[Archived] Nickos Thread

[rebelmswar]

RSC and Warnock not going anywhere say the club!

RSC is the key!

Well that is reassuring.

[bubblerrovers]

RSC and Warnock not going anywhere say the club!

RSC is the key!

Now that is convincing haha,

[Roar of the Rover]

You don't call almost getting relegated again a major effect?

You can't put that down to the sheer fact we lost Duff

[roverfanuk]

You can't put that down to the sheer fact we lost Duff

Loosing 11 goals a season and god knows how many assists is a good start to getting a team relegated...

[Parsonblue]

Me too. We are a club in decline with no ambition whatsoever. I fully expect Warnock and Santa Cruz to follow Bentley through the exit door.

Ambition comes at a price. John Williams has done a brilliant job in difficult times. We are not Chelsea or Manchester United. We were a club in decline when we slipped to the bottom of the Third Division in the early seventies. To me, what I am witnessing today may be disappointing, but I've seen a lot worse at Ewood Park. I'd hardly call the position we are in today one of decline. We are in the same position as many Premier League clubs. The first essential is to get sufficient points to survive and after that try and climb as high as we can. Harry Redknapp described that as his aim with Portsmouth and I don't think I'd call them a club in decline.

Ultimately, Blackburn Rovers have always been at the mercy of the bigger clubs since the lifting of the maximum wage. I remember being bitterly upset when the likes of Fred Pickering and Mike England moved but forty years later I realise that it has become a fact of life. Good players come and good players go but the club continues. If you can't come to terms with that then Blackburn Rovers really isn't the club for you.

[21 Rover]

Loosing 11 goals a season and god knows how many assists is a good start to getting a team relegated...

Bentley only bagged 13 goals in 88 games, 5 league goals last season (despite having more shots than anyone else in the league) - not the greatest. Also Pedersen got 4, despite having a poor season.

Bentley also got 9 league assists last year. Bet you any money you want that Pedersen will be back to his best this season.

[Frisky Jim]

Ambition comes at a price. John Williams has done a brilliant job in difficult times. We are not Chelsea or Manchester United. We were a club in decline when we slipped to the bottom of the Third Division in the early seventies. To me, what I am witnessing today may be disappointing, but I've seen a lot worse at Ewood Park. I'd hardly call the position we are in today one of decline. We are in the same position as many Premier League clubs. The first essential is to get sufficient points to survive and after that try and climb as high as we can. Harry Redknapp described that as his aim with Portsmouth and I don't think I'd call them a club in decline.

Ultimately, Blackburn Rovers have always been at the mercy of the bigger clubs since the lifting of the maximum wage. I remember being bitterly upset when the likes of Fred Pickering and Mike England moved but forty years later I realise that it has become a fact of life. Good players come and good players go but the club continues. If you can't come to terms with that then Blackburn Rovers really isn't the club for you.

So in other words, we'll continue to let clubs with more ambition cherry pick our players. We're likkle old Blackburn Rovers, we don't mind. As Jack Walker used to say... THINK BIG!

[21 Rover]

THINK BIG? Hold you players against their wish, cause unrest and then let them either sit out their contract or buy them out? Also stopping future talent wanting to join!?

Yeah great idea mate!

[orwot]

Bet you any money you want that Pedersen will be back to his best this season.

I concur. the guy works his socks off week-in week-out running more than anyone in the team. come to think about it, he also works his shorts and shirt off too...

[Grabbi Graeme]

I really do hope that Incey doesnt do a Souness, and sells our young players and signs either hasbeens and overated aged players.

YEAH LIKE HE SIGNED TUGAY, FRIEDEL AND HUGHES

Hasbeens:

- Duff (29) - We have Gamst? THATS NOT A POSITIVE GIVEN LAST SEASON'S PERFORMANCE

I just think we need to show some teeth, and get some eyebrow raising players, eyebrowsing as in good, not eyebrowsing as in pathetic for the Premier League

YEAH LIKE THE CREAM OF FOOTBALLING TALENT IS WAITING FOR OUR CALL , LETS GET REAL WE ARE LIMITED IN WHO WE ARE GONNA SIGN, WE ARE NOT IN AN EURO TOURNAMENT AND WE HAVE TO FIND WHAT WE CAN./quote]

[roverfanuk]

Here's a thought, how many times has the Gamst been linked with moves away from Rovers? How many times has he responded to it negatively toward the club (has he ever?!)...?

Now who thinks we should get rid of him...? The guy is a ROVERS legend!

If this is true above the 3.5 million we paid for Bentley, i think we have been ripped off! http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport...icle1492905.ece

Other papers sticking the boot in... Cruz next out? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...s-QPR-more.html

[Paul]

Why are you so worried about the fee? JW will have got the best he can for the club I'm sure.

It's indicative of the modern football fan, very depresssing, almost as depressing as this:

Fowler tries hard and will no doubt be given more time, but the old sharpness is missing.

Benni looked totally disinterested.

I have a feeling that Paul Gallagher was in the shop window and being watched.

Looking at the squad as a whole there MUST be a specialist right back - Kane is not ready - and a left back if Warnock goes - although Treacy was quite promising there.

The central midfield looks short all right, not sure Vogel is the answer. No sign of Mokoena. Or Dunny.

[Alan75]

No major news...spent the evening watching Rovers at Northwich.

Robinson looks very slim and was unlucky to be beaten by a freak goal. You wonder when his luck will turn.

Fowler tries hard and will no doubt be given more time, but the old sharpness is missing.

Benni looked totally disinterested.

I have a feeling that Paul Gallagher was in the shop window and being watched.

Looking at the squad as a whole there MUST be a specialist right back - Kane is not ready - and a left back if Warnock goes - although Treacy was quite promising there.

The central midfield looks short all right, not sure Vogel is the answer. No sign of Mokoena. Or Dunny.

Three things spring to mind when you read Nickos comments.

1. Hughes jumped ship at the right time, (although it could be out of the frying pan and into the fire)

2. Ince will be in trouble if there are any long term injuries to the first eleven.

3. What is the academy producing.

[CrazyIvan]

This is supposed to be Nickos thread and the only thing I see is people banging on about how this club has no ambition and the counter arguments. I, for one, would like to see that left elsewhere and read questions for Nicko and his answers...

Apologies to those who are asking the questions and commenting on his answers and to Nicko.

[Parsonblue]

So in other words, we'll continue to let clubs with more ambition cherry pick our players. We're likkle old Blackburn Rovers, we don't mind. As Jack Walker used to say... THINK BIG!

We can't afford to think BIG! Or do you suggest we do a Leeds United, get ourselves into debt and then go bust.

[Paul]

This is supposed to be Nickos thread and the only thing I see is people banging on about how this club has no ambition and the counter arguments. I, for one, would like to see that left elsewhere and read questions for Nicko and his answers...

Apologies to those who are asking the questions and commenting on his answers and to Nicko.

You're quite right. Problem is peope posting comments in this thread which should be elsewhere.

[hawkiiz]

We can't afford to think BIG! Or do you suggest we do a Leeds United, get ourselves into debt and then go bust.

sparky thought big. how do you think he convinced all those players to come here if he didnt show ambition??

when is nicko up and running? surely carlos will be unveiled today, so we have something to talk about other than DB leaving?

[EwoodGlory]

Any reason why the club have not announced Villanueva yet?

Might have been a good time to do it when Spurs announced the Bentley deal.

Also, after watching Andrews goal last night, they could sign him now, and SSN can repeat the goal when talking about it

[imy9]

Fee for Bentley is £15 million rising to £17 million, confirmed on the stock exchange by Spurs:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...pur/7530967.stm

[21 Rover]

See previous page Imy!

[Parsonblue]

sparky thought big. how do you think he convinced all those players to come here if he didnt show ambition??

when is nicko up and running? surely carlos will be unveiled today, so we have something to talk about other than DB leaving?

But Sparky bought players that were little known - Samba, Nelsen, Mokoena, Khizanishvili, and added one 'big' name a season - Bellamy, McCarthy, Santa Cruz. Others like Ooijer were bought for bargain prices while Bentley came relatively cheaply with a big sell on clause.

He may well have thought big but he worked on a very limited budget. We simply don't have the money to spend twenty or thirty million on players. It will be interesting to see how Ince does with the funds available to him.

[The Prof.]

Well well, we have it all on here in 12 hours - Doom gloom and suicide, Sky's the limit with a fresh start and we'll be on the sunlit uplands soon.

We've always survived loosing a player or two. Look at some of the players we've replaced recently:

- a 20 goal a season marksman with more genuine pace than anyone in a Premiership team = Bellamy for £5m - Job done, easy peasy, no worries and imo we improved a lot. We now have Benni and Santa Cruz (and a few more who probably are not in Bellamy's league)

- Duff - described to me by an academy director as 'the one player Souey will keep whatever as he will provide the goals.' gone, couldn't forsee it and Gamst/Perderson came and for a while (after the Souey fall out with everyone debacle) was the only attacking bright spark we had (remember Amorouso was our next biggest goal threat for a while) - and even now will be one of the first players on the teamsheet - a true professional, promise!

- Dunn - went, came, some sparkling performances but for a while Reid looked 10 (well maybe 5 times) the player Dunny was until a horrendous series of injuries - signed a contract to stay when speculating started (and Dunny is still the one player we have I think is capable of producing a match winning midfield performance)

Loosing a lot of quality players in one position is a problem. Jansen, Cole, Duff and Yorke (yes even Yorke) in the short time we did would have hit ANY team hard - and we only got paid for Duff remember.

This is my really big worry just at the moment.

'I really do hope that Incey doesnt do a Souness, and sells our young players and signs either hasbeens and overated aged players'

We appear to be able to tun in a regular tidy profit with signing young players and this keeps the squad valuable and viable. Team decisions apart, this is Hughes greatest legacy - he actually made us nigh on £50m (represented in squad value). A business organisation would have realised this man had values beyond leadership and broke the bank to keep him but......there you go.

Signing older players - even on a limited contract eg. Fowler - just burns money we don't appear to have.

Is Mrs. Frank in gaol now? And is Frank going down next? Could always get some tips off JB on how to survive. Love to know what Hughsey's thinking! I bet he could cry. It's a Citeh thing!

[The Prof.]

It's indicative of the modern football fan, very depresssing, almost as depressing as this:

Souness and Amorouso were mates too - gulp. No room for sentiment if football.

[thenodrog]

Beckhams my hero! Did you see that goal he scored recently from the half way line? And is passing is incredible. If he joined Blackburn I would buy a season ticket!!

I'm sure that there are plenty who would give you theirs.

[T4E]

Souness and Amorouso were mates too - gulp. No room for sentiment if football.

No, Souness and David Murray were mates.

I'll leave Gord to tell you more about the "Scottish Sting".