Trying to feel less like I've just tripped while carrying a Ming vase and am watching it drop in slow motion.

I was horrified by the signing of O'Brien last season and he was a terrific boost to us against all the odds.

Admittedly this is not a very long list but it's a start...

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Answers

or look at it in this way - look at the signings we have expected so much of and have turned out to be shite

'Gullit has solved our defensive problems with the signings of Dumas,Marcelino and Goma for 11 million quid'

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

JDT helped us to a startling pre season then fell apart after 2 miutes against sheff wed (tino was awesome that day)

erm, Andy Cole

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Andy OB is a giant of a football player, not least for that audacious piece of skill that led to a goal against the SMB. He is a canny player though it has to be said.

Cole also springs to mind and I can't think of any more in recent times. Usually we build players up to be modern day Peles and are always disappointed so maybe Bellamy et all have a chance to prove us all wrong.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

quality is quality.when kev bought ginola he bought quality, same with ferdi, albert etc, he spent big money wisely...Bobby, despite being a fabulous, fabulous guy and the man i want as manager, can't buy (two meanings here) a good player.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Bellamy, Bellamy, Bella, Bellamy
A hefty fee for a dodgy knee
Bella, Bellamy

Dabizas was hardly an earth shattering signing, neither was Given or Harper.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Solano's done pretty well....

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

On the basis of today's inflated expectations, 'underwhelming' signings at the time....Srnicek, Albert, Cole, Dabizas, Ginola (Keegan talked him up, but he was cheap and remembered mostly for France failing to qualify for the World Cup), Speed...Thing is, I remember getting excited about every signing pretty much

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Rob Lee was unknown at the time, he turned out OK.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Ginola was the most exciting signing for me. He'd demolished Barca (?) in the CL semu the year before and I was shocked when he joined us. The next biggest was Maric.

Underwhelmed was Speed, luckily he has proved to be far better than I expected

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Almost put in Rob Lee too, Rik, but at the time he was Charlton's best player and a top prospect. It's all relative though, because he most certainly wasn't a ready made star player that some people seem to think we should be buying each time.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

bazzer, the best team player to wear a toon shirt

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

salty sellars, was a top left sider, i loved him

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Hey Softie - who's trying to be optimistic now??

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Not just underwhelming (at the time) signings, but we also have a canny few youngsters that are worth a mention.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

I was referring specifically to hard cash being offered for people that made you think, "Oh no, not again!"

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Carl Cort falls roughly into that category for me, and I hate to admit it, but I had real doubts about the wisdom of KK paying £1.5 million for Pedro at 31 yrs of age - boy was I wrong on that one!

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Howay man Softie. It's only a bliddy Ming vase. It'll look as good as new with a bit of superglue. The cracks will hardly show.

Yes Clarky, I too thought that £1.5m for Pedro aged 31 was not too clever a deal. I think Sir John thought the same. Very pleased to be wrong on that one. I was also displeased at the arrival of Rob Lee because he was replacing my own hero Franz Carr. Franz was a one man team - it was such a shame he couldn't ever play as part of an 11 man team! Rob Lee is a strong contender for Keegan's best ever signing. (Along with Cole, Ferdinand Pedro, Venison, Bez, Albert etc etc.) Sigh.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

anybody mention David Batty? Expected to be rubbish by most of us. How about Vennison and Bracewell?

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

Kevin Gallacher. A gem considering the price we paid for him.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001