[Archived] Nickos Thread

[Hughesy]

I have always been a big Benni fan and would start him ahead of Jason Roberts 99.99% of the time but perhaps it is time for a parting if £10m goes onto the table.

As for replacement, there is another three weeks before the window closes and for Fowler to rise to the opportunity.

The player I am now looking at is Matty Derbyshire. He is 23, had his operation and if he is to become a big time Premiership forward, this is the season for him to do it espaecially as the Ince style would seem to fit his natural game better than Hughes' did.

Final point on replacing Benni, IF he goes, why do we need to if we are likely to play with one up (RSC?).

I agree about Benni - im a fan, wanted him to sort his head and more than always would play him ahead of JR as he can actually score goals.

35 goals in 74 appearances says alot about his quality - when you take lack of form/ fitness/ unsettled and not playing much in the last 6 months. We HAVE to replace him with real quality if he goes. We need a choice of at least 4 good strikers - 2 of which should be of a very good quality - We have RSC, but thats it if Benni goes.

Andy Diving Johnson isnt the answer and Matt Derbyshire is not yet ready to become an automatic choice of striker - he is still lacking experience and strength. We need a striker with real pedigree if Benni goes, someone who has played in Europe and has already got a good scoring record, we could also do with abit more pace up there!

[Wiggy]

IMO when a player comes back to training overweight and unfit, they very rarely attain full fitness again. Particularly if they're over 30. If a replacement could be lined up £7 million plus would be great business.

[Hughesy]

Nicko- How much is Benni likely to cost any buyer and how much money is Benni on at Rovers?

Benni is 31 years old, he is a proven goal scorer in one season thus far, last year, as has been shown already, he scored 5 pens from his 8 goal tally!!

We need pace up front anything over £5 million and I would sell him.

Can you not read back a couple of pages!? Sunderland are willing to pay £7m, apparently originaly we wanted £10m.

[hawkiiz]

Come on, who are we trying to kid that he did well last season. He started 21 league games and came on as sub in 10 (including the last 6 of the season). In those games he scored 8 goals, 5 of them penalties! The last goal he scored for us that wasn't a penalty was in October 2007! Hardly "exceptional".

at least he managed to net those penalties. i can remember a lot of missed pens the last couple of seasons.

he had a hard time last season - being unsettled, injured, playing out of position as he was no.2 behind rocky. give benni back to back games and he will bag them. no doubt. who else should we go for anyway?

[imy9]

That is the Daily Mail stating that we want £7 million- I trust Nicko over them, which is why I have asked.l

[The Prof.]

I've always said Emerton is easily the quickest player at Ewood and Bentley confirmed that on Soccer Am last year. When at full speed he is never beaten for pace.

Unfortunately for a footballer, it takes him about 10 yards to get to full pace!

Emo holds the fastest ever time at the Australian Sports Academy and thats up against some truly world class sprinters.

[philipl]

That is the Daily Mail stating that we want £7 million- I trust Nicko over them, which is why I have asked.l

d'oh can't you read a simple post by nicko, or better still go up to the ticker rebelmswar has set- there really is no excuse whatsoever. Anyway the £7m figure is in the Sunderland Echo now.

[The Prof.]

£7m for Benni - YES PLEASE

Quit with the negative vibes and start telling everyone how good he really is NOW!

[AussieinUk]

Emo holds the fastest ever time at the Australian Sports Academy and thats up against some truly world class sprinters.

Australia has never really had any WC sprinters (in modern times).. Australia's 'great white hope' (as he was called) was Matt Shervington and he couldn't break the ten barrier..

Sorry for being pedantic Prof - but I do agree with you, that 'Emu' is quick

EDIT: Pat Johnson is the quickest Aussie at 9.93 in 2003. This also made him the first man (not of West African descent), to run a wind-legal time, under 10 seconds in the 100 metres

[The Prof.]

Australia has never really had any WC sprinters (in modern times).. Australia's 'great white hope' (as he was called) was Matt Shervington and he couldn't break the ten barrier..

Sorry for being pedantic Prof - but I do agree with you, that 'Emu' is quick

EDIT: Pat Johnson is the quickest Aussie at 9.93 in 2003. This also made him the first man (not of West African descent), to run a wind-legal time, under 10 seconds in the 100 metres

Fair point - will there a sub 10 seconder in the Prem?

[Martin]

At 31 and looking increasingly disinterested £7m for Benni seems to be good business.

The flip side is that Benni, on his day, can be world class. Moreover, what do you get for £7m these days in terms of a replacement??

I wouldn't fancy going into a season with just Rocky, Roberts, Derbyshire and Fowler as the options - even in a 4-5-1. Only Roberts and Rocky can play the lone striker role.

This is a tricky one.

[almuncle]

At 31 and looking increasingly disinterested £7m for Benni seems to be good business.

The flip side is that Benni, on his day, can be world class. Moreover, what do you get for £7m these days in terms of a replacement??

I wouldn't fancy going into a season with just Rocky, Roberts, Derbyshire and Fowler as the options - even in a 4-5-1. Only Roberts and Rocky can play the lone striker role.

This is a tricky one.

Shame his day is the 29th of Feb though

[joey_big_nose]

At 31 and looking increasingly disinterested £7m for Benni seems to be good business.

The flip side is that Benni, on his day, can be world class. Moreover, what do you get for £7m these days in terms of a replacement??

I wouldn't fancy going into a season with just Rocky, Roberts, Derbyshire and Fowler as the options - even in a 4-5-1. Only Roberts and Rocky can play the lone striker role.

This is a tricky one.

THere are a lot of players out there who are better than Benni and have far more years in them for 7m pound. Benni was one of our worst players last season. There is nothing to indicate it would be any different this year.

[bubblerrovers]

This is only a good idea if get a good replacement, and his name is not Robbie Fowler, If not selling him to someone who will be in the same group of teams fighting for mid table it could be suicide

[thenodrog]

Can you not read back a couple of pages!?

The lazy bguggers just do your head in don't they?

[modes98]

Ok so we take £7m for Benni, then who do you bring in?

Maybe you could find a little more cash to give you a kitty of £10m for a striker. We are looking for a player with a proven goal scoring record in the PL, because that is what we are losing. Strikers especially good ones aren't easy to find, none of Roberts, Derbyshire or Fowler are the answer, unless the question is do we want to go down.

I apprieciate that Benni can be frustrating but you cannot doubt his ability and talent to change a game. It's up to Ince to motivate him, that's why we pay him afterall.

[thenodrog]

at least he managed to net those penalties. i can remember a lot of missed pens the last couple of seasons.

BM's learned to hit em harder after the Bolton debacle of two seasons ago. It usually works too.

[T4E]

At 31 and looking increasingly disinterested £7m for Benni seems to be good business.

The flip side is that Benni, on his day, can be world class. Moreover, what do you get for £7m these days in terms of a replacement??

I wouldn't fancy going into a season with just Rocky, Roberts, Derbyshire and Fowler as the options - even in a 4-5-1. Only Roberts and Rocky can play the lone striker role.

This is a tricky one.

Agreed totally. Since this broke I've been trying to get my head around it, and I keep coming back to the thought that I'd like Benni to stay. Perhaps I'm being influenced by the strong feeling that this will only stiffen Ince's resolve to sign Fowler.

Anyone got any bright ideas for a replacement?

[hawkiiz]

Benni was one of our worst players last season. There is nothing to indicate it would be any different this year.

according to the doom and gloom brigade the entire team was terrible. even bentley, the manager and john williams have been mocked for having lost it during last season.

benni is class.

[thenodrog]

I guess Benni and Dwight'll be perfectly happy chillin and smoking ganja behind the bike sheds at Sunderlands training ground whilst Keane puts the rest of the squad through iron man equivalent training routines.

[JAL]

As for replacement, there is another three weeks before the window closes and for Fowler to rise to the opportunity.

Final point on replacing Benni, IF he goes, why do we need to if we are likely to play with one up (RSC?).

Please, please philipl, come on, this is very negative of you, one up front, Fowler to rise to the opportunity your making me weap.

As for the Cruz on his own up front if I was him i'd be pretty peed off in being expected to carry the team all on my own doing all the donkey work and expected to score the goals.

If they are looking to offload Benni surely they must have an alternative which nicko doesnt know about as of yet looking forward to the speculation.

[alexanders]

What's Kitson's value?

[Silencio]

Agreed totally. Since this broke I've been trying to get my head around it, and I keep coming back to the thought that I'd like Benni to stay. Perhaps I'm being influenced by the strong feeling that this will only stiffen Ince's resolve to sign Fowler.

Anyone got any bright ideas for a replacement?

If we sell Benni and don't bring in REAL big quality as a replacement and give Robbie Fowler a contract then that will be a disgrace and an embarrassment and we might as well forfeit out Premier League status at that point.

The sad thing is I think Ince is dying to sign Fowler.

[joey_big_nose]

according to the doom and gloom brigade the entire team was terrible. even bentley, the manager and john williams have been mocked for having lost it during last season.

benni is class.

Why on earth do you think this? Most of the goals he scored were penalties, I can't remember him actually having a overall decent game for us. Part of that isn't Benni's fault I suppose: the delivery from pedersen was a lot weaker than the year before, the quality of RSC made him more of a target for passes than Benni, RSC ran the same areas of the pitch as benni, our weaker central midfield meant we created less chances than the year before.

Those things aside however he still failed to convert easy chances, rarely got into decent positions to recieve the ball and gave defenders very little to think about.

I like Benni as a player but I just can't see him having a future at the club. Doesn't fit with RSC, getting on a bit, and really looks like he is going to take it easy over the coming months.

[alexanders]

According to Ince he has been spending too much time at McDonald's instead of Ewood.