Who was the biggest flop ever at Liverpool?

MICKEY WALSH

1 A FEE of £300,000 was big, big money back in 1978 - but then the Blackpool striker had scored BBC's Goal of the Season in February 1975, one of the greatest goals ever seen on Match of the Day.

At Everton he scored three goals in 22 appearances, and two of them came against Finn Harps.

BRUNO CHEYROU

2 THE Frenchman was once described, somewhat ambitiously by Gerard Houllier, as "the new Zidane." "Remember the first season at Arsenal? Everyone laughed at Robert Pires," Houllier added. It was tears, rather than laughter, which Cheyrou provoked - and even four years wasn't long enough to get rid of him.

MARTIN MURRAY

3 IT was always dangerous to bill a teenage midfielder as the "new George Best", but that was the burden the youngster from Home Farm had to carry when he arrived at Everton in 1975. Injuries and illness took their toll on Murray and in five years at the club, he never made a first team appearance.

ALEX NYARKO

4 COVETED by Arsenal, many saw similarities in Patrick Vieira and Everton thought they had a star when Nyarko backheeled a goal in a pre-season friendly against Manchester City and scored a screamer in his second match at Spurs.

That promise rapidly evaporated, and he was eventually confronted by an angry Evertonian on the pitch at Arsenal for not trying hard enough.

SALIF DIAO

5 "WITH Salif, I knew after a week of training that he wasn't going to be good enough. Diao's a good player, but not Liverpool class." Steven Gerrard proved he was a better judge of a player than his boss, Gerard Houllier. Diao is now a Stoke City player.

SLAVEN BILIC

6 THE barmy Balkan cost a world record transfer fee for a defender in 1998, but while he could undoubtedly play, he spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. Three red cards and eight yellows in one season led to NINE matches suspended.

FERNANDO MORIENTES

7 NOT many Liverpudlians complained when Rafa Benitez

bought the Real Madrid

frontrunner in for £6.3m. They soon were. The Echo's Chris Bascombe memorably quipped: "Morientes is a bit like bird flu. He's been lethal in other countries and we keep getting told it's only a matter of time before he makes his mark here, but there's no sign of it yet."

IBRAHIMA BAKAYOKO

8 DESCRIBED as a cross between Ian Wright and George Weah, the over-priced Ivorian performed more like Billy Wright and George Formby. He even tried to take a penalty, still wearing his tracksuit. He missed.

JIMMY CARTER

9 "JIMMY had everything: good technique, he could dribble, get past people, whip in crosses. He could have been a tremendous asset," said Kenny Dalglish trying to justify his £800,000 purchase. After only eight games he followed Dalglish out the Anfield exit door.

PER KROLDRUP

10 DAVID Moyes had to decide between Daniel Agger and Per Kroldrup, and decided Kroldrup was readier for the Premiership. One harrowing appearance at Villa Park later, Moyes decided otherwise.