EPL's Five New Signings To Watch: Half-Term Report

On the eve of the 2008-09 Premiership season, Alex Dimond picked a few new signings who he believed were all set to make a big impact on the fortunes of their respective clubs.

Now at the half way point in the season, it is time to review how the players nominated have got on so far…

(NB: Original list was compiled at the beginning of the season and thus before the transfer window closed—so the likes of Berbatov and Robinho were not included)

Luka Modric (Tottenham Hotspur)

What was said then: “There is always a place for technical players in the Premiership and Modric certainly has the ability to etch his own name into Premiership folklore. If he can adapt to Juande Ramos’ tactical preferences, then such an ascent should begin this season. It may take a few months for him to settle, indeed it probably will, but expect him to soon forge his own identity.”

The story so far: The young Croatian has been a regular starter for Spurs this season, but a return of only one goal and three assists in the league is not what was expected of the £16m man. Perhaps affected by the club’s early season troubles, Modric still has work to do to justify his transfer fee.

Grade: C+. Progress has been hampered by club’s woes.

George Boateng (Hull City)

What was said: “Out on the pitch, Boateng is not afraid to get stuck in and is never less than fully committed.  If Hull stay up, it will surely be greatly down to the Dutch enforcer. It may be something of a cliché, but the Holland international will do the dirty work that enables those around him to prosper. “

The story so far: Conclusive evidence it may not be, but Hull have won every time that Boateng has played the full 90 minutes this season. Boateng has played a part in all but three of the Tigers games so far, and proved to be a shrewd bit of business by Phil Brown.  The Brazilian Geovanni might have stolen the early season headlines and adulation, but Boateng’s influence should not be underestimated.

Grade: B. Quietly getting the job done.

Peter Crouch (Portsmouth)

What was said: “Does anyone honestly believe that the “little ‘n’ large” combination of Defoe and Crouch will not be an outrageous success? Yet to run out together in the blue of Pompey, they already remind me of Sunderland’s Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips, one of the Premiership’s greatest strike partnerships.

"If they can form an understanding quickly (and, with regular England performances together, they should) then they have the potential to score goals from the very first game.”

The story so far: Crouch has had a solid start to the Premiership campaign, with seven goals and four assists in 20 matches. But the club are struggling slightly in the league, and failed to live up to expectations in Europe. With Defoe widely tipped to leave the club in the transfer window, the second half of the season might be a difficult one for the 6’7” striker.

Grade: B-. About what you would expect for £11m.

Olivier Kapo (Wigan Athletic)

What was said: “Infuriating and exceptional in equal measure at St. Andrews last year, Steve Bruce obviously has a lot of faith in the former French international. Kapo has one of the sweetest left feet in the game and is capable of fleeting moments of magic.

“If Bruce can get Kapo’s head straight, then the player so good he signed him twice could yet start to repay some of the faith shown in him.”

The story so far: Bad news for Wigan fans, as Kapo has often been at his infuriating worst in his irregular Premiership appearances this season. Overshadowed completely by another new arrival, Amr Zaki, it remains to be seen whether Steve Bruce believes the 27-year-old to be worth persevering with. The potential sale of Valencia might be the Frenchman’s lifeline.

Grade: F. Must try harder.

Samir Nasri (Arsenal)

What was said: “The French international certainly has the credentials to become a key component at the Emirates Stadium for years to come. But this season, he faces a baptism of fire. With Alexander Hleb leaving, Nasri is crucial to the attacking component of the team.

“While the likes of Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey may carry some of the weight, the Frenchman will ultimately have to perform consistently well if Arsenal are to improve on last season’s frustrating result.”

The story so far: An opening day goal against West Brom settled Nasri’s nerves, and since then the 21-year-old has acquitted himself well amongst the rough and tumble of the Premiership. Injuries may have hindered his progress slightly, but his brace in the Gunner’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United has shown the fans enough to believe that the £12m was money well spent.

Grade: B+. Already performing well—and could get even better.

Others that were considered:

Didier Digard (Middlesbrough)

What was said: “Boateng’s replacement at the Riverside will be expected to boost the spine of a sometimes lightweight side.”

Story so far: Regularly called upon by Gareth Southgate this season, injury has hampered the young Frenchman in the last few weeks. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old has impressed many pundits with his tenacity and determination, but has yet to fully justify Gareth Southgate’s decision to let Boateng and Cattermole go. Still has a lot to learn. C-.

Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea)

What was said: “Chelsea’s problem position—if such a position exists—should be comfortably filled by the athletic right-back.”

Story so far: Chelsea’s player of the season so far? In his first season in the Premiership, the Portuguese international has put in some simply stunning performances for his new team, comfortable in both defence and attack.The league's best right-back. A.

Danny Guthrie (Newcastle)

What was said: “The former Liverpool man will have learnt a lot from his loan spell at Bolton last term, and should prove to be one English midfielder (not in jail) that can drive the Toon on.”

Story so far: Solid in his appearances for Newcastle so far—although many fans might argue Guthrie deserved jail time for his appalling “tackle” on Craig Fagan, that left the Hull City man with a broken leg. Having apologised and served a ban, the midfielder is now back to being an integral part of Joe Kinnear’s side. B.

Gio Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur)

What was said: “The young Mexican has a point to prove. Barcelona did not think he had the talent to be a top class attacking threat, and so were happy to let him leave. Were the Catalan giants right, or have Spurs got themselves a steal? This season should provide some clues.”

The story so far: The Barcelona board must be laughing into their paella. Giovani is yet to play 90 minutes for Spurs, and indeed hasn’t made an appearance for the club since the 5 th October thanks to injury. But even before that, he seemed to lack a cutting edge. Can Harry work wonders? D.

Jo (Manchester City)

What was said: “The former CSKA Moscow man should be battle hardened from his time in Russia—English weather and football should be idyllic by comparison. Expect goals, and lots of them. Mark Hughes seems to have a magic touch with his strikers.”

Story so far: Perhaps Jo is the exception that proves the rule about Hughes’ magic touch.  Frequently lazy and often disinterested, the £19m man has been upstaged by young Daniel Sturridge this season, and has only notched one league goal. If Santa Cruz arrives in January, it could be the end of an ignominious period at Eastlands for the Brazilian. Terrible. F.

Manucho (Manchester United)

What was said: “The 25-year-old was outstanding at the African Cup of Nations, and looks like he could fit in well to a flexible United frontline. Expect him to have a great impact this season.“

The story so far: The eventual signing of Dimitar Berbatov put paid to any chance Manucho might have had on nailing down some regular first team appearances. With the January transfer window on the horizon, a loan move to one of the struggling Premiership sides (West Brom?) could well be on the cards. Desperate for an opportunity. D-.

With so many great signings missing from this list, who do you believe has been the signing of the season so far? And, perhaps more interestingly, who has been the biggest disappointment?