Players who took a while to settle...

[peteblue]

I know! No patience whatsoever. There were even fans shouting at Cottee to get a wriggle on….

But he only scored 3 ffs….

 

[bring back the catt]

I think unless you’re signing veteran guys who know their craft inside out like Tarkowski or Coady most guys are going to take a good while to settle. It’s why Chelsea and United are splashing mega money at guys like Koulibaly and Casemiro the wrong side of 30 in positions they just need sorting right away.

Looking at some of the great names in this thread that took a while to get going it’s always been the case, and we’ve generally been quite good at being patient. What’s probably changed now is that we are so desperate for this squad to improve that we’re praying for someone like McNeill or Onana to come in and turn things round instantly.

It sometimes works that way but it’s certainly not the norm and if we have another poor season it will be the fault of a lot of others on and off the pitch more than the fault of the new guys, so (wishful thinking) hopefully we won’t be on any new player’s back too quickly. We’ve seen what a bit of support and confidence has done for Iwobi.

Too true. Being an arl git, I am pretty sure many of my generation will recall how poorly the late great Howard Kendall played initially, and really took many many games to settle in. He turned out to be something really special.
I have never since been too early to criticise any player since then.

I agree with all the players listed in this thread, but your inclusion of Iwobi is a salient point as he has gone from being the first to be shown the door, to first name on the team-sheet.

 

[davids]

Fellaini was crap and a nut job when he first arrived, but when he got up to pace and learned to control his anger a bit he was top class

And yet he was a farmer's league signing.?

 

[davids]

I always thought Arteta settled straight away.

Fellaini
Gravesen
Jags (he kept getting used off the bench as a midfielder for awhile)

Baines took a while too.

 

[blue61]

Adrian Heath struggled for months.

 

[Joey66]

Howard Kendall as a player & as a manager......he became great at both jobs - a disastrous debut as a player v Southampton at home where we got beat took him 6 months to settle - as a manager a wee bit longer .......

 

[BigMick]

Martin Dobson took a while to adjust to Billy Bingham's more regimented style.
Peter Eastoe was a bit of a spare part early on, what with Latchford and Kidd.
Martin Keown was terrible for a while, then played well enough to force his way into the England team.

 

[Hangleton]

Micky Walsh - think he scored 1 goal in his first season. I don’t remember him after that.

 

[davids]

Howard Kendall as a player & as a manager......he became great at both jobs - a disastrous debut as a player v Southampton at home where we got beat took him 6 months to settle - as a manager a wee bit longer .......

If the internet had been around pre Oxford game he'd have been history.

 

[davids]

Micky Walsh - think he scored 1 goal in his first season. I don’t remember him after that.

Don't feel bad, nobody does.

 

[kev]

Rondon seems to be taking a while to settle

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Rideout stank the place out for ages before becoming an acceptable player.

Weirdly forgotten about player despite scoring the winning goal for our last ever trophy. Mad career. Played for Rangers, Bari, in the US and in China.

 

[dylsexicbleu]

Weirdly forgotten about player despite scoring the winning goal for our last ever trophy. Mad career. Played for Rangers, Bari, in the US and in China.

And started his career off with a bang scoring a hat-trick in one of the most famous schoolboy games in history against Scotland at Wembley. His third goal in the game being a pure fickin worldie.

 

[Steve EFC]

On the other hand there’s been plenty that have come in to fanfare but not given much of a chance then two/three years later quietly disappear.
You are left wondering if there’s stuff in training etc that we don’t see where the manager must have written them off.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

Enner Valencia and Joshua King scoring goals for fun in Turkey - it's a funny old game!