Player in not very good Sam Allardyce signing shock!!

When Blerim Džemaili signed for Bolton in the winter of 2006-2007, Big Sam Allardyce said the following.

"Džemaili is a fantastic player, who has played for the best team in Switzerland for the past three years. For someone so young, he has a wealth of experience. At the tender age of 20, he is the skipper of FC Zurich and is expected to become a regular international for Switzerland in the years ahead. He has hardly missed a game for FC Zurich since he started playing for them at the age of 17. I am excited by the prospect of working with Blerim next season".

Oh.Very.Dear. The next season saw Big Sam ensconsed at Newcastle and the new signing suffering an injury before he even arrived. One game, the FA Cup tie between Bolton Wanderers Reserves and Sheffield United Reserves in January 2008, and two managers later, Blerim was shipped off to a loan deal with Torino, who immediately managed to get themselves relegated, although whether these two outcomes are related is up for debate.

What is probably not up for debate is that sometimes the rose tinted spectacles of Big Sam's time at the club have to come off. Some shocking decisions in signings (Mario Jardel anyone?) may, and I say may in its loosest possible context, have been part of the reason why Gill Fartslime didn't release more funds to the manager, hastening his departure. At the same time as he signed Džemaili, Gerald Cid also made his way to the club. Add in Ibrahim Ba and you have a motley crew of players brought in by Bolton's favourite adopted son who make some of Sammy Lee's signings look positively inspired. Still doesn't explain why Mr Fartslime is bankrolling the Ginger Special One to the extent that he is though.