[Archived] Lucas Neill

[FourLaneBlue]

It was always going to be a a coin flip in summer whether to take 2m for him or keep him in the hope he would play out the season.

Except of course that your analysis of what was the speculation is rather speculative.

Seeing as media reports suggested that the Liverpool offer was under £2 million then it may not have been such a tempting idea after all. Then again we can't know for sure what was offered but we do know that the offer came so late in the transfer window that we wouldn't have been able to bring anybody else in. Certainly that seems to have been the main concern for Hughes which is why they wanted Warnock in exchange. They kept plugging away with the contract offer but they must have known it was a long shot.

In other words there were willing to let Neill go in the summer if they could have brought someone else in so it wasn't just a matter of money. Questions could be raised about why they hadn't anybody in mind for a quick deadline day swoop for some other full back but that is another matter.

Edited November 29, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[gazsimm]

We all now know Neil is going to leave us, i think the best club we could sell him to his probabley Chelsea and hopefully they will let us have Bridge in exchange, then i think we might be even better off without Neil

[herbergeehh]

Don't see Chelsea going for him at all, but they are sending Sheva on loan.. so who knows!

[gazsimm]

Don't see Chelsea going for him at all, but they are sending Sheva on loan.. so who knows!

it was reported in one of newspapers at the weekend they are keen on Neil, might be just paper talk

[FourLaneBlue]

He's a good player which is why a lot of top clubs seem to be sniffing around him at the moment.

I'm very suspicious of all these rumours around Neill to be honest. Milan, Barcelona and now Chelsea...yet without anything at all to back it up. The Barcelona rumour was rubbish - it was cooked up because of comments by Johan Neeskens, the Australian assistant coach at the time and now assistant at Barcelona. The Milan rumour I think we can pretty much agree was a load of rubbish and I expect the Chelsea one is too.

Have to say that whoever is representing Neill is doing a fine job of selling their client through the media but after all this it will be most likely he just ends up at Liverpool without much competition at all.

We shall see anyway.

[herbergeehh]

I'm guessing Peter Harrison makes these rumours resurface, FLB..

[gazsimm]

I am suprised about this really

Blackburn have confirmed that they could very well sell Lucas Neill in January when the transfer window re-opens.

The want-away Australian has shunned all offers of a new contract at Ewood Park and was the subject of bids in August - which Rovers shunned.

Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham were all keen - with the Merseyside outfit heading the queue.

However, the likes of Barcelona and Milan also have an interest, while Premiership champions Chelsea are now said to have joined the race for his signature.

Rovers chairman John Williams has insisted he knows nothing of the reported interest from Stamford Bridge.

"We've had no contact from Chelsea. The situation is unchanged," he explained.

"Lucas has said he would like to look at fresh challenges, having spent a considerable time here.

"The decision is between us and him about whether he leaves in January or at the end of the season."

Williams admitted that Neill could be allowed to leave in January.

"It all depends on whether the offer is right for the club and whether Lucas wants to leave in January," he added.

"We will do what's best for the team. If it's in our best interests to keep hold of Lucas until the summer then we will.

"Equally, if it's in our best interests to sell him in January then that's what we'll do."

[RoyRover]

If he signs for a club like Aston Villa or Newcastle, I don't care how many years he's performed well for us anymore.

You could understand the attraction of going to a big club like Liverpool or Chelsea (even though it means that he'll never play), however moving to either of these clubs, especially Newcastle would be gut wrenching. They are easily one of the worst teams in the league and would be a huge step backwards.

[pick32]

get him sold then use that cash for a new left back, bridge, baines or bale anyone?

[West Sussex Rover]

gazsimm dude, you might wanna Edit that last message you left as it will get deleted by the moderators as its a copy off SkySports. If you just delete the info and put a link down then it will prob be ok.

Im not suprised Neil is leaving to be honest, i just wish Sparky had come to his senses and realised that Neil wasnt interested in signing on a new contract as he would be worth more selling him...

I say swap him with Liverpools Warnock, however apparently Aston Villa are ahead of Pool in the race to sign Neil at the moment...? Id love to see a swap for Gary Cahill, as from what i have heard he is a very talented youngster!!

Edited November 29, 2006 by West Sussex Rover

[joey_big_nose]

get him sold then use that cash for a new left back, bridge, baines or bale anyone?

Personally I think the straight swap for Warnock might be our best bet. If we do sell Neill it isn't going to be much more than 1-2m and all three of those players you mention are going to cost 4-5m I would imagine. We need to conserve cash reserves for a midfielder if we can.

[krislu]

The sooner Neill gets his arse out of Ewood Park the better. Don't expect much of a transfer fee, I would gladly take £1m

[thenodrog]

Personally I think the straight swap for Warnock might be our best bet.

Whilst we may be cornered a straight swop of an experienced international defender for a reserve team player is surely not the preferred option.

Who has said that Liverpool will offer him more wages, look at bellamy he took over a 2mill pay cut to go to anfield.

No matter how many times I hear it I will never ever believe that particular piece of garbage! Liverpool may want to make that public knowledge for a variety of reasons but imo neither Bellamy nor more importantly his agent would ever EVER agree to that........ unless of course his agent was a lifelong Liverpool fan too!

[cloggyjimmybrfc]

forget warnock...the left back for feyenoord is the answer!

[Fife Rover]

forget warnock...the left back for feyenoord is the answer!

Now you're talking! I would love that to happen. He is only 19 yrs old and already looks a very good attacking LB. The only snag is we wont be able to afford him, if indeed Feyenoord could be persuaded to sell.

[herbergeehh]

Both Drenthe and Greene looked good to me, the latter had a fantastic dummy on one of our strikers.. Tiendalli is supposed to be quite talented too!

[Wolverine]

Whilst we may be cornered a straight swop of an experienced international defender for a reserve team player is surely not the preferred option.

Maybe not, but if it did happen, I wouldn't be surprised if the same swap happened in thier career too!

[joey_big_nose]

Whilst we may be cornered a straight swop of an experienced international defender for a reserve team player is surely not the preferred option.#

Well ofcourse I would like Rovers to lay their hands upon an experienced qualty full back. But I suspect we do not have the cash to do so if we also want a midfielder of real quality. So in a way Warnock is the preferred option as we get the most 'player per pound' so to speak.

Even an average Championship player is going to set us back a million quid. The only way we could pick up a quality left back on the cheap is either going for someone near the end of their contract (none spring to mind) or shopping abroad in cheap countries- Czech, Scandinavia, Austria etc. (fraught with danger as to how the players will adapt to big leagues).

[Boz]

And are we all still happy that when/if he returns after injury he gets handed the captain's armband for Blackburn Rovers Football Club?

Ironic how a nagging hamstring can sometimes rule someone out!

[AxesFirstTouch]

Warnock is a sicknote, steer well clear of this guy.

[gazsimm]

it says on the BBC Gossip today that Liverpool and Barcalona are going to battle to get Neil. I would settle for straight swap with Silvino coming to Ewood but i don't think it will happen

[RevidgeBlue]

Spot on quote from a chap called Simon Smith in the LT's fans jury today

"the man who I think looks in the mirror and sees Franz Beckenbaur while the rest of us see a reasonably competent right back"

[1864roverite]

Lets take look at how Rovers can come out of this scenario and the alternatives.

If they sell him now then they must do so as close to 1st Jan as possible so as not to disrupt the team. For me, the armband should be removed now and handed to Andre or Tugay. I think that Rovers should consider only using Lucas as a sub for the time being, save him being injured and costing us even greater in the long run. I personally think we should take the Liverpool option and take young Warnock plus cash, or even better and judging by the Livepool crowd reaction last night, take Pennant on loan as part of the deal. That leaves Bert as right back plus Pennant as the right winger, we also have a reasonable left back then with Warnock vastly better than Gray.

An adequate replacement for Lucas is young Halford at Colchester. He is tall and fast, he can tackle and only lacks top flight experience. He would come relatively cheaply, both in transfer fee and wages.

Should Rovers decide not to cash in on him then we lose hands down. A disgruntled player on the books will do nothing for morale and he walks for free anyway.

I really think that Lucas has had his head swayed by the media attention. he is NOT guaranteed any first team football at ANY club that has been mentioned that are in for him. Liverpool may be his preferred option but he would only play in the league games and the FA Cup at best. It is my view tht he is no better than Finnan with exception of cards given and dishing out rash tackles. Barca ? Milan ? kiss my hairy bottom. He simply is not good enough to play for those clubs, Chelsea !! Cant see that happening either. As for Newcastle or Villa? doe they really offer better options than Rovers ? Both will probably pay more cash but neither have a better chance of winning trophies than Rovers.

I have had my gripes with players over the many years that I have followed Rovers but LN is rapidly becoming a member of "my most despised club". The club have offered everything and more yet all he does is give his anseers to the media through his big gob or his advisor, he has failed to speak to hsi club supporters and that shows a lack of respect.

GET RID

[LDRover]

Great quote from Smithy!!

He's come a long way since he was set 3 for English!!

[1864roverite]

and just as I post fans fc report a bid fo around 3million from Chelsea to secure his signing !!!