A shame that HBA turned out the way he did. Best in recent years. Whereas, now he resembles a Weeble.
Biggest wet pants moment was Kluivert. I don’t think we’ve had a name of that magnitude since though Ben Arfa was close.
A few people have said it but Woodgate is, for my money, the best player we've had for 15+ years. He wasn't just a player he was an entire back line. With him in the team Bramble, Bernard, Hughes, Griffin, etc looked worthy of a top four team. Without him they looked like the relegation rabble they spent the rest of their careers being (FWIW Bernard is a player who really should have done better with his career given how awesome he was able to be at times).
From the Ashley era; Muto, Merino, Lejeune, Wijnaldum, Townsend, Cabella, Ritchie, Cabaye, Santon, Ba, Cisse, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez and Coloccini have all been fairly exciting signings. I remember being particularly pleased about Colo, Cabaye, Ben Arfa and Wijnaldum at the time of their signings, Cabaye because it was a really sneaky bargain buy for a classy looking player and the rest from what I already knew of them... Cisse was a very exciting one as it looked like MA was going to be more ambitious at that moment - we already had Ba scoring for fun and then went and spent a decent sum on another free-scoring (at that point) forward. Gutierrez was nicknamed spiderman - reason enough! Sissoko another mega-bargain. Ba - nice to poach from West Ham and he had already shown an eye for goal. Santon had a very good reputation. Cabella looked so good on paper. Townsend had shown enough in his few Spurs performances. Ritchie was a cracking signing for a Championship team. Lejeune looked (and still does) the real deal. Merino just seemed like he was going to be a good buy. Muto has done well at his previous clubs and I think will still come good. And don't lie Lord J - your biggest wet pants moment was probably either Obertan or Harewood... From terror and rage.
My favirot Bernard memory Just imagine taking one of Roberts rockets to the side of the face... Rather get hit by Tyson Fury
Sitting in a pub in Ferryhill talking to former Newcastle goalie Martin Burleigh, he played 11 games for us in the 70s. Nice bloke <hiccup>
Looking back Robert/Ben Arfa were the last players to get me truly excited. To top it all that half a season of Cisse though. Literally the most technically gifted player I've ever seen in that time, shame he was nearer the opposite after. My zenith as an excited fan was Kluivert. I just missed 97 (literally 98) and would say the elation I felt that we'd signed Berty big bollocks, on top of a Bobby Robson team, made me the most confident I'd felt as a fan starting the season. An absolute travesty Bobby left, such a shame Kluivert couldn't head, an abomination we ended the season with souness. It was all downhill from there bar one season of 5th.
