Premier League “Failures” XI
The team that never was…
Every footballer in the world dreams of playing in the bright lights of the Premier League. Clubs pay superior wages, fans display unwavering loyalty and match day atmosphere offers a unique stage for high end football performance.
The following is THE team of hot prospects and experienced stars who arrived in the Premier League at a high price with lofty aspirations but left with reputations tarnished and careers ruined.
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Premier League 'Failures' XI
Massimo Taibi gets the nod between the sticks. Last seen holding down the substitute goalkeeper role at Ascoli in Serie B, Taibi arrived at Manchester United in 1999 for £4.4 million. Bought to provide competition for the No. 1 shirt, Taibi committed a series of howlers and hashed clearances but it is his blooper against Southampton, allowing Marian Pahars to score, that will forever live in the memory of Premier League fans.
In defence, there are several strong candidates but the captain’s armband must go to former Ajax and Holland defender Winston Bogarde. Signed under Gianluca Vialli on a free transfer for Chelsea in 2000, Bogarde went on to make 11 appearances over four seasons for the Blues. In an age when players are critized for their lack of allegiance, Bogarde displayed dogged loyalty by honoring his reported £40,000 a week contract, in the reserves. At the time of his signing, Vialli claimed he knew nothing of the transfer and the rest is history.
Rare image of Winston Bogarde in Chelsea kit
Accompanying Bogarde at the back are two former Newcastle players Jean-Alain Boumsong and Titus Bramble. French international Jean-Alain Boumsong arrived on Tyneside for £8 million in 2005 following a series of strong performances for Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. He would go on to form a disastrous defensive partnership with Titus Bramble, signed three years earlier from Ipswich Town for £5 million. The two Newcastle United players were ridiculed by the fans and lambasted by the media. Phillipe Senderos, currently on loan at AC Milan, completes the back four. Senderos, signed by Arsene Wenger in winter 2002, proved to be strong and aggressive yet far too slow and clumsy. His time at Arsenal can be summed up by several long injury layoffs, short spells in the first team and slack defensive marking.
A particularly weak midfield is orchestrated by Juan Sebastian Veron. The Argentinean playmaker arrived at Manchester United in 2001 from Lazio for 28 million pounds. He showed fleeting moments of genius in Europe but was wholly ineffective in the Premier League. Chelsea bought Veron for 14 million in 2003 and he was equally unsuccessful in West London. Another Manchester United hopeful, Jordi Cruyff, son of Holland international legend Johan, signed after Euro 96, joins Veron in midfield. Jordi never established himself as a first team regular at United and played just 35 times over four seasons. Pressure brought on by the family name did little to alleviate fan and media expectations. Originally loaned out to Celta Vigo in La Liga, Jordi departed the Premier League for good at the end of the 2000/01 season.
Junichi Inamoto joined Arsenal in 2001 with hopes of unlocking the door for other Japanese talents to explore the league. Inamoto spent a season on the substitutes bench at Highbury before going out on loan to Fulham where he continued to fill half time oranges duty. He spent several unsuccessful injury plagued seasons in West London before joining West Bromwich Albion. Inamoto’s much hyped arrival in the Premier League did little to persuade club managers to actively pursue talent in the East Asian leagues.
Completing a miserable midfield foursome is former Cameroon international Eric Djemba-Djemba. A season after displaying strong performances in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Djemba-Djemba signed at Manchester United for £3.5 million. His career at Manchester United never took off. In 18 months spent at Old Trafford, Djemba-Djemba played 20 times. He was eventually sold to Aston Villa for £1.5 million but his time spent at Villa Park was equally ineffective. Last seen playing for Odense BK in the Danish League, Djemba-Djemba was brought to the Premier League to fill the boots of Roy Keane but he couldn’t even dislodge Steven Davis and Gavin McCann in the Aston Villa midfield.
Two ex-Dynamo Kiev players form a hugely celebrated and highly fruitless partnership in attack. In summer 2000, Sergei Rebrov signed for Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £11 million. Arriving on the back of formidable form for Kiev, Rebrov drowned in the Premier League. He was frozen out at Spurs under then manager Glenn Hoddle and spent several periods on loan at Fenerbahce. His last attempt to crack the Premier League came in a brief spell with West Ham where he scored only one goal in 27 appearances.
Andrei Shevchenko - Golden Boy turned Blue
Rebrov’s strike partner at Kiev, Andrei Shevchenko, the most expensive player on the team, arrived at Chelsea in a deal worth £30 million. A favorite of owner Roman Abramovich, Sheva never recaptured the form that won him the 2004 European Footballer of the Year award. He spent much of his time in England pining for Italy, arguing with his managers and modeling for Armani. Scorer of nine goals in 47 appearances, Shevchenko is considered by many to be the most expensive flop in the history of the English game.
The Premier League “Failures” XI is truly a team of unfulfilled dreams and wasted money. Each player contributes to his cause in unique fashion. When compiling the team there were many great names that unfortunately missed out. Special mention must go to Diego Forlan at Manchester United, Roque Junior at Leeds and Kleberson at Manchester United. All three suffered horrendous form during their prime years in the Premier League but didn’t make the final cut. Football is forever in search of the next big thing, only time will tell if that next ‘Dimitar Berbatov’ or ‘Fernando Torres’ will have the ability to break into the “Failures” XI team.
3 Responses to “Premier League “Failures” XI”
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I agree with 90% of the selection but i have to argue with your choice of Senderos at the back. Im no Arsenal fan but there was a period i remember when he was playing regularly and used his physique to dominate attackers. I also think that going on loan to AC Milan is nothing to joke about. They obviously think he has something they can use. I would put Prunier of Manchester United in there instead. Talk about someone we’ve never seen since.
Got a few more who are trying to get into the team:
El Hadji Diouf
Brian Laudrup
Djibril Cisse
chelsea is the best team i see