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Like everyone on here I am delighted and excited by our latest signing and have massive expectations about what Dzeko will help us achieve. This got me thinking though that I get this way during most transfer windows and unfortunately they don't work out as well as we'd hoped - although some exceed expectations too. I am sure it is just the same for other clubs and can think of several Chelski signings which proved to be wasteful too.

So how would you rate the success rate of our signings during the last four transfer windows?

Jan 2009 (under Hughes): Shay, Bellers, Bridge, NDJ

Summer 2009 (Hughes) : Ade, [strike]RSC[/strike], Kolo, Barry, Lescott?, Tevez

Jan 2010 (Mancini) : Pat?, AJ

Summer 2010 : Kolarov?, Yaya, Milner, Mario?, Boateng?, Silva

Have I missed anyone?


The only obvious outright failure for me is RSC who has never been fit or given a chance.

Pat was free so it's hard to say he wasn't worth the transfer fee.

Bridge and Ade did give us a temporary uplift but have not worked out too well over time imho. Bellers was much better than expected and I still miss him.

Given was a great signing and I wish he'd stay on as competition/backup for Joe.

The jury is still out on Lescott, Kolarov, Boateng and Mario for me.

The rest have all been good acquisitions in my view with the outstanding success so far in bold (NDJ, Silva, Tevez).

Overall I'd say the transfers brought in by both Hughes and Mancini have been about 70% successful (so far).

What do others think?

How does this compare to successful xfers elsewhere?

I think we've done pretty well & I don't think Boateng or Kolarov will turn out to be the failures they seem in the long run.

All the players bar RSC have made decent contributions at different times & the last group of players have done the exact job they were brougt in for; moved us up to the next level where we can attract players of the highest caliber.

good signings
Kompany, Bellers, NDJ, Kolo, Barry, lescott, Tev's, Kolorov, Yaya, Silva, Balla, Johnno

Middle o the road/jury is still out
Paddy, SWP, Milner, Boateng, Given

Rubbish
ADE, RSC, Bridge

Wooders wrote:good signings
Kompany, Bellers, NDJ, Kolo, Barry, lescott, Tev's, Kolorov, Yaya, Silva, Balla, Johnno

Middle o the road/jury is still out
Paddy, SWP, Milner, Boateng, Given

Rubbish
ADE, RSC, Bridge

Think you're being harsh on Given mate. He was an instant hit and made a big difference, also him joining forced Hart out on loan which did wonders for him.

Ade wasn't rubbish either, actually I quite like Bridge too. Stop being a bully then I guess.

thats your opinion PBL..... but not mine!

AlpsMaster wrote:
Jan 2009 (under Hughes): Shay, Bellers, Bridge, NDJ

Summer 2009 (Hughes) : Ade, [strike]RSC[/strike], Kolo, Barry, Lescott?, Tevez

Have I missed anyone?

Where is SWP

Pretty Boy Lee wrote:

Wooders wrote:good signings
Kompany, Bellers, NDJ, Kolo, Barry, lescott, Tev's, Kolorov, Yaya, Silva, Balla, Johnno

Middle o the road/jury is still out
Paddy, SWP, Milner, Boateng, Given

Rubbish
ADE, RSC, Bridge

Think you're being harsh on Given mate. He was an instant hit and made a big difference, also him joining forced Hart out on loan which did wonders for him.

Ade wasn't rubbish either, actually I quite like Bridge too. Stop being a bully then I guess.

Shay is an interesting one to debate....at the time it seemed that we were signing him to shore us up at the back and help us push for CL last season, the assumption being that Joe would cost us some potential points due to his rawness

However, as it turns out we missed top 4 and Joe played a blinder in a shitty team

If I could turn back the clock I wouldn't have signed Given

I thought he was step up from Hart when he was signed but the more I saw him over the season the more his lack of command of his area/aerially bugged/concerned me. I don't think the quality of our defence this season is simply down to the Mancini effect (and its effect on certain players)...Brilliant shot stopper though he is I really do not think Shay helped the back 4 settle and develop proper form last season.

Far from a rubbish signing but perhaps an unnecessary one

shortagain wrote:

AlpsMaster wrote:
Jan 2009 (under Hughes): Shay, Bellers, Bridge, NDJ

Summer 2009 (Hughes) : Ade, [strike]RSC[/strike], Kolo, Barry, Lescott?, Tevez

Have I missed anyone?

Where is SWP

I was thinking that last Sunday

I think I'm the only man alive that likes Bridge, but surely Ade's goals per start ratio makes him a bit less debateable?

Mancini doesn't rate/can't work with him and Bellers. That's not a dig at Bobby, but it also doesn't make them failures.

ant london wrote:

Shay is an interesting one to debate....at the time it seemed that we were signing him to shore us up at the back and help us push for CL last season, the assumption being that Joe would cost us some potential points due to his rawness

However, as it turns out we missed top 4 and Joe played a blinder in a shitty team

If I could turn back the clock I wouldn't have signed Given

I thought he was step up from Hart when he was signed but the more I saw him over the season the more his lack of command of his area/aerially bugged/concerned me. I don't think the quality of our defence this season is simply down to the Mancini effect (and its effect on certain players)...Brilliant shot stopper though he is I really do not think Shay helped the back 4 settle and develop proper form last season.

Far from a rubbish signing but perhaps an unnecessary one

This sums up Shay perfect for me. If we are facing a penalty there is no one I would prefer in goal, but in general play Joe is better.
As for others - When MH had little money he made brilliant signings - Komps, NDJ, Mad Zab even Sweep for that time in our development. Once we got loaded he made some disaters Crocky being the worst signing ever in the history of the Prem, Ade good at first but soon slipped in to his bad ways, Bridge just not good enough.

With Mancini I am a little unsure who has bought certain players. AJ is a quality player, but does not fit Mancini's 1 touch style. Get the feeling he was bought to feature in EDS but got in to first team too quick. Silva is clearly an excellent buy, Milner and Barry I get the feeling are players recommended to him and bought as they are english. Kol and Boat I am nervous about, Super Mario is quality but will he stay?

Wooders wrote:
Rubbish
ADE

As much as the guy frustrated me I think you're way off the mark with Rubbish

He's got a good goals to game ratio in sky blue and scored some valuable goals

I think it's the way he applies himself is the reason Bobby has discarded him..I certainly don't consider him a complete failure

Beeks wrote:

Wooders wrote:
Rubbish
ADE

As much as the guy frustrated me I think you're way off the mark with Rubbish

He's got a good goals to game ratio in sky blue and scored some valuable goals

I think it's the way he applies himself is the reason Bobby has discarded him..I certainly don't consider him a complete failure

I think you're being very lenient with a player whose inherent laziness is the only reason he has been a failure myself but each to their own :)

Ted Hughes wrote:I think we've done pretty well & I don't think Boateng or Kolarov will turn out to be the failures they seem in the long run.

All the players bar RSC have made decent contributions at different times & the last group of players have done the exact job they were brougt in for; moved us up to the next level where we can attract players of the highest caliber.

That's the thing, hindsight is beautiful. But most of those purchases served their purpose in one way or another. We weren't going to be able to atract the very best players before going to transitional period.

Take Bridge for example, I would hate to have him on the line up NOW but at the time we were desperate for leftback and he was the best that was in offer for us. So he served his purpose.

Out of the players we've brought in in past two years or so, only RSC served no purpose whatsoever and was absolute waste of money from the get go.

I think the list is incomplete without the incomparable Tal Ben Haim

For me the following players have done well

Kolo(not a great start but much better since Mancini arrived.Having a great season)
Yaya(such a strong midfield presence)
Given(was brilliant in my opinion)
Barry(a bit average at first but has shone through under Mancini)
Tevez(amazing)
Silva(world class and getting better all the time)
Balotelli(nutter but chipping in with goals and the potential is huge)
Dejong(brilliant)
Kompany(best centre back in the leage)
Bellers(worked his ass off for us)
AJ(great old fashioned winger a true bargain)

average

Vieira(wank at first but has been good when called upon this season.class without the legs)
Lescott(just average really sometimes good sometimes not)
Adebayor(at times world class at times lazy as sin)
Swp(hit and miss more miss of late)
Milner(improving but has not exactly impressed)

Jury still out
Kolarov(i like him and feel he will settle with more game time)
Boateng(im starting to really worry but hes young)

Gash
Jo(hopeless neanderthal man)
Bridge(very poor, defensive liability and cant cross for diamonds)
RSC(medical mystery)The physio will really miss his company when he goes
Tal ben haim(he made a lasting impression, he was shite)

Tal Ben Haim, fucking hell.

Hughes transfer record is interesting in that the long term riskier signings have tended to work out better than the ultra-safe options. It might be said that this betrays his level as a coach.

He acquiesced in the signing of Jo, trusting Sven's pick but ending up with a player he had a strong dislike for. He got Ben-Haim, safe premier experience from Chelsea with a good record from Bolton. He quietly picked Kompany and Zabaleta, clever buys but also unknowns. SWP was his big money move, probably necessary given the fact that he needed to win over fans but also worth looking at because Villa picked up Milner at the same time for slightly more (but probably on less money so a cheaper overall signing). Low/no risk signing, excusable because we were all thrilled to bits.

Then the takeover: Robinho, no brainer, he didn't even interrupt his game of golf: of course buy him. That January it's mostly no risk experienced prem heads for an immediate impact, all of whom are going or gone; Bridge, Bellamy, Given. In fairness, they all did an immediate job, not enough of a job, but the improvement was there for all to see. The riskier signing was Nigel de Jong and at first, he was looking a tiny bit dodgy, we were wondering what was going on spending so much on a guy who'd just turned 24 and wasn't well known in Britain.

Then you move to summer signings with a bit more time. First move was the bizarre RSC purchase, Blackburn were quick to sign, we might have lost interest after we'd pulled off the purchases of Adebayor and Tevez. Played with him before, had tried to buy him in the previous 2 windows, no risk signing (you'd think). Barry was one of those lucky bits of business where we got in at the right time and got lucky (in terms of price), also no risk signing but different because he wasn't overpriced and he was going anyway. Tevez was the same, an exception, and anyone would have signed him.

More safe options over the summer: Adebayor, Toure, Lescott, even Sylvinho had just come from playing the CL final.

When Hughes went out and bought young guys on the way up, he was good at it. When he paid a premium to get guys so proven that they were possibly on the way down, he got terrible, terrible value and he got punished for it. Gareth Barry was the only player who you could say was in/entering the peak of his career that Hughes signed who's still getting his game, you could possibly classify Tevez on the same basis, though he is younger.

Mancini has been completely different. He's had the luxury of starting from a better base, he also had unhappy players engaged in counter-productive behaviour, Vieira was understandable as an immediate gap filler. Johnson was young, talented and trying to prove himself. Everyone else has been under 25 as a rule, Yaya Toure being the exception, and a deliberate one at that due to the need to get experience in the centre of the park.

So overall how does our success rate compare to other clubs?

We keep hearing from the media how much money we have wasted on all our misfits but I don't recall any complaints about unsuccessful xfers at Stretford Reds as obviously all Fergiescum's xfers have been roaring successes like:

Kleberson
Veron
Forlan
Anderson
Hargreaves
Milne
Owen
Poborski
That dodgy keeper
Berbaflop for 2 seasons

Not to mention Chelski:

Shevchencko
Deco
Ballack
Sturridge!!!
SWP

If we are talking about other clubs blowing it in the transfer market Liverpool have to be the prime example

Voronin
Kromkamp
Bruno Cheyrou
Aquilani
Cisse
Morientes
Nunez
Robbie Keane
El hadj Diouf
Albert Rieira
Poulsen
Salif Diao
Mark Gonzalez
Andre Dossena
Chris Kikland
Paul Konchesky
Ryan Babel
Pennant
Glen Johnson

Green & Blue wrote:If we are talking about other clubs blowing it in the transfer market Liverpool have to be the prime example

Voronin
Kromkamp
Bruno Cheyrou
Aquilani
Cisse
Morientes
Nunez
Robbie Keane
El hadj Diouf
Albert Rieira
Poulsen
Salif Diao
Mark Gonzalez
Andre Dossena
Chris Kikland
Paul Konchesky
Ryan Babel
Pennant
Glen Johnson

True.

Just remember a few more Rag failures:

Taibi
Djemba-Djemba (so bad they named him twice!)
Miller
Cruyff
Goram