This weekend saw eight debutants take to the field in unfamiliar surroundings all desperate to impress. The Cutter finds out who suffered from first day nerves and who looked like they’d always been there.
Bradley Orr (Blackburn Rovers) – What a baptism of fire this was for the game-rusty right-back as he came on in a 36th minute following an injury to teenage Jason Lowe. By that stage the scores were level with Pederson having recently cancelled out Van Persie’s early opener. By the final whistle Orr found himself trudging off nursing the headache of a 7-1 thumping and a personal tormenting from one of the most exciting prospects England has produced for some time. Oxlade-Chamberlain mercilessly piled misery upon misery on Orr in an electric display of youthful esprit.
Unfortunately things don’t get any easier for the former QPR man in the weeks to come as he faces an immediate return to Loftus Road (to be bamboozled by a revitilised Taraabt) before facing Agueo at City and the speed-merchant Agbonlahor at Villa. Good luck with those Bradley.
Bobby Zamora (QPR) – Rangers immediately came out all guns blazing against Wolves and the often sullen Bobby Z looked to be in his element surrounded by such zest and attacking intent. Having opened his account early on (to add to Cisse’s debut strike against Villa mid-week) it was noticeable that the two new recruits sought each other out to celebrate, unintentionally ignoring Shaun Wright-Philips who was instrumental in the move. It is very apparent that Cisse and Zamora have been bought as a partnership and are both buying wholesale into that premise so it must have been particularly jolting to see the yin to his yang sent off for demonstrably taking umbrage at a clumsy challenge.
What could have been the perfect day to showcase his flicks and touches to the Loftus Road crowd became one of necessary toil and graft there-after and to that end Zamora typically didn’t shy from putting in a shift.
Was subbed late on but Hoops fans will be encouraged by both the stylish opening spree and the diligence that followed which will be much needed in tough away games to come.
The debutant chased everything and showed he has the right blend of composure and fight to be a success in English football.
Gary Cahill (Chelsea) – With Terry absent through a racially-related injury (or something) most people expected to see AVB start with his £7m capture from Bolton in their mid-week draw across the Severn Bridge. In the event he slid Ivanovich across from full-back against the Swans which was a baffling decision at the time and even more so in hindsight when you consider this meant throwing Cahill in untested alongside the erratic Luiz against United. To the England international’s credit he performed manfully throughout – nothing spectacular and the odd mistimed challenge that had Ferguson classily calling post-match for a red but overall it was a steady showing that hints at a promising future in the capital. Whether he can establish himself as an integral component in a title-chasing back-line in seasons to come however remains to be seen. Purely speculating here but I get the feeling Villas-Boas will always favour other options and views Cahill mainly as strength in depth.
A cracking effort late-on that skimmed the paint off the crossbar may at least remind his new gaffer that he possesses a genuine threat going forward in addition to being a sound and solid centre-back.
Papiss Demba Cisse (Newcastle) – A debut that dreams are made of especially considering the £10m new arrival started the Villa game on the bench. Just minutes in the ironically-named Leon Best hobbled off after a jarring collision and on came Cisse with his cool Senegalese wristbands providing a splash of bright colour to a dismal February Tyneside day. Pretty soon it wasn’t only his wristbands that were lighting up the pitch as the ex-Freiburg hotshot (37 goals in 67 Bundesliga appearances is not to be sniffed at) resumed his international partnership with Ba and caused havoc right across the Villa back-line. The debutant chased everything, showed he has the right blend of composure and fight to be a success in English football, and finished it all off with a sublime half-volley that span into Given’s top corner and immediately made him a Toon favourite.
Cisse and Ba could prove to be a formidable duo and once Newcastle are back to full strength who knows what they are capable of achieving in the months ahead.
Wolves have been desperate for a quality stopper for some time and on this evidence Mick may have found his man.
Sebastien Bassong (Wolves) – It was a case of being thrown immediately to the wolves on Saturday for the Frenchman who had only started two games all season and was suddenly facing a souped-up QPR front-line containing Zamora and Cisse. In the intensive opening stages – when the Hoops threw a barrage of attacks from all angles and threatened to run riot – Bassong was denied an opportunity to strike up any rythym or understanding with his new centre-back partner Roger Johnson and it was all hands to the pump. Once Cisse was dismissed and both could concentrate their attentions on the lone Zamora the Spurs loanee visibly settled and produced a typically competent display.
Wolves have been desperate for a quality stopper for some time and on this evidence Mick may have found his man.
Steven Pienaar (Everton) – Moyes lavished his returning schemer with praise post-match saying, “I thought Steven Pienaar was the best player on the pitch by a mile – he made us play better football and he has lifted the dressing room.” Perhaps that’s so but he certainly didn’t lift his team-mates on the pitch. This was a noticeably flat performance from the blues who looked half the team that scrapped as if their lives depended on it against City in midweek. Amongst such tired legs the South African sparkled and, though it is too early to determine for sure, he could be exactly what is required in an Everton midfield that’s been devoid of such enterprise this term due to the baffling loss of form for Cahill and a disappointing third act for Donovan.
All the media glare fell upon Jelavić and rightly so for several reasons but Pienaar could well prove to be Everton’s more important coup.
Nikica Jelavić (Everton) – Replacing Stracqualursi on the hour mark – who was treading water after his momentous shift against City days earlier – the Croatian hit-man struggled to impose himself. This won’t unduly trouble the toffees who will view this half an hour as a useful run-out and nothing more.
David Pizarro (Manchester City) – The Chilean sprinted on keenly with just five minutes of injury time remaining and enjoyed precisely two touches of the ball. The first was prefunctionary, the second a sublime thirty-yard knock out wide. The small minority of blues who appear to have taken against Nigel De Jong of late (and I am not one) would claim that in that one wonderful pass Pizarro exhibited more vision than the Pitbull has ever done.
