Savage Signs

[Bobby G]

One thing is for sure I AM CERTAIN Savage wanting a move is not about money.

If Hughes was not here he would not even consider the move I would say honestly.

Sullivan and the goons should quit this talk about Robbie moving for money.I hope if he signs,he comes out and says he took an X % pay cut to join us to rub it in thier faces.

[philipl]

I agree, the guy is not a sympathetic character and the way he has behaved since signing his new contract at Brum is not exemplary. If he has spoken untruths about his parents' health, it is difficult to think of a much lower thing to do. I always felt that Savage, Bruce, Sullivan and Brum deserved each other.

In his defence, Sullivan has clearly talked about wanting away from Brum to avoid travel difficulties. No difference for Savage who has a home in the North West already and his parents to consider.

Whilst everyone was getting the Brum to Wrexham map out, everyone was forgetting that the Brum training ground is on the south east side of Birmingham adding a lot of time to that particular journey.

PS yes I'd forgotten about the booking- at least he'll come to Ewood with his suspension served!

[modes98]

Savage didn't put 100% in looked quite bored.

One way or another he's finished at Brum so the last thing that he wants to do is pick up an injury is it modes?

Yeah i would agree with the injury thing. He just seemed to make a few tackles and chase a few people. Other than that he wanted to make it go as quickly as possible!

[Lancashirelass]

I am very undecided about Savage. I get the impression he wishes to come to Ewood. Why does he not come out and say it?

I am not impressed with the management or the board of Birmingham City either - they are naive. How many players have they had off us? - Kenna, Dunn, Taylor, Yorke, Davidson. I certainly do not see them purchasing anymore players from us. If we do we should play them at their own tactics of hyping up the players price so that they will play silly money. I am also disgusted that they have been childish enough to make their quarrels public in order to sell papers. The Sunday Mirror makes interesting reading, you always get the Birmingham side of things. I am glad our board refused to comment, as this is just turning into a farce.

If Savage moved up to Blackburn he would not be living in the place. He would probably live on the Welsh border and travel dailly - thus making him nearer to his parents. Then you have papers like the sun trying to prove that Birmingham is closer to Savage's parents than we are. I was even more appaulled at that papers tactics yesterday - when they had been talking to people from the village that Savage's parents come from to find out if they are ill. It is nobody's business other than the families.

To let a player rot in the reserves is disgusting. Just because they are not happy with how another club has approached a player. Would they be happy if Dunn decided he wanted to come back to Blackburn, to be closer to his family?

Then you listen to Richard Dinnis amd Simon Garner on Radio Lancashire who state that Savage will become a Blackburn player. Hang on have they inside information we do not have. Will Rovers stump up the asking fee?

You do not see our board getting upset about the fact that paper talk has ferguson linked with Rangers, Newcastle or Everton. If we believe him he is staying put.

Come on Birmingham wake up it was in your local press in October that following the game at Ewood that Savage was having talks with Rovers. Press in your own city saw this coming. I see you only looking one way and that is Birmingham City.

Edited January 9, 2005 by Lancashirelass

[Bobby G]

Great post LL.Completely spot on with eveyrthing ive been thinking on the topic.

[LondonBluenose1976]

I see you only looking one way and that is Birmingham City.

That's their job though right? Their interests are to protect Birmingham, just as John Williams protects Blackburn.

This is clearly about cash btw - Savage has been offered a lot more money to sign for Blackburn, and while I think Sullivan's tourettish outburst in the mirror today is unnecessary, I think he's simply vocalising the frustration that every Birmingham fan is feeling with Savage.

I'd like the whole sorry saga to be over, preferably with him signing for Blackburn next week, although I still think Everton may be lurking in the background (interestingly Savage's wife, Sara, originates from Merseyside I believe).

One thing that hasn't been discussed much is the possibility of a swap deal. How about you give us 1 million + David Thompson? Or Alternatively a straight swap for Brett Emerton? Both would be fair deals I think. Wonder whether Hughes and Bruce will discuss such alternatives.

[Eddie]

Oh dear not a good start for you. Swap savage for Brett Emerton? Have you been taking something up that blue nose of yours?

I don't think the club should be interested in a swap deal, our squad is weak enough as it is, unless we are swapping fringe players like douglas or amo.

I'm not sure Savage will be on much more here than he is there, I don't think it is that much about money, I just think he wants out and likes working with Hughes and Bowen.

[Duffers]

This is clearly about cash btw - Savage has been offered a lot more money to sign for Blackburn, and while I think Sullivan's tourettish outburst in the mirror today is unnecessary, I think he's simply vocalising the frustration that every Birmingham fan is feeling with Savage.

Don't you feel ashamed by Sullivan - he seems to take a bid for a Birmingham player as a personal insult but surely that is his job? All this rubbish about Hughes being naive and Bowen bitter seems quite petty and childish to me. Add to that Karen Brady's 'joke' that Savage should think twice before joining 'Welshpool' which just isn't very funny just fankly embarrasing.

I think Hughes and the board have acted in the best way possible since Birmingham's comments and you can be certain that if Bruce and Sullivan had said what they said while Souness was here that Graeme would have come out guns blazing ready to fight Bruce to the death - which he sooo would have won - but actually would have done no good in the end.

[stuwilky]

Savage has been offered a lot more money?

HOW? HOW? HOW?

How on earth have we discussed personal terms with a player who we havnt been given permission to speak to.

This is a scurrilous rumour the started on a birmingham message board and is now being portrayed as 'fact'.

Im getting mightily hacked off with this, the conduct of Birmingham's mouthpieces has been nothing short of disgraceful, what kind of organisation conducts business in the SUN newspaper (I hesitate to call it that)?

[James No. 7]

This is clearly about cash btw - Savage has been offered a lot more money to sign for Blackburn...

Sez who?

[Uxbridge rover]

. How many players have they had off us? - Kenna, Dunn, Taylor, Yorke, Davidson.

Don't mean to be pedantic but I think Davidson went to leicester

[Modi]

. How many players have they had off us? - Kenna, Dunn, Taylor, Yorke, Davidson.

Don't mean to be pedantic but I think Davidson went to leicester

But Johnson went to Brum.

Whats a David or a John between friends?

[Uxbridge rover]

very true whats a johnson between friends ooeeerrr

[Radagast]

Savage has been offered a lot more money?

HOW? HOW? HOW?

How on earth have we discussed personal terms with a player who we havnt been given permission to speak to.

This is a scurrilous rumour the started on a birmingham message board and is now being portrayed as 'fact'.

Im getting mightily hacked off with this, the conduct of Birmingham's mouthpieces has been nothing short of disgraceful, what kind of organisation conducts business in the SUN newspaper (I hesitate to call it that)?

What he said, but with more venom. Birmingham City are a joke, from the arseholes in the boardroom down to the chavs in the stand.

[but this Bluenose fellow seems ok )

[Kiwiwannabe]

Birmingham City are a joke, from the arseholes in the boardroom down to the chavs in the stand.

Didn't realise how much twaddle their fans spout until listening to the garbage they came up with on the phone-ins last night! The guy who thought that Brum were a bigger club than Leeds! And how he thought that Leeds saw yesterdays match as a big deal, but it was against a "mickey-mouse" team as far as Birmingham were concerned!!

[bubblerrovers]

sav is making rovers look stupid i think we should publicly drop all interest and let the matter rest.

[Eddie]

I don't think we look stupid at all. We've expressed an interest, made bids, they've been rejected, we haven't said anything. Is that us looking stupid? As far as I'm concerned that's normal activity in football and proper conduct, just because Birmingham want to make a big deal about it is only making them look stupid, not us.

[modes98]

It seems clear to me that if sullivans claims were true first thing he would have done is run to the fa and complain. His reluctance to do so and his desire to tell the media repeatidly that he has been tapped up shows he has nothing on us. "savage has been keeping us informed" what a load of crap, its been savage's agent & brum releasing all the comments and speculation. This isn't making us look stupid its getting all of us annoyed and making the brum board look likes clowns who run to the media every 5seconds.

[Brummie Logic]

Savage has been offered a lot more money?

HOW? HOW? HOW?

How on earth have we discussed personal terms with a player who we havnt been given permission to speak to.

This is a scurrilous rumour the started on a birmingham message board and is now being portrayed as 'fact'.

It has been stated by David Sullivan in his interview, it has nothing to do with Internet rumours as much as you would like to think so.

If Hughes/Bowen/Blackburn are the innocent party in this sorry affair then could you provide explanations for the following.

1) How did Savage known the details of BRFC's offers to BCFC in advance of them being sent.

2) How did Savage know what renumeration he would be offered, in order to negotiate a pay rise with BCFC's board [the £12,000 figure mentioned by DS in the Sunday Mirror]

As for your assertations that Savage is not worth any more than you are offering can you point to any other premiership player who is a regular for his club, has 4 years on his contract and is payed c.40k a week who his available for a similar fee?

Your club is in the wrong in this case and is rightly taking a beating in the press.

[Manchester Blue]

The only press where we are taking a beating in is the Scum which Karen Brady writes for and is using her article to voice her opinions. Any publication with any credibility wouldn't allow such biased nonsense to be printed. As for being in the right, maybe if they were not such hypocrites they would get more support from the press/public. However most people have longer memories than a few weeks and can remember how you got your current manager and what he did previously. Yes the same muppet ranting on about loyalty now.

[Eddie]

We're wrong because we tried to buy one of your players? Oh dear...brummie logic.

[broadsword]

Hardly looks like conclusive proof to me.

I don't think anything underhand has happened, in any case, certainly nothing untoward that you wouldn't expect in any other transfer.

The only thing I see is David Sullivan bleating to the press in an undignified manner. When Liverpool continually tapped up Duff did we complain? No. There's nothing to say that we have tapped Savage up anyway.

[Brummie Logic]

Hardly looks like conclusive proof to me.

I don't think anything underhand has happened, in any case, certainly nothing untoward that you wouldn't expect in any other transfer.

The only thing I see is David Sullivan bleating to the press in an undignified manner. When Liverpool continually tapped up Duff did we complain? No. There's nothing to say that we have tapped Savage up anyway.

So answer my questions about how Savage knows certain things which he wouldn't if he hadn't been tapped up.

I understand that you want to defend your club, but if you honestly believe that Savage hasn't been tapped up then you are a fool.

As for not complaining about Duff being tapped up by Liverpool, prehaps you should have.

[Simon Says]

If we have "tapped up" Savage then we deserve all the stick we are getting.

However, the thing that really sticks in my throat is the slagging we are getting from Bruce and the directors of Birmingham City.

Is this the same Birmingham City that "encouraged" Steve Bruce to walk out on his previous job while still under contract? The same Steve Bruce who is now preaching about honouring contracts who had to go on gardening leave before taking up his present position whilst compensation was agreed?

What right have they to take the moral high ground?

Kettles and pots.....

[philipl]

The same Brum that tapped up David Dunn who had the Brum deal all agreed even before Rovers made their improved contract offer....

This all comes down to a peevish vendetta against Mark Bowen who moved on from St Andrews and spoke out about the nature of the Brum regime.

All this ranting is not making it any easier for Savage to make his peace with Brum- but keeping savage at St Andrews is now not what Sullivan is about.