It doesn't take much for Eamon Dunphy to completely write you off as a professional footballer these days, but Chelsea new recruit Tiemoue Bakayoko has managed to fail impress the veteran RTÉ pundit in what may be record time.
Having played a big role in AS Monaco's impressive Ligue 1 title win last season, Bakayoko was the subject of interest from a number of Europe's biggest clubs before joining Chelsea where he has featured in every game since making his debut against Tottenham in the second week of the season.
The France international chipped in with an assist against Stoke and earned positive reviews for his performances against Leicester and Arsenal, but Dunphy has given his assessment of Bakayoko, and it is not positive.
Speaking on 2FM's 'Game On' on Monday night, Dunphy criticised the decision to sell Matic and replace him with a player he described as 'useless'.
The big fella Bakayoko, they sold Matic for £40 million because he is 29, they bought Bakayoko because he is 22/23. He is useless. So you had Fabregas in midfield, no legs. Bakayoko, no good.
Ouch.
Bakayoko can take solace in the fact that some truly great players have been rubbished by Dunphy down the years, the most high-profile example being Cristiano Ronaldo and most of the Juventus team that reached the Champions League final last year, and the Chelsea man was not the only Premier League player to come in for criticism while.
Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip of Liverpool also suffered the wrath of Dunphy:
They are statues. That is a bad pairing and Moreno is playing left back, which is mad. They've got wonderful players up front and they were far better than Newcastle but they just leak goals.
It's a horror show, and that was a carbon copy of the goal Aguero scored for Man City when De Bruyne played the ball right through the same space. I'd day Sunday League level, two-centre halves, they'd be talking to each other and one would drop off into the space where the runner could go. It's basic stuff.
Not overly impressed with the Premier League action this weekend, Dunphy did sing the praises of Harry Kane, who he believes is a player that Barcelona and Real Madrid are going to be taking an interest in sooner rather than later.
Chelsea fans, what do you make of Bakayoko's start in the Premier League? While the decision to sell Matic to Man Utd looks increasingly curious, surely he hasn't been that bad?
You can listen to Monday's episode of Game On in full over on 2fm.rte.ie.
