Source: Daily_Mail
Top of the flops! As Manchester City 'star' Robinho goes back home Sportsmail selects it's Worst XI
Manchester City spent £32.5million on Brazilian superstar Robinho 16 months ago, but suddenly he's off back to his first club Santos on loan.[LNB]In an uninspiring spell at Eastlands, the forward has made 53 appearances and scored 16 goals but it is the nature of his performances that have left successive managers some way short of impressed.[LNB] Farewell? Robinho may well have played his last game for Manchester City against Scunthorpe on Sunday [LNB]In the recent game against Everton Robinho was substituted after coming on as a sub and his smart goal against Scunthorpe in the Cup may well prove to be his last act for the club and will depart with his reputation diminished.[LNB]He's not the first costly mistake a Premier League manager has made and here Sportsmail selects it's Worst XI - a team that is Top of the Flops.[LNB]1 Massimo TaibiFergie's search for a replacement to Peter Schmeichel took a turn for the worse after he wasted £4.5m on Taibi in 1999.[LNB]A series of high-profile errors meant he lasted just four months and made only four appearances before returning to Italy with Serie A side Reggina.[LNB] Unhappy time: Massimo Taibi holds his head after a blunder against Southampton in 1999[LNB]2 Ramon VegaTottenham fans won't like being reminded of this howler - the Switzerland defender cost £3.5m from Cagliari in 1997 but was never more than a bit-part player.[LNB]Off-loaded to Celtic in late 2000 on loan before being released and joining Watford in 2001.[LNB] Howler: Ramon Vega fails to prevent Emile Heskey scoring for Leicester against Spurs in 1998 [LNB]3 Jean-Alain BoumsongEarned a great reputation in his short spell at Rangers, Graeme Souness was so impressed he splashed £8m on the central defender in January 2005.[LNB]An unmitigated failure who moved to Juventus 18 months into his five-and-a-half year contract.[LNB] Failure: Jean-Alain Boumsong in action against Celtic in 2004[LNB]4 Per KroldrupIt's a hell of a lot of money to pay for one appearance but let the records please show that Everton paid Udinese £5m for the centre-back who made a solitary league appearance for the Toffees in 2005 before moving to Fiorentina, just five months after arriving.[LNB] Kroldrup: In action for Everton in an FA Cup clash with Millwall in 2006[LNB]5 Tomas BrolinIt really didn't work out for the Sweden international at Elland Road - he left the club in 1997 after his £4.5m move from Parma two years earlier, overweight and unwanted.[LNB]He eventually returned to the Premier League a year later for another unsuccessful spell, this time with Crystal Palace.[LNB] All smiles: But Brolin's time at Leeds didn't work out[LNB]6 Florin RaducioiuHere's a lesson for Spurs players in why they shouldn't go shopping on a match day. Harry Redknapp spent £2.4m on the Romanian midfielder, Raducioiu spent an afternoon at Harvey Nichols.[LNB]Subsequently allowed to return to his previous club, Espanyol after 12 appearances in the claret and blue kit.[LNB]7 Hugo VianaWe could probably have made a team of flops out of Newcastle players - Viana was a great prospect but the Portuguese midfielder spent more time on the bench than on the pitch and was eventually sold to Valencia for just £1.5m.[LNB] Viana: Trying in vain to win the ball off Manchester United's Ole Solksjaer in 2003[LNB]8 Juan Sebastian VeronWe're not sure what was worse, his move to United or Chelsea? United because they spent £28m or Chelsea because they knew he couldn't play here? You decide.[LNB]Moved to Estudiantes in Argentina after a loan spell with Inter in 2007, and has been in brilliant form over the past couple of years.[LNB] Disappointment: Juan Veron didn't sparkle for Manchester United[LNB]9 Salif DiaoQuestionable player purchases are the talking point of choice over at Anfield at the moment, but have been for some time now.[LNB]In 2002, Gerard Houllier plunged £5m into the Senegalese midfielder who was billed as the new Patrick Vieira, but clearly wasn't, and was shipped out on a series of loan moves.[LNB] Diao: Won't be fondly remembered by Liverpool supporters[LNB]10 Sergei RebrovSpurs splashed a then club record £11.5m on the Ukrainian striker in 2000 and there's no reason why this move shouldn't have worked - Spurs needed goals, and Robrov scored them.[LNB]But he suffered a horrible drain of confidence and was slowly squeezed out of the door to West Ham in 2004.[LNB] Where did it all go wrong? Sergei Rebrov reacts after FA Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal in 2001[LNB]11 Andriy ShevchenkoSadly, the moments of brilliance were all too few and far between at Chelsea for a player who had cost £30m from AC Milan in May 2006.[LNB]He was loaned back to Milan in 2008 after 77 appearances and 22 goals before moving on a free to Dinamo Kiev last summer.[LNB] Shevchenko: Never scored regularly enough during his time with Chelsea[LNB] Robinho clinches Santos loan as City's £32.5m flop completes fall from graceVIDEO: Who needs Robinho? 'New Pele' Neymar stars for Santos in 5-0 win dedicated to incoming Manchester City starMANCHESTER CITY FC
