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20 most important signing of last decade

foghornred

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ExiledAjax

ExiledAjax

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I don't agree with the top 3 (and cba to list my own top 20). For me:

1. Tammy Abraham - saved us that season with his goals. Proved our club and manager to be a good place for young premier league talent to come to. For me that signing and his success that year was the point at which we switched from being a league one side signing the likes of Pack, Flint and punts like Garita to a serious championship side. That his arrival coincided with the opening of the new stadium further cements this as the turning point in our very recent history. Without his success with us there would be no Kalas, no Dasilva and no Palmer. We just would not be where we are today without that signing.

2. Aden Flint - A classic example of our strategy of buying low, farming the best years from a player, then selling high to enable us to bring in the next at a slightly higher level. That he scored 15 in our promotion season and became a cult hero to a generation of fans only adds to his prowess.

3. Luke Freeman - imo the player of the season in 14/15. Enabling those goals for Flint and chipping in 7 himself this guy was a step up from most players at that level. He may not cut it in the prem (we'll see) but my god did he cut it in that L1 season. Also had the best chant/song of any player in the past decade.

Honourable mention to Wilbraham for the most important left-field signing of the decade. 18 goals and an unbelievable professional attitude powering us from L1 to the Championship.

FYI for those that don't want to click the link this is the Post's list:

  1. Korey Smith
  2. Marlon Pack
  3. Aden Flint
  4. Josh Brownhill
  5. Tammy Abraham
  6. Tomas Kalas
  7. Adam Webster
  8. Frank Fielding
  9. Aaron Wilbraham
  10. Wade Elliott
  11. Luke Freeman
  12. Albert Adomah
  13. Lee Tomlin
  14. Mark Little
  15. Jon Stead
  16. Jonathan Kodjia
  17. Jay Dasilva
  18. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
  19. Sam Baldock
  20. Han-Noah Massengo

 

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Tipps69

Tipps69

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

I don't agree with the top 3 (and cba to list my own top 20). For me:

1. Tammy Abraham - saved us that season with his goals. Proved our club and manager to be a good place for young premier league talent to come to. For me that signing and his success that year was the point at which we switched from being a league one side signing the likes of Pack, Flint and punts like Garita to a serious championship side. That his arrival coincided with the opening of the new stadium further cements this as the turning point in our very recent history. Without his success with us there would be no Kalas, no Dasilva and no Palmer. We just would not be where we are today without that signing.

2. Aden Flint - A classic example of our strategy of buying low, farming the best years from a player, then selling high to enable us to bring in the next at a slightly higher level. That he scored 15 in our promotion season and became a cult hero to a generation of fans only adds to his prowess.

3. Luke Freeman - imo the player of the season in 14/15. Enabling those goals for Flint and chipping in 7 himself this guy was a step up from most players at that level. He may not cut it in the prem (we'll see) but my god did he cut it in that L1 season. Also had the best chant/song of any player in the past decade.

Honourable mention to Wilbraham for the most important left-field signing of the decade. 18 goals and an unbelievable professional attitude powering us from L1 to the Championship.

FYI for those that don't want to click the link this is the Post's list:

  1. Korey Smith
  2. Marlon Pack
  3. Aden Flint
  4. Josh Brownhill
  5. Tammy Abraham
  6. Tomas Kalas
  7. Adam Webster
  8. Frank Fielding
  9. Aaron Wilbraham
  10. Wade Elliott
  11. Luke Freeman
  12. Albert Adomah
  13. Lee Tomlin
  14. Mark Little
  15. Jon Stead
  16. Jonathan Kodjia
  17. Jay Dasilva
  18. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
  19. Sam Baldock
  20. Han-Noah Massengo

 

I’d suggest HNM will be considerably higher than #20 by the time he leaves! He is a massive signal of our intent & could / will lead to a whole new transfer approach.

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Davefevs

Davefevs

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Posted
1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

I don't agree with the top 3 (and cba to list my own top 20). For me:

1. Tammy Abraham - saved us that season with his goals. Proved our club and manager to be a good place for young premier league talent to come to. For me that signing and his success that year was the point at which we switched from being a league one side signing the likes of Pack, Flint and punts like Garita to a serious championship side. That his arrival coincided with the opening of the new stadium further cements this as the turning point in our very recent history. Without his success with us there would be no Kalas, no Dasilva and no Palmer. We just would not be where we are today without that signing.

2. Aden Flint - A classic example of our strategy of buying low, farming the best years from a player, then selling high to enable us to bring in the next at a slightly higher level. That he scored 15 in our promotion season and became a cult hero to a generation of fans only adds to his prowess.

3. Luke Freeman - imo the player of the season in 14/15. Enabling those goals for Flint and chipping in 7 himself this guy was a step up from most players at that level. He may not cut it in the prem (we'll see) but my god did he cut it in that L1 season. Also had the best chant/song of any player in the past decade.

Honourable mention to Wilbraham for the most important left-field signing of the decade. 18 goals and an unbelievable professional attitude powering us from L1 to the Championship.

FYI for those that don't want to click the link this is the Post's list:

  1. Korey Smith
  2. Marlon Pack
  3. Aden Flint
  4. Josh Brownhill
  5. Tammy Abraham
  6. Tomas Kalas
  7. Adam Webster
  8. Frank Fielding
  9. Aaron Wilbraham
  10. Wade Elliott
  11. Luke Freeman
  12. Albert Adomah
  13. Lee Tomlin
  14. Mark Little
  15. Jon Stead
  16. Jonathan Kodjia
  17. Jay Dasilva
  18. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
  19. Sam Baldock
  20. Han-Noah Massengo

 

I was asked by James Piercy and BP for my best 10 signings last week.  I used quite a few different criteria, e.g. cost, success, other things like with Tammy that it led to trust with future loans of Kalas etc.

His top 10 contains most of the ones I selected, but I didn’t order them, nor did I select 10.  I forgot Albert too.

I had Steven Caulker in my list, that’s the only one that I had that didn’t make his 20.

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ExiledAjax

ExiledAjax

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6 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I was asked by James Piercy and BP for my best 10 signings last week.  I used quite a few different criteria, e.g. cost, success, other things like with Tammy that it led to trust with future loans of Kalas etc.

His top 10 contains most of the ones I selected, but I didn’t order them, nor did I select 10.  I forgot Albert too.

I had Steven Caulker in my list, that’s the only one that I had that didn’t make his 20.

I looked at it again and really their top 5 is pretty interchangeable - although I stand by the opinion that Freeman is easily top 5 if not top 3. You could also make a very strong argument for Matty Taylor being in the top 20. Maybe didn't score tons of goals but for importance and significance he was huge. Essentially a massive marker of City's indisputable superiority over Rovers.

17 minutes ago, Tipps69 said:

I’d suggest HNM will be considerably higher than #20 by the time he leaves! He is a massive signal of our intent & could / will lead to a whole new transfer approach.

Absolutely. I suspect that unfortunately we will only get him for one season - and thus I'll never see him play live - but if we sell him for a record fee next summer then he'll be up there with Webster at least.

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Tipps69

Tipps69

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21 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

I looked at it again and really their top 5 is pretty interchangeable - although I stand by the opinion that Freeman is easily top 5 if not top 3. You could also make a very strong argument for Matty Taylor being in the top 20. Maybe didn't score tons of goals but for importance and significance he was huge. Essentially a massive marker of City's indisputable superiority over Rovers.

Absolutely. I suspect that unfortunately we will only get him for one season - and thus I'll never see him play live - but if we sell him for a record fee next summer then he'll be up there with Webster at least.

I have a horrible feeling you will be right, part of the reason why I’m trying to get to as many games as I can because players of that ilk don’t grace our club very often & I want to enjoy him as much as I can!

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New Dazzler

New Dazzler

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Slightly surprised not to see an honourable mention for Stefan Moranovic? .

Actually thought it was a decent read, obviously these things will produce a good debate.  I cannot see how Marlon can be placed 2nd and no Luke Ayling in the top 20, but that is the nature of such lists.  I remember how we were all thinking the signing of David James would make us serious contenders and it all went pear shaped with Coppell leaving and seasons of struggle.  Maybe that was one of the most significant signings in as much as it showed SL how not to go about achieving success, and we eventually changed the philosophy around.

It also brought back good memories of the likes of Albert, JET, etc.

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Silvio Dante

Silvio Dante

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It was actually a pretty decent and thought provoking read, and a bit different to the normal “who’s the best signing” tables. I thought that the BEP argued their case for each well and it showed the importance of “statement” signings that open the door to other players as well as showing impact on the pitch

Not always the case, but good work Gregor McGregorface

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Wolf Island

Wolf Island

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A bit Buzzfeed click bait but GMcG does know City. I would add Taylor Moore to the list as an example of young player progression through loans, which has been a key part of City’s transfer and development approach since LJ has been here. I’d swap him for Little and also not sure I’d have him ahead of Ayling in a right back comparison. 

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myol'man

myol'man

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David James should definitely be on the list. 

OK he was in the twilight of his career, but he had only just played for England in the world cup that summer.

Absolutely massive marquee signing by City that announced to the world that we intended moving up to the next level.

.....and he's the first ex-City player on Strictly!

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New Dazzler

New Dazzler

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1 hour ago, Murraysrightplum said:

Nicky Maynard should be in there to be fair. Regardless of how he left the club he was a top striker in a poor team and created a load of goals out of nothing. Also created national interest with some of his goals which kept us relevant 

Good point re NM, but the article did specify signings of this decade, ie since 2010.  Without looking it up, I am pretty sure that he signed in 2008/9 after the play off final season. Basically the players signed since GJ left, in March (?) 2010.

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LondonBristolian

LondonBristolian

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Surprised by the top three but, the more I think about it , the more I agree with it. Those three were the nucleus as we transformed from a team floundering in League One to a team that reached the League Cup semi-final and competed at the upper end of the Championship. There's certainly others like Tammy and Freeman you can make a case for. There is a strong argument we would have been back in League One without Tammy and Freeman was outstanding for us in League One but I'd argue the top three deserve to be there for the length of time for which they were key players for us, 

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CyderInACan

CyderInACan

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1 hour ago, phantom said:

Massengo?

He's only been here a matter of weeks

I think the article (and I read it yesterday) references the quantum leap we've made recently in where we source prospects from as the reason for including Massengo. He's clearly not there on the basis of a long and illustrious playing career with us is he - it's more about what signing him demonstrates. 

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ExiledAjax

ExiledAjax

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1 hour ago, CyderInACan said:

I think the article (and I read it yesterday) references the quantum leap we've made recently in where we source prospects from as the reason for including Massengo. He's clearly not there on the basis of a long and illustrious playing career with us is he - it's more about what signing him demonstrates. 

Yep. It's why it's more interesting to talk about 'important' signings rather than 'best' signings. Massengo is unproven but could be seen as the next statement signing after Abraham and Tomlin. I'd argue that taking a number one goalie from a direct rival is also a pretty big statement but the post couldn't fit Bentley in their list.

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Sturny

Sturny

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1 hour ago, Andre_The_Giant said:

Jay Emmanuel Thomas would be right up there for me. The most exciting player I’ve seen at AG in the last 10 years and was instrumental in keeping our head above water in the O’Driscoll era.

He was definitely a luxury player, so exciting to watch 

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