Described by a Liverpool fan forum as being “slower than evolution”, current Southampton manager Pellegrino was signed in 2005 from Valencia, but it soon became obvious he was painfully over the hill. He may have looked good in the more leisurely world of La Liga, but the Premier League’s pace exposed just how pedestrian the Argentine was. Pellegrino made 14 appearances, including a ‘starring role’ in a 2-0 defeat at Southampton which was described by Alan Hansen as ‘the worst performance I’ve seen since I left the club in 1990’.
Zenden may have arrived on a free transfer, but he had plenty of pedigree and proved to be a valuable squad member during his two seasons at Anfield.