[Archived] Stop! Sambatime.

[John]

Looking back on it, his impact for us has been sensational. Especially considering his age and the amount of experience he had before joining us.

Good thing for us is that he can only get better.

[AndyH16]

Between him and Warnock, I don't think you could've got two better players for the prices we paid for them.

[daren]

I doubt we could have got two better players even paying significantly more! Look at the transfer prices being paid and touted for players in those positions and you'll see what I mean. Great signings by Hughes, I must admit to thinking "I thought only first team players were being signed, surely this Hertha Berlin reserve isn't that" but boy was I wrong!

Especially in the Chelsea semi-final, he looked confident and assured against Drogba, who'd been bouncing defenders out of the way all season. The one time he didn't make a perfect tackle, Chelsea scored. He's a gem, pure and simple.

[mark]

apologies if this has been posted before, but I read on the fantasy premier league site that Samba was "born in the Paris suburb of Creteil but qualifies for his adopted country through his father's birth". I didn't know that, so i take it he grew up in France?

[92er]

apologies if this has been posted before, but I read on the fantasy premier league site that Samba was "born in the Paris suburb of Creteil but qualifies for his adopted country through his father's birth". I didn't know that, so i take it he grew up in France?

Yes-I think it came out after we had signed him.

[dj54nna]

BEST.

PHOTO.

EVER.

[Eddie]

[tony gale's mic]

i honestly believe he's going to be one of the worlds' best in a few years time. he literally has everything.

[joey_big_nose]

i honestly believe he's going to be one of the worlds' best in a few years time. he literally has everything.

His recovery pace today was sensational. And his heading. And his reading of the game.

What were Berlin thinking. Are they mental?

[LeChuck]

Aren't the world's best considered to be the intelligent and cultured defenders?

For all Samba's strengths, positioning and decision making aren't there at the moment, he is very prone to a lapse which can cost us. Having said that, if he does sort that out (and he's got plenty of time) then I think he will be one of the best in the country.

[spanishblue]

Considering he's only 23 and for what we paid for him, I think Sparky played a blinder in buying him. His performance today was brilliant. I would have given him the MOTM award over Dunn. He can only get better.

[tony gale's mic]

i think he's probably hughes' most impressive buy. mccarthy and santa cruz were champions league winners and while he seems to have put new impetus into their careers the talent was never disputed. samba has come from nowhere and progressed so fast already.

[cole]

i was in awe of him today. he was just dominant.

[Lathund]

Still not convinced by his positioning, and he does seem to take quite some risks. But that being said, his strength, speed and tackling skill generally means that he makes the interceptions or tackles meaning nothing usually comes from those risks. He really was awesome yesterday, and a real presence at set pieces too. If we can keep him and Nelsen for a couple seasons more I'm sure we'll have an awesome partnership at the heart of our defense.

[frosty]

What a find by Hughes. How did we spot him? He was hardly playing for Berlin.

[Perth_Rover]

i honestly believe he's going to be one of the worlds' best in a few years time. he literally has everything.

The way he plays he suits the english game very well, maybe he will become one of the top class defenders in the world some day.

[rover6]

What were Berlin thinking. Are they mental?

A classic case of overlooking an up and coming star in preference of reliable old heads?

[philipl]

And of course the Rovers equivalent of Chrissy Samba playing blinders at other clubs are...

and....

urr...

[den]

For all Samba's strengths, positioning and decision making aren't there at the moment, he is very prone to a lapse which can cost us.

I beg to differ LeChuck. The guy is immense now.

[Eddie]

It's interesting to look at the amount of talk in the media about Richards compared to that about Samba. To me they are very similar, players with great physical attributes who will be great players if they can just improve little things in their positioning and reading of the game, which I'm sure that they both will. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that Richards is English, it makes sense, but it just goes to show you have to do a lot to be noticed when you are a Blackburn player.

[RevidgeBlue]

Still not convinced by his positioning, and he does seem to take quite some risks. .

Like den, I don't agree with that either , the only time he really gets out of position imo is when he has to bail out Nelsen or Ooijer because they're not quick enough.

And ninety nine times out of a hundred he seems to be able to do it.

[Billy Castell]

I think he can become the next Colin Hendry- i.e. a fans favourite who beats the crap out of opposing strikers and shows them who's boss.

I think he's great already.

[joey_big_nose]

It's interesting to look at the amount of talk in the media about Richards compared to that about Samba. To me they are very similar, players with great physical attributes who will be great players if they can just improve little things in their positioning and reading of the game, which I'm sure that they both will. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that Richards is English, it makes sense, but it just goes to show you have to do a lot to be noticed when you are a Blackburn player.

I think by Christmas the media will cotton on and we will be looking at fighting off offers over the January window. He is the one player we have who I think the top four will become very very interested in. Other key performers are either too old for the big clubs to go after (Freidal and Nelsen) or not really, for all their ability, quite up there in the talent stakes (Warnock, Derbyshire, McCarthy, Reid, Santa Cruz, Pedersen, Bentley) to be worth the enormous fees Hughes and the board would demand.

I could see Liverpool, Man Utd or Arsenal looking at him and thinking 20m for a player that age, with that current ability and with such vast potential being worth the splash. Hope it doesn't happen though.

[den]

He does look like he's gonna come a cropper at times, but he doesn't! He seems to find the game astonishingly easy.

[ewoodblue]

He does look like he's gonna come a cropper at times, but he doesn't! He seems to find the game astonishingly easy.

I think Rovers have picked up a real gem in Samba.

I remember last season,when Nelsen was out it was a disaster,but now we seem able to cope when he's injured.Sparkys done a god job in strengthening the defence.

Very impressed with Samba.