Players you thought would be good but turned out not to be so good

[Gaffa]

Dacourt and Matterazzi. I was so excited for the new look team and manager

Walter Smith, we had Cleland, Dacourt, Collins, Matterazzi all signed, Collins misses a pen first game in a 0-0 with Villa and it went downhill form there

Dacourt and Matterazzi went on to have very good careers and be very good players

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Ian Durrant.

Remember him?

 

[Richarlison’s sniper]

I honestly thought Ashley Williams would be better than how it turned out. I thought he could be the leader, solid defender we needed at the back. Always liked him at Swansea & he had a good tournament in the Euro’s for Wales, just before he signed for us. How wrong I was! Very disappointing signing

Going back further, I would also give a mention to Mo Johnston. Goal machine in Scotland, expected more when we signed him.

 

[roy vernon]

James Beattie and Billy( Not even going to try spelling his full name)

 

[evertonandchelmsford]

Pretty much everyone we've signed in the last 4-5 years for 25 mil plus

 

[EFCPaul]

Van Der Meyde to me was really sad, such a talented player who threw it all away.

Klaassen was a real shame as well, he looked perfect for us on paper but clearly wasn't suited to English football.

Sandro was a massive kick in bollocks, they're still regretting that one right now. Everyone was expecting a worldie.

Niasse genuinely gets me really angry. Martinez spent a fortune (by our standards then) on him and then he turned out to be a raffle winner. RM needs punching for that buy.

 

[summerisle]

James Beattie and Billy( Not even going to try spelling his full name)

Kenny.

 

[heatmeiser]

Tosun. Not that he's been particularly bad, just not the raging success one had hoped for.

I always wanted us to sign you when I was playing Championship Manager 93

 

[heatmeiser]

Hettinga

Didn't he get voted our player of the season?

 

[heatmeiser]

Not really his fault but...

 

[JAYMULL]

I am nominating an XI.

Players I thought would be great signings but weren’t.....IMO


Richard Wright

Heitinga Williams Bilic Nuno Valente

Van the Man Samways John Collins Limpar

Sandro Beattie

Nuno was decent, Heitinga decent, Limpar was brilliant, he was crap against Wimbledon but otherwise no problem

 

[tommytowne]

Ian Durrant.

Remember him?

Most certainly.
I recall him having worldies almost every game for Rangers when he first started with them. The Press down here were touting him big style. Now if my memory serves me correctly Souness singlehandedly started a riot on the pitch when playing Aberdeen. The major casualty was Durrant who was subject to a knee high karate kick by one if the Aberdeen players. Out for ages and never fully recovered. Thought he'd do brilliantly for us, but he was never the same player.
I stand to be corrected regards the circumstances if any of our brethren north of the border are reading.

 

[Khalekan]

Nuno was decent, Heitinga decent, Limpar was brilliant, he was crap against Wimbledon but otherwise no problem

It is not so much about them being “decent”.....and whilst I would certainly disagree with you about Anders being “great” for us he was definitely better than decent.

I said I was referring to players whom I thought would be “great signings” but weren’t.

That does not necessarily mean I think they turned out to be “bad signings” or even indifferent ones.....just that they never brought to Everton the game I saw them display for other teams.

In that category I would also include Patsy Nevin, Danny Williamson, Earl Barret, Nick Barmby, Mark Ward, Louis Saha, Colin Todd, Bruce Rioch, Henry Newton, Samuel E’eto, Ernie Hunt and an admittedly crocked Norman Whiteside among many, many others

 

[Cool_Blue]

Nuno was decent, Heitinga decent, Limpar was brilliant, he was crap against Wimbledon but otherwise no problem

Some might find this hard to believe, but.........when me and my old man had season tickets back in the day, he used to say he hadn’t seen a player so exciting to watch as Anders since watching the Golden Vision in the sixties. I liked Limpar as well, he was one of those players who got you out of your seat when he received the ball. The only time I was unhappy with big Joe was when he started leaving Anders out in order to bring a more pragmatic style. It was necessary though at the time.

 

[peskyrobot]

Hello mate, I'm on fire!

Literally, or figuratively?