2010: Tiote is a Liability.

Alreet lads and lasses!

Thanks for accepting me on this forum. Long time reader, long time....not contributor? Is that how you'd say it?

Anyway, I know it's almost sacrilege to mention the old 606, but I thought it might be interesting to just have a look back at some of the reactions when we signed a player who has been hugely successful, such as Cheik Tiote.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A73301852

Some of the comments are:

''Tiote is clearly a utility player, ie. backup"
"He is someone who dribbles for the sake of it"
"Tiote is no better than either Barton or Nolan, he's pretty average. He's a liability.''
"He is way too slow to become a consistent Premier League player."

I must admit I didn't know too much about him - don't think many of us did!

Hindsight's a funny thing, but I just think it's interesting to look back... So tell us, what were you misconceptions back in the day?

I'll go first.
I watched Albert Luque tear AC Milan apart the season before he came to us, and thought he was immense. and in some ways a better signing than Michael Owen - the marquee signing of the summer.
I was also absolutely gutted to lose Andy Carroll, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan, thought Seb Bassong was going to be another Diatta, and that Alan Smith was going to play a pivotal role for us upon his rival in 2007.