[Archived] Nickos Thread

[Mozzer]

wasnt it reported a few weeks ago that rafa was saying he has signed an english right winger???

i know teams do it-but with rafa saying that, and bentley saying he is joining liverpool-could he be tapped up???

[Darth Paul]

So if he did go and that was the figure, do you have any idea of any major targets we would be chasing given that we would have a warchest of in excess of £20m?

[nicko]

wasnt it reported a few weeks ago that rafa was saying he has signed an english right winger???

i know teams do it-but with rafa saying that, and bentley saying he is joining liverpool-could he be tapped up???

There was a story that Benitez had signed an Englishman...no name, just that.

Bentley thought he was going to Liverpool a few weeks ago. Now he thinks that Chelsea want him.

I don't think he is top of either list, but a player believes what a player wants to believe...and that is the problem here.

I think you have to sort this out fast and that is what has been done. If he goes, get him out quick and spend the cash while the better players are available. If it drags until August you lose a player and only have the odds and sods left to buy.

[Gav]

Surely if Crouch is being touted around for 15 milion, Bentley is worth 20+

Certainly not the end of the world if he goes, Hughes will invest that 15 million wisely and we'll get a couple of quality players for the Bentley money.

Whilst Hughes won't want him to leave, I would imagine he'd relish the chance of spending 25 million this summer.

[nicko]

On the Duff thing 17 MIll it was, I remember it like yesterday and I fail to see how any Rovers fan could not remember. The "clause"

To be fair, the reason for confusion on that is that there WAS a £17 million clause. Chelsea paid LESS up front but with installments taking it to MORE after bonuses. I have no idea of the final figure paid, it was down to appearances and achievements.

What would I know? Just broke the tale in another classic case of 2-bob journalism.

[Mozzer]

i agree..

if we are selling him-sell him early so it gives us time to find a replacement..

if we got 15million for him tho-i doubt we would even get half of that for buying players..

[tony gale's mic]

This Duff argument is one of the most pointless I have seen on here.

Any news on a sell-on clause nicko? It's been speculated about here quite a lot..

[nicko]

Surely if Crouch is being touted around for 15 milion, Bentley is worth 20+

Liverpool will ask for £15 million and take about £9 million. He is going downwards in the table, you would imagine Bentley could go upwards - so his price at £15 million is about right.

But you still have to find someone to pay it - and I know Chelsea have other names currently ahead of him in their list.

[McClarky]

There's plenty new.

So you don't make things up and speculatively link semingly available players with clubs who have money to spend then? Even if you are the 1 red top journalist who does the research you claim to your speculation is just lumped in with your"colleagues'" anyway and noone knows whether there any fundation in it. Best to ignore it all and not buy the rags it's printed in I say.

[Lathund]

Any news on a sell-on clause nicko? It's been speculated about here quite a lot..

That's an interesting one. There *should* be one considering the very low transfer fee. Would be a big mistake on Arsenal's part if there wasn't.

[Guest fernhurstblue]

It's been obvious for a while that the player fancies himself as a bit of a big-time charlie. He has nothing to gain from joining a non top-4 club (imo) ..... He isn't good enough for Man Yoo, Arsenal - too much history, so it comes down to Liverpool - unstable club situation with a manager who chops and changes like the weather and Chelsea who only sign world class players.

So unless he decides that he fancies a new challenge (aka Lucas Neil) - bumper *cough* pay *cough* deal then I think he'll be here for the start of next season, and as somebody already stated he has three years left on the current contract - so from the players point of view, why would he sign a new deal??

If he does go however, then better players have left and we are still a top 10 club!

[nicko]

So you don't make things up and speculatively link semingly available players with clubs who have money to spend then? Even if you are the 1 red top journalist who does the research you claim to your speculation is just lumped in with your"colleagues'" anyway and noone knows whether there any fundation in it. Best to ignore it all and not buy the rags it's printed in I say.

The Toure story may well be correct, it wasn't my half of the story.

But thanks for the interest...

[brfcshabba]

There was a story that Benitez had signed an Englishman...no name, just that.

This story was from Guillem balague. On his latest podcast he confirmed that this was Barry

[Russ]

So you don't make things up and speculatively link semingly available players with clubs who have money to spend then? Even if you are the 1 red top journalist who does the research you claim to your speculation is just lumped in with your"colleagues'" anyway and noone knows whether there any fundation in it. Best to ignore it all and not buy the rags it's printed in I say.

Why are you bothering to read this thread then???

Seems a bit rich of some people jumping on Nicko's back just because he told us something we didn't really want to hear. He is here to give good and bad news, and by most it's appreciated.

If his story had been Bents had signed a new 5 year contract, you'd probably be thanking him for setting your mind at ease?

[Mozzer]

nicko, any news on which players mark hughes was watching when in spain or are you still working on it???

[Alan75]

Interesting reactions...

I think Rovers are right to take a stand here. Their contract offer is excellent and they do not want to be messed around all summer with this one. I expect the withdrawal of the contract offer to be confirmed very shortly.

I also know that Bentley's camp think that Chelsea want him. I have good contacts at Chelsea and they tell me he is being watched but is not first or maybe even second choice.

Still, the player believes what he wants to believe. In this case he thinks he is moving.

Bentley has also been making some big-time remarks. I could tell you when and where he was telling people he was joining Liverpool a few weeks ago, but I kept that quiet at the tme because I thought it was just cheap talk and knew Liverpool did not have him as first choice either.

I would also like to thank a couple of posters for their PMs on similar Bentley comments which have been kept back until they were relevant.

And as for a 'rehash'...if you can find another story saying Rovers would withdraw their contract offer I would be somewhat amazed.

Ok Theres nothing about withdrawing a contract, however isnt it just another spin, on Les Walsh's article in your paper, dated 27th April 2008, which reported that Hughes would stick Bentley in the stiffs.

LINK

I think I'll stick with Mark Hughes comments on the 4th April. and I quote.

At the end of the day he(Bentley) has three years left on his contract.

The only people who will make the decision on whether or not David Bentley leaves is myself and the chairman.

Weve had this conversation - hes not leaving so thats the end of the story.

We offered him a new contract just to illustrate the progress he's made this year.

Its not a case that the young man is out of contract..

[Bazzanotsogreat]

As a poster stated earlier on :

If he stays excellent news

If he goes we get the best part of 15 million & ability to sign 3 good players . Perhaps Pennant, Sidwell & Dembele/Farfan.

There is no doubt in my mind that we would have a vastly improved XI. With three such signings for next season.

[thenodrog]

£15 million is the figure that interested clubs have been told is the price.

If thats the case then BRFC are not asking enough and I for one think 15m is derisory. 3 years on his contract and we don't need to sell so why the hell do we value him less than Duff / SWP / Bent / Carrick / Hargreaves etc? 22m should be the min starting point for a full England international whose recent learning curve has been spectacular whose best years should by rights be in front of him and who can play right along the midfield line and who has been widely and frequently tipped as likely heir to Beckhams crown.

If some club comes and pays that then it's fine and dandy and as I have opined before the best way for little old BRFC with limited support and financial clout to operate. We could do with finding and selling a Bentley every 2-3 years!

All we should do is give Hughes and his team a personal cut and a nice dollop for future player speculation. We could consider cashing in on RSC in 12 months too. As Jack Walker said years ago BRFC MUST be able to stand on it's own feet and be run on business lines.

[McClarky]

If his story had been Bents had signed a new 5 year contract, you'd probably be thanking him for setting your mind at ease?

Exactly. If it was as you say it would be a fact worth reporting but if it was "Bentley might sign a new contract or he might leave" we would know that anyway so it would be lazy jounalism and a waste of time. It's the Sunday People and the like I'm having a go at not this site.

[cn_barlow]

As a poster stated earlier on :

If he stays excellent news

If he goes we get the best part of 15 million & ability to sign 3 good players . Perhaps Pennant, Sidwell & Dembele/Farfan.

There is no doubt in my mind that we would have a vastly improved XI. With three such signings for next season.

Which is exactly why i think it would be better for the team if he left.

With 20+ million to spend over the summer we could have a really good push for 4th next season....without it, we cant.

[Iceman]

If we sell bents early for 15mill.then we can get perhaps,farfan,huddlestone,maybe even Bradley.3 or 4 top quality players with that amount.if Hughes was scouting for players in Spain,then i would love to see Nihat Kahveci here,with a little Tugay persuasion.get rid of Roberts,and we wil have Roque,Benni,Nihat,and Derbs.farfan,down the left,huddlestone and Vogel in mid,Bradley down the right.and Roque and Nihat up front.and if u asking why im mentioning Nihat,wel just wait and see in the weeks to come,on his name.

[tony gale's mic]

Which is exactly why i think it would be better for the team if he left.

With 20+ million to spend over the summer we could have a really good push for 4th next season....without it, we cant.

We can't either way. 4th is a pipe dream, at least for the forseeable future.

If we sell him and don't replace him adequately we could find ourselves slipping down the table without a creative force in midfield.

[philipl]

As a poster stated earlier on :

If he stays excellent news

If he goes we get the best part of 15 million & ability to sign 3 good players . Perhaps Pennant, Sidwell & Dembele/Farfan.

There is no doubt in my mind that we would have a vastly improved XI. With three such signings for next season.

...and where are the wages for those three going to come from?

[nicko]

Ok Theres nothing about withdrawing a contract, however isnt it just another spin, on Les Walsh's article in your paper, dated 27th April 2008, which reported that Hughes would stick Bentley in the stiffs.

There has been a major development - the withdrawing of a massive contract offer.

As I say, find that mentioned elsewhere please.

That is called news.

The People thought so...

[Mozzer]

have a go at the sunday people all you want-but do you really see any other paper doing stories on blackburn???i dont..