Any fan of English football will know that chant from the terraces; many of us have gleefully sung it when an expensively paid-for opponent has endured a nightmare.
It can’t be nice to be on the end of, but the Premier League has had its fair share of flops again this year who have been nowhere near giving value for money; and the biggest underperforming clubs, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, have players who just want to see the end of this campaign.
So which are the 2022 recruits who have stunk out the season and made the wrong sort of Premier League 2023 highlights? Here’s the SBOTOP selection and I bet you can think of a few more.
Richarlison: Spurs
It’s hard to believe that Richarlison is still only 25 years of age because he’s been in the Premier League since 2017 when he first caught the eye at Watford. The Brazilian moved to Everton in 2018 for a fee of around £35m and he became the Toffees’ most creative talent, and had a huge role to play in their survival last season with a string of man-of-the-match performances and vital goals. Richarlison moved to Spurs for £50m plus £10m add- ons but, after a poor showing, I bet the add ons haven’t been added on! He scored his first Premier League goal for Spurs on 30th April, a 4-3 loss to Liverpool on his 23rd game for the club. He has blossomed for Brazil but Richarlison has shown very for Spurs.
Raheem Sterling: Chelsea
The Blues shelled out a cool £47.5m for Raheem Sterling who, at 28 years of age, is right in the prime of his career, after winning four Premier League titles with Manchester City. But his trademark pace and cool finishing has been sadly absent at Stamford Bridge and he has slipped from being a striker expected to lead the attack to a fringe player who has only scored four goals in 24 games. He is a quality player, of that there is no doubt, but Sterling has taken a big step backwards this season.
Gianluca Scamacca: West Ham
After finishing seventh last season to qualify again for Europa League football West Ham United splashed out in the summer Transfer market, bringing in flair players Lucas Paqueta and Maxwell Cornet, but the biggest fanfare at the London Stadium greeted the arrival of Gianluca Scamacca, who signed from Serie A club Sassuolo for a fee in excess £30m. At 6ft 4in he is a powerful unit but Scammaca has struggled to impose himself on Premier League defences. He has only managed to score three goals in 16 appearances, a poor return for the Azzurri star. The Hammers are not quite safe from the threat of relegation yet and, if they do take the drop there might well be a fire sale in East London, including Scammaca whose situation is being monitored by AC Milan.
Marc Cucurella: Chelsea
He starred with Brighton and Hove Albion last season, and when Marc Cucurella transferred to Chelsea he joined a team which the pre-season Premier League 2023 betting odds predicted would finish in the top four. But it is the club he left which is challenging for Europe while the Blues languish in mid table. The Seagulls have just exacted their revenge over Manchester United, the team which put them out of the FA Cup and they are seventh in the table, with three games in hand over Spurs and Liverpool just above them. Chelsea paid
£67m for Cucurella who was seen to be a natural replacement for Ben Chilwell but he has struggled for form and consistency. His best performances came in the Champions League but he has been one of the Blues’ biggest disappointments in the Premier League; though Cucurella has plenty of competition!
Frank Lampard – Chelsea
Well, at the seventh time of asking, Frank Lampard has finally steered the wonky Blues to a win; so it only seems fair to give the former Chelsea player a shout out here. Yes, it’s been a disastrous return to the Bridge for Lamps, there is no way to dress up six defeats on the bounce from a side assembled for nigh on half a billion pounds. He was a legend when he wore the Blue shirt but his coaching career is yet to take off, having been sacked already once by Chelsea and recently by Everton.
Things can only get better for Lampard, and Chelsea, but he may have to look elsewhere again to rebuild his reputation.
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