Star arrivals not always have instant impact at new clubs

By Pete Reily Source:Global Times Published: 2020/2/6 21:53:42

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan in 2010 Photo: VCG

 

The English Premier League is on its winter break and that means several of its clubs' newly signed players have to wait to make their debuts.

Those first starts could go either way. On the one hand there are first starts like Erling Braut Haaland - a player who came close to joining Manchester United, where he would have rejoined with his former Molde manager and countryman Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Haaland has taken like a duck to water at Borussia Dortmund, where he netted three times on his debut after coming off from the bench and has scored seven times in three games, only one of them being as part of the starting lineup.

Life for new signings does not always work out like Haaland. More often than not it can be much worse and there are plenty of examples. 

Here are a few of the worst introductions to a new side, some of them the biggest clubs in the world.  

Jonathan Woodgate - Real Madrid



As big as they come, Woodgate signed for the galacticos from Newcastle United in 2004 in a move opposite of the Goal movie franchise. His debut would be as filmic but not for the same reason at the Disney-written Santi Munez. Woodgate had waited a year to make his debut through injury and when he did it was insult added on top of a tough 12 months. He scored an own goal and was sent off for two bookable offences against Athletic Bilbao.

Patrice Evra - Manchester United

The Frenchman would go on to be a legend at Old Trafford but his debut could not have been worse. It came against Manchester City and the full-back was hauled off at half-time with the score at 2-0 in what would finish a 3-1 defeat. Manchester United boss described it as a "bit of a gamble playing Evra" and the Frenchman himself blamed it on being ill-prepared. It all worked out in the end.

Ali Dia - Southampton

One man who does not deserve to be on this list is the chancer who signed for Saints after claiming he was "George Weah's cousin" when Grame Souness took a gamble in 1996. His CV appeared to include 13 games for Paris Saint-Germain and a cap for the Liberia national team but that counted for nothing when he was thrown on from the bench against Leeds United after one training session.  

Henrik Larsson - Celtic

The Sweden striker was signed to the Parkhead club by Dutch boss Wim Jansen for a bargain 650,000 pounds but his legendary status was not hinted at in a shocking debut. Larsson passed the ball to Hibernian's Chic Charnley who went on to score and seal a 2-1 win for the Edinburgh side. He then scored an own goal on his European bow for the Bhoys.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - AC Milan

The Swedish superstar has made a career on fine debut performances but it was not always that way. His first game at AC Milan - the first time round in 2010 rather than when he rejoined in this winter window - it went as badly as can be. The striker was trusted with a spot kick against Cesena but missed. Zlatan's failure counted for little as he bagged 28 goals in 32 games for the Rossoneri but by his own high standards he fell short with that initial spot kick.

Rio Ferdinand - Leeds United

Signed for a then British transfer record of 18 million pounds, much was expected of the new recruit from West Ham. That did not help his cause against Leicester City at Filbert Street in 2000. The player was greeted by the home fans chanting "What a waste of money" and he lived up to their claims as the hosts ran 3-0 ahead in the opening half hour. They lost 3-1 in the end but Ferdinand would go on to much more, including becoming a European champion with Leeds' greatest rivals Manchester United.

Jose Antonio Reyes - Arsenal

The Spaniard had made his debut as a sub in a win over Manchester City but his first start for the Gunners was shaky. Reyes scored an own goal against Middlesbrough and the fans were worried of the winger. It all worked out in the end as Reyes became a key member of Arsenal's Invincibles before he moved to Real Madrid in 2006. The former Sevilla winger sadly passed away in 2019 in a car crash.

Curtis Davies - Aston Villa



The central defender was highly rated when he swapped one part of the West Midlands for another and moved from West Bromwich Albion to Aston Villa. Despite the joy Villa fans had felt upon signing Davies, they felt very differently after the end of his first start against Leicester City in the League Cup in 2007. Davies did not last the full 90 minutes as his new side lost to their East Midlands rivals and he was perhaps the most critical of his performance. 

Gervinho - Arsenal

As precursors to professional debuts go, the Ivorian really set standards high as he scored twice in just 15 minutes in a friendly against FC Cologne in the summer of 2011. It was not the same story when the Gunners kicked off the Premier League against Newcastle United a few weeks later. Gervinho got into a fracas with the Toon's Joey Barton and ended up seeing red after raising his hands to the current Fleetwood Town boss.
Newspaper headline: Terrible debuts


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