[Archived] Nicko's Thread

[Fife Rover]

Personally I think its a better option than spending money on Nonda.

Using that line of thinking you might as well say we'd be better keeping Jeffers.

[RevidgeBlue]

He's in our usual bargain basement category - that's probably why we're interested.

I think we've seen the best of Beattie already, the prospect of bringing him back doesn't set my pulses racing at all.

Edit: A quick glance at Soccerbase indicates Beattie managed only 2 goals from 35 appearances last season and will be 30 in February. The age surprised me as I thought of him as being a couple of years younger.

I agree with Fife that if we're looking to bring someone in simply on the basis they're cheap, Nonda would have been at least as good an option for 1m less. Also agree with unleaded that I'd far rather have Mido, who I doubt has become a poor player overnight.

[unleaded]

Nicko Rovers had a French Player playing for them yesterday...............any ideas who it is?...There are unconfirmed reports that he has already signed for Blackburn but some reports say he is here on a trial.............He is of African background and he played in center midfield yesterday and looked the business...................

Ps I only wish you had the story the other way around today in The People Mido Coming to Rovers and Bettie going to Boro!!

I would rather have Mido especially at the price quoted in the paper.

[RevidgeBlue]

P.S. Nicko, was there any update on the takeover talks as you mentioned last week?

[Cocker]

This isnt the sunday exciting news I was expecting. If he isnt good enough for Everton then he isnt good enough for us. I dont think he will even get one game for them.

[frosty]

Undecided on the Beattie link, we could probably do better for less money.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Beattie eh?......this close season has been as exciting as watching English cricket

Again I can only reiterate my opinion that if Hughes is not being backed with enough serious financial clout after the sterling work he has done at the club its a ruddy disgrace and will only hasten his departure from Ewood in the long run.

Here's a sobering thought for you all......we were all celebrating with joy the announcement of the cheap tickets this coming season but have the club had to make cut backs in other areas (transfer money) to enable this?.......add the fact that the responce to the clubs price initiative has not been exactly overwhelming to date has it?

[thenodrog]

Here's a sobering thought for you all......we were all celebrating with joy the announcement of the cheap tickets this coming season but have the club had to make cut backs in other areas (transfer money) to enable this?.......add the fact that the responce to the clubs price initiative has not been exactly overwhelming to date has it?

Sobering but definitely not suprising is it? In this life we all must know that you have to pay for your pleasures. Flogging a dead horse springs to mind. Even with the price reductions this was always going to be the case with the spoilt narrow backs living in Blackburn?

[RevidgeBlue]

Here's a sobering thought for you all......we were all celebrating with joy the announcement of the cheap tickets this coming season but have the club had to make cut backs in other areas (transfer money) to enable this?.......add the fact that the responce to the clubs price initiative has not been exactly overwhelming to date has it?

It's a fair question to pose SG, but the extra TV money amounts to c 10m p.a. whereas the cheaper tickets are reputedly costing us 1m p.a.

I did think people were being overly optimistic earlier in the summer with estimates of 15m to be spent being freely bandied about but I really did think we would be able to bring in one exciting signing in the 7-8m bracket given of course transfer fees aren't payable up front.

[Alan75]

Using that line of thinking you might as well say we'd be better keeping Jeffers.

Jeffers isnt a target man.

Hughes has tended to like a big target man, eg Hartson for Wales.

RevidgeBlue Posted Today, 09:23

Nonda would have been at least as good an option for 1m less.

Roma were asking in the region of £2 million

Based on that article when Hughes seemed to be keen on Nonda, something must have gone adrift for Rovers to pull out of the deal. ie higher than expected transfer fee, player demands.

[des]

I think that this could be a good buy, we need some one up front who can hold the ball up and link up the midfield with the forwards, and while he is not a great scorer of goals he can hold the ball up well

[USABlue]

Now I wonder why that does not fill me with joy?

Err, because he's been crap? I guess it's a sign of the times that we now consider 2.5 Mil bargain basement shopping. Beattie, though he does not excite me, has good potential (there is that word again) The lad has looked to me like he has just stopped enjoying his football. I would trust Sparky to bring the joy back in his game. If he can do this then we could be on a winner.

I had always considered Beattie to be one of those players who plays extremely well for one team and that is it, but if anyone can help him regain his self belief it's Sparky and his team. Could be a sleeper, a real bargain basement find. We did alright at that price last season.

[bob fleming]

We haven't got an aerial threat up front - it's as simple as that. The best headerererer of a ball is MGP. Beattie offers something different, i.e. he's a carthorse.

I jest - as the man from the Sunday People said he's likely to see more crosses at BRFC than EFC. I have to also agree that it's not an overly exciting signing (however if he gets back to his best you never know). If Hughesy wants him then that'll do for me, he's not made a bad signing yet.

I wonder where all this additional Sky money has gone? £1m to subsidise the cheaper tickets - and the rest? Where? Can I just ask, how much additional money was it this season? I've heard £30m but surely that's not additional to what we were already getting, was it?

[joey_big_nose]

I think that this could be a good buy, we need some one up front who can hold the ball up and link up the midfield with the forwards, and while he is not a great scorer of goals he can hold the ball up well

I have to say I would prefer Mido,but perhaps Sparky feels that his lackofdesire to come to us makes him too much of a gamble.

Could us going for Beattie meanwe are expecting Roberts to leave?

I still think we must have around 6m to spend.

[USABlue]

I agree with Fife that if we're looking to bring someone in simply on the basis they're cheap, Nonda would have been at least as good an option for 1m less. Also agree with unleaded that I'd far rather have Mido, who I doubt has become a poor player overnight.

Mmm 2.5 - 2 now = 1. Mido, thanks but no thanks, no he has not become a bad player overnight, I never rated him to begin with, had a bit of a purple patch in my opinion. Jeffers bacame a poor player overnight, seemingly so did Beattie so why not Mido. The only people that have a higher opinion of Mido than Mido himself are some of the people on here.

I suppose I'll knock it off with th Mido stuff now, if we do sign him I'm going to have a hard time taking to him.

[USABlue]

Could us going for Beattie meanwe are expecting Roberts to leave?

Was thinking exactly the same thing, I think their game is somewhat similar

[Saf]

so is james beattie our top target ahead of santa cruz and camara. god knows what his fitness is going to be like having been sat of the bench most the season. and i aslo read he wasnt involved in their pre season freindly vs northen ireland..

[philipl]

There are four names in the hat then at the moment; all at roughly the same price. In reverse order of preference:

4. Camara- deeply unimpressive

3. Mido- took the michael out of Rovers all last summer, did nothing for Spuds whom he wanted to join, no thanks.

2. Beattie- old boy, brilliant in flashes but flashes are old and decidedly intermittent

1. Santa Cruz- playboy, brilliant in flashes but flashes are old and decidedly intermittent (except the recent hattrick against Colombia where the opposition played with no defenders)

Santa Cruz has a nightmare father/agent by all accounts and is just starting his summer hols so getting him into Ewood and playing trim/ sparky magicked is months away.

Fall back is Beats.

Beattie pen upsets Neil Warnock

Going through the middle of the Arsenal defense and scoring

That fabulous goal he scored at Stamford Bridge doesn't seem to be saved anywhere. I think it was the first goal Chelsea conceded under Mourinho.

Just as a matter of interest, are there any better strikers currently costing say £6m than that list above? If we want a "top" striker, we are into the £10m+ bracket in the current market and destroying the club's wage structure.

[Fife Rover]

Err, because he's been crap? I guess it's a sign of the times that we now consider 2.5 Mil bargain basement shopping. Beattie, though he does not excite me, has good potential (there is that word again) The lad has looked to me like he has just stopped enjoying his football. I would trust Sparky to bring the joy back in his game. If he can do this then we could be on a winner.

I had always considered Beattie to be one of those players who plays extremely well for one team and that is it, but if anyone can help him regain his self belief it's Sparky and his team. Could be a sleeper, a real bargain basement find. We did alright at that price last season.

Ok I will agree with you there USABlue. It could just be that Beattie has lost his enthusiasm for the game and Sparky and Co could be just the one's to re-ignite it. After all he must have the ability in there somewhere -- look how he played for Southampton. Maybe it is just a case of getting him fired up again. It is a gamble, but if MH thinks it one worth taking.....?

[JAL]

Were interested in James 'the worst Everton centre forward in living memory'Beattie !

I hope your wrong with that story Nicko, every story you print recently you seem to come on here justifying your story, for Rovers to sign Beattie would be a massive backward step that would see Rovers flirting with relegation again again until the inevitable happenend.

Quality is what we Rovers were told that Mark Hughes would be investing in this pre season, not many bodies but quality, Beattie comes nowhere near that standard, local lad or not hes a donkey with a poor touch the only positive is his heading but then its been such along long time since he was seen excercising his body on a football pitch, at £2.5m your having a laugh, free transfer bracket is where Beattie should be.

[philipl]

Were interested in James 'the worst Everton centre forward in living memory'Beattie !

I hope your wrong with that story Nicko, every story you print recently you seem to come on here justifying your story, for Rovers to sign Beattie would be a massive backward step that would see Rovers flirting with relegation again again untul the inevitable happenend.

Quality is what we Rovers were told that Mark Hughes would be investing in this pre season, not many bodies but quality, Beattie comes nowhere near that standard, local lad or not hes a donkey with a poor touch the only positive is his heading but then its been such along long time since he was seen excercising his body on a football pitch, at £2.5m your having a laugh, free transfer bracket is where Beattie should be.

Pleased to see this. You have reassured me that Beattie is the man to buy.

Why do you have such an irrational downer on Rovers old boys?

[herbergeehh]

Flirting with relegation for signing a striker?? Get a grip!

[Roar of the Rover]

We could lure better players than Beattie to our club. Dissapointing.

[JAL]

Pleased to see this. You have reassured me that Beattie is the man to buy.

Why do you have such an irrational downer on Rovers old boys?

If it was Damien Duff coming back i'd be over the moon jumping for joy feeling totally elated about him coming back, on the other side of the coin Beattie and Dunny just arent good enough to beat the standard that they have to beat in this league, both of these left Rovers for good reasons that they werent good enough, and nothing has changed except Rovers might just be getting desperate as the cash is probably sparse.

Its not the way forward for me, but if i want to heap praise on a local lad then ..Matty Derbyshire is the one, what a star, far far better than Dunny or Beattie and hes saved Rovers millions in the transfer market.

[Ozz]

We could lure better players than Beattie to our club. Dissapointing.

Not at the moment we can't, obviously.