Ferguson Hands in Transfer Request

[Jan]

Well, I'm shocked. (NOT)

From the start I said he was a bad buy, that Souness had done it as a favour to Murray, and that Barry would be homesick in a matter of months. I was right (again). (That should make me happy because it's always nice to be right when you've been lambasted by naive and trusting people but because of the abject waste of money for Rovers it doesn't)

Just to make some of you laugh, I spoke to our Rangers supporting doorman. He said "there's a lot of Rangers fans don't want him back, now Amoruso would be a different kettle of fish". Maybe we can get rid of him as well in a 2 for the price of 1!

Oh and by the way, with my Celtic hat on, his return to Rangers doesn't fill me with dread. He's been even poorer than I thought he'd be for Rovers!

Edited January 18, 2005 by Jan

[Hughesy]

I think we should set a price on fergies head as minimum of £5 million.

Bye bye barry, you soft git!

[Flopsy]

Jan tell me when your next going to a game, ill buy you a drink to appologise. but I resent the ignorant, maybe just naive

[streakyb]

We therfore whould sell him as close to his REAL value.

We want more than that!!!

Yeah, but few clubs are as bad as we have been for overpaying for players.

Please think before you type, there have been lot's of white elephants at many clubs, the big clubs too. It's just that the big clubs just get rid, get someone else and keep winning so it all seems to be "glossed over" somewhat.

The other reason I prefer a certain other forum to this one. You dont get sarcasm on here.

Edited January 18, 2005 by streakyb

[stuwilky]

Well, I'm shocked. (NOT)

From the start I said he was a bad buy, that Souness had done it as a favour to Murray, and that Barry would be homesick in a matter of months. I was right (again). (That should make me happy because it's always nice to be right when you've been lambasted by naive and trusting people but because of the abject waste of money for Rovers it doesn't)

Just to make some of you laugh, I spoke to our Rangers supporting doorman. He said "there's a lot of Rangers fans don't want him back, now Amoruso would be a different kettle of fish". Maybe we can get rid of him as well in a 2 for the price of 1!

Oh and by the way, with my Celtic hat on, his return to Rangers doesn't fill me with dread. He's been even poorer than I thought he'd be for Rovers!

Hows about....6mill for Ferguson,

We'll make it five if you take Amo as well?

[Jan]

Flopsy

Have changed it- I think your description is fairer than mine.

Edited January 18, 2005 by Jan

[mattjansen]

I will be very sorry to see him go but he seems set on going home, he hasnt impressed to the level i thought he would but you could see the talents are there. The only level of concern is that Rovers will accept a low bid from Rangers just to get him of the books.

[Tango]

Ferguson, in today's market, is worth a maximum of £5mil. considering the transfers of Beattie and Morientes for around £6mil. each.

Personally I'd take that and see about converting Reid or Thompson to a central midfielder to partner Savage. Failing that Tugay or Flitcroft could probably fill in to the end of the season when a proper replacement can be found.

[Flopsy]

Flopsy

Have changed it- I think your description is fairer than mine, although some of the vitriol wasn't nice.

well, im saying sorry for most of it

[Jan]

Ferguson in today's market is worth about the same as he was worth when we bought him. £3- £3.5 million.

[Tris]

Disappointing we won't see a Ferguson + Savage midfield. I think the signing of Savage would have brought the best out of Ferguson.

For pure amusement, here are some of Fergie's quotes when he signed for Rovers :

"Over the past two or three years I've had several offers to come and play down here but when I knew Blackburn were interested it just felt right, said Ferguson.

"I had a chat with my agent and my friends and it just felt right to come.

"Every single game here is a big one whereas without being disrespectful to Scottish football, you only get one big game a season up there and that's against Celtic"

"I've had my knockers in Scotland and I suppose I always will have but they don't bother me," said Ferguson.

"A lot of people will be delighted to see me fall flat on my face but I will use that as an inspiration to be successful at Blackburn. I'm confident I will do well.

"A few big clubs wanted to sign me and it's a tremendous compliment when guys such as Graeme Souness, David Moyes and Gerard Houllier make it known they like the way I play.

"It could turn out that I don't live up to the valuation and it doesn't work out at Blackburn but I'm confident that won't be the case as I only have positive feelings about this move"

"I'm excited about playing in the Premiership. I watch it all the time on the telly and have always wanted to play at Anfield, Old Trafford, Highbury, Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane.

"I'm looking forward to facing Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. I'd love to do for Blackburn what they do for their teams," said Ferguson

BLACKBURN Rovers' new signing Barry Ferguson last night admitted he had to quit Scotland for the sake of his family.

The former Rangers skipper spoke for the first time about the sectarian abuse he and his family used to suffer in the soccer-mad city of Glasgow.

Ferguson said the situation had got so bad that he even dreaded taking his kids to the local swimming baths for fear of the abuse he would get off Celtic fans.

But now the Ferguson family are looking forward to a quieter life in the North West after swapping Lanarkshire for Lancashire.

And the 25-year-old is viewing his move to Rovers as the chance to make a fresh start on and off the pitch.

"I'm looking forward to getting some peace and quiet," said Rovers' new £6.5 million signing.

"I just want to be able to go to the park to play football with my boys or take them to the swimming pool without worrying someone will say something to me that will upset the kids.

"Now I try not to think about anything negative that can happen off the field. Moving to England will be good for the family"

[Ste B]

We therfore whould sell him as close to his REAL value.

We want more than that!!!

Yeah, but few clubs are as bad as we have been for overpaying for players.

Please think before you type, there have been lot's of white elephants at many clubs, the big clubs too. It's just that the big clubs just get rid, get someone else and keep winning so it all seems to be "glossed over" somewhat.

The other reason I prefer a certain other forum to this one. You dont get sarcasm on here.

Well I'd suggest you quite quickly p1ss off back there then. And take Ferguson with you.

[streakyb]

Ferguson in today's market is worth about the same as he was worth when we bought him. £3- £3.5 million.

Glad to see some sense in his valuation.

[youandwhosearmy]

must be bad in blackburn if he wants to go back to people shouting at his kids

if he wants to be a loser, so be it

[philipl]

"In today's transfer market"

Should be "in today's transfer markets"

There is a bottom end market for players who are within a year of going for a Bosman- Morientes for £5m ish.

There is a traditional market of willing buyers and needing to sell sellers with players mid-contract- Beattie £6m, Anelka £7m

There is a top end market of players under long term contract (more than two years) who have to be prised out of the grasp of unwilling sellers- Savage £3.1m, Boumsong £8m, anybody Chelsea buy

Ferguson should be priced in comparison to Savage and Boumsong.

I would slap an asking price of £8.5m on the basis that his original price was £7.5m and he is a better player now than he was at Rangers.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Unfortunately a player is only worth what a club is willing to pay for him. With Fergusons transfer request - it leaves us in a difficult position.

We need Everton and Newcastle to start sniffing around to up the fee to something more palatable.

Even if we only get £3m - it will still be another £3m above the Savage money for Hughes to work his magic (hopefully).

I have been v disappointed by Ferguson - just prior to his injury he looked as though Souness was right. But since his comeback he seems to have lost the drive that makes the difference between a tidy midfield player (which he is) and a Vierra, Gerrard or Keane.

Contrast Ferguson with Tommo - both out injured for long periods. Tommo wants to repay the club - Fergie just wants to go back to Scotland. Not only that - by asking for a transfer fee he undermines Rovers chances of getting a fair transfer fee to compensate for all the wages they paid him when he was injured.

[streakyb]

Well I'd suggest you quite quickly p1ss off back there then. And take Ferguson with you.

Ooooh, you are so friendly here , and from admin as well.

Ferguson was an average player if we paid 4mil for him. He is now worth 3-4 mil and wants to leave. If we hang onto him till the summer we will have paid him nigh on £0.75 mil in salary.

We have to look to move on and be sensible on our baluation and not do a Birmingham.

[streakyb]

I would slap an asking price of £8.5m on the basis that his original price was £7.5m and he is a better player now than he was at Rangers.

But we overpaid for him to begin with. He is still worth the 4 mil that he was when we bought him.

[greggyk]

Ferguson in today's market is worth about the same as he was worth when we bought him.  £3- £3.5 million.

Glad to see some sense in his valuation.

He may be valued at £3.5m but thats not the point! Rovers must stand their ground and do a Birmingham (without being too disrespectful). And set a price tag of around £5m and try to get every penny we can. If we still have him by February(which i doubt), we'll just have to play him and he'll have to be professional.

Or if he so badly wants to go, why doesn't he pay half of the transfer fee we want for him and let Rangers pay the other half.I'm sure he'll be able to afford it.

[AndyC]

I would slap an asking price of £8.5m on the basis that his original price was £7.5m and he is a better player now than he was at Rangers.

But we overpaid for him to begin with. He is still worth the 4 mil that he was when we bought him.

I don't think we did overpay at the time.

He was the most highly rated footballer outside the premier league. Was the international captain and had played many games in Europe where he was the best player on the park. Players like that don't come cheap.

[hangthadj]

This whole situation disgusts me.

[Rover_Shaun]

Ferguson has been a (male chicken) since day one

[Jan]

Someone said about Ferguson disrupting things if we made him stay. HIM? You've GOT to be joking. To do that he'd actually have to SAY something and have someone take notice of him if he did.

Sherwood got away with disrupting things because he was respected as a player and captain. In the games I saw Ferguson play there never seemed to be a lot of respect for him or direction coming from him- indeed at Charlton especially I'd have thought Flitty was the captain as he was the one telling the others what to do. That said, I'd take the money and run. I trust Hughesy to get more for the £3m than that other chap managed for his £6.5million.

[Alan75]

If I remember correctly there was a mini, bidding war between ourselves and Everton for Ferguson signature, which pumped the price up.

[PABBY]

If I remember correctly there was a mini, bidding war between ourselves and Everton for Ferguson signature, which pumped the price up.

... And didn't Ferguson end up handing in a transer request to Rangers after we'd had 1 or 2 bids turned down? If so, they still got the price they wanted, so there's no reason to think that we couldn't do the same (if Rovers actually DO decide to sell him).