The very best footballers are generally judged by their longevity, but much like the music charts we do see a one hit wonder every once in a while. It could be a youngster or a journeyman on a hot streak, but they’re normally remembered for far longer than the time they’re at the top.
With that in mind, we’ve gone through the archives to pick out the very best Premier League one season wonders for you below.
Blackpool (2010-11 season)
Very few fancied newly promoted Blackpool to have an extended stay in the Premier League, particularly when they submitted a squad of just 24 players for the campaign, but they quickly won everyone over.
The Tangerines had prepared for the campaign by defeating the likes of Accrington Stanley and Havant & Waterlooville to lift the South West Challenge Cup, but they produced one of the great top flight debut performances, trouncing Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the DW Stadium.
Blackpool would follow that up by shipping six at the Emirates, which rather summed them up under charismatic boss Ian Holloway. All caution was thrown to the wind, with the Tangerines scoring 55 goals and pulling off notable home victories over Liverpool and Tottenham.
Holloway’s journeymen put up a hell of a fight, and they went into a chaotic final day on 39 points, with five clubs facing the threat of relegation. Everyone was quietly rooting for Blackpool, but they faced the daunting prospect of picking up at least a point at champions Manchester United to survive. They briefly took a shock lead on the hour mark, too, but it ultimately proved a step too far and the Tangerines bowed out as true one-season wonders.
Michu (Swansea City, 2012-13 season)
Swansea City finished a respectable 11th in their first season in the Premier League, though they were expected to struggle in year two having been relatively frugal in the transfer market.
Seven players were brought to South Wales as the Swans looked to stabilise, including unknown forward Michu from struggling La Liga side Rayo Vallecano. The Spaniard had bagged 15 goals in his first season of top division football in Spain, though the £2 million transfer was largely seen as a stab in the dark rather than a bona fide coup.
Very few knew what to expect, though Michael Laudrup had built a philosophy of attacking football and Michu’s deep-lying style was an instant hit, scoring four goals in his first three games. He’d notched up 13 league goals by the turn of the year and while that tally steadied in the second half of the campaign, he played a key role in helping his side lift the League Cup and secure European football. Injuries prevented Michu from ever hitting those heights again, but the streets will never forget his debut campaign.
Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic, 2008-09 season)
Wigan Athletic were known for pulling off some magnificently obscure signings during their eight-year tenure in the Premier League, bringing gems like Hugo Rodallega, Antonio Valencia and Wilson Palacios into the wonderful world of “Barclaysmen” folklore.
Arguably the most celebrated signing of the lot was Egyptian forward Amr Zaki, who for around 25 minutes or so was the envy of the footballing world. Zaki wasn’t exactly well known when rocking up at Latics on a season-long loan deal, though quite curiously he was technically the “world’s best striker” on FIFA’s player rankings.
Steve Bruce boldly declared that Zaki would do the business and he duly did, scoring eight goals in his first 11 Premier League games, including an incredible bicycle kick in front of the Kop against Liverpool. That red hot run of form reportedly attracted the attention of the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid, which is where the problems started.
The Egyptian’s head was turned and disciplinary issues started to rear their head, with Zaki returning late from international duty on no less than four occasions. It led to Bruce describing the forward as the most unprofessional player he’d ever worked with and as a result the big money moves never materialised. Unsurprisingly, Wigan didn’t pursue a permanent deal and aside from a short-lived loan at Hull, we didn’t see Zaki again.
Reading (2006-07 season)
Reading sealed promotion to the Premier League for the first time by setting a record points tally in the Championship, though they weren’t fancied to last more than one season in the top flight.
Bankrolled by the millions of local businessman John Madejski, the riches of the top division felt a step too far for a side that largely opted to trust the players that had got them into this position. The Royals were banking on forward duo Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita, who had scored 41 goals between them in the second tier.
Steve Coppell’s side were brimming with confidence and they showed no fear from the offset, winning four of their first seven league games. The pundits were waiting for the bubble to burst, but the momentum continued, thumping West Ham 6-0 on New Year’s Day. Sides struggled to cope with Reading’s aggression and they scored 52 goals on their way to winning 16 times that campaign, missing out on Europe by just one point.
Buoyed by that success, Reading were similarly frugal the following summer but their luck rather ran out, with sides finding a solution to their style. The Royals were relegated the following year and have appeared in the top flight just once since.
Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea, 2011-12 season)
There’s rarely a dull moment at Chelsea, though the managerial merry-go-round felt particularly relentless when Roman Abramovich sacked Andre Villas-Boas after just nine months in charge.
The protégé of Jose Mourinho, Villas-Boas was dismissed in March after his side had won just three of their last 12 league games. The season was in danger of slipping away from the Blues, who trailed Napoli in the Champions League and faced a tricky FA Cup fifth round replay.
Without a clear replacement, Roberto Di Matteo was asked to step in. He was only seen as a temporary solution, but the Italian would galvanise his side in the cup competitions, thumping Spurs and holding off Liverpool to lift the FA Cup.
The Blues rarely dazzled, but they showed plenty of fight in Europe, pulling off one of the greatest European performances we’ve ever seen to see off Barcelona in the Nou Camp. It was enough to summon a goal-gasm from Gary Neville, so there was little surprise when they were at it again in the final, somehow holding off Bayern Munich on their own patch to win the trophy.
Chelsea were duty bound to appoint Di Matteo on the back of that, though there was a feeling that he wasn’t the man his chairman wanted. Things quickly unravelled that autumn and Di Matteo was dismissed after his side crashed out in the Champions League group stages.
By Nick Seddon
Please note that the information provided in this Top 5 Premier League Opening Day Games article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.
18+ | BeGambleAware.org
