[Archived] Nicko's Thread

[EwoodGlory]

I would love us to sign Anelka, a player I have always enjoyed watching. I thought when he was at Arsenal he would of gone on to be a 'great'.

I would expect Pompey and West Ham to move for him also, if so we would struggle to match the wages they can offer.

Lets hope we can pull it off, never thought we would be linked with spending £10m on someone anytime soon, unless a takeover was completed.

Does this mean there is money in the kitty for January, or does all or most of the fee need to be raised by sales?

Cheers for the info

[Paul Mellelieu]

Yes please. He has the pace we're missing and is the fox in the box we need.

[ffan]

Yes please. He has the pace we're missing and is the fox in the box we need.

blackburn can have anelka if we can have hughes.

[ffan]

any news on who wes brown is moving to?

[Dufflite]

Not a hope on Anelka, stop it before it starts - he's laughing at this...

[Mozzer]

anelka?? i would be impressed if we signed him..

wouldnt it be good if he was signed before we play them in january lol...

[Paul]

The dream target is Nicolas Anelka. He is the player at the top of the wish list and it has a better chance than you might think.

I'm not sure dream is quite the right word. He's a very talented player who scores goals but is he any less trouble than McCarthy appears to be? den and bluebruce have summed things up nicely. McCarthy wants to play for a "big" club - not many sniffing around as far as I can see, West Ham hardly qualify do they? Anelka has stated he wants CL football so why move from Bolton to Blackburn? About the only logic is he'll get a big signing-on fee without having the expense of moving house. Presumably we are talking £8-10m so if McCarthy goes for any less this deal doesn't sound great. If Hughesy has this money to spend he can do better elsewhere.

Seven clubs in ten years, including three where he lasted only a season, suggests if Anelka isn't happy managers get shot of him.

However it demonstrates the club's ambition that we are being linked with such a high profile player. If Sparky wants him and the board feel able to back the plan this has to be very positive.

[trueblue]

According to Alan's piece in the People, the purchase of Anelka would be funded by the sale of Benni... One question Alan - is there anyone in the frame for Benni ?

[philipl]

I think Anelka for Benni is filed in the bin marked agent-inspired mischief making.

[frosty]

I would like Anelka at Rovers - he'd score 20 goals a season here without a doubt!

[Dufflite]

I think Anelka for Benni is filed in the bin marked agent-inspired mischief making.

Its worse than that. Its pure ###### and if these excitable journalsts put the leg work in they may actually save themselves embarrassment. Nicko has screwed up this time and Nicholas is very amused.

[philipl]

Whilst we are about it, let's also debunk the idea that Rovers have to sell to buy in January.

They might chose to sell to buy big but they don't have to.

Something Mark Hughes said 18 months ago comes to mind- it went something like this: "yes I can make a big money signing, the difference is at Blackburn I cannot afford the signing to be a mistake."

[krislu]

If Benni does not have his heart with Rovers anymore then selling him and getting Anelka would be a great move by the club. I think that Anelka and Cruz would make a much better partnership than Benni and Cruz. Our two strikers are too much alike IMO, they both wants the ball in their feet an I rearly see any of them running into channels...

Anelka would be brilliant, and as close to a dream move we can ever get!!

[thenodrog]

I'm not sure about the Anelka thing. Anelka is a class player without doubt but whose main career motivation appears to have been solely money driven and nothing else. Is his brother still his agent btw?

Our current target man is RSC and he's damned good at it, as with Davies at Bolton. When Anelka plays though he plays furthest forward whilst Davies is shoved deeper and wider which he struggles with and which imo would not suit RSC's abilities at all. If McCarthy were to move on I'd imagine that our target should be more an 'inside forward' than a centre forward ...... for those that remember what one is.

Recently McCarthy has been playing far too deep and leaving RSC isolated up front. This could be seen v Villa when his pratting about in the centre circle and poor marking contributed largely to Villa's 1st goal, and again v Newcastle in the impact made when Roberts came on and partnered RSC properly. I would not be suprised at all today to see Roberts starting alongside RSC with McCarthy sulking on the bench.

btw I've no inside knowledge of this but reading the smoke signals I've just a feeling that Hughes himself is opening the exit door a chink on McCarthy and not the other way around. I think we know Hughes well enough to know that he will not be held to ransom by a temperamental drama queen thats for sure. Sparky's past actions with his players appears to be that one mistake is forgivable and he will offer public support BUT two is not.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I would have Anelka in our side anyday,a class act, but NOT at the expense of Benni leaving!

[T4E]

I'd be delighted if this happened. Ideally we wouldn't have to sacrifice Benni to make it so. If we could get a few million for Roberts and look to finance the rest without a sale that'd probably be the best bet all round.

[Fife Rover]

I'm not sure dream is quite the right word. He's a very talented player who scores goals but is he any less trouble than McCarthy appears to be? den and bluebruce have summed things up nicely. McCarthy wants to play for a "big" club - not many sniffing around as far as I can see, West Ham hardly qualify do they? Anelka has stated he wants CL football so why move from Bolton to Blackburn? About the only logic is he'll get a big signing-on fee without having the expense of moving house. Presumably we are talking £8-10m so if McCarthy goes for any less this deal doesn't sound great. If Hughesy has this money to spend he can do better elsewhere.

Seven clubs in ten years, including three where he lasted only a season, suggests if Anelka isn't happy managers get shot of him.

However it demonstrates the club's ambition that we are being linked with such a high profile player. If Sparky wants him and the board feel able to back the plan this has to be very positive.

At last the voice of reason!

[nicko]

A lot of interesting points, some well made, others about where the story came from just a little potty.

A couple or three of things.

Anelka left clubs when he was younger and regrets it. He wanted to stay at Liverpool, they overlooked him. He did superbly at an ordinary Man City but felt Keegan was not a good enough coach. Fenerbahce was a mistake. He had the bottle to go to Bolton. So I would forgive him for moving so much.

Why not Blackburn? The snag - as I said all along is that one of the big four come in - but otherwise it would be swapping a relegation fight in a side that has gone back to long ball for a chance to chase the top six and get much better service.

On the cost...I am almost certain a big one would have to go. It would be expensive to buy him and pay his wages. Benni would be the obvious sale - and there would be buyers in January if he was made available in any way, private or public.

[eddiewac]

Well after reflecting on the story in the mirror...... i can probably see why he'd come to Rovers, i can't see any of the top 4 taking a risk and we are one of maybe 4 or so teams capable of gettin close to the big 4

[herbergeehh]

Anelka would be a step up from McCarthy on the pitch in my opinion, but I'm a bit surprised he's our main target. He's an amazing footballer who can win games by himself, but I was half-expecting to see Hughes spend his money in midfield. When you think about it though, we have Savage, Reid, Dunn and Mokoena - plus Tugay - so in central midfield we do have both attacking and defensive players when everyone's fit. If Sergio Peter is leaving, I would think we need more cover on the wings..

Back to Anelka, he is a player who will attract a lot of attention, and with RSC alongside him we would have a world-class partnership. I can't help it though, I don't want to see McCarthy leave, and I still believe he will score 15 goals this season.

[ABBEY]

I would have Anelka in our side anyday,a class act, but NOT at the expense of Benni leaving!

2nded

[1864roverite]

nicko, with my leg bandaged up I needed a laugh and got it when I read the people this morning, JHC how I laughed.

It was me who said that if Burnley got up I would buy the Mirror for a year, things do look good for our inbred friends but I have despatched the wife to change our delivery of the sun for the next 12 months as I want the mirror to liven my life up right now !

Anelka in Benni out, classic comedy that ranks amongst the Morecambe and Wise Best at Christmas. But then again, it is panto season.

[Plastic Head]

Never mind forwards we have plenty...

We have NO right back and are desparately short in midfield.

Surely we will get a right full-back in teh transfer window.

[Exiled_Rover]

Never mind forwards we have plenty...

We have NO right back and are desparately short in midfield.

Surely we will get a right full-back in teh transfer window.

Rumour has it Hoyte's up for grabs. Hey, it worked with Bentley...

[Silencio]

He'd be my choice too...