Top ten signings
Nor is there a place for Andrew Johnson, though he would be deemed an unqualified success at Everton, or Obafemi Martins, though he almost reached the 20-goal landmark for Newcastle. Instead, our top 10 is:10. Michael Carrick (Manchester United, £18.6 million): It took months to shed the tag of 'the £18.6 million midfielder', but Michael Carrick has eventually managed it. He has proved himself worthy of a place amongst the technicians in the Manchester United midfield, enabling him to display the range of his passing. On one wonderful night against Roma, a natural clean striker of a ball became a goalscorer as well. Although this has represented an Indian summer for Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, Carrick's quiet assurance ensures he has secured his place long after they are retired.
9. Jonathan Woodgate ('Boro, £7 million): Two managers in the north-east considered borrowing Jonathan Woodgate when he became available in August. Nine months later, Gareth Southgate is assured of his future while Glenn Roeder has none at Newcastle. It is not exaggerating Woodgate's impact to suggest that, had he returned to Newcastle, Roeder may still be their manager and Middlesbrough could be contemplating life in the Championship. Instead, Woodgate has cemented his reputation as one of the classiest defenders in the Premiership and Southgate's twin coups - loaning and then signing him permanently - offer Boro some cause for optimism for the future.
8. Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, £1.5 million): West Ham may have marginalized him, but Liverpool have not made the same mistake. For an initial £1.5 million, he has quickly become an integral part of Rafael Benitez's team. While central midfield is a position of strength for the Spaniard, Mascherano has displaced both Xabi Alonso and Momo Sissoko and his performance in the second leg of the Champions Leg semi-final against Chelsea justified his price tag alone. It is a rarity for any one player to rank among the best and worst signings of the same season, but Mascherano does.
7. Kanu (Portsmouth, free): Harry Redknapp has displayed a weakness for players he was unable to afford during their prime, but few of his aged recruits have been as successful as Kanu. The Portsmouth manager's estimates of his age may vary between 47 and 54 - though Kanu is officially only 30 - but the undeniable fact is that this is his best goalscoring season since 1999-2000. After only 7 goals in 53 games for West Brom, the Nigerian was a surprise on the list of the Premiership's top scorers until the final weeks of the campaign and even more surprisingly, scored a few with his head.
6. David James (Portsmouth, £2 million): Reputations are often enhanced by absence from the England squad. Certainly David James' has been, though it has benefited more from his fine form at Fratton Park. Reinvigorated by his move to Portsmouth, James has displayed the attributes, principally extraordinary agility and the capacity to make world-class saves, that heighten the sense of what might have been if he could have added consistency to his game. A Premiership record for clean sheets is one reward. So, too, is the acclaim of those who previously derided him as 'Calamity James'.
5. Christopher Samba (Blackburn, £400,000): Pound for pound, arguably the best signing of all at just £400,000. The giant Congolese is perhaps the most intimidating defender in the Premiership physically, but he has been so accomplished that his qualities stretch far beyond size alone. Blackburn's advancement in 2007 can be attributed to the signing of Samba and his pairing with a fit-again Ryan Nelsen at the heart of their defence.
4. Joleon Lescott (Everton, £5.5 million): He would garner some votes as the Premiership's best left-back this season yet, by trade, he is a right-sided central defender. Paying £5.5 million for a player without a single Premiership game to his name seemed generous by David Moyes, but his investment has been justified. If Lescott's long-term future surely lies alongside Joseph Yobo at the centre of the Everton defence, his seamless adaptation to an unaccustomed role on the left flank has marked him out as player of class. The Goodison Park faithful were convinced long before Steve McClaren, who gave Lescott belated recognition in his selection of the England B squad to face Albania.
3. Carlos Tevez (West Ham, undisclosed): Although he incurred his club a £5.5 million fine and the wrath of their relegation rivals and also failed to score in his first 19 games, Carlos Tevez still qualifies as an unqualified success. By a landslide margin, he was voted the Hammer of the Year - and though 84.5% of West Ham fans can be wrong, on this occasion, they are not.
The Argentine, something of a force of nature, provided the spirit West Ham were lacking as well as, after belatedly opening his account, the goals to transform their season and, with a certain inevitability, scoring the winner to secure survival. The Hammers have gone from wondering why he was signed to needing to deter suitors from much higher up the league. West Ham may have received special treatment, but there is no doubt that Tevez is a special player.
2. Benni McCarthy (Blackburn, £2.5 million): Over recent years, no summer's transfer talk has been complete without mention of McCarthy. His prolific form for Blackburn prompts the thought that someone really should have signed the South African sooner. Scoring 24 goals for any club is an achievement but, at just £2.5 million, it is a remarkable return, especially as only Didier Drogba outscored McCarthy in the Premiership.
Besides the total, his range of goals is impressive, with the wonderful shot he unleashed to eliminate Arsenal from the FA Cup perhaps the most memorable. McCarthy joins Christopher Samba, Stephen Warnock, Ryan Nelsen and David Bentley in an impressive stable of signings by Mark Hughes.
1. Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham, £10.9 million): A signing that has almost proved just too good. With each demonstration of the Bulgarian's class, the rumours intensify: which of the big four want him most? Truth be told, each would benefit from his wonderful touch, allied with an instinctive understanding of space, and the calm, almost casual, finishing. It has brought 23 goals and Berbatov a legion of admirers. They may include most managers, but Berbatov's seeming willingness to stay at Spurs is the most welcome boost they could have. Were he to leave, however, he would be worth far, far more than the £10.9 million Tottenham paid for him. 曉士認真唔簡單，兩年3個best buy SAMBA係唔係打過米禾爾，幾年前佢風頭好似幾勁，傳過利物浦斟佢。 簡奴:icon112: 原帖由 Dioray 於 2007-5-1504:48 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
SAMBA係唔係打過米禾爾，幾年前佢風頭好似幾勁，傳過利物浦斟佢。
當年CM超級妖人 :icon114: :icon114: :icon114:
不過布記呢個Samba同o個個Samba係無關係的
[ 本帖最後由 Reina Tanaka 於 2007-5-1504:57 PM 編輯 ] 原帖由 Dioray 於 2007-5-1504:48 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
SAMBA係唔係打過米禾爾，幾年前佢風頭好似幾勁，傳過利物浦斟佢。
呢個samba之前係德國打，一向打後防。唔係個一個 mascherano最佳同最差都有份:icon101:
最差係西咸,最佳係利記:icon023: 原帖由 dtclaw 於 2007-5-1505:14 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
mascherano最佳同最差都有份:icon101:
最差係西咸,最佳係利記:icon023:
神又係佢,鬼又係佢:icon124: 唔係呀...Carrick都有份?
我成日睇MU比賽但都唔知佢做過d咩黎喎! 原帖由 pearls_fresh 於 2007-5-1506:03 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
唔係呀...Carrick都有份?
我成日睇MU比賽但都唔知佢做過d咩黎喎!
你認錯費查?:icon101: 頭兩名要對調位置吧:icon091: 原帖由 yuren 於 2007-5-1506:12 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
你認錯費查?:icon101:
佢(Carrick)除左駁腳同長傳好小小之外仲識做d乜?(我支持MU的) 原帖由 AC米仔 於 2007-5-1518:12 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
頭兩名要對調位置吧:icon091:
貝碧仲有assist呢~我覺得唔駛喎 活基治唔應該排咁低呀
佢的表現咁穩定
在米堡後防一夫當關 原帖由 孫中謝拉特.奧雲 於 2007-5-1506:25 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
貝碧仲有assist呢~我覺得唔駛喎
麥卡菲平幾倍:icon101: 原帖由 pearls_fresh 於 2007-5-1506:16 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
佢(Carrick)除左駁腳同長傳好小小之外仲識做d乜?(我支持MU的)
費查除左跑之外仲識做d乜?:icon101: 原帖由 Damn Kirby 於 2007-5-1506:51 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
麥卡菲平幾倍:icon101:
性價比高:icon101: 原帖由 孫中謝拉特.奧雲 於 2007-5-1506:25 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
貝碧仲有assist呢~我覺得唔駛喎
價係平好多既:icon101:
熱刺支援都比布力般多嘛
我覺得兩者真係各有各好:icon101: 原帖由 yuren 於 2007-5-1507:35 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
費查除左跑之外仲識做d乜?:icon101:
唔該你擘大隻眼睇清睇楚,
而家個post係講緊top ten signing,
我認為carrick冇用唔值得入top ten所以先reply,
你係咁拉費查入呢個topic做乜春?
搞事去第2度唔該. 原帖由 pearls_fresh 於 2007-5-1507:53 PM 發表 http://hkcm.hkehost.net/forum/images/common/back.gif
唔該你擘大隻眼睇清睇楚,
而家個post係講緊top ten signing,
我認為carrick冇用唔值得入top ten所以先reply,
你係咁拉費查入呢個topic做乜春?
搞事去第2度唔該. ...
:eek:
佢都係順住 '比較費查同卡歷克' 呢條路線討論je
雖然你好有道理:icon112: :icon105: :peanut: