[Archived] Nickos Thread

[RibbleValleyRover]

I see David Villa is being linked to Spurs again, surely he won't be going to them as there must be interest from bigger and better clubs?

It would make my day if Spurs spend another £60 or so million and they struggle again next season. Hoping for a Leeds style financial implosion but that would be too good to be true.

[Lathund]

City were awful before he took over. No matter how much money you have it's hard to turn a team from crap into world-beaters in just one season. Especially when signing players who have never played in the EPL. The players who faded away as the season progressed (Elano for one) would probably fare better once they know the demands of a full EPL season, and have a proper pre-season to prepare for it.

As for the signings, some were good (Elano, Petrov and Corluka), Gelson has shown promise, while Bojinov has been injured. Yeah, they had to pay a lot for them, but that's what happens when everyone else knows you have money and are desperate to sign players. As for Bianchi... well, didn't turn out well. Although I find it strange, because he'd seem like the type of player who'd transition well to the EPL. Then again, Grabbi did too I guess.

[nicko]

I see David Villa is being linked to Spurs again, surely he won't be going to them as there must be interest from bigger and better clubs?

It would make my day if Spurs spend another £60 or so million and they struggle again next season. Hoping for a Leeds style financial implosion but that would be too good to be true.

If they are trying for Villa then Berbatov is leaving...and I can see that second part happening.

[nicko]

Correction on the Bulgarian kid...

Popov is playing in the Bulgarian Cup final in a fortnight and may be coming at the end of May for talks, not the end of April.

Intriguingly there has been an even younger Bulgarian over this week on trial...but won't be signing.

Popov could be heading over later if all goes well. I would imagine Rovers will watch him in the final for Liteks.

[LeftWinger]

Nicko out of interest - how many trialists do you reckon we've had under Hughes - just a rough guess?

[joey_big_nose]

I see David Villa is being linked to Spurs again, surely he won't be going to them as there must be interest from bigger and better clubs?

It would make my day if Spurs spend another £60 or so million and they struggle again next season. Hoping for a Leeds style financial implosion but that would be too good to be true.

I wouldn't be suprised if Villa goes to Spurs if they want him. They have got the money, Villa will know of Ramos' exploits as a manager, he will look at their side and see, at least on paper, it is very good. For a player Spurs is probably the most attractive club to go to outside of the top four.

This would be so typically Spurs. Going and buying a player when they already have 3 very good strikers, upsetting the balance of the team.

In many ways the Spurs lunacy has been good for other clubs because they discard excellent players without ever really getting that much out of them. Their wasted talent is quite epic.

From our point of view I am hoping they fill their boots with another six or seven signings this close season. We could seriously benefit with players of enormous talent who require a bit of nurturing to flourish becoming available. Huddlestone, Lennon, Zokora, Boatang, Malbranque, Lee, Chimbonda, and - if they sign Villa and upset the applecart - Bent or Keane would all be welcome at Ewood in my opinion. Sad fact is they already have a very good squad. They don't need more players exept maybe a left winger. They need to get more out of what they have. But let them hand over what they do have on the cheap to smaller clubs like us.

I am quietly confident Huddlestone in particular could be trotting out in blue and white next season. It would do his career the world of good, and it would be nice to have another genuine crowd pleaser at Blackburn. He will know that Hughes is avid admirer and that he would start everygame in central midfield at Rovers. After being ###### about for years at Spurs he might have a look at David Bentley and think a return North is well in order.

[RibbleValleyRover]

. They don't need more players exept maybe a left winger. They need to get more out of what they have. But let them hand over what they do have on the cheap to smaller clubs like us.

They need a new goalkeeper, defense and midfield in my opinion. Without the injury prone King or Woodgate they have no good centre backs at all. Their midfield is complete rubbish as well and really lacks depth.

I am quietly confident Huddlestone in particular could be trotting out in blue and white next season. It would do his career the world of good, and it would be nice to have another genuine crowd pleaser at Blackburn. He will know that Hughes is avid admirer and that he would start everygame in central midfield at Rovers. After being ###### about for years at Spurs he might have a look at David Bentley and think a return North is well in order.

I wouldn't mind Huddlestone, though i have serious reservations about his lack of mobility due to his weight.

[nicko]

Nicko out of interest - how many trialists do you reckon we've had under Hughes - just a rough guess?

Plenty. Probably about ten a season. No harm in that arrangement, it has paid off well in the past.

If a player is willing to come over it also tells you he has something about him to take that chance.

On that note - heard of a right back, about to be freed by a Premier League club, who drove 500 miles twice in the past few days to try and get a new club and turning out for a League Two reserve side.

It's not all glamour...

[joey_big_nose]

They need a new goalkeeper, defense and midfield in my opinion. Without the injury prone King or Woodgate they have no good centre backs at all. Their midfield is complete rubbish as well and really lacks depth.

Not in my opinion. They have outstanding full backs, quite capable centrebacks in Dawson, Woodgate, King and Kaboul whilst Zokora, Malbranque, Lennon, Huddlestone and Tanio are all very good midfielders, certainly on a par to what we, Man City or Everton have available. Up front they have a set of strikers better than any other club outside the top four.

Its not an issue of who they have it is an issue of building a team. For some reason Newcastle and Spurs feel this unstoppable urge to change everything every year. It now looks like Man City will join that cartel and maybe West Ham. All the better for us in my opinion. It is insane. You cannot develop a side unless the players know where they stand. At these clubs they don't. They are used as mercenaries so it should be unsuprising that they play like them.

Absolutely no team spirit and a lack of organisation stems from the fact they have so little playing time together and the amount of pressure heaped on them to perform or get booted out. It's daft. You can see the comments from Kaboul in the press. It is stupid.

At a club like Rovers you can perform poorly for a month or so, but we will persevere. This is what happend with David Bentley, Roberts, Reid. This drew results, and even if the performances are not great it builds stability. At Spurs if you perform poorly you are out of the side and replaced by someone who plays just as badly or even worse so you go back in. This disrupts the organisation of the side so an enoromous amount of silly goals are conceded as the team loses its shape. It is an awful repetitive cycle.

I would hope if we did get an investor who came in and gave Hughes £50m we would not go out and buy six or seven first players. Instead we would retain what we have and buy two or three of the utmost quality to completment them. That is the most effective method. Not souring the squad and hoping to get 11 strangers to know each other over the course of a week before the season starts.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Not in my opinion. They have outstanding full backs, quite capable centrebacks in Dawson, Woodgate, King and Kaboul whilst Zokora, Malbranque, Lennon, Huddlestone and Tanio are all very good midfielders, certainly on a par to what we, Man City or Everton have available. Up front they have a set of strikers better than any other club outside the top four.

I completley disagree, but hey opinions are opinions.

Going back on topic as it were, this Bulgarian lad sounds like he could be promising and worth a gamble.

[JAL]

Correction on the Bulgarian kid...

Popov is playing in the Bulgarian Cup final in a fortnight and may be coming at the end of May for talks, not the end of April.

Intriguingly there has been an even younger Bulgarian over this week on trial...but won't be signing.

Popov could be heading over later if all goes well. I would imagine Rovers will watch him in the final for Liteks.

Is mr. Simon Conning their agent nicko?

[nicko]

Is mr. Simon Conning their agent nicko?

I think he is involved.

[ABBEY]

is that a proper name or what for the agent..conning,its perfect haha

[toonfan]

Plenty. Probably about ten a season. No harm in that arrangement, it has paid off well in the past.

If a player is willing to come over it also tells you he has something about him to take that chance.

On that note - heard of a right back, about to be freed by a Premier League club, who drove 500 miles twice in the past few days to try and get a new club and turning out for a League Two reserve side.

It's not all glamour...

please tell me it's steven carr......

[Pinch]

From our point of view I am hoping they fill their boots with another six or seven signings this close season. We could seriously benefit with players of enormous talent who require a bit of nurturing to flourish becoming available. Huddlestone, Lennon, Zokora, Boatang, Malbranque, Lee, Chimbonda, and - if they sign Villa and upset the applecart - Bent or Keane would all be welcome at Ewood in my opinion.

He may be on his way out of WHL but I would puke if Chimbonda trotted out at left back for Rovers in his gloves and tights and hat and scarf...brutal. I guess there is no sense in worrying about that though...he thinks he is top rate...too big for Rovers. Yet at the same time we already have a left back who is better than him.

[tony gale's mic]

In my view the second half of the season exposed Sven as the extremely average manager he is, they didn't even look the part early on when they were somehow winning. What could Mark Hughes do with 50m?

I suppose next season will be the acid test after a full close season. Although if he survives and is given another 50m to spend I'd expect them to be knocking about top six tbh.

Clearly his past record shows he's not an extremely average manager. They didn't look the part against us but they turned out quite a few very good performances in the first half of the season. Remember there were plenty of sides who spent quite a lot of money last summer and he pretty much had to replace most of the team.

[BiggusLaddus]

He may be on his way out of WHL but I would puke if Chimbonda trotted out at left back for Rovers in his gloves and tights and hat and scarf...brutal. I guess there is no sense in worrying about that though...he thinks he is top rate...too big for Rovers. Yet at the same time we already have a left back who is better than him.

Chimbonda is a right back (which we don't have).

[bluebruce]

I can understand the sympathy for Sven and it does seem a bit too quick, but just one thought.

When Jack Walker wanted to win the title he got ruthless and appointed Kenny Dalglish. He had given Don Mackay just a few weeks. It took everybody's breath away, but it worked and nobody criticised him for it when it did..

I've no sympathy for Sven...I think Shinawatra is a moron for wanting to sack him, but Sven is reaping what he sews in terms of loyalty.

Anyway the Walker thing is a bit different? I wasn't old enough to be following football then really, but wasn't Don there before Walker came? That's just a case of wanting a man you chose...the thing is, Thaksin DID choose Sven, and set him a target for the first year, which he met, and is now sacking him. It's different.

Oh and Spurs looking at Villa? Are they running a competition to assemble as many amazing strikers as they can whilst completely neglecting the rest of their fairly average team (compared to the big four at least)?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Chimbonda is a right back (which we don't have).

Is Emerton doing that bad a job???

Personally I'm happy with Emerton at right back.

[BiggusLaddus]

He still isn't a fullback, I'd much rather we had someone there who could defend.

We are a much more solid 'unit' when Oojer is there (until he gets exposed by his lack of pace).

[Alex Rover]

Chimbonda is a right back (which we don't have).

He can go and swing. Money mercenary.

[BiggusLaddus]

As most of us would be for the right price. £30k a week would be more than enough to get me to abandon my current employer.

[RibbleValleyRover]

He still isn't a fullback, I'd much rather we had someone there who could defend.

We are a much more solid 'unit' when Oojer is there (until he gets exposed by his lack of pace).

We look more solid, but we get more out of Bentley on the right when we have Emerton who pushes forward thus allowing Bentley to push up.

I haven't noticed really any major defensive problems on our right side much this season. It certainly hasn't stood out to me that there is a major problem there.

Good solid right backs aren't cheap and i would rather spend the limited money we have on our midfield. I wouldn't class Chimbonda as a decent right back and definately don't want to see him at the club.

[brian_gallagher85]

I've no sympathy for Sven...I think Shinawatra is a moron for wanting to sack him, but Sven is reaping what he sews in terms of loyalty.

Still, you have to respect a man that manages to get himself a nice big long contract and getting sacked with a few years left

[rover6]

No, I do not respect Steve McClaren.