[Archived] Nickos Thread

[Flopsy]

he cant, he's going out for a romantic dinner for two with Mrs Nixon;)

[bubblerrovers]

so there goes another bidder gone, does nobody want to buy Rovers??

Why would you want to buy rovers??

there's no potential, no way of making real money without spending a silly ammount first. The only way we'll ever get brought is if someone on this site wins euro millions (which prob still wouldn't be enough to compete)

[Blueandwhitemike]

I agree

There's no doubting the quality of the football in the Premier League but somehow it just doesn't have that edge.

Maybe its just an age thing?

I don't think it is an age thing.

I'm 31 and I have to agree, there is too little competitiveness compared to the old days. Too much money centered on too few clubs. It started with the premier league but that was exciting for a while with all the new players and money, but recently it has gotten less and less exciting. So many foreign owners don't help, it feels less and less like our game.

Apart from Rovers only three clubs have won the premier league, and only Newcastle, TEN years ago, have been close. Can anyone see that changing anytime soon? Don't think so.

And now the money grabbers want to take our league out of England.

Quite sad really.

[rovers_rob]

so there goes another bidder gone, does nobody want to buy Rovers??

I don't think it’s a case of not wanting to buy, Dan Williams wanted to buy but he couldn't afford !!

[waggy]

TAKEOVER NEWS ALERT...LOOK AWAY NOW IF EASILY BORED.

I believe that the Asian bidders who wanted Rovers are about to buy another club. Just trying to confirm this.

If anyone has info on this and wants to share, feel free to PM.

It's a very live story.

In the meantime, don't be arranging street parties if you were against the idea...

party already organised

[ffan]

TAKEOVER NEWS ALERT...LOOK AWAY NOW IF EASILY BORED.

I believe that the Asian bidders who wanted Rovers are about to buy another club. Just trying to confirm this.

If anyone has info on this and wants to share, feel free to PM.

It's a very live story.

In the meantime, don't be arranging street parties if you were against the idea...

Another Premiership club?

[1864roverite]

Bryan Robson axed at Sheff pOO

[nicko]

Bryan Robson axed at Sheff pOO

I'm not sure that is right. He was at training today and survived his meeting with McCabe yesterday.

There is supposed to be an announcement later. I would think it will be the arrival of a new coach - Nigel Pearson - but he is Robson's choice, so he is unlikely to come in and knife him.

Mind you, it's a funny club...

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Absolutely SPOT ON Shillito!!! The only real reason why anyone would want to dis the whole idea of Burnley, or PNE coming up to the prem is because they are numpties that think it gives them some kind of extra status with their mates in the pub. School playground level thinking.

Mention the word Blackburn on either a Preston or Burnley forum and see what sort of response you get fife....they really dont like us tha' knows!

Local rivals with hatred or sheer jealousy?

[speeeeeeedie]

It's Steve Sidwell...and I don't think he is the first choice for Rovers and the mystery long-term target mentioned.

Chelsea will sell him, he is totally brassed off and willing to move for the same money he is on.

He's decent, but he's expensive.

West Ham are going to do it...and I don't think Rovers would go to £55,000-a-week for anyone. As for finding £5 million transfer fees....hmmm.

Unfortunately that is what your average Premier League midfielder is going to cost next summer.

This is a shame all around and shows how the game is being ruined (see all other threads relating to money/foreign games/takeovers).

Sidwell was star man at Reading, but he wasn't the greatest. Chelsea come crowing and he leaves on a free - giving Reading precicely naff all in compensation, and probably tripling his wages in the process. He doesn't get a sniff at Chelsea as they have far better players at central midfield than him, so he starts complaining and wants out. Chelsea will now sell and are offer a ridiculous price that would be of a far greater benefit to Reading. More money goes into the big guns' pockets.

What irks me is that, Arsenal aside, the other 3 buy players so others don't get them. The league would be much more even if Utd, Chelsea, and Liverpool stopped buying up the rest's best players as expensive training accessories. I heard somewhere that Liverpool have 51 pro's registered for the first team squad, that's ridiculous. Man U have been buying countless players for years to keep their subs bench expensive; Carrick, Kuszcak, now Saha. Chelsea just buy because they can; Anelka, Wayne Bridge, Ben Haim, Shevchenko! All these players could be doing a great job elsewhere without compromising the big teams' quality. What about squad limits?

[Fife Rover]

It's a king-sized con.

Quest came in off the back of Mike Newell and Sven gossiping about so-called dodgy deals.

These people asked for inside info - mainly from other agents and reporters. They spent months blundering about like amateur plods and found nothing. Any time they were challenged they backed down.

One reporter, who I won't bother naming, started the 'crusade' and it just whipped up a storm where none existed.

Check out just how long ago Quest were being touted as the ideal people to police football...it's the same people they were co-operating with in the first place to project themselves.

Now, as a reward for doing nothing relevant they are brought in to police more deals.

It's laughable.

Well one thing is certain Nicko; Football at the top level badly needs policing and sorting out. Whether Quest is the best instrument for doing this or not is irrelevant to me. It just needs doing and doing properly before all the decent honest fans get so heartily sick of it all that the Prem will find it difficult to persuade anyone to watch their matches either live or on TV.

[nicko]

Well one thing is certain Nicko; Football at the top level badly needs policing and sorting out. Whether Quest is the best instrument for doing this or not is irrelevant to me. It just needs doing and doing properly before all the decent honest fans get so heartily sick of it all that the Prem will find it difficult to persuade anyone to watch their matches either live or on TV.

I don't think Quest could find their backsides in the dark.

The trouble is that the FA are incompetent and have lost power to the Premier League who let anything go.

Remember that smirking Scudamore is the guy who let the Tevez-Mascherano affair go and allowed Benjani to join Man City on a new deal...and then revealed the 39th game.

Sad to say, Scu says that he has unanimous support for his plan.

Which means your club apparently backs it...

[Fife Rover]

so there goes another bidder gone, does nobody want to buy Rovers??

Well I wouldn't mind, but I dont think I 've quite enough in my piggy bank just yet. But if any others want to chip in as well.......?

[nicko]

I hope I'm not putting a source in trouble here, but I found out a bit more about why so few academy kids have been coming through lately...

It seems the boss reckons that academy football does not prepare players for the real world and that is the main reason he has been overlooking that side. He may have a point.

The best thing that can be said for academies is what Manchester City have done. If you look at their side in recent years they have found genuine top players who have played and in some cases been sold for big money.

A look at the FA Youth Cup results does show that there are other so-called big clubs who are struggling to get it right at this level.

Port Vale's kids beat Tottenham last night, Man U's lost at home to Carlisle, Liverpool were put out by Sunderland.

Maybe the whole academy system and where it is going and what it is producing needs to be looked at - not just Blackburn's.

[JAL]

I hope I'm not putting a source in trouble here, but I found out a bit more about why so few academy kids have been coming through lately...

It seems the boss reckons that academy football does not prepare players for the real world and that is the main reason he has been overlooking that side. He may have a point.

The best thing that can be said for academies is what Manchester City have done. If you look at their side in recent years they have found genuine top players who have played and in some cases been sold for big money.

A look at the FA Youth Cup results does show that there are other so-called big clubs who are struggling to get it right at this level.

Port Vale's kids beat Tottenham last night, Man U's lost at home to Carlisle, Liverpool were put out by Sunderland.

Maybe the whole academy system and where it is going and what it is producing needs to be looked at - not just Blackburn's.

If thats true then at least Rovers should only be paying the absolute minimum for the service and not the reported £2m per year.

If the academy set up is wrong the surely Rovers can change their ways to suit themselves in promoting young players.

[nicko]

If thats true then at least Rovers should only be paying the absolute minimum for the service and not the reported £2m per year.

If the academy set up is wrong the surely Rovers can change their ways to suit themselves in promoting young players.

I would think the best plan is to find a smaller group of potential players, aged between 13 and 17, keep them under your wing for a while and then find a senior club to farm them out to at around 17 or 18 - let them get their knees dirty and come back a year or two later as grown-ups.

[JAL]

I would think the best plan is to find a smaller group of potential players, aged between 13 and 17, keep them under your wing for a while and then find a senior club to farm them out to at around 17 or 18 - let them get their knees dirty and come back a year or two later as grown-ups.

You've first got to question the people who are identifying the 'potential' that to me seems to be one major root cause for all the academy's ills it may be unfair as these people are probably operating in a highly competetive market. If your good enough your old enough, whats that saying ''you cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear''.

For a youngster to break through today hes got to be international class thats the standard every scout has to earmark otherwise just forget it.

[herbergeehh]

It seems the boss reckons that academy football does not prepare players for the real world and that is the main reason he has been overlooking that side. He may have a point.

Fair enough, but that's why academy players are playing Reserve Team Football, isn't it? Also, that must be the reason why players like Arestidou, Fielding, Griffiths and Hodge are on loan, and players like Garner, Kane, Nolan, Taylor and a few Cercle Brugge-loanees before them. None of these have returned to the 1st team (yet, anyway).. It's players like Olsson and Treacy who needs first team football at the moment, wouldn't you say?

[nicko]

On Sheffield United...

There is some serious intrigue this afternoon.

I think they are going to bring in a new face to take the team - and it's not who Robson wanted.

If the name I have is right there will be some stunned reaction around.

Watch this space. Closely.

[Hughesy]

Mark Bowen?!

[nicko]

Mark Bowen?!

No. Don't have any fears on that one.

[MI ROVER]

Owen Coyle ?

[Sparky Marky]

Jim Bowen?

[Darth]

Terry Venables?

[Fife Rover]

If thats true then at least Rovers should only be paying the absolute minimum for the service and not the reported £2m per year.

If the academy set up is wrong the surely Rovers can change their ways to suit themselves in promoting young players.

How about a one single academy set-up for the benefit of all the Prem with top quality coaching staff, and other staff to look after the kids during their time at the academy. Each student at the academy would be signed as a junior for one of the clubs as they are now in the existing set-up, so there could be no question as to which club would get the young player on their graduation from the academy, and no poaching. The costs of the academy would be shared equally by all clubs, and should be much less than the present situation where each club has it's own massive investment in land and premises.