Best/Worst bosman signings..

[Super_horns]

Its 20 year since the historic court case which changed the transfer market for ever and gave players real power.

Who have been your top free transfer signings and who have been a real nightmare.

Twenty years ago on Tuesday, Bosman emerged from the European Court of Justice with a win that turned Europe's top divisions into glorious expressions of multiculturalism and added a new noun to sport's lexicon: the Bosman.

From that moment, players at the end of their contracts - David Beckham, Sol Campbell, Steve McManaman and many more - could move without a transfer fee.

No longer would a player from the European Union have their opportunities in the single market curtailed by rules limiting the number of foreigners clubs could field.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35097223

I remember Luca Vialli brought some really expensive rubbish like Ramon Vega and Pierre Issa.

On a positive note Gomes was a free and proven to generally be a vey reliable and experienced goalkeeper and Craig Cathcart too.

 

[thespus]

Campbell, Lewandowski, and Pirlo. Tough to argue against Pirlo as the best, but Lewandowski can usurp him by continuing this form and winning the Champions League.

 

[Whitechapel]

 

[Whitechapel]

Ballack wasn't all that bad I suppose.

 

[kelbiiz]

Sol Campbell comes to my mind as one of the most high profile, he also did very well at Arsenal.

 

[silkyman]

Campbell was certainly the most controversial. McManaman to City from Real Madrid was probably one of the most disappointing.

 

[Smally]

we've not had too many that I remember. Gareth Barry probably the best for us. Jan Mucha had one amazing game against City where he saved everything with his face

 

[smat]

Campbell was certainly the most controversial. McManaman to City from Real Madrid was probably one of the most disappointing.

Really? McManaman scored in a Champions League final, didn't he? Not bad going.
Edit: ohh for City, duh

 

[Art Morte]

Joe Cole was a disaster.

 

[Pagnell]

Tory cnut.

 

[Whitechapel]

Tory cnut.

Don't bring politics into this. Sol would make a great PM though.

 

[Stevencc]

He's a Tory now but I wouldn't rule out some controversial switches to Labour or the Lib Dems.

 

[Pagnell]

Don't bring politics into this. Sol would make a great PM though.

I was talking about you.

 

[silkyman]

Really? McManaman scored in a Champions League final, didn't he? Not bad going.
Edit: ohh for City, duh

Forgot he left Liverpool on a free too!

Wonder if there is a better, more decorated and capped player to have played for three top (oh, ok, two top and one just about to stop being perennially shit) clubs with cumulative transfer fees of £0.00

 

[Christian Slater]

We got Owen on a Bosman. I was at his debut game against Birmingham and he fluffed a one-on-one. It was a bit sad to see him in the role he had at United because he showed enough times that he was still a high level player. He could have had a renaissance at a club like Villa or Everton, but he just preferred scoring hatricks in cup games for us.

 

[G.B]

He really wasn't still a high level player. He was (chose to be) finished while he was still with us. If he'd gone to a club where he'd be expected to play regularly he'd have gotten injured and spent 3/4 of his contract doing fuck all and collecting his inflated pay cheque. He was more passionate about horses than football. Never seen a professional less interested in playing football than that wanker.

 

[Christian Slater]

That's what I mean. He wasn't interested but he certainly wasn't finished as a player, his talent was still there, if not a little diminished through injuries and age.

 

[thespus]

his talent was still there

I question how much talent he ever really had. He was a very naturally gifted athlete and instinctual finisher, but there wasn't much else about his game that stood out. The majority of athletes begin losing pace/explosiveness around 27 (or at least they did 15 years ago when football wasn't as cutting edge); Owen's significant injury history didn't help, either. He didn't have the quality (or attitude) of an Henry or Drogba to compensate.

 

[Christian Slater]

I think his positional sense negated his loss of pace somewhat. He wasn't as reliant on speed as many claimed when critiquing his latter years. He was a composed finisher with his feet and his head. He does seem limited when you compare him to what we expect from the modern day striker, but he was certainly worthy of his reputation amongst his contemporaries.

 

[thespus]

I think his positional sense negated his loss of pace somewhat. He wasn't as reliant on speed as many claimed when critiquing his latter years. He was a composed finisher with his feet and his head. He does seem limited when you compare him to what we expect from the modern day striker, but he was certainly worthy of his reputation amongst his contemporaries.

True. I conflated his positional sense with instinctual finishing.

I think it depends whom we consider his contemporaries - he peaked young, but the top class strikers near his age (+/- 3) include Henry, Drogba, Eto'o, Van Nistelrooy, Ibrahimovic, Schevchenko, Ronaldo, David Villa, and Raul. He scored at incredible rate for Liverpool, but I think that had a lot do with his pace. I think has reputation has more to do with his nationality. On the continent, he's not mentioned as a generational talent like the aforementioned. His latter years are critiqued for a reason - he was an average Premier League player by his mid-twenties.

 

[Christian Slater]

I wouldn't say average, and I feel he was unfortunate that his injuries denied any consistency for him. I don't think his name would seem so absurd to be in that mix had it not been for injuries and bad career choices. Of course this is his fault (career choices) and it should be held against him when comparing to others. I just feel he was talented enough to be regarded in the same bracket. I think it's also worth noting that Owen lacks something distinct that every player you listed has: They're fan favourites . Owen has somehow managed to be either hated by, or treated with indifference, at every club he's played for. I think that damage to his reputation is understated.

 

[G.B]

that's cos he's a c*** tho mate. when you consider the shit drogba pulled during his career and the sheer size of ibra's ego, it just shows what a horrible money grabbing little c*** of a man owen really was to be ridiculed and disliked so much by so many. plus he's currently fucking up peoples viewing experience which only adds to his cuntish image. the c***.

 

[Christian Slater]

I think that's fair.

 

[G.B]

i'm nothing if not fair

 

[silkyman]

He's a very insightful pundit.

 

[rudebwoyben]

There's also this ...

 

[Mr. Scruff]

Owen was utter shite for us, never all that in the first place and a complete twat. Gb is spot on