[Archived] Nickos Thread

[nicko]

Without mentioning names Nicko, could you put a number on how many players are causing all this newspaper chatter?

I didn't say it was players...or just players.

[S15]

Wonder what the next question is...

[den]

We look like a complete laughing stock at this moment in time. Messageboards of other clubs cannot believe what the hell is going on and the fans of other clubs think they can just come and raid our club. And don't get me started on some parts of the media who think we should just bend over and let the clubs take our players.

Time for Ince and JW to stand by their comments and put their foot down.

Too late. Any football club with a modicum of ambition must fight tooth and nail to keep their best players. If Mokoena or Vogel demand to move, then you help them, but you don't allow your best players to leave without a real fight. Whatever kind of gloss you want to put on this situation, Ince hasn't done that. Has MON fought to keep Barry? Has Ferguson fought to keep Ronaldo? They might not have achieved that if they hadn't done their absolute utmost to keep them.

You reap what you sow in this game. The club is on a downward slope and I'm not sure Ince knows what to do about it.

[Mr. E]

My feelings too. Alongside City we really are a laughing stock right now. Teams will really fancy their chances against us right now and it's Ince's job to get the lads up for it. But right now all we hear is rumours of unrest, which keep being proved right.

Who the hell is going to want to join us at Ewood Park when, Ince's chums aside, all the talk is of players looking to jump ship?

I realise that this is an extremely negative post, but it seems like there's just more bad news after more bad news. If the club ever needed to pull off a high-profile, quality INCOMING transfer then this is it.

Wouldn't say we are a "laughing stock" as none of this is our fault. But we are being raped of our talents like never before and the future does not look good at all.

[S15]

When did we let our best players go without a real fight?

[den]

When did we let our best players go without a real fight?

Bentley and Friedel. Neither were on the final year, or even two, of their contracts. Rovers didn't HAVE to sell them. Ince took the easy decision and now other players are following.

[nicko]

Cheers Nicko - is this the first time in history a footballer thinks he is over-valued, or does he have a under-inflated opinion of himself (one that seems to match the pitchforkers' on here)?

Nicko, you've hinted at issues behind the scenes at Rovers - leaks, Warnock being unsettled, not exactly dispelling the Mail stories, allegories of moles, how stories are breaking etc. - all which would seemingly concern to us. Added to your comment about not knowing anything like this, was you around to the same degree (sources, inside info, etc,) under Harford, Kidd &Hodgson's regimes, and how does it compare? Excuse me asking (if it's a well known fact) but how long have you been privy to the level of access you seemingly have to things going on at Ewood? Not suggesting anything other than wondering if you could equally compare what you're aware of now, to say the Batty/Parkes/Le Saux-Sutton-Sherwood/McKinlay shenanigans?

Andrews wants to join Rovers but won't at that fee which is why he is unhappy.

As for leaks and strange times...there have been many down the years but nothing quite as frantic as this.

It was quite calm under Sparky, lively, often comical and never dull with Souey - a great and very real man in my view - as well, Hodgson had his problems with the odd player, Harford was liked but then walked over by some real big-time charlies and Kenny's day was the last time almost so much happened in such a short space of time.

Is that a good sign? Who knows?

[mhead]

There comes a time when a thread should be closed to draw a line under a topic that is only feeding the natural pessimism of Blackburnians.

A massive "own goal' that needs the Premiership to start quickly. Even if we lose on Saturday surely it is the Club we really support -the departure of Colin "Mr.Blackburn Rovers"Hendry proved that.

Now to read IAMAROVER again...keep the faith!

[novella]

When did we let our best players go without a real fight?

he's completely right, we have sold both friedel and bentley on our own terms and havent let any other club boss us around.

As nicko says all that needs to happen now is that the club organise themselves and stop this complete leak of every bit of transfer news or rumour coming out of our club.

I bet every summer there is a far lot more that happens that us fans never hear about. it just seems that this year we have heard about everything and its got us into a bit of a panic. add this to the fact that we have a new unproven manager and it causes havoc.

[Dunnfc]

Nicko Do you think a press confrence on friday, will reveal more or will it finally help to shut all this up?

[novella]

Bentley and Friedel. Neither were on the final year, or even two, of their contracts. Rovers didn't HAVE to sell them. Ince took the easy decision and now other players are following.

Hughes couldnt have kept bentley to be fair. Friedel maybe, but we are talking about a 50 grand contract to a goalkeeper who is near the end of his career, it would have took some persuasion even from hughes.

[Roar of the Rover]

Has Warnock handed in a transfer request?

[den]

Keith Andrews news...you can decide if it is good or bad.

As of an hour ago Rovers are refusing to pay the £2 million asking price.

Andrews is unhappy about this and we shall see if he plays tonight or goes on strike. I suspect that he will play.

Pathetic. Either Rovers think he's good enough, - in which case £2m for a Prem midfielder is nothing, or they don't.

[alexanders]

Pathetic. Either Rovers think he's good enough, - in which case £2m for a Prem midfielder is nothing, or they don't.

It's called bargaining.

[den]

Hughes couldnt have kept bentley to be fair. Friedel maybe, but we are talking about a 50 grand contract to a goalkeeper who is near the end of his career, it would have took some persuasion even from hughes.

Of course he could have kept Bentley. Bentley's words to the press were nothing compared to Barry's slaughtering of M.O.N.

Friedel didn't leave for the money. For the umpteenth time - he asked for a transfer the day after Hughes left. Even JW said that Brad was professional enough to get on with his job if rovers turned down his request.

[speeeeeeedie]

You can talk about heads being turned by money etc, but rumours that Ince is not popular with the players seem to bear more truth with each passing day.

Could be right here, but practically all of the players are Hughes signings which will affect them in some way so I'm not surprised really.

No I don't so I think the board need to make a decision don't they? It's clear we've got a Les Reed/Sammy Lee situation.

Ince is no push over like those 2. Probably why the percieved problems exist.

[philipl]

Pathetic. Either Rovers think he's good enough, - in which case £2m for a Prem midfielder is nothing, or they don't.

I find it astonishing that I am going to be visiting the MK Dons website again to find out something about a prospective Rovers player.

Within the bounds that it is never clever to spend money unnecessarily, that's a very fair point den.

[ebenrocks]

Has Warnock handed in a transfer request?

yeah, thats what i just read on sky sports. If he has its an absolute diaster, we have no capable left backs and are unlikely to get one in in a week, i dont think its true though, i think its just a mash of news stories that have been made into something bigger than it is

[24right]

I am a long time seaon ticket holder but passive viewer of this board. However, we are now at the point where someone has to show some real leadership at the club and get a grip. How the senior management of the club deals with the pressing issues of retention and recruitment over the next week or so, will determine how the the seaon pans out and where we will be playing next year.

Failure to get a grip now could result in us going into meltdown.

[DingleBaiter]

Andrews wants to join Rovers but won't at that fee which is why he is unhappy.

As for leaks and strange times...there have been many down the years but nothing quite as frantic as this.

It was quite calm under Sparky, lively, often comical and never dull with Souey - a great and very real man in my view - as well, Hodgson had his problems with the odd player, Harford was liked but then walked over by some real big-time charlies and Kenny's day was the last time almost so much happened in such a short space of time.

Is that a good sign? Who knows?

Thanks for such a fair response Nicko. I always liked Souey, agree with your view - hiss honesty was often misinterpreted as arrogance a lot of the time, but you always knew where you stood with him.

All in all, in recent years, we've been extremely lucky at Rovers. I think underlying a lot of the fear with Ince is that we may be regressing to dark days. Harford was a fantastic coach but not a manager of men, and that showed in them walking over him sadly. Souey was the opposite, Hughes was somewhere in the middle - IMO MH is the best we've ever had in all-round terms.

All this does test the faith somewhat, but equally it sorts out the wheat from the chaff at every level I guess. Blind faith works wonders, and although it's difficult given that everything is being blamed at Ince, ultimately it's the club we love & support and if that means biting our lips and knuckling down, so be it.

A lot of the negativity can't really be aimed at Ince IMO, as you consistently say we need to back the manager, possibly more so when the ploppy stuff hits the aircon.

Thanks again for the update on Andrews; ultimately I'm sure it's a case of getting the best player at the best deal, be it Annan or Andrews.

Personally, for all the gyp, overall I don't think it's major worries in the long term, short term possibly. Other 'bigger' clubs have more to worry about methinks. For instance, Everton don't look to be in any better situation and they're supposed to be a 'big' club - no players want to go there, no signings, lost two important players, their star is a crock, non-committal manager, boardroom reshuffles, chairman possibly looking to bale out, ground problems.

I'd still be amazed if there's not two players in before transfer window shuts, even if no player leaves. I'm sure we'd play hardball business-wise with Newcastle over the Warnock thing, and he wouldn't be daft enough to put a transfer request in to lose out moneywise. I'd back John Williams anyday in any financial transaction against Ashley, he's a clown. A lucky one, but still a clown.

[The Rover of Finland]

Ince should make a new signing right now! A good one. His actions seems to be highly questioned by fans, no wonder why. Fact is we should have money. We should be BUYING club at the moment. Good cover for Bentley and a first class CM. Instead we are chasing a 28 years old fourth level "star". Our luck Dons are greed. And it seems that one more Sparky´s key player doesn´t want to play for Ince. Business minded would think it´s a great business to buy cheap and sell forward many times bigger price. But as a Rovers fan I´m very worried. We haven´t sold Warnock but these kind of stories makes us look like a joke. Again a very sad day to be a fan of Rovers. Ince, grab on it because you are losing it..!

[roversinmyblood]

Pathetic. Either Rovers think he's good enough, - in which case £2m for a Prem midfielder is nothing, or they don't.

Nicko, does the stand off with MK Dons mean that we will go for Annan?

[Athlete]

I am a long time seaon ticket holder but passive viewer of this board. However, we are now at the point where someone has to show some real leadership at the club and get a grip. How the senior management of the club deals with the pressing issues of retention and recruitment over the next week or so, will determine how the the seaon pans out and where we will be playing next year.

Failure to get a grip now could result in us going into meltdown.

totally agree with the above as I'm also a long time ST holder and passive viewer of this board - lets see what the senior board members and executives do !

[novella]

Of course he could have kept Bentley. Bentley's words to the press were nothing compared to Barry's slaughtering of M.O.N.

Friedel didn't leave for the money. For the umpteenth time - he asked for a transfer the day after Hughes left. Even JW said that Brad was professional enough to get on with his job if rovers turned down his request.

Bentley knew he was going to leave well before ince got here. i find it hard to believe that hughes would have been able to keep him. people are just giving ince a hard time on here for no reason.

and this is not to den personally.....

but some people on here are a disgrace. call themselves fans and jump on ince's back at every opportunity. hope he signs andrews and proves half of you lot completely wrong.

[nicko]

Nicko, does the stand off with MK Dons mean that we will go for Annan?

I think that one has moved on...but more word at 11 on that front.