[Archived] Nickos Thread

[joey_big_nose]

Quite big news.

Huddlestone is available. He has been offered in a swap to a Prem club - full story in morning.

Anyway, the point is he can move. I think Rovers will be aware of this. If not they will be reading it now....

There are several agents pushing Bradley...so expect all sorts of nonsense coming out.

Bring it on. Spurs are a bunch of idiots. I guess their loss is (hopefully) our gain.

Huddlestone is really, apart from possibly Carrick, the only halfway decent replacement for Tugay who is english. One of the most technically gifted players around, someone who has all the attribures to be an outstanding midfielder.

In balance he does lack workrate, mobility and maturity but these are all things that Hughes and his team have instilled in others. If he comes to Ewood I think we could be looking at another fan favourite.

[brian_gallagher85]

Huddlestone is available. He has been offered in a swap to a Prem club - full story in morning.

Please be Pedersen, please be Pedersen!

[nicko]

Please be Pedersen, please be Pedersen!

No it's ANOTHER Prem club.

[philipl]

Just checked with my mate on the inside at Spuds and he believes the instructions remain to get players in before letting players who have been in the first team out unless wildly high target asking prices are met. He thinks Hud is the "makeweight" on the player exchange which he found highly amusing given the size of the lad but he doesn't seriously expect Huddlestone to be moving moving before late July at the earliest given the way business is conducted at WHL.

Berb's asking price is getting complicated/going up by the way as somebody is getting dangerously close to a deal.

[Baggio]

No it's ANOTHER Prem club.

Newcastle for N'Zogbia?

[deryck guyler's spoon]

No it's ANOTHER Prem club.

Barry at Villa?

[EwoodGlory]

Diarra at Pompey

Did I hear correct a while ago, that Gareth Barry is a Spurs fan?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Diarra at Pompey

Good call, i've read in the media Spurs are interested in Diarra. Though i would be surprised if Harry let Diarra go when he has only just joined.

[farhanology]

wild guesses:

either for Valencia @ Wigan

or Agbonlahor @ Villa

[Hughesy]

Diarra seems a good call

[Torgeir]

I'm guessing Yakubu from Everton, just cos Tottenham always buy strikers to fix problems in other departments of their team.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I'm guessing Yakubu from Everton, just cos Tottenham always buy strikers to fix problems in other departments of their team.

[nicko]

High-quality stabs as usual...

However Tottenham have offered Huddlestone to Middlesbrough for the excellent left winger Adam Johnson.

Johnson wants to go as he is now behind Downing, who has signed a new deal after Tottenham tried for him too.

Southgate is quite interested in Huddlestone but it will come down to valuations. As usual Tottenham rate their player - Huddlestone - higher than Johnson.

The point is that Huddlestone is not wanted and now knows it. So if Rovers are interested they have a big chance.

Bradley is rated at £4 million or so by Heernveen, Huddlestone may be around the same.

I would be surprise if you did not land one of these shortly...both are definitely now available.

[S15]

I've never seen Bradley play but if someone told me we spent our entire budget on the two mentioned players I think I'd be happy. Our midfield is weak, though I still believe need another centre back and some pace from somethere (Is Bradley quick?).

With regards to Johnson, is Tottenhams a nicer bench? Or just a better paying one?

[nicko]

I've never seen Bradley play but if someone told me we spent our entire budget on the two mentioned players I think I'd be happy. Our midfield is weak, though I still believe need another centre back and some pace from somethere (Is Bradley quick?).

With regards to Johnson, is Tottenhams a nicer bench? Or just a better paying one?

Decent point, but I think Johnson could be one of the best emerging English players around just now. Quick, great feet, skillful.

If he was anywhere but Boro - where Downing HAS to play - then he would be a starter. He could be great for Spurs or anyone...

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Nicko, any answers on the PM I sent you?

80% certain there was a meeting in Manchester today about Fraizer Campbell staying at Hull City.

like I said though, loan or permanent, I'm not sure...

[RibbleValleyRover]

It will be interesting to see if we make a move for either Bradley or Huddlestone. With interest in both players from other clubs we may have to move fast if we do want a chance of getting them.

Are we going to see a trend this season where several players are signing pre transfer contracts before the season has finished?

[philipl]

My source didn't give me Johnson's name but he did say the target is somebody Spurs are desperate to get.

Then added the comment about no deal before late July because of the way WHL goes about its business- I guess that was code for the valuations where they've priced the makeweight above the main item!

Interesting we've now seen both Liverpool and Spurs lead by offering swap rather than cash deals with all the masses of extra complications those cause. I wonder what is really behind that? Money not as plentiful as those two would like their fans to believe?

[USRoverME]

can't recall if its been discussed on here, probably has, but not in the last 3-4 pages....

Add Sidwell to the list of Midfielders Everton is going after.... Personally I'd rate him ahead of Huddlestone or Bradley. I've seen Bradley for the US and he's still too inconsistent for me. Also Huddlestone and Spurs have been on a lot here int eh states int eh last few weeks, and I'm not impressed. Every one of his good passes" has really been long-ball route 1 garbage, imho. Not the type of play that would really work with out team and our strength up the wings and getting crosses into Roque. Roque is great winning balls in the air and controlling them, but I can't imagine that being the route Hughes wants to go.

[S15]

Perhaps the past few years of rediculous outlays on ordinary players have force a 'One in One out' policy at these clubs.

The wage bills must be monumental at those two particular places, and in reality most of those players yearly salary would be above their transfer value.

[Torgeir]

However Tottenham have offered Huddlestone to Middlesbrough for the excellent left winger Adam Johnson.

We should sign them both and offload MGP to Qatar in exchange for Zarate. Not the biggest need for a free-scoring midfielder if both wings can contribute with their fair share of assists.

[G Somerset Rover]

But wasn't all the talk of Huddlestone to Rovers before the arrival of Vogel? There's no way Vogel and Huddlestone could play together, and given Vogel's impressive start for the club, I'm not so sure Hughes will be as desperate to get Huddlestone as he once appeared to be. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't mind him here-he certainly has a cracking pass, but I'd imagine now that if Hughes were to be after a central midfielder, it would be of the attacking variety, rather than a holding midfielder. Unless we adopt 4-5-1 on a permanent basis?

[they_think_its_all_rover]

As well as my earlier question Nicko, just seen these, care to answer if you know if they're true or not;

Story invloving an ex-Rover

Defender Andy Todd has been told he can leave Derby County if he wishes. Wigan, Stoke, Cardiff, Swansea and Hull are all said to be interested in him.

How has his game dropped soo much since been captain at Rovers not so long ago?

Brown now cemented his place as no.2?

Cardiff City are interested in making Blackburn keeper Peter Enckelman a permanent player on their squad. The keeper has been on loan with the Bluebirds and had 10 clean sheets for the Championship club sign.

&

Ex-Rovers target, I believe?

Wigan are even closer to signing Egypt forward Amr Zaki according to the player's agent. Now they just need to come to terms on a transfer fee with the 25-year-old's current club.

[nicko]

The Sidwell option is interesting.

I hear the price has dropped considerably, but his wages are still rich.

The West Ham move seems to have disappeared which tells me Alan Curbishley is under p.

Rovers could do worse although he is not the most attacking of players. A goalscoring midfielder would be ideal.

The point about Huddlestone and Vogel being similar is valid...

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Sidwell obviously seems motivated by money though... not the best of players to have in the ranks, IMO.