Savage Signs

[T4E]

Again, very lopsided anti-Savage view.

Rovers can sort this deal by paying Savage's market value. We would probably even get him for little more than we originally bid, if only through structuring the payments slightly better.

Savage has done his bit. His quotes are as good as a come and get me plea, all Rovers have to do is follow it up.

But we've already offered more than his market value. £2m for an ageing midfielder, who has probably got no more than two seasons in him, plus having to match the four year deal he just signed at Birmingham? Rovers have to be realistic, we made an offer that was turned down, if we go back with more we are just throwing money down the drain.

I agree Robbie Savage could help us out right now but £2m plus a four year deal is ridiculous. If Hughes is taking us in the right direction we will need better players than Savage in two years time - basically we can't afford to offfer any more.

How old is Savage, 30? 2 years left in him? Christ Paul, I know you're trying to make a point but lets atleast be realistic eh?

Signing any player these days is, on the face of things, throwing money down the drain. However a player like Savage can be the catalyst that gets a team going, and boy do we need one of those.

We offered £2m to be paid installments that were apparently set to absurd increments. As I stated in a previous posted above, I believe we could get Savage for little over our original offer, if we get the payment terms right.

How many better players are there in Savage's position in this league? Vieira, Gerrard, Makelele, Keane............after that I'm struggling. Makelele is nearly 32, Keane will be 34 next year. Vieira is 29 next year. Savage is in his prime for someone that plays in his role. £2m would be a snip - a small price to pay for survival.

[USABlue]

£2m would be a snip - a small price to pay for survival.

And that my friend T4E is beautifully summed up, that is what it is about. Given we are likely to see some monies from the Beattie deal let's offer 1 Mill now and another Mill if we stay up. If Savage is what we need to stay in this league then as you say it is a wise investment regardless of how many years he plays for us.

I can see why people don't like Robbie Savage but I must say he has the battling never say die sort of qualities I like to see in a player. As a footballer I do like him, as a whole packeage I am undecided.

Edited December 30, 2004 by USABlue

[philipl]

On the field, Savage is being the model professional- if you doubt that, look at how he has played in the current run of four Brum successive victories.

Off the field, I have to admit to feeling a little uneasy about the ethics of the way Rovers/Hughes/Savage have handled all this. Put the boot on the other foot with these sorts of tactics being used against us and we would have a 60 page thread of vitriol by now.

The Savage transfer will happen- Brum have already shot their mouths off about it and the transfer window is still a week away (it actually opens on 4 January because of the holidays!). Meanwhilst Savage and his people are quietly upping the anti and reducing the emotional backlash by bringing his ailing parents in North Wales into the issue.

He is giving Brum and their supporters a way out without seeming to be humiliated.

As for a transfer request, I hope it doesn't come to that because that would only mean Rovers picking up the compensation bill to Brum for Savage breaking the three and a half years remaining on his contract quite apart from the eminently good reasons given above.

My guess is that the Rovers Board and CEO have got the measure of their Brum opposite numbers by now as £5.5m for hamstrung Dunn, £1.5m for Tiny Taylor and £250K for dynamo Dwight have all demonstrated.

The debts outstanding on those deals alone give the Rovers plenty of chess pieces to move to secure Savage- the headline transfer number will have a lot of people on this board choking but the small print will be extremely advantageous. E.g. there are some extremely soft terms on the last £1m of the Dunn transfer which could get traded. The recent upturn in Rovers' and Brum fortunes must also make both sides less nervous about relegation clauses (especially if we cheer up the blue half of Brum by beating the Villa )

I will be a little surprised if Savage is not signed in time to prevent him from becoming cup-tied. I expect a deal on either 6 January or the morning of 8 January.

Edited December 30, 2004 by philipl

[Flopsy]

Thats what I like about Philip, reasoned arguments. Take heed you lot take heed

[Paul]

How old is Savage, 30? 2 years left in him? Christ Paul, I know you're trying to make a point but lets at least be realistic eh?

I thought I was being realistic. Savage is 30, I think I'm right in saying even Roy Keane was only offered another year by Utd, agreed he (RK) is 3 years older than Savage. It just seems to me that Savage at £2m plus a four year deal will cost Rovers perhaps £8m. That assumes he earns £30k/week which could be on the low side.

Good player that he is, and I'd be happy to see him at Ewood, he's not in the same category as the others you mention and Rovers should not be held to ransom on the deal.

Philip's post is probably as close to the truth as any of us will get and very little real money will change hands.

[Bobby G]

Ya.

Savage probably has 2 good years or a maximum of 3 in him.

I dont think he is worth anywhere NEAR 2.5 million pounds in todays deflated market.

1.5 million at the most.Maybe about 2 million Euros would be fair.

But im sure the mercenary steve bruce will want close to 3 million pounds in straight cash for him.

He is fooling himself.

[Hughesy]

£2 Million for savage = £15 million saved by not getting relegated.

So basically buying him and saving £13 million is good business. Also any extra place we finish up the league is an extra £400,000

Mokoeno, Savage, Spector and 2 others would improve our squad alot and would fill me with alot more confidence.

[Bobby G]

Add to that a striker who WILL SCORE and we cant complain then.

But who?

I do hope we get SOMEONE in up front to freshen things up.

[Hughesy]

We should look to the championship - Darren Bent, Blake, Ashton?

[Bobby G]

I personally also agree that maybe we should be signing a striker from within the Leagues rather than a foreigner, who might or might not settle in time.

[roversWASmylife]

We should look to the championship - Darren Bent, Blake, Ashton?

I agree with that.

We can't afford a big named striker who has proven himself at the top level.

I can't see Ipswich letting Bent go as they're pushing for automatic promotion. Out of the three that Hughesy has mentioned I'd go for Ashton.

It'd be a gamble, but Ashton scores reguarly for Crewe. He's big and has the ability to create a threat aerially.

Sav reveals family woe

Only a matter of time.

[Eddie]

I just think we should look for what we are missing, physical presence, fast and someone who could create something from nothing. That in iteself is expensive, but if you can get a bit of all, for example Bent, then that would be great.

[Hughesy]

If i was Hughes id be looking for someone who has pace and who can score from the edge of the box. Looking at the stats however it would suggest Ashton is the best gamble to take. Playing for the worst of the 3 teams and scored the most

Darren Bent - 27 Apps, 12 goals

Dean Ashton - 24 (1) Apps, 18 goals

Robbie Blake - 28 Apps, 13 goals

[Tom Pringle]

Savage is gonna be playing in our blue and white. Get in there

[Blackpool_Rover]

I havent read the rest of the posts in this topic but im assuming there are people against savage coming and people for it.

Personally i cant see how people can be against it. He will definately improve our squad. Flitcroft is crap, tugay is old, douglas isnt ready. Savage is a good player, he is desperate to play for rovers, and will play well under Hughes. Like dickov, his enthusiasm and determination to win will rub off on the rest of the team.

Thompson Ferguson Savage Emerton

Subs..Reid

Looks good to me

Having savage in the same team as dickov will also make us the most hated team in the premiership, which is great! We can annoy fans everywhere we go and that helps our team cause dickov and savage will wanna rub it in the away fans faces. Hence the rapist chants aimed at dickov at the reebok!

Im happy, all we need now is Bellamy upfront and weve got the most hated team of all time.

[John]

We will make another bid- no doubt.

First of all Hughes rates Savage and always used to say that he dragged his Welsh team by the scruff of the neck. Steve Bruce has said he wont keep an unhappy player in his club- hopefully a fee can be agreed eventhough relations between the clubs are sour.

Secondly people saying- oh it looks like he wants to come. It was obvious since Hughes took over that Savage would be a target. Also the fact he best friends out of football with our assistant manager.

As I write Savage has denied wanting a transfer on SSN but does say he has family problems........

[SouthAussieRover]

Thats what I like about Philip, reasoned arguments. Take heed you lot take heed

You too Flopsy you too

[bellamy11]

How old is Savage, 30? 2 years left in him? Christ Paul, I know you're trying to make a point but lets at least be realistic eh?

I thought I was being realistic. Savage is 30, I think I'm right in saying even Roy Keane was only offered another year by Utd, agreed he (RK) is 3 years older than Savage. It just seems to me that Savage at £2m plus a four year deal will cost Rovers perhaps £8m. That assumes he earns £30k/week which could be on the low side.

Good player that he is, and I'd be happy to see him at Ewood, he's not in the same category as the others you mention and Rovers should not be held to ransom on the deal.

Philip's post is probably as close to the truth as any of us will get and very little real money will change hands.

I must have missed the bit where somebody said he would be offered a 4 year contract at Rovers.

He's on a 4 year deal at Brum.

[T4E]

How old is Savage, 30? 2 years left in him? Christ Paul, I know you're trying to make a point but lets at least be realistic eh?

I thought I was being realistic. Savage is 30, I think I'm right in saying even Roy Keane was only offered another year by Utd, agreed he (RK) is 3 years older than Savage. It just seems to me that Savage at £2m plus a four year deal will cost Rovers perhaps £8m. That assumes he earns £30k/week which could be on the low side.

Good player that he is, and I'd be happy to see him at Ewood, he's not in the same category as the others you mention and Rovers should not be held to ransom on the deal.

Philip's post is probably as close to the truth as any of us will get and very little real money will change hands.

Savage will not retire at 32, nor will he be over the hill. Gary Speed is a very similar player to Savage, and he is currently having a very good season for Bolton, despite being 5 years older. And Bolton paid £750k for him.

I know Savage is not in the same class as the 4 I mentioned - thats the point I made when I mentioned them! However after those 4, its hard to find as good a defensive midfielder - certainly one within our reach anyway.

We could comfortably get 4 years out of Savage, with him playing at the high level we have come to expect from him. His professional career has hardly been littered with persistent injuries - unlike Keane, and he doesnt have disciplinary problems.

I still fail to share your concern.

Edited December 30, 2004 by Tugay4England

[Hughesy]

According to the LET we are preparing a second bid, believed to be £2.7 million.

[chris]

Strange thing about Savage, he far more respected now at 30yrs old then when he was 25 yrsold, he continuously improved his game, and these days he's only taking free kicks and penalties.

I'd say we will get a good 2 years out of him then hopefully we will have some decent replacement at that time.

Edited December 30, 2004 by chris

[American]

I don't think he's good enough for us

Please stop posting such nonsense, I mean is there any player good enough for Rovers?

Pot... kettle....

[Alan75]

Out of interest I did a RAC Routefinder with the following results.

Wrexham to Birmingham 72 miles, travelling time 1hr 40 min

(I suspect they havent included the normal traffic jambs from junction 12 )

Wrexham to Blackburn 79 miles travel time 1hr 33 min

[Tris]

Did it say Lancaster - Stafford, 3 1/2 hours. Cos that's what it took the day before yesterday. I'm not sure Mr Savage has worked out how busy the M6 gets in the Warrington area.

[Manchester Blue]

If we were to sign Savage I somehow don't think he would be living in Blackburn. More likely in Cheshire and therefore not that far away from Wrexham at all.