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The next time you hear “He’ll score for fun up there” about an SPFL signing target, send them this thread.
Players that cut it in England, but not Scotland.
Players that cut it in England, but not Scotland.
Joey Barton - Rangers
Burnley’s POTY talked for months about how he was levels above anyone in Scotland (particularly Scott Brown) and would boss things.
5 starts - Nutmegged by a Hamilton player, snapped by Greg Taylor and bodied back to the Premier League by Brown.
Burnley’s POTY talked for months about how he was levels above anyone in Scotland (particularly Scott Brown) and would boss things.
5 starts - Nutmegged by a Hamilton player, snapped by Greg Taylor and bodied back to the Premier League by Brown.
Joe Garner - Rangers
Arrived for £1.5 Million after impressing with Preston, just 7 goals and a feud with Little Mix to show for it.
Arrived for £1.5 Million after impressing with Preston, just 7 goals and a feud with Little Mix to show for it.
Jayden Stockley - Aberdeen.
Absolute mince. 7 SPFL goals before he returned to England and decided to look like Lewandowski.
Remembered only for breaking Kieran Tierney’s jaw.
Absolute mince. 7 SPFL goals before he returned to England and decided to look like Lewandowski.
Remembered only for breaking Kieran Tierney’s jaw.
Freddie Ljungberg - Celtic
Unbelievable player for Arsenal & Sweden. Went to Celtic towards the end of his career but still expected to stroll it by the usual pundits.
7 appearances, kept out a team by 9 year old James Forrest.
Unbelievable player for Arsenal & Sweden. Went to Celtic towards the end of his career but still expected to stroll it by the usual pundits.
7 appearances, kept out a team by 9 year old James Forrest.
Graham Carey - Celtic, Ross County & St Mirren.
Cracking delivery on him, but did nothing witb it. Became one of Plymouth Argyle’s 300 SPFL signings, turned into prime Kaka. Genuinly unplayable at a point, POTY and responsible for 75% of Plymouth’s goals at a point.
Cracking delivery on him, but did nothing witb it. Became one of Plymouth Argyle’s 300 SPFL signings, turned into prime Kaka. Genuinly unplayable at a point, POTY and responsible for 75% of Plymouth’s goals at a point.
Carlton Cole - Celtic.
The West Ham legend was perhaps the ultimate test for the English Football VL “He’d bag 30 a season up there easy” theory.
Not a single league goal, but he did give us this.
The West Ham legend was perhaps the ultimate test for the English Football VL “He’d bag 30 a season up there easy” theory.
Not a single league goal, but he did give us this.
Lyle Taylor - Falkirk & Partick Thistle.
Bizarrely successful first period with Falkirk, but absolutely bang average for Partick Thistle in the Premiership. Now a deadly Championship marksman and a massive Tory.
Bizarrely successful first period with Falkirk, but absolutely bang average for Partick Thistle in the Premiership. Now a deadly Championship marksman and a massive Tory.
Juninho - Celtic
The former Middlesborough & Brazil superstar was stil only 31 when he came to Scotland but got nowhere near Celtic’s team.
A lot down to O’Neill’s weird usage of him, but a flop nonetheless.
The former Middlesborough & Brazil superstar was stil only 31 when he came to Scotland but got nowhere near Celtic’s team.
A lot down to O’Neill’s weird usage of him, but a flop nonetheless.
Martyn “say it to me face” Waghorn - Rangers
Best known for arguing with a Glasgow school boy whilst carrying a chippy, Martyn was unable to carry over his form (and 5 penalties a game) from the Championshio to Premiership. Punted back to England, bought for £5m the next season.
Best known for arguing with a Glasgow school boy whilst carrying a chippy, Martyn was unable to carry over his form (and 5 penalties a game) from the Championshio to Premiership. Punted back to England, bought for £5m the next season.
Nicky Maynard - Aberdeen
Racked up nearly £10 Million in transfer fees in England but couldn’t find a single goal in Scotland. Went back down the road and suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing. Mince.
Racked up nearly £10 Million in transfer fees in England but couldn’t find a single goal in Scotland. Went back down the road and suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing. Mince.
Tyler Blackett - Celtic
Utterly astonishing this guy played as many times as he did for Man United. 3 appearances for Celtic before he ended up on their U20s bench. Came on as a sub for Celtic once and got taken back off again.
Now a regular in the Championship.
Utterly astonishing this guy played as many times as he did for Man United. 3 appearances for Celtic before he ended up on their U20s bench. Came on as a sub for Celtic once and got taken back off again.
Now a regular in the Championship.
Danny Fox - Celtic
Speaking of Championship regulars. Fox was highly rated upon his arrival but was very, very quickly found out and sent packing to Burnley. Great beard, not a great footballer.
Speaking of Championship regulars. Fox was highly rated upon his arrival but was very, very quickly found out and sent packing to Burnley. Great beard, not a great footballer.
Guy Demel (and Florent Sinama Pongolle) - Dundee United
Both arrived during United’s incredible relegation season and it was like pouring petrol on a giant house fire. Demel came straight from West Ham and will go down as one of the most immobile footballers of all time.
Both arrived during United’s incredible relegation season and it was like pouring petrol on a giant house fire. Demel came straight from West Ham and will go down as one of the most immobile footballers of all time.
Teemu Pukki - Celtic
Just did not happen for him at Celtic. Spell at Brondby before tearing the Championship (and first quarter of the Premier League) to shreds. Scored against Liverpool but not Greenock Morton.
Just did not happen for him at Celtic. Spell at Brondby before tearing the Championship (and first quarter of the Premier League) to shreds. Scored against Liverpool but not Greenock Morton.
Tore André Flo - Rangers
To this day Scottish Football’s most expensive signing. Not a terrible goal record, but in terms of the fee, and the wages...yeah, not good. Sent to Sunderland in 2002, poor bugger.
To this day Scottish Football’s most expensive signing. Not a terrible goal record, but in terms of the fee, and the wages...yeah, not good. Sent to Sunderland in 2002, poor bugger.
Ian Wright - Celtic
Another towards the end of their career, but still scoring regularly in England upon his arrival. May have been slightly better under anyone that wasn’t John Barnes.
Another towards the end of their career, but still scoring regularly in England upon his arrival. May have been slightly better under anyone that wasn’t John Barnes.
Niko Kranjčar - Rangers
Absolutely finished, but Talksport would have you believe he could’ve played games reading a paper, smoking a cigar. Maybe 10 years earlier but big Niko’s legs were gone. The SPFL is quick, and it’s physical - he was neither of these.
Absolutely finished, but Talksport would have you believe he could’ve played games reading a paper, smoking a cigar. Maybe 10 years earlier but big Niko’s legs were gone. The SPFL is quick, and it’s physical - he was neither of these.
Thomas Gravesen - Celtic.
Some man, with a decent start to life in Glasgow, but ended up sent back to Everton after getting kept out the team by Evander Sno, who wasn’t even a footballer.
Some man, with a decent start to life in Glasgow, but ended up sent back to Everton after getting kept out the team by Evander Sno, who wasn’t even a footballer.
James Collins - Hibs
Arrived at Hibs at probably the worst time but he was really rather shite. £200k it took to get him as well. Now banging them in for Luton Town and somehow has more goals for Ireland than Anthony Stokes.
Arrived at Hibs at probably the worst time but he was really rather shite. £200k it took to get him as well. Now banging them in for Luton Town and somehow has more goals for Ireland than Anthony Stokes.
Daryl Murphy - Celtic
More Premier League goals than Radamel Falcao. The big man just wasn’t up to it at all in Scotland, but has had no problem finding the net in England. Built like a wardrobe, played like one too.
More Premier League goals than Radamel Falcao. The big man just wasn’t up to it at all in Scotland, but has had no problem finding the net in England. Built like a wardrobe, played like one too.
Does this all mean Scotland > England? No, absolutely not. Are there players that have done better here than in England? 100%
Maybe players just adapt better to certain environments, and that the SPFL isn’t as easy as the likes of Talksport would have you believe eh?
Maybe players just adapt better to certain environments, and that the SPFL isn’t as easy as the likes of Talksport would have you believe eh?
