The strange case of David Nugent

February 26th, 2008 by SM Dev (ste)

David Nugent was unveiled as a Pompey player on July 11th, 2007. The striker cost Harry Redknapp the best part of £6 million, and he had to battle with Roy Keane’s Sunderland for his signature.

Yet within weeks reports surfaced that Nugent was on his way to Derby County, in the same transfer window in which he arrived. In a post-match press conference following a Carling Cup game in which Nugent scored his first goal, Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp stated Nugent would be free to leave the club if the right offer came in to help fund a move for more players.

Nugent has struggled to break into the Portsmouth first team, and has now been linked with a loan move away from Fratton Park to Ipswich Town, and former team Preston North End. It was at the latter club where he made a name for himself, and also made his England debut as a substitute in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Andorra. This is his only England cap to date, and his is now one of only three players to have exactly one substitute appearance and one goal for England (with the others being Paul Goddard and Francis Jeffers).

The question is though we did Harry Redknapp buy him? £6 million is not cheap either, and for that amount Arsène Wenger captured the excellent Tomas Rosicky, an established international of proven quality.

Soccer Manager would like to know if you think David Nugent is the flop buy of the Premier League this season? Also do any Portsmouth fans have an insight into this one?

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15 Comments Add your own

1. Ryan Morgan | February 26th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Vronin is the flop of the season. No one would have known who he was before this season and I don’t think no one would want him now.
2. Arsenal 123 | February 26th, 2008 at 3:49 pm

I think he has to be the biggest flop of the season and for what he has done Harry shouldn’t have played 1 million for him let alone 6!!
3. Marc Wilmore | February 26th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

i would say that Darren Bent is the flop of the season. Tottenhams record signing of £16.5m has barely played because Berbatov and Keane are brilliant. But when he’s come on he has been poor and nowhere near as threatening as he was at Charlton. I don’t understand why Jol paid so much for a third choice striker when there are better ones out there that are cheaper (even Henry cost Barcalona less!)
4. ant | February 26th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

Bent Nugent and henri all 3 strickers and nothing bent for spurs he did nothing nugent for portsmouth and nothing and henri for west ham and still nothing
5. Taylor | February 26th, 2008 at 5:52 pm

You could say, at the start of the season, that Fernando Torres of Liverpool was a flop but he has now picked himself up and he could become the main man in the Premiership.
Darren Bent and David Nugent has both been big flops aswell.
6. gAv GaV | February 26th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

andriy voronin has been a huge flop but was a free anyway and obviously nugent has as well and bent the ones that have already been mentioned. i think kenny miller has but everyone for derby has really. theres plenty of flop like david healy. but one from the big 4 would be claudio pizarro. he sucks.
7. alex bardsley | February 26th, 2008 at 7:40 pm

Pompey only brought him because the African cup of Nations was coming up now its over he’ll be gone by next season
8. muzzy | February 26th, 2008 at 9:05 pm

cant blame harry £6m for the form he was in with Preston was a bargain, just looks like he can’t cope with the pressure of the PREMIER LEAGUE.
9. ian | February 26th, 2008 at 9:21 pm

he is the worst player known to man apart from robert earnshaw. i wouldnt have bought him 4 2p
10. coopsie | February 26th, 2008 at 9:35 pm

voronin isn’t flop of the season because he was a free transfer. I agree with Marc, Darren Bent worth more than Henry?
11. walchy | February 26th, 2008 at 9:54 pm

Darren Bent and David Nugent and claudio pizarro and andriy voronin are flops because they have hardly played and when they do there just a waste of space
12. faye | February 27th, 2008 at 3:10 am

from time to time Rafa mis-use voronin on the left flank??
i thought he is a decent foward…

i think Harry Redknapp buy Nugent bcoz of good business??
he try get rid of him if anyone offer him higher than £6M

remember? diarra from chelsea to arsenal and then to pompey
i think arsenal sell him to pompey at a higher price
13. darrell townsend | February 27th, 2008 at 9:00 am

Looking back, I believe Everton were also in the frame for Nugent when the player expressed a desire to play for the club. However, Moyes being the great manager he is saw something Redknapp didn’t and spent his money more wisely.
14. alex saxtib | February 27th, 2008 at 11:09 am

nugent is a quality player and has scored in most his outings for pompey, voronin came on a free for liverpool i feel he is not the flop of the seasson but i would say that i think skretel or most of derby countys signings or even my clubs craig bellamy as hese been injured whole time!! earnshaw has been poor also.
15. Jon Bradley | April 1st, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Skrtel, Seriously, have you watched Liverpool matches recently the lad is going to be awesome.

Flop signings of the season

Darren Bent for the huge price

so far Afonso Alves hasn’t done much either

Most of Fulhams signings have been disasters as well

Voronin and Pizzaro both came on free transfers and Voronin started well but got injured and when he came back was played out of position. For the free transfer his performance against Besiktas at Anfield was repayment enough