Ferguson Hands in Transfer Request

[joey_big_nose]

Of COURSE Ferguson is being manipulated. He's never been the sharpest tack in the drawer. Unlike Savage- who knows EXACTLY what he's doing, Ferguson has to be told at each stage what to say, where to stand, what to think etc.

I believe he DOES want to go home. I also believe that if "that nice Mr Viola" tells him that he's do really well at Everton or Newcastle (because the nice Mr Viola gets more of a wodge for him from them) then that's what he'll think too.

I would not say that at all- he is not Einstein but he comes across very well. His interviews and ideas at the end of Vogts' reign seemed insightful and steered well clear of the 123 of Football cliches. To infantalise him seems a bit severe.

He is no innocent- he clearly wants to go. The question is does he have the decency to not let us get completely screwed?

[Ste B]

It cannot however hurt Hughes to ask.

Unless Mr.Parker takes particular offence to the manner in which he asks.

Parker is out for a few weeks with a broken metatarsul, and will likely be going nowhere.

[Jan]

Ste B

He really is. He's a wee Glasgow ned who admitted that had he not been a footballer he'd have liked to have left school as soon as possible to go into the same business as his dad (roofing I think) (That's not to say that all roofers are thick- just that that was the summit of his ambitions)

I'd think exactly the same of any ex-celt. With Champagne Charlie Nicholas I thought that (and of course he had to get away from the London temptations which were destroying him as a person)- I also thought we shouldn't have taken him back. Ditto Mo Johnson before that move was hijacked by Mr Souness. It's usually a mistake to go back (although if Mt Larsson were fit and wanted to, that MIGHT be a different matter)

Edited January 18, 2005 by Jan

[chris]

Ste B

He really is. He's a wee Glasgow ned who admitted that had he not been a footballer he'd have left school as soon as possible to go into the same business as his dad (roofing I think)

that's rubbish , I never went to scholl and i anit had iI dman ani

[Jan]

Brilliant Chris

Edited January 18, 2005 by Jan

[Derbyshire Blue]

Just at the point of his terrible injury at Newcastle last season I felt he was really coming into his own and starting to come to terms with the Premiership and looked forward to more to come, as I hadn’t seen to that point anything of the player Souness had told us we’d captured. Thought it would take him time over the first couple of months of this season to regain Premiership speed and fitness, but having been virtually ever present till the weekend with over half the season gone, to me he’s been very disappointing, so much so that at home to Charlton I felt he was one of the worst players on view, constantly choosing the easy ball usually backwards sometimes to the side rarely forward and when he did gave the ball away…in my humble opinion very overrated, and a big disappointment.

[Philly Rover ®]

Although it was the Daily Record, it was also a direct quote from John Williams.

For me the sensible thing for Rovers to do would be to publicly reject Ferguson's transfer request.

Privately sit him down and tell him he can go in the summer if that's what he wants, PROVIDED the money is right from whoever.

There is certainly no way we should be accepting ANY offer from Rangers which includes writing off a sum due to them in 8 months time.

If they want the player now, they pay cash now.  Otherwise the player stays here.

Tris, I completely agree.

Noticed that all the talking about the transfer request was done by John Viola again this morning? I just wonder how total the extent is to which the Fergusons are being manipulated.

The only circumstances in which we should play ball would be if Hughes has a bargain lined up for which we need the Ferguson transfer money for- the rumour advanced by AndyC

Agree with both of you gentleman... while Savage would serve as a logical replacement for Ferguson, I shouldn't think there's any rush to sell in the window, as the transfer money can't really be put to good use. Though they're only three points adrift at the time being, Rangers haven't looked like catching Celtic for the past two years, and I don't think Barry will make or break their title challenge this year. Blackburn Ender put it well when he said:

That seems clear then.

Rovers can now issue a statement saying Ferguson has handed in a transfer request and the club will listen to offers from any club prepared to meet Rovers' valuation of (oooh, shall we say) £6.5 million?

If the fee is not met, we do not sell and Ferguson gets on with it.

The one thing that strikes me about all this is that I don't particularly hate Ferguson in all this. Think of it this way... he was recruited to come here by Souness, and it seems fairly obvious that the reason he chose Rovers ahead of other clubs was the fact that he would get to play for one of the great Scottish footballers (and a fiery midfielder to boot) of all time. With Souness gone and Rovers languishing in the lower reaches of the table, there's no great incentive for him to stay here. Yes he has been made captain, but I feel like the only reason he handed in a transfer request is that JW intimated that he would have to do so in order to procure a transfer (thus Rovers are off the hook for loyalty bonuses, etc.).

As Bryan said earlier:

We don't know for sure that he wants to go to Rangers, only that he doesn't want to play for us anymore.

I could certainly see him moving to Newcastle or Everton... if he does indeed move back to Scotland, he knows he has to know that he'll be labeled a failure, so I'm not so sure he's not looking to stay in England. As much as I'd hate the prospect of him coming good with the Toffees or Barcodes, we should most certainly sell him to the highest bidder.

One more point... does anyone think that Rovers could get Ball as part of any potential deal with Rangers? Not sure if Sparky's a big fan of the (still) young Englishman or not, but it's certainly something worth considering, especially with Gresko out for the year and Gray having worn out his welcome.

[rover6]

Can someone please explain how your family can be settled and happy in December but hate it and wanna go home in January.

He's clearly going to Newcastle, and this is Mr Souness' doing.

Couldn't he possibly have been lying so as to avoid rocking the boat UNTIL the transfer window when he can actually leave? Apparently, his wife really wants to get back to Scotland, so maybe he was trying to tough it out but his family weren't having any of it.

I really am surprised and disappointed that people are turning on Ferguson because of this. He wants to leave, let him leave - his reasons to me seem genuine. Nothing nefarious like Mr Savage's idiotic excuses. Of course, if he joins Newcastle or another English club, my view would rapidly change.

And I don't think people should be condemning Ferguson for not being the superstar people were expecting. Imo he has been a good player and no doubt has the talent to be a good Premiership central midfielder.

It was Souness who was saying Ferguson would be competing with the likes of Vieira and Gerrard as one of the best midfielders in England. It was Souness who willed the board to splash 7.5 on Ferguson when Everton pulled out when the value went over 5 million. ( Maybe Moyes had financial constraints but maybe he knew that going over 5 was too much).

Let Ferguson go for a fair fee with respect intact and lets see if Thommo can't do a job of replacing him in the middle of the park.

[jim mk2]

[Let Ferguson go for a fair fee with respect intact and lets see if Thommo can't do a job of replacing him in the middle of the park.

Arrrrgggghhh !

Two different players entirely. How can Thompson - the original headless chicken - perform a holding role in midfield ?

[Blue blood]

To be honest I'm glad that he's handed in a transfer request - at least now the club and the fans know where he stands.

If he's leaving for Rangers I'm not too bothered. Either he's pretty selfless in putting his family first or he's pretty spineless for not trying to hack it out. Ferguson isn't worth 7 million - back then or now - but he is certainly good enough to play Premiership. If he'd prefer the easy life, well he's not the type of player you want at Rovers.

If however he's leaving for Newcastle/Everton then I'd be very dissapointed. Although historically bigger clubs under Hughes we have every chance of matching them in a year or so - indeed we could probably beat them now. If Fergusons going for a quick shot at success with these clubs it just shows how niave and disloyal he is. It's not like a move to Real Madrid nor has he repaid Rovers for the opportunity to play at Premiership level.

If he goes to me the negatives are:

The loss of moral from loosing a big name.

The most likely loss from a 7m investment.

The weakening of the squad from loosing a good player.

The disruption caused by changing captain.

An aging midfield looks even older.

The positives are:

Hughes will have more money to spend.

We've not got a demotivated player picking up massive wages.

Ferguson never seemed to me to be the captain Flitty was.

Ferguson was as many players have stated a square peg in a round hole as finding the right partner appeared to be causing some difficulties.

Maybe Reid and tommo will get more of a chance to play centre mid - I have high hopes that both could really find themselves in this position.

Overall, disappointing, but not the worst thing that could happen to Rovers. The worst thing is it dragging on so hopefully it can now be quickly resolved.

[chris]

[Let Ferguson go for a fair fee with respect intact and lets see if Thommo can't do a job of replacing him in the middle of the park.

Arrrrgggghhh !

Two different players entirely. How can Thompson - the original headless chicken - perform a holding role in midfield ?

thought that was the point of signing Savage, for his tackling/battling ability, plus Ferguson recently has been playing in a midfield with Flitcroft, hardly call Ferguson a classic DM

Edited January 18, 2005 by chris

[joey_big_nose]

[Let Ferguson go for a fair fee with respect intact and lets see if Thommo can't do a job of replacing him in the middle of the park.

Arrrrgggghhh !

Two different players entirely. How can Thompson - the original headless chicken - perform a holding role in midfield ?

I would hazard that Savage will hold the midfield while Thompson get on with his poultry like performances. Not a bad backup plan but capturing a player like Parker would be better.

[Parasyte]

TBH, I cant see Rovers coming out of this too badly. If Rangers dont cough up, they said they will go elsewhere, in which case, I'm guessing Bazza wouldnt really have another shot at getting back to Glasgow, unless it was with Celtic, which'll never happen. If that is the case, I can see him playing better than he is now (because he seems to be a player that hasnt looked focused really, whereas if he knows he has to stay, he may try harder, even if to just move off inthe summer to another EPL club). If Rangers do cough up a decent amount ($.5million I'd say was a realistic top amount), then we at lest have some cash-in hand to buy anotehr player of some decent quality. And if it is all a ploy by SOuness, well, we know he pays silly money, so again, we'd win somewhat from that, so long as it doesnt happen like Parker did last season ,when there was no time to bring in a replacement.

Personally, I'd still quite like him at the club. While I'm sure he wasnt pushed into the transfer request, it does seem a little bit like an agent thing, considerin the good comments previous to this, and besides, on the pitch, he does do a job for us, and perhaps if he gets a couple of games with Savage, with Thommo pushing for his place, it might liven the spineless git up a bit.

All in all, I think the worst situation is selling to Rangers for only 4.5million or so, which is daft, not in the market, simply due to what we paid for him.

But what do I know...

[Jan]

Or just maybe

Rangers buy him for £3m, and THEN Souness steps in, after half a season and offers them £8m.

It COULD happen!

[Parasyte]

I cant see us selling for 3million, tho, transfer request or not. If he does a Savage, then we simply dont pay him, if thats allowed (heck, I would - I do sympathise a little with the Brum board on that one). And if he underperforms, Rangers wont want him back n e way, and so the only option left to hi mwill be to play his way out of Rovers, which means playing like a demon.

[ihateburnley]

Sky Sports have worked out that Barry Ferguson has cost us £200k PER GAME that he played!

I honestly think we will be better off with Savage. A new face that is BEST mates with the manager and is so seemingly desperate to play for us! When was the last time we had that??? At least we know that Ferguson is in demand despite being most average during his time at Ewood. If we get £5m for a player that is attracting interest from clubs based on his good performances for a Scottish team three years ago, we are doing well.

We then spend £3m on Savage, and spend approx £3-4m on a new striker/attacking central midfielder. Sorted!

If we get a decentish offer, at the end of the day the only one that has lost out here is the player himself which is refreshing to say the least. Let's just hope that a bidding war starts for Ferguson because you can bet that Newcastle will become involved, and if there is a player available you can never rule out interest from Middlesbrough, Spurs etc.

Edited January 18, 2005 by ihateburnley

[mjs]

I have always said that Ferguson's good games for Rovers have been few and far between, and have been far outweighed by his average and poor games.

As long as we can get the right cash for him then he won't really be that much of a loss in the long term. I am sure there are plenty more players who can do what he has done for us.

Perhaps we need to try and get in another midfield player to give us more cover at this crucial stage of the season. If I was Mark Hughes I would try and get Scott Parker, if only on loan for the rest of the season. He doesn't look like getting a chance at Chelsea.

[youandwhosearmy]

spurs can "nearly" sign barry ferguson if they like

couldnt resist

[blue phil]

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.

That sounds a bit like the union at my place of work - they slap a pay claim in for about 50% and settle for about 4% a couple of months later !

The Rovers can ask for whatever nonsensical figure they want , 7 or 8 mill , it doesn't really matter . After the rest of the footballing world have stopped laughing they'll settle for what he's really worth - about 3 to 3.5 mill tops.

The only way we'll conceivably get more is by another team other than Rangers coming in for him - but they've probably more sense than that . Like a few of us have been saying on this board for a long time now , he's just a journeyman of a player ; good but not very good .

'Fraid we're going to have to cut our losses with Soft Bazza and send him back home to the hackers' league..

[Bobby G]

Would anyone be up for a straight swap with Bellamy?

Hmm wouldnt mind that at all.

[Brownie]

I'd ring Souey up and see if he'd sell Dyer

Dyer was in tears on saturday at the abuse he got from the crowd - would be a great signing at 4 mil.

[youandwhosearmy]

there was talk belamy would be used + cash to get distin from city, so im assuming that :

A) Bellamy would be available

and

He would be available for around 3-4 million

saying that hes a nasty little $$%#, isnt a natural scorer and has a massive ego

dyer would be a good signing, he just needs a move to kick start his career, and im betting he would be allowed to leave for less than 4 million

Edited January 18, 2005 by youandwhosearmy

[Robertson]

dyer is awful, have never seen a player go so far backwards, and he is not even a nice guy!!!

bye bye fergie, fergie bye bye.....

tosser

[Scotty]

Can't believe Tris & Philipl (and others) still want Ferguson to stay. What's the point of keeping hold of a player who doesn't want to play for the club anymore? Do you really think he's going to give it his all?

As for wanting to go back because of family problems - what are these problems that could have struck over the last month since he gave an interview stating that his family were settled?

And what is it about them that makes it so important for them to leave right now?

Why not wait until the summer when an adequate replacement can be found?

Why not let his family go now and he can join them in May? I'm sure our Barry could cope without his family for 5 months - it's not like he can't go and see them virtually when he wants.

It's all a smokescreen imo, our captain wants to return back to the easy life and he's fully prepared to ditch us in the middle of a relegation fight to do it. I've never booed a Rovers player (or ex-player) in my life but I might start if Ferguson plays for us again.

Our only objective is to get as much money as we can for him. Unfortunately though I'm sure that will be nowhere near what we paid for him.

[mhead]

Bellamy,Dickov,Savvo and Flitty in the same team....TASTY

With presumably Todd to nut anyone who gets thru!!

What a move from Soft Bazza - the only Celt footballer ever to be homesick- to a team that isn't a pushover.

And we always prided ourselves on the ball-players and dribblers.

Bazza has to go for £5m nett.