[Archived] Nicko's Thread

[nicko]

I understand Amdy Faye was very impressive in training yesterday - although it was indoors. Might have given a couple heavy tackles that went down well.

The Bulgarian kid is a long way from happening yet.

And I have to say the Irish defender Flynn has to be one for the future.

[Cocker]

I understand Amdy Faye was very impressive in training yesterday - although it was indoors. Might have given a couple heavy tackles that went down well.

The Bulgarian kid is a long way from happening yet.

And I have to say the Irish defender Flynn has to be one for the future.

When I saw that you had posted I had hoped for some good news on the transfer front. Ho well, guess we will have to do with The Axe Mk II and some kid that no one knows anything about.

[rover6]

Dream on. We are nowhere near the Champions League. We are an increasingly small fish in the Premiership puddle. With the news from America that we are a bad investment and that no one is queing up to chuck money at us how do you think we can raise the funds necessary to make up for increasingly poor (in comparison) income?

btw I take it that you are not a big Ballymena supporter Gunner?

The long-term future of Rovers, even if a rich backer comes (and goes), is to be a trading club. I.e buy low sell high. The divisions in footy are growing and although we're on the right side of the Prem/rest division, we're on the wrong side of the Champs League/rest chasm.

It's a sad but real fact which most clubs lower down have accepted. However, you won't hear anyone official saying that that's our future because it's bad marketing.

[philipl]

A Scottish perspective.

[nicko]

Maybe this United States soccer league isn't such a daft thing after all...

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,1...3070513,00.html

It will be interesting to see if there are genuine football and commercial spin-offs from a 'lesser' English club hooking up with an American club - and a new market.

[Fife Rover]

I can't find anywhere that Levski Sofia have accepted our propose for Valeri Domovchiyski?

Nor can I. I think someone has been tugging our chain here!

[EwoodGlory]

Maybe this United States soccer league isn't such a daft thing after all...

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,1...3070513,00.html

It will be interesting to see if there are genuine football and commercial spin-offs from a 'lesser' English club hooking up with an American club - and a new market.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on, I mentioned in the 'Rovers Sold' thread, that the States is one of the markets we haven't looked into, the sponsorship and commercial deals over there are much bigger than here.

Nice exclusive on the back page today, however now everyone up here thinks they are going to be the new Real Madrid

Someone on Setanta said you are the 'Transfer guru of Fleet Street' this morning

[nicko]

Definitely worth keeping an eye on, I mentioned in the 'Rovers Sold' thread, that the States is one of the markets we haven't looked into, the sponsorship and commercial deals over there are much bigger than here.

Nice exclusive on the back page today, however now everyone up here thinks they are going to be the new Real Madrid

Someone on Setanta said you are the 'Transfer guru of Fleet Street' this morning

The more I see Ashley at work the more I think he is one shrewd guy. He might look like a character Harry Enfield dreamt up but he knows what sells. I am told he has been on to several middle men about this Beckham idea and - like the Keegan move - it makes sense for so many reasons. He sells shirts and he can still play. And don't tell me Beckham doesn't regret going to America and all that over-hyped nonsense.

Guru? I've said before...I'll sue.

[Clog Blue]

From that article

"Johnny is a good young player who we believe can go all the way," said Ballymena manager Tommy Wright. "We will do all we can to help any young player make it across the water."

I hope they mean he can make it all the way in football & not all the way across the water. Does anyone know if he's arrived yet

[Cocker]

And don't tell me Beckham doesn't regret going to America and all that over-hyped nonsense.

David Yes - Victoria - No and she is the one that wears he pants in that house. Shame because he is wasting the last few years he has left

[nicko]

David Yes - Victoria - No and she is the one that wears he pants in that house. Shame because he is wasting the last few years he has left

That's basically what this will come down to.

[OscarRaven]

.....and the fact he has stated many times he could never play for anyone but Man Utd in the Premier League.

No chance too much humble pie to eat.

[EwoodGlory]

Nicko I spotted this at the bottom of the Setanta article about the Irish lad signing.

Meanwhile, Rovers’ German youth international Mamadi Keita has joined Hamburg’s second team on trial for three days.

Do you know if this could be a loan or permanent deal?

From what i've read he is one of the biggest hopes in the academy, and has been touted as being one that could move up to the first team at some point.

[nicko]

Nicko I spotted this at the bottom of the Setanta article about the Irish lad signing.

Do you know if this could be a loan or permanent deal?

From what i've read he is one of the biggest hopes in the academy, and has been touted as being one that could move up to the first team at some point.

I understand that it is going to be a full-time move. It's a bit ironic that Pezzoni should have gone back to Cologne and now Keita to Hamburg, two top German youth internationals, and yet they barely get a game in Rovers ressies...

Something wrong there.

[joey_big_nose]

I thought Keita was seriously rated. WHats going on?

[waggy]

the academy seriously needs sorting out,wally downes has been there far to long,things have gone stale sort it out

[EwoodGlory]

I would of thought that more of them would of had a chance in the reserves, especially in midfield. The only one who ever appears in the first team seems to be Peter.

[Hughesy]

Was at JJB soccerdome last night in Blackburn and Man United are running a soccer schools tourament to scout talent in a few weeks time!! Surely that should be our job in our town!!

[disgruntled]

I thought Keita was seriously rated. WHats going on?

By who? The lad hasn't even featured for the Reserves, he can't be that great. There's no point all these young lads hanging around if they aren't going to make it. Better to move them on and look for others to try to improve instead.

[LeftWinger]

Was at JJB soccerdome last night in Blackburn and Man United are running a soccer schools tourament to scout talent in a few weeks time!! Surely that should be our job in our town!!

That's far too forward thinking for Rovers.

[philipl]

That's far too forward thinking for Rovers.

Rovers do it on a regular basis across Lancashire from what I understand.

That said, Rovers were incredibly proud when they were signing the likes of Pezzoni and Keita and bringing them to the Academy from under the noses of Germany's top clubs. They are not all going to make the grade but it looks like we've got ourselves a serious head case (Peter) and letting these other two slip away.

It also looks like we have a serious discipline problem at the younger level- Kane got himself sent-off when the Reserves lost to Bolton recently. Seems that as soon as a player gets close to the first team, he gets sent off.

[bob fleming]

the academy seriously needs sorting out,wally downes has been there far to long,things have gone stale sort it out

Alright Wags?

It's Bobby Downes - but then again I take your point.

[RevidgeBlue]

The long-term future of Rovers, even if a rich backer comes (and goes), is to be a trading club. I.e buy low sell high.

If we adopted that as a wholesale policy then I doubt we'd last more than eighteen months in the top flight, and would soon find ourselves where Crewe are (half way down Div one) in relatively rapid order.

You will quite often hear Hughes and John Williams say we aren't a selling club and post Jack this hasn't been the case by and large. You will always get the occasional player (Shearer) wanting to move you can do nothing about and occasionally you might receive a silly offer which is just too good to turn down. I presume Souness and the club thought the offer for Duff fell into the latter category.

Arsenal have sold the likes of Henry, Pires and Viera in recent years but I wouldn't class them as a selling club per se.

The only way to really thrive as Den said on the Bentley thread is as a general rule to keep hold of your best players and add gradually around them. That's why it's essential the Trustees open the purse strings a little, or we get new ownership. There must be plenty of good players out there desperate to play in the Premiership but oddly in the light of the new TV money there doesn't even seem to be enough money for rabbits out of hats this transfer window.

[krislu]

Buying low and selling high sounds like a great idea, and it's very easy to set up too

The reason Arsenal does this very well is because they have a bloody large scouting network/academy which must cost a whole lot of money to run. They also pay good moeny for these young kids. I'm sure its often £2-3m a player and when you add up they do spend a lot of money.

Trying to implement such a strategi would just see us getting "the next best" young players where there are a high chance they wont be a success...

It's a nice thought though...

[rover6]

I understand that it is going to be a full-time move. It's a bit ironic that Pezzoni should have gone back to Cologne and now Keita to Hamburg, two top German youth internationals, and yet they barely get a game in Rovers ressies...

Something wrong there.

Something VERY wrong.

Kevin Pezzoni had broken into the German U21 squad - but was playing for our U18s (possibly a disciplinary measure for taking a few extra days unauthorised holiday but it was, imo an excessive punishment). Juhvel Tsomou (another German), star striker of the U18s, wanted to train with the reserves and get some more time playing for the reserves but wasn't allowed - he departed and now, still at teenager, he is involved in the Eintracht Frankfurt FIRST TEAM squad in the Bundesliga.

Pezzoni, too, is apparently involved in FC Koln's first team squad.

Mamadi Keita's situation is the worst of the lot - it seems to me. He was the best midfielder, arguably player, in the U18s and, despite being from abroad, captain. Apparently, after taking them for a while, he refused to play with painkillers. He was subsequently stripped of his captaincy and dropped. Further, whilst inferior U18s were and are training with the reserves and getting games, Keita had not played for the reserves or sat on their bench once - and still has not.

But it's worse. Apparently, he was fined for getting a lift into training rather than walking. Okay - rules are rules - but Glynn Hodges was the man who offered the lift, and other players have got lifts and only received final warnings. Firstly, is the youth management so out of sync that Hodges doesn't know the rules (albeit petty) of the academy - and what does that say about the synergy between reserve and academy level? Secondly, the academy scene seems to operate an unfair system of favouritism.

All this has culminated in Keita deciding that he wants out; he handed in a transfer request recently.

Now all this might sound like me relaying gripes from a guy not good enough and can't accept it. Well, ROvers let Keita have a week's trial at Hamburg, one of Germany's biggest clubs I think, and their Manager is interested in signing Keita permanently now. He'll probably be off soon.

Where have I heard this from? Someone very close to the Rovers academy scene and someone who has no reason to lie about this stuff. Sure, it is only one side of the story. The club have their side and because I don't know it, I can't reach any concrete judgments. However, it does not look good - does it. Someone is working hard to recruit these talented players from abroad and they are not being treated right by the academy and we are letting talent slip through our hands.

Keith Barker was a reserve regular for years. These German lads couldn't, in some cases, even train with the reserves.