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Getting Off to a Good Start
Written by TheBlueStig on Wednesday, 6th Mar 2013 19:40

It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed. But what if you're a footballer?

After yet another debutant made his bow last night in young Reece Brown the thought came to mind, what were the best and worst debuts I’ve ever seen for my club or any club for that matter? Who proved me wrong?

When Queens Park Rangers’ strange but eager communications department described new signing Park Ji-Sung as a “global phenomenon” it was easy to mock. After all, a quick Google search of the phrase mentions the decline of the honey bee but little of the similarly busy Korean midfielder.

And yet, who hasn’t at some time got carried away with outrageous optimism and excitement about their club’s summer signings? It’s common knowledge that every team in the country, from the great Manchester United to little Ipswich Town or (no disrespect) even Braintree Town is perennially three players away from success.

And so, in the heady days of July, Chelsea fans will elevate Eden Hazard to the status of all-conquering hero; Man Utd fans clung to the hope of Shinji Kagawa smashing Man City; while Arsenal fans might believe Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud could make light of a Robin van Persie exit.

By August the dream will have died for some. Who knew that Michael Laudrup's Spanish flare would work at Swansea, or even the emergence of Raheem Sterling at Liverpool? Hazard and Kagawa will have their every touch analysed and those modern-day Roman emperors – aka Alan Hansen and Gary Neville – will be waiting with their equivalent of the thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

Sometimes you do just know – instantly. Sergio Agüero’s brilliant brace on debut for Man City against Swansea last season had football fans frothing, and nine months later he proved to be the man who defined the Premier League season. Equally, Chris Sutton never was going to recover from stumbling like a drunk at a disco when clear on goal in his Stamford Bridge bow.

But it isn’t always so, as Arsenal fans can attest. Dennis Bergkamp didn’t score until the seventh game of the season before blasting home two beauties against Southampton.

Thierry Henry’s start was similarly disappointing. Long before Arsenal’s record goalscorer had a statue built in his honour, he was being dubbed the French Perry Groves during an opening sequence of eight games without a goal.

Draw your own conclusions.

Man Utd fans will have similar tales. Jaap Stam looked painfully cumbersome in his first outing against Nicolas Anelka in the Charity Shield a few years back, while Patrice Evra was substituted at half-time after being woefully exposed in his opening game for the club away to rivals Man City.

Conversely, although Juan Sebastián Verón later became characterised as a complete failure in England – uniquely appearing on worst-ever signings lists twice (for Man Utd and Chelsea) – he was named Premier League player of month in September of his first season with the Red Devils.

Supporting Ipswich since the woeful 2001/02 season I have seen many, many awful players that have pulled on an Ipswich shirt, let alone their debuts. However, the same amount have really impressed and deserved their opportunity to move on to pastures new and make a good career for themselves.

So when you’re walking away from that first match of the season telling your mates you’ve seen the future of football, or writing off that new striker after one miss, just pause. Take a deep breath. And remember, you’ve been wrong before.




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JWM added 20:49 - Mar 6
Ulrich Le Pen and more recently Stern John springs to mind
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IamSpartacus added 21:36 - Mar 6
Steve Whitton. I seem to remember his first few games were all action, harrowing and tormenting defenders by chasing them down and scaring the hell out of them- defenders hate being tacked themselves, after all. And then he stopped doing it. End.

Ian Marshall was also similar- although more successful and a little longer.

I was there for Jason Dozzell's goal against Coventry- 16 years and 150 days, or something. Never really felt he fulfilled that early promise, despite the big move to Spurs.

As a fan, though, you just want to see huge effort. That from the start wins us over immediately.
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Edmunds5 added 22:53 - Mar 6
Wayne Rooneys hat-trick against Fenerbache probably the most impressive debut I can remember. Djibril Cisse scored against Villa on his Qpr debut and he seems surplus to requirements about a year on.
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Garv added 23:12 - Mar 6
Great little blog that.

Stead had a pretty decent debut for us didn't he?

Chops scored two at Bristol on debut.

Orr for one of the bad ones at Leicester maybe?
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gazzmac4 added 09:09 - Mar 7
Mat Richards' debut away at Avenir Beggen will always stick long in my mind. He was fairly well atrocious. My mates Dad shouted rather loudly that he was a "useless w#$£#r" when he came to our side of the pitch. Such was the nature of thatround that he definitely heard him shout that and then turned to look squarely at us, a look of terro etched across his face.

My mates Dad is still claiming to this day that this moment in his young career enabled him to grow as a player and continue to make it as a pro. He of course takes all the credit for his rise to captain of Shrewsbury!
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cooper4england added 17:02 - Mar 7
Nice blog.

Home debut Finidi George two goals against Derby. What a tease! .

Greatest ever debut would be George Weah's "cousin" Ali Dia lasting about twenty minutes after coming on as sub before being subbed off!!!
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