbatov haven't come close to proving their value.

However just checked and Zhirkov has played one league game this season and he cost £18 million pound! Not sure if that's a flop but it's just ridiculous.

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Post n°13

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Aristoskank Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:50 am

Romford Pele wrote:

Vermaelen is astonishingly average.

What makes you say that?

He's decent in the air, which makes him look a good defender in this league, but almost every time Arsenal concede a goal he's out of position or marking the wrong person. Athletically he's good, technically he's good, but when it comes to positioning, movement, anticipating the runs of strikers, covering for the other defenders he is no better than Joleon Lescott.

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Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Romford Pele Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:54 am

We'll just have to agree to disagree I guess.

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Post n°15

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Six Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:01 pm

Aquilani was signed for 5 years not 6 months Tweedle. Don't you listen to anything Rafa says!?!

Grr

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Post n°16

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Dwarf Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:03 pm

Santa Cruz

4 years ago £21m would buy you a first choice striker, now it's the price of the 4th most expensive forward at Man City and he's possibly 6th in line for a starting spot behind Benjani.

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Post n°17

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by fcb Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:06 pm

Dwarf wrote:Santa Cruz

4 years ago £21m would buy you a first choice striker, now it's the price of the 4th most expensive forward at Man City and he's possibly 6th in line for a starting spot behind Benjani.

Yes he'd definitely be in the top 3 or 5 of most people's lists. Of course the factor that makes his signing *really* bad is that he is, and always has been, highly injury prone.

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Post n°18

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Aristoskank Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:06 pm

Seriously, watch him when teams get behind the Arsenal defence. With his back to goal, where he can see the ball and the player coming, he's alright, particularly if it's a long high ball with plenty of time for him to set himself and win the header.

But when teams beat your fullbacks and he gets turned around to face the goal he consistently does the wrong things. I could be wrong, but hasn't he already scored a couple of own goals in situations like that? Not to mention the number of corners he concedes due to desperate clearances, and we all know how crap Arsenal are at defending corners.

Obviously you don't have to agree, but that's what I've seen of him so far. I think he's a step down from Toure, who may have lost some of his physicality but is still an intelligent defender.

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Post n°19

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Tweesus Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:06 pm

kas wrote:Just remembered one big flop Arsenal had who everybody already seems to be forgetting - Reyes. Should at least make the list of nominees, if for nothing then the manner of his departure.

He was our top assister in his last season with us + scored a fair few too!

So far, Walcott, Rosicky, Eduardo, Vermaelen, Vela, Nasri and Aaron fucking Ramsey have been bigger flops than him.

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Post n°20

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Allez les rouges Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:13 pm

Er not Vermaelen Tweedle.

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Post n°21

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Romford Pele Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:20 pm

Tweeds, stop bullshitting.

The only one that is a flop there atm is Walcott.

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Post n°22

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Tweesus Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:24 pm

Allez les rouges wrote:Er not Vermaelen Tweedle.

Yes Vermaelen. What exactly has he achieved yet? Diddly squat. Reyes contributed to our unbeatables season.

Aside from his assists, he scored 16 in 69 games - which isn't really that bad considering that he played a lot of games out on the left.

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Post n°23

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Kimbo Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:28 pm

All the players in list were bought by mega rich clubs, so what if they flop, get rid of them and replace them. I nominate...

Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties? Michael-owen3-300x400

Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties? Michael-owen3-300x400

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Post n°24

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Glenarch of the Glen Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:30 pm

here's to the hope we'll all be bumping this thread as often as we do Otto's Torres one Ale

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Post n°25

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by Allez les rouges Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:32 pm

Tweesus wrote:

Allez les rouges wrote:Er not Vermaelen Tweedle.

Yes Vermaelen. What exactly has he achieved yet? Diddly squat. Reyes contributed to our unbeatables season.

Aside from his assists, he scored 16 in 69 games - which isn't really that bad considering that he played a lot of games out on the left.

Err I don't think any other player has ever been player of the month for not only their first month but then the second. Plainly one of our top performers this season along with Song, Cesc and Robin ( Sad

). I reckon we'd be closer to where we were last year without him.

For the record I don't think Reyes was remotely a flop either.

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Post n°26

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by debaser Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:34 pm

This mentions another few bad ones:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jan/10/portsmouth-wages-waste-of-money

Redknapp spending £13m in one day on Nugent and Utaka is pretty painful - considering Utaka on 80k a week!

Seth Johnson, David Bentley are good mentions.

Wages should definitely come into this. Winston Bogarde anyone?

Also, a shout out needed for Bosko Balaban.

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Post n°27

Re: Will Aquilani be the worst EPL signing of the noughties?

by The Pröfessör Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:41 pm

kas wrote:Oooh! Provocative thread title, rather than just "worst EPL signing of the noughties?" Harsh to include Aquilani though, he's only be around for about 4 months of the 'noughties'.

Has to be Shevchenko...huge price tag, huge reputation...hugely disappointing.