[Albion] Started bad, became good.

[GrossTurn]

Lewis Dunk.

After a bright start, Poyet decided he didn't rate him, favouring El Bad and Upson, and Dunky even went out on loan. His career with us paradoxically rescued by Hyypia.

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Was it not quite closely linked to the fact Dunk had that court case situation hanging over which would’ve understandably rocked him at such a young age? Think ultimately we preferred the experience of Greer/El-Abd/Upson which meant Dunk (aged only 20/21) was gonna struggle for game time.

Quite a few on here were offering to drive him to Fulham when they bid for him. Liability was the word used about him!

Again I recall it slightly differently given he was in the middle of a season where he scored 7 (saving us on a handful of occasions) and got voted POTS at the end of it. Fans were likely reacting to the fact he seemingly wanted the move and was left out for a game to clear his head.

 

[Flounce]

Was it not quite closely linked to the fact Dunk had that court case situation hanging over which would’ve understandably rocked him at such a young age? Think ultimately we preferred the experience of Greer/El-Abd/Upson which meant Dunk (aged only 20/21) was gonna struggle for game time.

Again I recall it slightly differently given he was in the middle of a season where he scored 7 (saving us on a handful of occasions) and got voted POTS at the end of it. Fans were likely reacting to the fact he seemingly wanted the move and was left out for a game to clear his head.

It was after a game, maybe QPR (?) when he got sent off and may have cost us the game as I think we may have been winning at the time. There was definitely a meltdown from quite a few on here! Memory of the circumstances is vague but the fact that quite a few wanted him gone is certain.

Not sure if this was before or after the Fulham rejected offer where I think he had a strop and allegedly refused to play?

 

[Deadly Danson]

I was away for Danny Cullip's first match. I was reliably informed when I got back that he was shit. He very quickly became my favourite player - "Let's have a winner!" echoing round (the) Withdean.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Pascal Gross - "too slow", "turning circle of a beached whale" etc.

Spanish Dave - "what is he for?"

 

[stewart12]

Was it not quite closely linked to the fact Dunk had that court case situation hanging over which would’ve understandably rocked him at such a young age? Think ultimately we preferred the experience of Greer/El-Abd/Upson which meant Dunk (aged only 20/21) was gonna struggle for game time.

yeh Dunk was reasonably in favour and looking like a future star until the court case. He'd even got an England U21 call up. The court case (understandably) led to a downturn in his form and Poyet quite rightly preferring El-Abd and Upson. Dunk was the most established player by far of those involved in that case so had the most scrutiny on him.

I don't remember him playing much under Garcia and he was one of, if not the only, success story of the Hyypia era (Upson and maybe El-Abd as well had left by then)

 

[MTSeagulls]

With Cashin getting pelters from certain posters for not being the reincarnation of Franz Beckenbauer, and the thread about our worst ever singing, who started their Albion career as a perceived liability, but became, if not fan’s favourites, then valued members of the team.

2 spring to mind for me, in the present squad, Solly, I remember people giving the opinion that he was too lightweight, and would never make it, and JPVH, he had a bit of a hard start for us, and a few had written him off as not good enough.

I think it was against Cardiff where he was particularly poor in the first half. I was expecting him to be subbed at half time.
It was like a completely different player in the second half and he seemed to really push on from that game.

 

[Frankworthington]

Terry Connor

 

[stewart12]

Sam Baldock and David Stockdale

Baldock became an important part of the promotion winning side but struggled in his first season where he scored just 3 goals. In fact he only scored 4 in his second season. Improved massively in his third year partnering either Hemed or Murray and made both of them play better. Scored 11 goals in the league

Stockdale came to us the same summer and replaced the popular PiG. He was a bit of a victim of Hyypia's gung-ho tactics which often left the defence exposed but he was prone to costly errors and looked a bit overweight. Improved in his second season and was great in his third

 

[Clive Walker]

Storer!

 

[elwheelio]

Adam El-Abd.

 

[Sea Cider]

I think it would be FAR easier to name the players that started amazingly and then got worse.

Which says it all really

 

[Simster]

I was away for Danny Cullip's first match. I was reliably informed when I got back that he was shit. He very quickly became my favourite player - "Let's have a winner!" echoing round (the) Withdean.

Yes, it was against Chester and we lost 3-2. He was particularly crap in the first half as I recall, but improved in the second.

 

[chip]

Guy Butters. I have a memory that he was known as a sick-note when he came from Portsmouth.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

It's almost like players, particularly those coming in from overseas, need time to acclimatise, settle, make friends and learn how to play in an unfamiliar system at an entirely new club.

 

[Brian Munich]

First time I saw Gross live was when we lost 0-2 at Leicester - our second PL game. He was 26 at the time, so at his supposed peak, and I remember being glad that we only paid £3.5m for him.

 

[WATFORD zero]

It's almost like players, particularly those coming in from overseas, need time to acclimatise, settle, make friends and learn how to play in an unfamiliar system at an entirely new club.

I blame the recruitment team for bringing in players who obviously aren't ready

 

[Zeberdi]

Baleba is a great shout. Seem to recall in those first few games most of his second touches were a tackle. He looked like a right headless chicken and a nailed on booking every game. Whoever is responsible for his development should give themselves a very firm pat on the back.

Yeah and RDZ saying live on a presser, Baleba ‘wasn’t ready for the Premier League’ - which if the truth be told, he didn’t much look like it in December 2023 when we were beginning to fall apart but what a thing to say!

In fairness to Baleba, when we bought him in at 19, he came with similar limited experience and player profiles to Caicedo and Bissouma with Caicedo having a year at Beerschot before breaking into the first team.

Thank goodness we didn’t send Baleba out on loan in the January, or WBG might have ended up struggling with Dahoud who could barely manage a forward pass.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

The FDM. Subbed at halftime on his debut.

Then as the season progressed he blossomed into the greatest chef we've ever had.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

The FDM. Subbed at halftime on his debut.

Then as the season progressed he blossomed into the greatest chef we've ever had.

Ah yes, I remember, I was there. Southend away, first game of the season. Everyone so boyed up and it was.......pants!

Back to the thread, McAllister in recent years was a lost soul when he first played for us. Potter took him off verses a Spanish team in pre-season friendly at the Amex as an act of mercy and I turned to my son and said, "He's hopeless"