Liverpool FC: Worst Signings Since 1990 – A Top Ten
Liverpool’s 2009/2010 season may have got off to a bad start with defeat against Tottenham, but supporters of the Reds can at least console themselves with the fact that Liverpool are considered genuine title contenders this season. Times have been worse over the last 20 years. Making his Just-Football.com debut LFC supporter Ali Tuckwell brings us a guest post highlighting the ten worst players to have worn the Liverpool shirt since 1990. Fans of the Gerard Houllier era look away now…
In compiling a list of the worst Liverpool players since 1990, the worrying fact that there are many contenders who have been overlooked in this countdown merely serves to underlie that Liverpool have not been idle in their pursuit of a long-awaited and elusive championship trophy. Anyhow, here goes…
10. Antonio Nunez
Never has a player looked so out of place as Antonio Nunez did on the Liverpool wing. With a look resembling an office accountant, Nunez rarely exuded the confidence needed to make a successful career at Anfield. Too often flattering to deceive, Nunez managed to land more of his crosses in the stands behind the goal than in front of them. He possessed little imagination in his ability to pass full backs, preferring to ‘kick and run’ than to ‘skin’ and ‘leave for dead’.
9. Erik Meijer
Occasionally when a player is signed by a manager, supporters are left wondering about the manager’s state of mind when he decided to go out and purchase such total and utter rubbish. When this feeling becomes more common than not, supporters know its time for the club to look to pastures new. When Gerard Houllier signed Erik Meijer in 1999, fans were surely wondering how long the manager had left.
Meijer showed such a lack of mobility that a walking stick wouldn’t have gone amiss (and certainly wouldn’t have slowed him down!). Awkard and uncomfortable, he permanently looked like he had potentially fatal levels of lactic acid in his legs. Such was his negligent impact in a Liverpool shirt that Wikipedia reports as one of his career highlights: ‘He joined Liverpool fans in Dortmund prior to the 2001 UEFA Cup, where he drank and sang with Reds fans.’
8. Bernard Diomede
Another of Houllier’s misfits, it says a lot that Diomede’s best moment in a Liverpool shirt was a goal that nearly was. A spectacular overhead kick against Sunderland that DIDN’T cross the line remained his most remarkable moment in an unremarkable career.
7. Jean-Michel Ferri
‘Ferri across the mersey’ was the punchline as another Frenchmen strolled into town under the Houllier regime. Unfortunately for the Frenchmen, it wasn’t long before he was sailing out of town…
6. Josemi
Bought to take the place of Steve Finnan, Reds fans must have thought they had signed some player in the summer of 2004. In fact, Josemi was Rafa Benitez’s first signing. If it taught the manager anything it surely must have been that not all foreign players (or even Spanish) necessarily succeed in the Premier League. Ineffective going forward and unreliable in defence, it wasn’t long before Steve Finnan was re-establishing himself as Liverpool’s first choice right-back.
5. Jan Kromkamp
In an almost comical exchange deal, Liverpool swapped one ineffectual right back for another in January 2006. A frame resembling the clumsy Erik Meijer should have been enough to perturb many Red fans. Kromkamp lacked any sort of quality or consistency, providing only rare glimspes of an ability to get forward and cross the ball.
4. Fernando Morientes
Undoubtedly a major talent, Liverpool fans had high hopes when Señor Benitez bought Fernando Morientes to Anfield in early 2005. 82 goals and a successful strike partnership with the iconic Raul at Real Madrid gave plently of reason for Reds’ fans to be hopeful. A spectacular goal at Charlton in February 2005 ignited hopes that a slow start to his Anfield career might be finally ready to take off. Unfortunately, it was a false dawn for a player of undisputed quality and a reminder that a good player doesn’t necessarily fit in everywhere in the world.
3. Bruno Cheyrou
Touted as the ‘new Zidane’ when Houllier bought the Frenchman to Anfield in 2002, Cheyrou provides further evidence of Houllier’s questionable record in the transfer market. He spent four years at Anfield, although two of those years were on loan back in his native France. A winning goal against Chelsea in the 2003/4 season showed a rare glimspe of quality in a spell where the Frenchmen failed to establish himself as a major force in the Anfield engine room.
2. Jimmy Carter
Perhaps it’s unfair to single out a player that made only 5 appearances at Anfield. Then again, perhaps it’s not. It took only 15 minutes to establish that Ali Dia was not in fact George’s Weah cousin. (Although, quite how this fact wasn’t established during training leaves many wondering how on earth Graeme Souness prepared his players for matches).
Carter came to Anfield with a burgeoning reputation. 5 games later it was somewhat in disarray. The fact that he made only 25 appearances for his next club, Arsenal, over a period of four years, would suggest the Gunners either hadn’t done their homework or were trying to strengthen their reserves.
1. Julian Dicks
First place in this countdown should surely be reserved for a Graeme Souness signing. If ever a player didn’t fit the bill of a football club, then Julian Dicks at Liverpool was certainly it. All part of a drive to toughen up a team that lost too many games, Souness was drawn into thinking that ‘hard men’ could make the Reds harder to beat. The gamble didn’t pay off and unfortunately neither did the Reds league fortunes.
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About Ali Tuckwell
Lifelong Liverpool fan with a not so secret affection for the one they call Fernando...
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Just Football presents…
No Diouf? Given the 10m he cost?
sean dundee
what about bjornebye
what about bjornebye, no worse than we have got now mate.
no where near 10 worst buys.
I have to agree with Anonymous #2 (guys, please do leave a name if you can, far easier to address each person!) on this one: Why is Sean Dundee not on this list?
3 substitute appearances at a cost of £2million has to go down as one of the worst signings not just in Liverpool history but probably all time transfer history no?
Nonetheless, good article Ali!
HOW ABOUT Torben piechnik
glen hysen
cant believe Paul Stewart isn't on here. A rethink don't you think
Pelligreno, Kewell, Lucas, Degen, Intandjie, everyone of Houlliers French players, sissoko.
when you look at worst signings you have to look at the money dropped; that for me puts Diouf top of the list, however, Babel could prove me wrong when we see how much we end up selling him for. For comedy value (not that we found them funny) the most pathetically skilled players are (no particular order):Dundee, Piechnic,Cheyrou, Nunez, Kvarme, Mejier, Tanner, Camara, Biscan, Babb, Pelligrino, Stewart, Diomede, Ziege, Dicks, Le Tellec. Wow things don't seem too bad any more.
wow amazing there's no Leto, Paletta, Degen, Keane, Diouf or *Aquilani in there, now they were bad signings.
Dicks – never endeared to him but he shouldn't be in that list, nor should Jimmy Carter (who was bought by Dalglish), in their place should be Palleta and Leto. Both of whom proved complete wastes on time and effort for the manager and the club.
Eric was only with us for one season and he cost nowt in the market, he played 24 times and got a few goals, he shouldn't be there either. Replace him with Robbie Keane (love the unloved Keane btw, really good striker deserved better)
Degen – don't know who in your list to replace him with, Josemi should be there as should Kromkamp, let say replace him with Diomede (I'm sure Diomede was fit for a few games no?)
Diouf to replace Morrientes
now the last one *Aquilani, should replace Cheyrou, Cheyrou actully played a few games for us as well, and until Aquilani proves he can actually lace up a pair of boots he is undoubtedly our worse ever signing.
So my list
1. Aquilani – in a season were Liverpool needed to hit the ground running, get off to a belter and try improve on last seasons attempt, we bought a player for £20m (however paid) who we knew wouldn't be fit until October when for us thios season could already be over.
2. Robbie Keane – amazing I could type his name on here but we all know the reasons why.
3. Diouf – the spitter a disgrace to the shirt, nuff said
4. Josemi – just really really really poor
5. Jan Kromkamp – waste of time and effort
6. Degen – who?
7. Leto – illegal immigrant oops nuff said
8. Paletta – stayed less than a year, waste of time and effort
9. Antonio Nunez – The guy who injured himself on his way to his first press conference @ Melwood after tripping over (get this) – grass lmao
10. Jean-Michel Ferri – Houlliers spy in the dressing room.
ps fingers crossed I can cross off Aquilani come october :\
There's one that sticks in my mind for sheer ineptitude in attack. Lacking the basic ability to beat a man and prefering the "kick it against the opponents legs so it goes out" method of progressing down the pitch.
BOLLO ZENDEN
When you think of the wingers that have graced the sidelines at Anfield he was just utter bilge.
add zenden, degan, dossena, intagia, pennent, — this lot of dross is worse then some on the list.
Pelligreno was too old when he came.
I agree with Bill, except for Biscan and Babb. Both were available to play and Biscan helpd us land the CL and played several positions, but very little in the CM role.
could add gonzales too and the young right full back from spain.
Buy have we seen some bad ones. Dimonde was about as useless as I saw, only good thing was he almost never played , thank god.