10 new signings that changed the way their clubs played

Football is a team game. Like all team games the maxim to swear by is, the team is always bigger than individuals. But time and again we have seen how a new signing transforms the team, sometimes by the mere fact of the addition of a new face in the roster and other times by synergizing his/her efforts with that of the teams.No wonder new signings are able to shake up the status quo and galvanize their new teams. Here we are going to look at instances from the recent past when a new signing helped reinvigorate their teams on the pitch.

#10 Toni Kroos

The German has had some smooth debut season in La Liga so far. It was never in doubt that Toni Kroos would be a perfect foil for this galactic Madrid side. Though initially what was thought to be a role that he would have shared with the maestro Xabi Alonso later on became a role that he had to adapt to without any senior mentor as Alonso sought out one last big move for himself going ironically to Kroos’ alma mater Bayern.

Kroos has been pivotal in dictating play for the Madrid giant and has till now been able to hold the forth at the centre of park, alongside with Luka Modric. His adaption and his ability to play various roles i.e. being a deep lying midfielder, a central midfielder or a number 10 has been Madrid’s biggest boon this season. While no doubt he can still alleviate his game up a few notches the Madridistas would be more relieved by the fact that they have got a star midfielder along with the fact that he is still 25.

#9 David Silva

At Manchester City, particularly after the Abu Dhabi takeover, the spending and marquee signings have increased exponentially and thus to judge which star has had the most impact that too right from the induction is tough. Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero are some prime contenders for the player who has revolutionalised the blue part of Manchester but none of them have done it so consistently and with nonchalance as David Silva.

David Silva was a steal when he was bought from Valencia if you compare how much city have spent to assemble this bevy of stars. He has no doubt grown along with his new club helping them clinch the domestic title twice and rewriting club’s history.

While Yaya Toure has been the brawn behind this blue machine and seen as this driving force, Silva from its inception has been the architect, the brain, orchestrating play and playing various role that too without much fuzz, he has become this fixture in the lineup that goes on doing his work. The diminutive Spaniard has proved his mettle in critical matches unlocking defenses and collecting assists.

While the attacking lineup of City has kept on changing right from the likes of Roque Santa Cruz and Emanuel Adebayor to Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli to Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Stefan Jovetic now, Silva has been able that constant force that has held his own as well as conjured his magic for city consistently.

#8 Manuel Neuer

A goalkeeper in this list? Yes. When you are keeper who has won all the silverware that one can imagine in the game and you are as confident and pervasive on the pitch as Manuel Neuer, you are bound to be on whatever list there is.

Neuer came into spotlight when he was pivotal in Schalke’s semi final finish in Champions’ League and attracted bigger clubs’ attention. While Munich were still looking for someone to fill the void left by legendary Oliver Kahn were able to find a shot shopper of similar ilk in Neuer. It was at Munich with a squad fitting of his talent where Neuer’s potential came to the fore with his already aggressive style of keeping becoming even more aggressive, to an extent that he was called a sweeper keeper, a term/position that he has since made famous.

Neuer not only ticks the great goal keeper box but has been lauded time and again for his ball distribution which has helped many a Bayern counter attacks. Under Guardiola he has gone from strength to strength and has again ossified the sweeper keeper claims as he is looked upon as the “11th player” by the Spanish manager thus giving him full autonomy on the pitch.

#7 Cesc Fabregas

Another move that has surely changed the tactical board of the club is Fabregas’ return to London albeit in a Blue jersey. Fabregas in his earlier spell at arsenal was central to how gunners played and has again been given the freedom to alter the proceeding at Stamford Bridge.

What is even more important is the fact that Fabregas is here filling the boot of club legend Frank Lampard which makes this a tougher act to follow for the Spaniard. Cesc has settled comfortably in his new team would be an understatement, for he has taken the tactical mantle of the team by the scruff of the neck and given it a nice shake.

While Lampard was more of an attacking the box kind of midfielder, Fabregas changes the complexion of the team by functioning deeper and yet having the license to roam about and adds that Spanish tiki taka gloss over a team that has long lived in the notoriety of being too defense minded and being all about the physicality and no aesthetics. The phrases like “smooth Chelsea pass and move” are now becoming synonymous with this current blue crop and would indeed expect this to continue in the future.

#6 Kaka

Kaka came as an unknown young Brazilian into a star studded AC Milan side and then went on to make a name for himself consequently altering how the Milanese giant played and then earning a record breaking transfer to Real Madrid.

When you have Clarence Seedorf and Rui Costa as your playmaker you don’t really expect a young Brazilian lad to change the landscape so quickly. But Kaka had a spark that saw him rule the roost at San Siro even for years to come. It was under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti that Kaka came into his own providing a fresh breath of air and guile to an aging Milan side. Deployed as a second striker/ attacking midfielder, Kaka was far more than the archetypical number 10s.

With his blistering pace and ability to take on players and beat them with ease he was a revelation playing behind Shevchenko, Inzaghi and the likes. The goals like the one below that prompted the team to be centred around him than more senior midfielders.

Ancelloti was able to play with an assured Italian defense and three stoic midfielders and not be much perturbed for the attacking spark, for Kaka was the main purveyor of creativity, pace and attack for his side. Usually alternating between a 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-2-1 with Kaka behind the striker either alone or with another attacking midfielder the team was far more lethal than what looked like a pretty defensive lineup on paper.

#5 Luis Suarez

2010 was a strange summer for Liverpool. The club not only saw Rafa Benitez depart but soon saw a general dismantle of a sort within the club with initial replacement Roy Hodgson finding out the perils of managing the Merseyside giants and ultimately being sacked within 6 months of his reign.

In a damage control Club legend King Kenny Dalglish was brought in who was handed free reigns to find the best players to lift the club from abject situation in the winter transfer window. A transfer window that saw Fernando Torres depart and more importantly the arrival of Luis Suarez, alongside the big man Andy Carroll.

Luis Suarez’s impact was and is felt till today. While earlier, Liverpool were mostly dependent of captain Gerrard and Torres going forward , now saw a change in tactic which favored the new signings, though Carroll stuttered but Suarez was an instant fan favorite particularly due to his hunger and tireless workmanship on the pitch.

Suarez was similar to Torres and other past kop legends in the sense that he had speed and skills and an eye for goal but what made him standout was the fact that he was a tireless worker and team player and most importantly a winner in every sense of the word.

Despite his initial issues and his ban he was still lauded by the Liverpool faithful for what he brought to the table. The subsequent season saw Suarez’s primacy come forth much more evidently paving the way for his and team’s success leading Liverpool to Champions’ League and then the record breaking move to Barcelona.

#4 Andrea Pirlo

It was catastrophic move on A.C. Milan’s part to allow Pirlo to move to rivals Juventus, that too on a free transfer. But what turned out to be Milan’s loss was juventus’ gain and to term it gain is an understatement. Pirlo, who was central architect for A.C. Milan for the past decade, was a perfect fit into a system that was custom made for a deep lying creative midfielder like himself. Antonio conte with his penchant for 3-5-2 was able to reinvigorate both Pirlo’s career at a ripe age of 32 as well Juventus as the Serie A giants of the past decade.

Winning Serie A in his debut season for Juventus was a mere sign of his impact on the team. Pirlo has had the full freedom in the middle of park with three centre backs behind him and tireless midfielders protecting and giving legs to the midfield. While surely this move breathed new life into both Pirlo’s international as well club career it also redounded the fact that age is just a number as we still see Pirlo ruling the roost and meting out that defense splitting pass at 35.

#3 Arturo Vidal

Juventus had a patchy decade or so with the match fixing scandal, their subsequent demotion to the Serie B and the taking away of their previously won league titles. But they were able to rekindle their trophy winning form under the leadership of Antonio Conte as he embarked on a tactical revolution of a sort at the old lady. One of the biggest tactical change that Conte brought to Turin giant’s game play was the switch to a 3-5-2 formation, the three men midfield as provided by this setup was pretty much critical in how the Turin giants were able to lift Serie A.

A critical part of this three men midfield was the new signing Arturo Vidal who has from then on gone on to reach farther heights year by year both individually and for his team. Vidal came into Juventus at the back of consistent performances for Leverkusen in Bundesliga. But the way he adapted to his new team as well as altered their game play is what sets him apart. He has been pivotal in the back to back three successive league titles for the old lady.

A complete midfielder with a penchant of covering every inch of grass on the pitch the Chilean was quick to grab plaudits as well as fandom at Juventus. He alongside Marchisio/Pogba and Pirlo are redolent of the times when the likes of Didier Deschamp, Zinedine Zidane and Edgar Davids used to rule the roost at Stadio delle Alpi.

#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

When you are known only by your first name, when your name becomes an adjective/verb on its own, you are bound to be special. Zlatan has been this journeyman throughout his career and that is the general perception about him.

But what people don’t really understand is the fact that he has been able to move from club to club yet been able to mold himself according to various teams as well as be a potent threat which isn’t the easiest of things to do unless of course you are Zlatan.

The PSG Project was initially deigned upon as city 2.0 (another attempt to pump money into a club that was floating in the Ligue1). But the world stood still when in one swoop they were able to whisk away both Thiago Silva as well as the Zlatan from AC Milan in 2012.

The signing of these two was not just mere big money move but intent to showcase their future plan. While Thiago Silva has since been handed over the captain’s arm band but the player that has really changed how PSG functions has been Zlatan.

He has become this emblem of the nouveau riche PSG. Whether it was Carlo Ancelotti earlier or Laurent banc now, both have favored to keep the 33 year old Swede as the mainstay in their plans and his dynamism even at this age has helped them win back to back title with him scoring goals at a rate to close to a goal per game.

#1 Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso to Liverpool was not the most glamorous of transfers’ initially but eventually did turn out to be one that would change how Liverpool played their football. Alonso has turned out to be this cult hero who has never been aptly replaced in both, kopites’ heart and on the football pitch.

From Alberto Aquilani to ultimately pushing Stevie G a little deep, Liverpool have tried all the stops available in the book but have not found that perfect mix that the Spaniard provided.

Alonso came to Merseyside as a part of the Spanish inquisition under the new coach Rafa Benitez, who saw him as a perfect fit in the centre of the pitch. Xabi Alonso alongside Steven Gerrard went on to become the terrific twosome winning champions’ league and FA cup. Xabi Alonso’s technical aptitude made him a perfect fit with Gerrard’s athletic display on the field.

While Gerrard was pushing forward it was Alonso’s metronomic display that helped Liverpool become a this well gelled unit. What more can be said about Alonso and his proficiency in the midfield that he went on to play pivotal role during his tenure at Real Madrid and is still dictating games at a ripe age of 33 in Germany with Bayern Munich.