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EPL No, Mr Bond, I expect you to not score or assist in your first seven Premier League appearances… For those who are unfamiliar with the term, ‘007’ has become a popular insult in football social media’s troll culture. It denotes a new signing who has gone their first seven consecutive games for a club without a goal contribution. The appeal is obvious: it is economical in form and ties in with fictional spy James Bond. Advertisement Florian Wirtz is the latest target in its crosshairs after a slow start to life in the Premier League. Liverpool’s £116million ($156. 3m) summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has not registered a goal or an assist in his first six matches in England’s top division, with his seventh chance to come on Saturday away to Chelsea. Trying to reason with those who use ‘007’ seriously is like trying to convince Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim to abandon his 3-4-2-1 formation: a waste of time. But there is still merit in explaining why ‘007’ is so ridiculous. Tracing the etymology of internet memes can lead you down dark, lonely and, frankly, strange paths. The origins of ‘007’ are unclear, but it was Sky Sports Germany — which probably should have known better — that propelled it into wider consciousness. In August 2021, the broadcaster aired a graphic of Jadon Sancho resplendent in a photoshopped Bond-like tuxedo next to that ‘007’ tag, poking fun at his barren opening spell at United after a £73million switch from Borussia Dortmund earlier that summer. Sancho’s early struggles have lingered, but history shows that many others who started with seven blank Premier League games went on to become celebrated players. Seventy-five forwards (we’ve excluded midfielders and defenders in the interests of fairness) met the ‘007’ threshold (with a minimum four starts in their first seven appearances), with the top 20 for total Premier League goal involvements shown below. Had social media existed in 1999, the year Thierry Henry — just 21 at the time, a few months younger than Wirtz is now — moved to Arsenal from Juventus, he too would have endured an online pile-on. Yet, he turned out to be, well, quite good: 175 Premier League goals, 74 assists, and the north London club’s record scorer. Advertisement Casting our eyes further down the list, we find Matheus Cunha, who initially struggled to adapt after moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers from Atletico Madrid in 2023. Having overcome those teething issues to eventually flourish at Molineux, Cunha said: “It’s the best league in the world, so it’s a little bit harder and takes more time to adapt, but I’m much more confident now, I feel a lot more adapted to the league. ” Adjusting to the Premier League’s intensity is a challenge frequently cited by newcomers, and the numbers back them up. Skill Corner tracking data shows that, per game, the Premier League contains more high-intensity runs (those above 20 kilometres/12. 4 miles an hour) than the equivalent top divisions in Spain, Germany and Italy. Early evidence suggests that Wirtz is finding the learning curve at Liverpool to be steep. He has been caught on the ball by recovering defenders in situations where he might have enjoyed more time in Germany. After his game against Arsenal in August, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said, “I don’t think he knew he could have cramp in so many different places. ” But it is not just the relentlessness of the league. Cunha has endured a similar adaptation period since an in-league transfer from Wolves to Manchester United this June. Forging those same connections with a new set of team-mates takes time, irrespective of player quality. This is especially true for Wirtz, who joined a revamped Liverpool forward line that includes two other high-profile summer signings in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak. Some do hit the ground running. Erling Haaland, Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero all began as they meant to go on. Each averaged over a goal a game in their first seven Premier League appearances, then continued to shine. But there are also plenty of examples of quick starters who fizzled out quickly. Papiss Cisse at Newcastle United, Amr Zaki at Wigan Athletic and Michu at Swansea City all recorded at least six goal contributions in their opening seven league appearances for those clubs, but could not sustain such success across multiple seasons. Advertisement Arguably the most fitting Bond-adjacent example is Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez. He was once the subject of a memorably botched headline when the Times of India wrote “The name is Bond, James Rodriguez” after his starring role in a 2014 World Cup last-16 game against Uruguay. Behold, the Times of India's James Rodríguez/James Bond headline http: //t. co/ZIe KRTY3j9 #COL pic. twitter. com/y7Ew0ML31Y — Huff Post UK (@Huff Post UK) July 1, 2014 After joining Everton in 2020, his Premier League career began with a bang — three goals and three assists in his first seven matches — and he became the hottest property in Fantasy Premier League. But it proved a false dawn, with those six goal contributions accounting for half of Rodriguez’s eventual total for his one season in England. Short-termism and a disregard for nuance are the lifeblood of ‘007’ and this kind of discourse. It may be largely harmless fun, but it dilutes the quality of debate around footballers, especially on platforms where the loudest, most reactionary takes are rewarded over more measured ones. Adapting to new leagues, countries, and cultures is challenging, and judgments should be made over a much longer period. Wirtz, and other slow starters in the Premier League, need to be given a licence to chill. (Top photos of Thierry Henry and Florian Wirtz; Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Conor is a Data and Tactics Writer for The Athletic. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a Data Journalist at Sky Sports News for two years, producing analytical features on football and other sports. Conor pivoted into journalism after starting his career in data science and quantitative analysis. He focuses on delivering insightful, engaging, and enjoyable data-driven analysis.