Yesterday we started our new Top Fives series with a look at the best signings since Leeds were relegated from The Premier League. Both The Scratching Shed and the fans decided that Gary McAllister made the best singing for Leeds when he brought Robert Snodgrass in from Livingston. But who made the worst?

In a period where Leeds United have seen many more downs than they have ups, the list of contenders was a long one, but here’s the five we came up with, followed by a chance for you to tell us who you thought was the biggest failure.

5. Stephen Crainey

The subject of much ridicule throughout his time at Elland Road, Stephen Crainey arrived as Leeds’ first cash signing since relegation from the Premier League going on to spend three pretty dismal years with the club.

Stephen Crainey was so bad that even the hopelessly inadequate Armando Sá managed to keep him out of Dennis Wise’s side, as did American midfielder Eddie Lewis who was played out of position.

4. Enoch Showunmi

Two league goals in two years was the total contribution provided by the clumsy and altogether useless centre forward.

With a first touch that was only bettered by the hopelessness of his finishing, the Leeds fans lightened the mood of his arrival with a song honouring his famously well endowed gentlemen’s region.

Rumoured to have killed a member of his opposite sex during a poorly advised attempt to reproduce, Enoch’s notoriety precedes him. Unfortunately, so too did his footballing ability and few Leeds fans were surprised when his transfer failed to pay off.

3. Jermaine Wright

No one is entirely sure how Jermaine Wright managed to blag 38 chances to impress the Leeds United faithful, but his impressive record stands testament to the old ‘follow your dreams’ philosophy. Clearly, there’s always someone out there ready to help you fulfil them regardless of how useless you may be.

After two years of failing to impress anyone at Elland Road, Wright’s contract was cancelled by mutual consent much to the delight of everyone who had suffered through his 38 appearances. Struggling to remember him? Count yourself lucky…

2. Michael Ricketts

Journeyman striker Michael Ricketts spent two years trying to do his job at Elland Road, failing miserably for the entire duration.

Simple folk like myself expect certain things from players. Defenders should be able to tackle, midfielders should be able to pass, wingers should be able to cross and strikers should be able to score goals. Ricketts, who fits into the last of these categories had twenty five chances to fulfil his job description at Leeds, never managing to find the back of the net once.

After Leeds tried desperately to offload him onto someone else through the loan market, Ricketts finally left for good at the end of the 2005-06 season, going on to join Southend. There he managed two appearances before the seaside club realised he was not only overrated, but massively overweight.

1. Kevin Nicholls

The award for the worst Leeds United signing since our relegation goes to Kevin Blackwell – rather unsurprisingly some might say – for his capture of the horrible Kevin Nicholls.

Joining Leeds United for £700,000 in July 2006, Nicholls spent much of his early Leeds career in the treatment room where new manager Dennis Wise found him hurling abuse at random passers-by and awarded him the club captaincy.

He returned in his new role as club captain and thanked Dennis Wise by getting himself sent off during the 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town. After only a handful of further appearances, Nicholls was dropped from the team and stripped of his captaincy after it was revealed he had demanded a transfer back to Luton Town.

An embarrassed Dennis Wise stubbornly refused to let the horrible Nicholls leave unless Luton could come up with the money Leeds had paid for him. After they failed to do so, Preston North End coughed up and he left Elland Road to join them.

Not satisfied with failing to get his own way, Nicholls quickly managed to swindle his way back onto the transfer list and joined Luton Town at the end of the 2007-08 campaign where he has been described as a “legend” and “arguably the club’s best ever captain”.

Notable absences

Compiling this list was a bit of a mammoth task given the sheer volume of contenders there was to choose from. Some of these players were excluded due to the nature of their contract – ie. they were loan players rather than transfers, or were only here short term like Paul Dickov. Others were omitted purely because I felt there were worse alternatives, but it’s all subjective and you’re more than welcome to add your own opinions below.

Disagree? Who do you think was Leeds’ worst post-Prem transfer?

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