Players who started off terrible then got worse

[MouldyRoyal]

Marcus Williams

[Snowflake Royal]

He got a toupe cut?

Paid him too much obviously.

The lads in the Southbank used to refer to him as 'Bobby the slap' and we'd all stand there slapping our foreheads Great times.

He allegedly signed for us after being shown the Simod Cup Final video thinking that played all our home games at Wembley. I distinctly remember him being often absent from the team sheet when the weather was forecast to be wild and windy!

Play Off Final, not Simod. Simod was almost a decade earlier

[Sutekh]

Marcus Williams

Utterly bizarre signing. Must be McDermott’s worst. Arrived at the end of 09/10 from Scunthorpe and left 2 years and 3 league appearances later for Sheffield United. Looked totally out of depth and was never given a run in the first team to try and prove himself. Spent his 2 years here on loan at Peterborough and back at Scunthorpe before a stint at Sheffield where he presumably impressed enough to earn his permanent move. Classed as one of those “modern left backs” i.e. really a winger who can tackle a bit when the wind is in the right direction etc.

He’s now 38 and last kicked a ball in anger for Guiseley in 2018

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm all for trying to find the diamond in the rough for cheap, but that era we made some appalling signings that it was clear would never make it. They were cheap as chips, but it's still burning money

Brett Williams. Marcus Williams, Cedric Baseya, Eric Obinna (who did at least make 6 appearances according to wiki).

[Hound]

I’m not sure he ever played enough to be terrible as such but Danzell Gravenberch was one of the oddest signings of recent-ish times

Clearly not good enough and looked about 2 stone overweight

Do remember him injuring some Arsenal player with a horror tackle in the cup game there so some credit for that though

[Clyde1998]

Marcus Williams

Utterly bizarre signing. Must be McDermott’s worst. Arrived at the end of 09/10 from Scunthorpe and left 2 years and 3 league appearances later for Sheffield United. Looked totally out of depth and was never given a run in the first team to try and prove himself. Spent his 2 years here on loan at Peterborough and back at Scunthorpe before a stint at Sheffield where he presumably impressed enough to earn his permanent move. Classed as one of those “modern left backs” i.e. really a winger who can tackle a bit when the wind is in the right direction etc.

He’s now 38 and last kicked a ball in anger for Guiseley in 2018

Did force us to sign another left-back and that was Ian Harte! May have been an inspired signing after all!

[Sutekh]

I’m not sure he ever played enough to be terrible as such but Danzell Gravenberch was one of the oddest signings of recent-ish times

Clearly not good enough and looked about 2 stone overweight

Do remember him injuring some Arsenal player with a horror tackle in the cup game there so some credit for that though

Lucas Perez I think.

Hard to believe his brother is Ryan Gravenberch…

Meanwhile Danzell is still playing, at 30 for Den Bosch.

[Clyde1998]

I'm all for trying to find the diamond in the rough for cheap, but that era we made some appalling signings that it was clear would never make it. They were cheap as chips, but it's still burning money

Brett Williams. Marcus Williams, Cedric Baseya, Eric Obinna (who did at least make 6 appearances according to wiki).

On the flip side, it got us Kevin Doyle and Shane Long and more recently Femi Azeez (Wealdstone); Mamadi Camara (Feirense) and Michael Craig (Tottenham). It's probably one of the better low risk-high reward strategies when you've got the ability to forward plan transfers.

[stealthpapes]

I am so glad this video of Cedric Baseya still exists

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcs4kk

Anyone hear speak French

Danzell Gravenberch - literally playing the wrong sport.

[Hound]

That’s an iconic photo

Sums the whole transfer up

[Ascotexgunner]

So many to mention...especially in recent times.
So I'll go a bit leftfield and pick a goalkeeper.

João Virginia was utter sh+t...literally anything hit from the edge of the area literally went through him. It's like he didn't have arms, and the mistakes got worse and worse......thank god he was only a loaned.

[Crusader Royal]

So many to mention...especially in recent times.
So I'll go a bit leftfield and pick a goalkeeper.

João Virginia was utter sh+t...literally anything hit from the edge of the area literally went through him. It's like he didn't have arms, and the mistakes got worse and worse......thank god he was only a loaned.

Playing for Everton last night in the cup …..

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm all for trying to find the diamond in the rough for cheap, but that era we made some appalling signings that it was clear would never make it. They were cheap as chips, but it's still burning money

Brett Williams. Marcus Williams, Cedric Baseya, Eric Obinna (who did at least make 6 appearances according to wiki).

On the flip side, it got us Kevin Doyle and Shane Long and more recently Femi Azeez (Wealdstone); Mamadi Camara (Feirense) and Michael Craig (Tottenham). It's probably one of the better low risk-high reward strategies when you've got the ability to forward plan transfers.

It's hardly the same is.

Craig was at a PL club for flips sake, Camara and Azeez went into the academy. These are punts worth taking. They have a chance of making it. Doyle was a successful footballer in Ireland and went straight into the first team, Long was very highly rated there too, also played in the first team straight away.

That post is not against finding cheap players. It's not wasting your time with ones who will clearly never make it. Brett Williams and Baseya never had any chance.

[stealthpapes]

I'm all for trying to find the diamond in the rough for cheap, but that era we made some appalling signings that it was clear would never make it. They were cheap as chips, but it's still burning money

Brett Williams. Marcus Williams, Cedric Baseya, Eric Obinna (who did at least make 6 appearances according to wiki).

On the flip side, it got us Kevin Doyle and Shane Long and more recently Femi Azeez (Wealdstone); Mamadi Camara (Feirense) and Michael Craig (Tottenham). It's probably one of the better low risk-high reward strategies when you've got the ability to forward plan transfers.

It's hardly the same is.

Craig was at a PL club for flips sake, Camara and Azeez went into the academy. These are punts worth taking. They have a chance of making it. Doyle was a successful footballer in Ireland and went straight into the first team, Long was very highly rated there too, also played in the first team straight away.

That post is not against finding cheap players. It's not wasting your time with ones who will clearly never make it. Brett Williams and Baseya never had any chance.

Alan Bennett (actually had a solid career)
Dave Mooney (very solid at Leyton O)
Karl Sheppard (went back to Ireland)

[Snowflake Royal]

On the flip side, it got us Kevin Doyle and Shane Long and more recently Femi Azeez (Wealdstone); Mamadi Camara (Feirense) and Michael Craig (Tottenham). It's probably one of the better low risk-high reward strategies when you've got the ability to forward plan transfers.

It's hardly the same is.

Craig was at a PL club for flips sake, Camara and Azeez went into the academy. These are punts worth taking. They have a chance of making it. Doyle was a successful footballer in Ireland and went straight into the first team, Long was very highly rated there too, also played in the first team straight away.

That post is not against finding cheap players. It's not wasting your time with ones who will clearly never make it. Brett Williams and Baseya never had any chance.

Alan Bennett (actually had a solid career)
Dave Mooney (very solid at Leyton O)
Karl Sheppard (went back to Ireland)

And as I said, not against taking punts... Bennett and Mooney at least had potential, I forget Sheppard. And we actually paid a fair wedge for Bennett. You could see the worth. The feact they did actually have good careers proves this.

But the others were obvious.

[stealthpapes]

I was going more for something between

(a) you win some, you lose some

and

(b) players can move on and do well, not making it here doesn't mean they're necessarily bad

Have a go, don't work out? move on.

[Clyde1998]

On the flip side, it got us Kevin Doyle and Shane Long and more recently Femi Azeez (Wealdstone); Mamadi Camara (Feirense) and Michael Craig (Tottenham). It's probably one of the better low risk-high reward strategies when you've got the ability to forward plan transfers.

It's hardly the same is.

Craig was at a PL club for flips sake, Camara and Azeez went into the academy. These are punts worth taking. They have a chance of making it. Doyle was a successful footballer in Ireland and went straight into the first team, Long was very highly rated there too, also played in the first team straight away.

That post is not against finding cheap players. It's not wasting your time with ones who will clearly never make it. Brett Williams and Baseya never had any chance.

Alan Bennett (actually had a solid career)
Dave Mooney (very solid at Leyton O)
Karl Sheppard (went back to Ireland)

Pierce Sweeney (very sold at Exeter)

[Father Flipper]

Naseem Bashir

Maybe a bit harsh given that he only played 3 games but distinctly remember him inexplicably missing a sitting duck open goal from 6 yards against Chester at the Tilehurst End. He was instantly hauled off and never played again.

A name I had successfully forgotten till now, cheers. I support Hendon as well - he had a spell with us at the end of the 90s, where he was affectionately named "Mr Crappo". Inexplicably bad at football, but apparently a decent coach once he retired.

[NewCorkSeth]

I am so glad this video of Cedric Baseya still exists

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcs4kk

Anyone hear speak French

Danzell Gravenberch - literally playing the wrong sport.

They're not saying much interesting tbh.

[Snowflake Royal]

I was going more for something between

(a) you win some, you lose some

and

(b) players can move on and do well, not making it here doesn't mean they're necessarily bad

Have a go, don't work out? move on.

Sure very on board with that.