[Archived] Nickos Thread

[Hannah]

They are building a new college in Burnley and for years Kilby has been trying to sell the ground to the college for them to build it there so he can move the club out of town and build his shopping centre thing!

[krislu]

But I am still not sure he and Roque are a great partnership.

You are right and I've been saying so for some time. McCarthy and Roque make a poor partnership as they are way to similar. Thats the problem with our team in general. We have some good players but they don't seem to fit well with each other. It all comes down to the lack of a real strategi and gameplan in my opinion.

I rather we went out and bought players who would fit some sort of system that we where trying to implement, than just buying whatever decent player who happens to become available..

[John]

Since the start of the year, Hughes has kept referring to the 'lack of resources' at BRFC. It seems to be a constant theme in his pre-match press conferences these days.

Once again he said on Friday ahead of the Bolton match:

Ideally we'd like to battling on all fronts but that's a big ask for a club of our resources.

It appears, to me, that he is becoming increasingly frustrated with our financial situation. Whilst he has found this challenging in the past, the challenging aspect is clearly beginning to wear off.

Sadly, it also suggests that he won't be our manager for that much longer. I hope I am wrong.....

[den]

You are right and I've been saying so for some time. McCarthy and Roque make a poor partnership as they are way to similar.

Too similar - in which ways?

[philipl]

I'd say Benni and Roque are different but not complimentary. Both are natural leaders of the line and need different sort of players to play off.

I could imagine Roque striking a great partnership with a Dickov or Speedie type of player whilst Benni probably needs something a bit more mercurial like an Anelka to play alongside.

The club's strategy has been to find Premiership quality waifs and strays and see how good a team we could make from them. Given that this season we are the only EPL club to put a frontline of Champs League medal winners out it shows we have found some pretty impressive strays but unfortunately they haven't really gelled.

I think a lot of that has been down to what both have had to put up by way of balls through to them. Perhaps they are so used to dross that neither of them was in the area to capitalise on the best piece of class all afternoon- Bentley's sensational first time volleyed cross in the second half played at perfect height over the six yard line.

[nicko]

Too similar - in which ways?

Neither Roque nor Benni have genuine pace.

Both are good finishers and have clever feet, but they can't run away from anyone.

Santa Cruz and a speedy partner would be ideal If that means selling Benni to buy one, then so be it.

However it seems the new contract is being discussed, which strikes me as odd.

[Ozz]

However it seems the new contract[For Benni] is being discussed, which strikes me as odd.

On the performance of BM today I would buy another season ticket next season. ~He took the ###### out of some big tough Bolton players, and put a smile on my face every time he got the ball. The man is a genius. IMO.

[herbergeehh]

Particularly enjoyed seeing him being closed down by both Fat Michael Jackson and Steinsson, nudging the ball past the both of them, before the cheating Spaniard held him and kicked him down. Also, winding up that despicable Diouf before scoring the 2nd penalty was brilliant. (On a side note, the highlights online included a shockingly generalizing comment from one of the experts, after the other had put it quite well; "he never really impresses you as a human being, does he?"). Anyway, the other comment was something about behaving like a North African.. Strange.

Back to topic, I rate McCarthy highly, and as said dozens of time, we would probably need 4-5 million pounds at least, to replace him. We have four strikers with different qualities at the moment, which is good, and I am just waiting for Benni to score from open play again.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Neither Roque nor Benni have genuine pace.

Both are good finishers and have clever feet, but they can't run away from anyone.

Santa Cruz and a speedy partner would be ideal If that means selling Benni to buy one, then so be it.

However it seems the new contract is being discussed, which strikes me as odd.

Whoever would replace McCarthy would have to be able to do what McCarthy does...but with pace included.

I don't see how Rovers could attract someone like that with minimal funds. Tell me a player who would come to Rovers for next to nothing and would have the experience and be a proven goalscorer to replace someone of McCarthys ability and better the team without needing to gamble whether they would be able to fit into the Premiership?

If he wasn't offered a new contract then that would strike me as odd

[USABlue]

The fans.

I think this was a season when a top-six place was there for the taking. There are some pretty ordinary teams competing for those positions and Rovers were as good as if not better than most of them until they took a dip.

Signing a player or two in January would have made a difference.

They hardly have to explain anything to the Trustees, seem like they have kept their hands in their pockets of late and might want to keep their heads down too.

I'd have to agree with that, and I am still miffed we did not push the boat out.

Oh and Nicko I find Cruz to have a vey deceptive turn of pace, he's quicker than you think. Also since the gap thing keeps getting dragged up and you keep defending it, it is 3 points wider than it was Friday. Poor Plymouth must have been tired too, having played mid week.

[ally]

any truth in this nicko?

Blackburn are ready to snap up midfield prospect Michael Potts from Manchester United. (The Mirror)

[nicko]

any truth in this nicko?

Blackburn are ready to snap up midfield prospect Michael Potts from Manchester United. (The Mirror)

Believe so...it's mine, with the help of a good contact or two.

The kid played well for the Rovers academy side against Crewe and is looking for a new home. Potts has been at Man U for a time but the way through the ranks looks blocked for him. He is pretty young, so it's not a face for the immediate future. There seems to be a fair amount of coming and going at that level just now, so hopefully the lad is decent and gets taken on.

[nicko]

Whoever would replace McCarthy would have to be able to do what McCarthy does...but with pace included.

I don't see how Rovers could attract someone like that with minimal funds. Tell me a player who would come to Rovers for next to nothing and would have the experience and be a proven goalscorer to replace someone of McCarthys ability and better the team without needing to gamble whether they would be able to fit into the Premiership?

If he wasn't offered a new contract then that would strike me as odd

If McCarthy was sold in the next window he would still probably bring in about £5 million. With that money - and a bit extra - you could find a striker with pace. If not, why not?

The point I'm making is that McCarthy and Roque are not an ideal pair. A quick player - like a fit Bellamy - would be a better double act.

Benni isn't going to get quicker and Roque isn't leaving, so why give Benni a longer deal?

It's not that he's a bad player, he just doesn't fit snugly with Roque for my money. He has skill, but even last season he was not the quickest and was often caught offside. He scored a lot of goals because the service was often brilliant - and better than it has been this season. But his role has also changed in his defence.

The only good reason for this new deal would be that he has a fixed price clause in his contract this summer...and the club want it removed.

[nicko]

Just to back up the 'Newcastle can't last 90 minutes' argument, here is an amazing run of scores to prove it...I don't like stats much but these do tell a story.

Newcastle fade-out

Man U - lost three in second half, two in last ten.

Villa - lost four in second half, one in last ten.

Boro - lost one in second half, one in last ten.

Arsenal - lost two in second half, one in last ten.

Arsenal - lost three in second half, two in last ten.

Bolton - no goals against.

Newcastle - lost six goals in second half, three in last ten

[only2garners]

Newcastle - lost six goals in second half, three in last ten

Jesus - I didn't realise they were that bad, conceding 6 goals against themselves!

[nicko]

Jesus - I didn't realise they were that bad, conceding 6 goals against themselves!

I wouldn't put it past them, but that was meant to read Man U [h].

[s8br]

Nicko, did you write the article about scott sinclair to charlton in the mirror?

Also do you have any idea where craig beattie will be ending up?

[nicko]

Nicko, did you write the article about scott sinclair to charlton in the mirror?

Also do you have any idea where craig beattie will be ending up?

Yup to Sinclair...it is close, should be a decision today. Charlton are deffo favourites, Stoke and Burnley desperate for him too.

No idea on Beattie. He's been offered around in the past week.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Nicko, who is our chief scout these days and what is his track record?

[nicko]

Nicko, who is our chief scout these days and what is his track record?

Mike Rigg. This is a reasonable background piece on the chap.

http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2006/3/18/889350.html

[Ewood and I Would]

I wouldn't put it past them, but that was meant to read Man U [h].

No but Benni, Roque, Bentley and Gamst will (hopefully)

[bluebruce]

Why do we discuss Dingles so much? Well the truth is - 1. Emotion. We hate them. Goes all the way back to Bob Lord and him telling the press our relegation in 1970 would 'do them good'. And probably before.

Wayyyy before, I gather.

[bluebruce]

The club's strategy has been to find Premiership quality waifs and strays and see how good a team we could make from them. Given that this season we are the only EPL club to put a frontline of Champs League medal winners out it shows we have found some pretty impressive strays but unfortunately they haven't really gelled.

I don't think that our slightly disappointing placing is the fault of the forwards (although McCarthy has just been poor in large patches), but rather down to our relatively average/poor midfield excluding Bentley.

I think a lot of that has been down to what both have had to put up by way of balls through to them. Perhaps they are so used to dross that neither of them was in the area to capitalise on the best piece of class all afternoon- Bentley's sensational first time volleyed cross in the second half played at perfect height over the six yard line.

As I say, with most of the midfield I'd agree, but I hardly think Bentley's delivery can be considered dross. That's precisely where most of Cruz's goals have been coming from, so I doubt he feels it isn't worth getting into position when he sees Bentley on the ball.

[b12_simon]

Wayyyy before, I gather.

There's a very good book about the 2 clubs' rivalry

[Oklahoma]

Nicko, I agree that RSC and Benni are similar players and that they are not an ideal pair.

But a lot of their problems come from the fact that our midfield is not at their best.

Savage left, Reid still needs to play a lot to get back to his good form, Mokoena is a limited player, Dunn is good but not better than average, Tugay can't secure a regular place, Pedersen has been out of form all season.

If we had a midfield working well like we had 2 seasons ago, all the attack would work much better.