[Archived] Nicko's Thread

[rovers_rob]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/displ....1901890.0..php

The guys at the LET must have read the mirror yesterday !

It says that we paid 3 million for Roberts but I thought it was more than that ?

John Williams: "I'm not aware of any interest and, in my opinion, we would want to keep him at the club." - I wonder what Hughes opinion is ?

If he is not in the starting eleven this weekend I think he will definitely go.

[RevidgeBlue]

Are Blackburn fans the most negative group in the Premier League or what?

Most definitely not, we are exactly the same as every other set of football supporters up and down the land.

I seem to remember most fans a few seasons back insisting all was well as we sailed merrily towards the iceberg under Souness.

No-one is suggesting we're at anything like that stage yet but we don't want to get to the situation where half the team needs replacing at the same time. Or lose the manager unnecessarily early.

Which is the reason for concerns about finance and the perspective Eddie is coming from I think.

[modes98]

Have you heard anything about the Coventry glitch Alan?

I have alot of money riding on this

Not as much as mr ranson though!!!

Cov Mad

With the Friday at 5pm dead-line getting increasingly closer, rumours abound that this is a deliberate ploy to let the club go into administration by SISU who will buy the club at a cheaper rate.

The deadline is tomorrow at 4pm from the Cov Tele but keeps changing in other articles. Either way it's looking better for our cash ricky.

[RevidgeBlue]

If that is true......... It's an odd phenomenon but what is it about black strikers that makes em such backsliding gits as soon as they don a blue and white shirt? From my experience our midfield and defence players like Samba, Brown and the Axe we have had no problems or complaints whatsoever regarding attitude (in fact quite the opposite) but after seeing the sulky, fragile temperaments of Dahlin, Blake, Cole, Yorke, McCarthy and now Roberts something tells me to steer clear in the future. Crikey even Franz Carr was such an arrogant knob that he couldn't wait to self-destruct. No manager should feel pressured and intimidated when he feels that he has to substitute / criticise or heaven forbid drop one of them but when the subs number card goes up I feel the ewood crowd metaphorically stiffen and draw breath. By threatening to leave both Roberts and McCarthy are simply attempting to blackmail Mark Hughes. Maybe it's time that all clubs in conjunction with the PFA combined to insert a clause into all players contracts requiring them to pay damages to a club when the full term of any contract is not completed at the instigation of the player or his agent.

Gordon, I'm not sure this is a characteristic you can necessarily attribute to our black strikers, although it is coincidental certainly. At the moment, Savage is also allegedly unhappy about being out of the side, as well as Roberts, both of those players with reasonable cause imo.

This season with us having decent competition in most positions, (probably for the first time ever) do you think that Hughes is finding out to his cost, (and probably surprise) that it is harder keeping a big squad happy at Ewood Park than Old Trafford?. Maybe players go to one of "the big 4" expecting to be part of a huge squad system whereas coming to Blackburn they expect to be an automatic fixture in the side?

[philipl]

The last quote directly attributable to Jason was that he is happy at Rovers and is not going to leave in January.

The rest is rumour.

Colour is irrelevant.

[nicko]

The last quote directly attributable to Jason was that he is happy at Rovers and is not going to leave in January.

The rest is rumour.

My oh my, you are going to look daft very shortly...

[RevidgeBlue]

The last quote directly attributable to Jason was that he is happy at Rovers and is not going to leave in January.

To be fair that was some time ago, and things may have moved on a lot since then.

[bluebruce]

Colour is irrelevant.

Precisely. There seem to be a lot of idiots conveniently ignoring that there are plenty of lazy, sulking white strikers around, and rather a few hard-working black strikers too. Judge players on a player-by-player basis, not their ethnicity.

Oh and Roberts is, with Savage, the hardest working player we have at the club. If he's not getting in the team then, like many many players (Savage included), he will probably want off if he has ambition.

[RevidgeBlue]

Judge players on a player-by-player basis, not their ethnicity.

The nodrog did, he praised the attitudes of several black players we've had who didn't happen to be strikers.

[gumboots]

Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse are up for sale i hear, anyone thinking the same as me that one of these would be an awesome signing,

I saw Baros play earlier this season at Lorient for Lyon and he was worse than David Nugent's been for Portsmouth. Need I say more.

[bluebruce]

The nodrog did, he praised the attitudes of several black players we've had who didn't happen to be strikers.

I know, but he appears to draw the conclusion that when the black people in question are strikers, you can start drawing blanket conclusions. You can't. And you're ignoring the points I made about there being plenty of lazy white strikers around (Remember Egil Ostenstad when he played for us?) and hard working black strikers (Roberts, as I say).

[philipl]

My oh my, you are going to look daft very shortly...

Factual statement which is true at the moment in terms of horses' mouths statements published in the press.

As you know nicko, sometimes rumours are true, sometimes they become true and sometimes they get printed in the Mirror.

PS reference the discussion above, colour is irrelevant.

In fact in the context of the discussion so is the position played on the football field.

[nicko]

Factual statement which is true at the moment in terms of horses' mouths statements to the press.

As you know nicko, sometimes rumours are true, sometimes they become true and sometimes they get printed in the Mirror.

There already has been - see it in the papers tomorrow - and then remember where you heard it first.

In the meantime, keep digging a nice big hole.

[nicko]

It seems from a few posts on here that not many seem to think Huddlestone is that good... from what I've seen of him (especially in the game against BIG CLUB), he picked out some brilliant passes. If we're ever going to need a (tall) Tugay-esque replacement, he would be it, and if he's interested in us then we really could do with getting him.

Anything new to report on the situation nicko?

The last I heard there was a cooling of interest in him. I think he would like to come to Rovers for first-team football, but whether Spurs would sell or the club would buy is not quite so likely.

I also believe that the big money will be pumped into a top striker rather than a midfielder. But there I go starting rumours again...

[Dunnfc]

I find it very funny and stupid at the same time as to how anyone would doubt you Nicko.

Philipl we all aprechiate most of your posts but there is no need to start doubting Nicko hes obviously got an upper hand on you with being a sports writer.

Neeks any more info about incoming trialists bar mentioned as we all know Hughes loves a trial!

[herbergeehh]

I would be suprised if we didn't move for Mendes, quality player (although not in the same bracket as Tugay in his youth). Shows how far Portsmouth have come - and how much they have spent - to let individuals like that go and that we would actually be quite interested in signing a couple of them.

Both Mendes and Taylor would make decent signings out of those names, if the price is right.

[thenodrog]

Judge players on a player-by-player basis, not their ethnicity.

I did. I was merely commenting truthfully on what I have seen over the past few years in the only colourS that should matter... blue and white halves.

[rebelmswar]

Seems this midfielder that was mentioned before in this thread is pretty handy with a ball. He is mentioned again here

http://www.sportingo.com/football/spurs_st...ouths/1001,6118

From the article that Nicko put up it seems that they are pretty enamored with him judging by the way they are describing his skills. “Surely the boy is kneaded of class” Supposedly has a “bullet” of a shot and can dribble the ball extremely well and has a very low center of gravity, giving him the ability to jink and turn quickly. They say he has some work to do on accuracy but is a “golden” prospect. He seems to have a Maradona fixation and wants to be him, even though he is French he looks up to him more than Zidane or Platini.

Seems he came from Paris FC and Red Star before joining them, in bringing him to the club they had to fight off Saint-Étienne and Montpellier.

[Paul]

edit

[Ste B]

The last quote directly attributable to Jason was that he is happy at Rovers and is not going to leave in January.

The rest is rumour.

The last quote directly attributable to Hughes was that he had a transfer request in from Jason and he expects the board to back him and refuse it. Same goes for Mokoena.

Oops..

[nicko]

Yes, another rumour confirmed...

Jason Roberts asked for a move last weekend when he was overlooked for the West Ham game. I can understand his view. It is also quite unusual in modern football to actually put it in writing, so it's good to see a bit of honesty.

The manager has also confirmed the story - although he does not want to lose him.

For those who like to check...it was in the Mirror on Wednesday and not The Sun.

[LeftWinger]

Yes, another rumour confirmed...

Jason Roberts asked for a move last weekend when he was overlooked for the West Ham game. I can understand his view. It is also quite unusual in modern football to actually put it in writing, so it's good to see a bit of honesty.

The manager has also confirmed the story - although he does not want to lose him.

For those who like to check...it was in the Mirror on Wednesday and not The Sun.

Wasn't it Roberts who submitted a written request at West Brom - and made a spelling mistake - his own name!

[Dunnfc]

As a fan i apprechiate his honesty but if we get 3+ mill for him im afraid id definatley sell as long as we had a replcement.

Apparently Mokoena was angry at being subbed at htime. hes also handed in a transfer request, what a joke he is hes never going to be playing for another side in the prem.

[herbergeehh]

Would someone pay over 3m for him though? Nicko, do you have any idea what the likes of Sunderland or Fulham would pay for him?

Obviously related to what Sparky and JW demands too..

I don't want to see Roberts leave, he's an impact player much like Kuqi was, and a far better all round player. From what I can understand we lack more than 3m to spend big anyway, so unless Hughes has another Roque Santa Cruz up his sleeve...?

Apologies, these Apple-products doesn't seem to have Pound Sterling built in, just $ and €..

[Ricky]

I have to say i'm a little dissapointed with the lad. He's been out for a while with an injury, was made to play for longer than expected against Fulham due to Benni's injury, had a run out against Newcastle and then expectecd to start against West Ham.

I can see the point that he played very well in the games he came on in but surely all Hughes was doing was taking his time to bring him back in. The last thing we wanted was him getting injured again over the busy christmas period. I cant help thinking he's been wanting out for a while and this is just an excuse.