[Archived] Benni Mccarthy - Gone

[ABBEY]

and roberts may have been given elswhere.

[mellison24]

Scorers in all competitions

Dunn - 5

McCarthy, Pedersen - 2

Nzonzi, Salgado, Di Santo, Givet, Roberts, Reid, Kalinic, Diouf, Samba, Chimbonda, Holiett - 1

A bit worrying that our strikers have only scored 5 between them and 2 of thoose are from Benni's who's not played regularly.

Can't complain about the squad 'chipping in' with a couple though!

[Exiled in Toronto]

Precisely. No one would carry the team. You can't play Benni on his own up front. You can't play Benni AND Dunny. Therefore you can't play benni.

And if Dunn gets injured - far-fetched I know - what would you do then? We would have to play 4-4-2 and Benni is first choice for that formation, in my book anyway. Will any replacement for Benni be more 'ready' than have been Kalinic and Salgado? Any Jan signing has to step straight in.

In the last 2 seasons we will have lost Bentley, Tugay, RSC and Benni, i.e. 95% of the skill from the team that finished 7th. Depressing.

[roversmum]

Not happy. Don't want Benni to go (although I realise he is on high wages) and don't want Heskey (good news that he is unlikely to be coming - there is a God).

Fed up

[John]

I know he is getting on age wise, but slightly concerned to hear Sam's comments - as pointed out, there is a liklihood Dunn will get injured shortly, if you take into account his track record.

Also, whilst he can be frustrating, he still is one of our better players and has quality - we really have to be careful because if we are not careful, we are going to end up with none.

[American]

There are a couple of clubs in Spain on this case...and they are both talking about loans.

I think Benni could go on loan because nobody is going to buy him and Sam wants him off the wages.

At the moment the word is out to find two possible new strikers for January. Probably loans too. Somebody has to leave to pay for that.

PS. There is no way in the world that he is going to Portsmouth, by the way.

Not to shoot the messenger, but if Dunn has to be part of a 5 man midfield and our strikers aren't playing much as it is, why would we need 2 more?

We need to go to a diamond to better suit Dunn and give him 2 strikers to create chances for, keeping Nzonzi at the back to protect the defense.

[Stuart]

Not to shoot the messenger, but if Dunn has to be part of a 5 man midfield and our strikers aren't playing much as it is, why would we need 2 more?

We need to go to a diamond to better suit Dunn and give him 2 strikers to create chances for, keeping Nzonzi at the back to protect the defense.

Dunn, always a game away from injury

Di Santo, leaving

Benni, being ousted

That leaves Kalinic and Hoilett to learn their trade from er, Roberts

I'd say we need a couple of strikers if we ask Benni to go. One experienced PL one and probably another 6 month loan - preferably Di Santo.

[Tom]

We have to try and get rid of Roberts before Benni, right now I'd see Eliington as a better option, Lita would have been better as well.

Roberts seems like a decent bloke but he's had far too many chances and should never be starting games for us.

[John]

Dunn, always a game away from injury

Di Santo, leaving

Benni, being ousted

That leaves Kalinic and Hoilett to learn their trade from er, Roberts

I'd say we need a couple of strikers if we ask Benni to go. One experienced PL one and probably another 6 month loan - preferably Di Santo.

Ask any outsider, our team/squad is very average these days, and we have been losing our best/better players at an intense rate - Benni is a quality player still and can score goals - getting rid in January is very risky. Even with a big financial outlay, seemingly, Sam still struggled to bring in a striker who could make an impact.

[Stuart]

Ask any outsider, our team/squad is very average these days, and we have been losing our best/better players at an intense rate - Benni is a quality player still and can score goals - getting rid in January is very risky. Even with a big financial outlay, seemingly, Sam still struggled to bring in a striker who could make an impact.

Just to qualify: I don't want Benni to leave.

It's starting to sound more and more inevitable though. He wants first team football for his SA and our SA doesn't want to give him first team football. Not looking good.

[bigbrandjohn]

Sam does have a way with words. "At his age I'd understand if he wants to play first-team football and at the moment he can't get it here. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/8340599.stm

Hardly Mr Motivator.

Any aspirations we had of being a quality football team is going down the tubes. Sparky had us playing good football in the end but nobody with any aspiration of passing the ball along the ground is going to want to come to us in January.

[Mr. E]

Sam does have a way with words. "At his age I'd understand if he wants to play first-team football and at the moment he can't get it here. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/8340599.stm

Hardly Mr Motivator.

Any aspirations we had of being a quality football team is going down the tubes. Sparky had us playing good football in the end but nobody with any aspiration of passing the ball along the ground is going to want to come to us in January.

Yeah, that's pretty much the last straw for me.

"at the moment he can't get it here"....I wonder why that is, Sam? Maybe because you insist on playing 1 striker upfront, and often a useless one at that with Roberts? Or maybe because you persistently have us playing virtually with 10 men because of the inclusion of Andrews week in and week out?

I mean, I'd understand if Kalinic was already approaching 10 premiership goals and if Di Santo or Roberts were not far behind to say that Benni McCarthy "can't get football at Rovers", but given our position and the statistics this is quite absurd.

[waynerovers]

I'd like to hear a huge benni mcCarthy chant at ewood this saturday, best way to let him and sam know how we feel about this situation.

Edited November 4, 2009 by waynerovers

[mellison24]

I'd like to hear a huge benni mcCarthy chant at ewood this saturday, best way to let him and sam know how we feel about this situation.

DITTO!!! I reckon Kalinic and McCarthy could be an awesome strikeforce!! I base that on no knowledge whatsoever, so does somebody want to fill in the gaps there? We could still play dunny behond them!

[Paul]

I'm not sure Benni is the answer to our problems, he certainly isn't in the current formation. I do agree though with those who question any idea of allowing him to leave at this point. At present we don't have a striker who can score goals, so getting rid of one who has in the past seems daft. Albeit McCarthy has done nothing for the last two years but with the World Cup coming up he should be highly motivated though I suspect he may be sulking.

When the work experience kid leaves we'll have 3 strikers - with just a couple of goals between them to date? Crackers but then if you don't create chances you can't expect strikers to score.

[mellison24]

I'm not sure Benni is the answer to our problems, he certainly isn't in the current formation. I do agree though with those who question any idea of allowing him to leave at this point. At present we don't have a striker who can score goals, so getting rid of one who has in the past seems daft. Albeit McCarthy has done nothing for the last two years but with the World Cup coming up he should be highly motivated though I suspect he may be sulking.

When the work experience kid leaves we'll have 3 strikers - with just a couple of goals between them to date? Crackers but then if you don't create chances you can't expect strikers to score.

I personally don't think strikers will be a problem after January; all depending on the emergence of Kalinic and he now looks ready. I think the CM should be sorted so we can create the chances for Benni/Kalinic/Roberts (give him enough and he will put ONE away). Even Hoilett and Diouf may get a try up front. I think we'll be reet, provided we sort the midfield.

[Hughesy]

Sam does have a way with words. "At his age I'd understand if he wants to play first-team football and at the moment he can't get it here. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/8340599.stm

Hardly Mr Motivator.

Any aspirations we had of being a quality football team is going down the tubes. Sparky had us playing good football in the end but nobody with any aspiration of passing the ball along the ground is going to want to come to us in January.

Mr Motivator? He's simply telling the truth, he saved us last year and Sam planned on him being in the team in a 4-4-2 this year, but Dunn has stopped that so far!

"Benni wants to play football. For me last year he was excellent particularly at home in our plight to climb out of the relegation zone.

"I was looking forward to the start of the season with him but all of a sudden we put David Dunn in at Gillingham away in the hole behind a front man.

"He played so wonderfully well in that game that we have continued that position for him in the first team. He has grasped that position so well that he is our top, top player at this moment in time."

Also references to Dunn getting injured are not unfair either - there is a good likelihood of it to be fair, although credit must go to Sam's team who have so far kept him fit for a good run of games.

[mhead]

For me Benni and Roberts should both be out of the door. When Benni plays everyone moans anyway....clearly we have had his best few years and he costs too much. Cannot believe we missed James Beattie last Christmas....how many has he scored this year? Much more a BFS player.

The team needs incremental improvement...only 20% this year unfortunately, followed by 10% in January 2010 then another 20% in the summer.

We have to be patient - it would just be useful to know what kind of beast this BFS Bolton Mk 2 is going to turn into.

Our hopes rest on Dunny staying fit,keeping Samba, Kalinic coming thru, and NZonzi and Robbo continuing to improve(plus Givet finding a slot).That's the half of the team in place...then the 50% improvement over 2 windows.

[Roaming Rover]

I'm not sure Benni is the answer to our problems, he certainly isn't in the current formation.

though I suspect he may be sulking.

I'd disagree Paul, Benni is far and away our most skillful player with more ability than most of our squad put together.

What makes me smile is that Andrews and Roberts get so much grief for not being good enough yet they give 100% yet Benni who is good enough by quite a long way gets greif for not trying. SO lets sign a player who combines the two. Wayne Rooney perhaps?!?!? (Thats not aimed at you by the way Paul, I appreciate thats not your point.)

On the second point, the games I've seen Benni play he has show no sign of sulking, especially in the cup game when he let Kalinic score his first goal in English football. Which shows great team ethic and great sportsman ship. IMO.

[Hughesy]

On the second point, the games I've seen Benni play he has show no sign of sulking, especially in the cup game when he let Kalinic score his first goal in English football. Which shows great team ethic and great sportsman ship. IMO.

Yep exactly - the same player who gave up a hat-trick to allow goals for Reid & Kalinic. He had our only shot on target at weekend, which then set up a decent goal (but we didnt get), despite only being on the pitch for a short time.

For me Roberts should go waaaaaaaaaaaaaay before Benni does.

[Eddie]

Agreed and also, as stupid as this sounds, he seemed to enjoy others scoring as much as those scoring enjoyed the experience. He's obviously a positive influence in the squad. He needs to play in the upcoming matches.

[Hughesy]

Agreed and also, as stupid as this sounds, he seemed to enjoy others scoring as much as those scoring enjoyed the experience. He's obviously a positive influence in the squad. He needs to play in the upcoming matches.

He just seems to love playing football...yes he doesnt run around like a headless chicken and throw himself about...but he does have the 1 quality that we really need - and that is a natural finisher who can take his chances. Penalty, Free-kick or whatever they all count and Benni usually takes his chances.

[Eddie]

Yep, the question is the same as it always is: we have some important games coming up, if the ball is going to drop to anyone in our squad in the box who do you want there?

[G Somerset Rover]

Yep, the question is the same as it always is: we have some important games coming up, if the ball is going to drop to anyone in our squad in the box who do you want there?

Anyone but Jason Roberts!!

[Roaming Rover]

Agree with you both. Also with Benni, how often does he come out wide to influence play and quite honestly is out best crosser of the ball by a long long way.

Not having a go at Sam, but shouldn't it be the managers job to fit players like Benni in. Isn't that why Man U have Hargreaves and Fletcher in the team to allow the more creative players to play more?