This blog may just be the ultimate exercise in futility. Judging players after only three or so months at their new clubs is a bit like reviewing a film after only seeing the first 20 minutes. Indeed, a quick look around the Premiership today shows that sometimes patience is rewarded and players can rebound from bad starts. Florent Malouda and Gareth Bale are two such players that immediately spring to mind; both were criticised for poor form early in their careers but once they eventually settled in and found their ideal positions they have developed into two of the best the premiership has to offer.
That being said, and fully aware that this blog will inevitably be proved utter nonsense by at least one player in the list, here is my selection of the best and worst summer signings, based on what we have seen so far. If nothing else, hopefully this blog will spark some debate and p*ss off some Liverpool fans.
The Five Best Summer Signings
5. Marouane Chamakh - Bordeaux to Arsenal - Free
For years Arsenal fans have pleaded with Arsene Wenger to buy a traditional physical centre-forward not named Nicklas Bendtner, and in Chamakh it appears their wish has been granted. Chamakh had been linked with Arsenal for years, and it seems that Wenger has secured a great bit of business by biding his time and signing him on a free. The Moroccan striker seems to have all the attributes that Arsenal are looking for in a front man; fantastic in the air, great feet, and most importantly a ridiculous boy-band haircut.
The one question I have about Chamakh is whether or not he will actually thrive in Arsenal's system. He has enough technical ability to play Arsenal's intricate ground game, but a striker is judged by his goals, and Arsenal don't really have the set-up, or the desire, to play to Chamakh's aerial strengths. It is easy to imagine that if Chamakh was playing in a more direct system like Chelsea he could be a 25-goal a season striker. Having said that, I do believe that Chamakh's combination of strength and technique is exactly what Arsenal need to give them a bit more bite up front this season.
4. Martin Petrov - Manchester City to Bolton - Free
Over the next few seasons I suspect we will see a trend of Man City rejects going on to have success at smaller clubs around the country. The sheer volume of players that City are bringing in means they will be forced to ship out at least 3-4 fringe players every year. This summer alone we have seen Villa sign Stephen Ireland, Cardiff sign Craig Bellamy and Bolton sign Petrov - all absolute bargains compared to the prices that City are splashing out. Roque Santa Cruz will surely be the next to follow in January.
Petrov has always been a very talented player, but like so many others seemed to get somewhat left behind by City's big-spending revolution. Several clubs went in for him when his contract was up in the Summer and Petrov chose Bolton as the place to revive his career, possibly enticed by Owen Coyle's free-flowing tactics, or possibly because he couldn't be arsed to move more than 20 minutes away from Manchester. Either way, Petrov is proving a success at his new club and he represents a shift away from Bolton's traditional long-ball, rough and ready style.
3. Cheikh Tiote - FC Twente to Newcastle - £3.5m
It is perhaps too early to congratulate Newcastle on the good form they have shown this year. They are exactly the type of schizophrenic club that could lose a couple of games, fire Houghton, and end up battling relegation once again. At this point in the season though it is a case of so-far so-good for the Magpies on their return to the Premiership, and this is in no small part down to some shrewd purchases from Houghton.
Tiote's play has drawn comparisons to that of Michael Essien (if only from the player himself) and his energetic midfield displays have provided the platform for his fellow midfielders Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton to get forward. In Newcastle's shock win over Arsenal this past weekend Tiote kept Fabregas in his pocket the whole game and was a non-stop motor in the centre of the park. At just 24 Tiote will be a good player in the Premiership for many years to come.
2. Javier Hernandez - Chivas USA to Manchester United - £6m
It has been a few years since a new player has come to United and immediately become a fan favourite in the manner that Hernandez has. Ferguson pulled off a canny bit of business by securing the young Mexican before the World Cup, where Hernandez's impressive displays would surely have added a few million to the asking price and attracted the attention of the world's other mega-clubs. Hernandez has already scored several big goals for United, and I have to agree with Jamie Redknapp (never said that before) in his comparison of Hernandez's movement and finishing to that of a young Michael Owen.
I do, however, have one major question about Hernandez. Why the hell is he allowed to have 'Chicharito' printed on the back of his shirt? I understand that sometimes South American names can get lost in translation, and players can opt to be called by a shorter version (see: Edison "Edson" Arantes do Nascimento, aka 'Pele'), but Chicharito (meaning 'The Little Pea'), whichever way you look at it, is nothing but a nickname. Surely this kind of thing is setting a dangerous precedent for the Premiership. Would Titus Bramble be allowed 'The Giant Turnip' on the back of his shirt? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
1. Rafael Van Der Vaart - Real Madrid to Tottenham - £8m
When Tottenham struck a last minute deal on transfer deadline day to bring the talented Dutch playmaker to White Hart Lane I admit I was a little bit sceptical about how it would work out. Van Der Vaart was clearly a big name, but having seen him play a few times for Holland and Real Madrid he seemed like the kind of player who never really made that much of an impression. Tottenham's midfield was already pretty congested and it was hard to see exactly how Van Der Vaart would fit in or make a big impact.
It is now very obvious that I was wrong about VDV. He took no time at all to settle at Spurs and instantly gives the fans the kind of gifted technician that they have loved over the years. It will be tricky for Spurs to continue the improvement they have shown over the last few years, but with signings like Van Der Vaart they just might have a chance of holding on to that Champions League football that they seem to be enjoying so much.
Part 2 - The Worst Transfers - Coming on Friday.