[Archived] Nickos Thread

[DanLad]

7th August we awake to Mail headline that Benni is the subject of a bid from Sunderland…conveniently supported by assertion that he ‘feels the need for a fresh challenge’ and the amount Sunderland are supposedly willing to bring to the table.

Benni Mc - The new Dwight Yorke?

Keane is a tactical genius if he can devise a way to win when playing with 2 players who look like they're nailed to the floor...

[nicko]

Nicko, any clue of Benni´s price? £7 would be a robbery. And you stepped over Pennant..any news on him?

I believe Sunderland would pay £7 million...it could come down to the cost of a replacement.

Pennant's price is still too high. Not sure he is the answer anyway.

[AussieinUk]

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

I very much doubt it.. On grass, with boots, no chance will a footballer do a sub-ten on the 100m. (please lets not get into actual acceleration)

Agbonlahor (1) and Lennon (2) are the quickest in the EPL without any doubt (footaball speed, not sprinting).. and I am not joking!

[Ricky]

yet they were rumoured to be willing to pay £8.5m for a crock (saha)

I'd still probably take £7m for him. 3 goals from open play last season wasn't good enough at all.

[RoverRich]

Pennant's price is still too high. Not sure he is the answer anyway.

Who do you reckon would be the answer for our right wing then Nicko?

And do you reckon we will have Annan before the weekend?

[AussieinUk]

Aye, Nicko, just wondered if Warnock to Newcastle is still rumbling on?

Yes - Nicko can you tell us again, if Warnock is still 'on' for Newcastle? Could you also possibly due the same update for tomorrow?

[Hughesy]

Nicko - what is Anna going to cost us?

Its already been mentioned we have agreed terms prior to the trial - any ideas?

Hows Sable doing? Is it going to be one or the other or both?

[nicko]

ANNAN - I think the price is about £1.5 million.

MCCARTHY - Waiting to see the colour of Sunderland's money as we speak.

[Esulx]

£1.5 mill for the new "Essien"... that's a good shout.

[Hughesy]

£1.5m for annan seems like a bargain – worth a punt surely! I mean seriously we got £2.5m for Kuqi, so im sure we can recoup £1.5m on a midfielder who is only young and has a big future ahead of him as the ‘new essien’.

[Sparky Marky]

I very much doubt it.. On grass, with boots, no chance will a footballer do a sub-ten on the 100m. (please lets not get into actual acceleration)

Agbonlahor (1) and Lennon (2) are the quickest in the EPL without any doubt (footaball speed, not sprinting).. and I am not joking!

I thought Walcott would be in the picture there....Brett's not slow.

[The Prof.]

I believe Sunderland would pay £7 million...it could come down to the cost of a replacement.

Pennant's price is still too high. Not sure he is the answer anyway.

REPLACEMENT! - £1.99 from Asda - a cushion would do it - or we could push the boat out and go for a heated tea cosy to keep the bench warm at £3.99.

No seriously - great player Sunderland should feel lucky such a great player is interested in them and we would let him go for £8m. Good Luck in your new career Benni.

Nicko, any clue of Benni´s price? £7 would be a robbery. And you stepped over Pennant..any news on him?

No no lets not be hasty - if they want us to rob them then thats fine by me.

Benni Mc - The new Dwight Yorke?

Keane is a tactical genius if he can devise a way to win when playing with 2 players who look like they're nailed to the floor...

[T4E]

Agbonlahor is ridiculously quick, as is Walcott. I'd be very surprised if Bert is top 10 in the Prem.

[AussieinUk]

I thought Walcott would be in the picture there....Brett's not slow.

Apparently, back in Feb this year, speed tests (standardised) by Nike were performed on Walcott, Ronaldo, Gabby and Lennon. Guess who came first & second?

And I agree with you, 'Emu' is not slow at all (mentally or physically).

[Nelsta]

If it was a dash to the pie shop, i bet benni would leave them all for dust.

[Ronin]

If it was a dash to the pie shop, i bet benni would leave them all for dust.

Quickly followed by Dunn

[The Rover of Finland]

Happy to see Benni gone IF it means someone in. And Fowler ain´t the one. There should be money enough already and Benni´s sale would be great add. But I would like to see few big buy rather than many small. Annan is still very OK bargain.

Nicko, do you know if Ince has marked a striker replace Benni? I know you won´t name anyone..

[Nelsta]

Quickly followed by Dunn

See, we dont need to buy any new players, Get some sticks tie pies to them, And hang them off Benni's an Dunnys head and we'll be sorted.

[joey_big_nose]

ANNAN - I think the price is about £1.5 million.

MCCARTHY - Waiting to see the colour of Sunderland's money as we speak.

What is it that Keano is smoking? If I was one of his backers I would be seriously concerned about the money he fritters away. That said I have no problem with him giving us the money to find a top class striker to play alongside Cruz.

Anyhow as far as Rovers are concerned:

If Benni goes we could be looking at having c. £27m total to spend for 3 players. One more central midfielder (on top of Annan), one striker (to replace Benni), one right winger.

Personally I don't mind too much if one of those three is a Pennant type - decent and with potential but without being spectacular. But two of the three have to be serious high quality established players.

If we can get them cheap (a la McCarthy, Cruz) then thats brilliant. But if we need to spend we should. We will be in a position to put a serious offer on the table for Joaquin or Saviola or Podolski. The players can turn their nose up at it, but we are at least at the races.

Come Everton we might have signed around 8 first team players in the window! Hard to say that Ince hasn't stamped his presence on the club!

It is going to be interesting.

[modes98]

I'd still probably take £7m for him. 3 goals from open play last season wasn't good enough at all.

To be fair to the man he did only play half the season. He was rightly dropped but a player of his ability should have been brought back and given a solid run of games to try and regain his form. Instead we had to watch 'barn door' Roberts.

£7m is a great return but not at the cost of losing his threat, money is great but it's spending it correctly that counts. Getting a replacement sorted before he left would be a priority and he would have to be a quality striker imo.

To add to that we still need a CM and probably a RM. So there are plenty of things to be addressed in a week!!!

[RoverRich]

Apparently, back in Feb this year, speed tests (standardised) by Nike were performed on Walcott, Ronaldo, Gabby and Lennon. Guess who came first & second?

And I agree with you, 'Emu' is not slow at all (mentally or physically).

Just been looking on the Nike 'who is fastest' website and overall Lennon only finished 10th! They looked at speed with the ball and speed to the ball and Lennon was let down by his speed with the ball. Rooney finished 3rd behind Agbonlahor and Ronaldo!! And somehow the pacey Bentley came 7th ahead of the likes of Ashley Young, Martins and Lennon!

Link: http://www.skysports.com/whoisthefastest/index.html - then go to head-to-head stats at bottom

[AussieinUk]

Sidenote, T4E is correct - I believe that Opta rated the top 10 for last season, on a weekly basis & during game time only. (to the ball @mph/with ball @mph)

1. Gabby 21.1/20.8

2. Ronaldo 21/20.7

3. Rooney 20.8/20.9

4. Walcott 20.5/20.6

5. Adebayor 20.6/20.4

6. Torres 20.6/20.4

7. Bentley 19.6/21.3

8. Young 20.3/20.4

9. Martins 20.5/20.1

10. Lennon 20.6/19.6

EDIT: Roverich - Cheers! I got the details sent in a email by a mate, a few months ago when arguing with a mate. Dont forget this is game time by Opta only

[malk]

Sidenote, T4E is correct - I believe that Opta rated the top 10 for last season, on a weekly basis & during game time only. (to the ball @mph/with ball @mph)

1. Gabby 21.1/20.8

2. Ronaldo 21/20.7

3. Rooney 20.8/20.9

4. Walcott 20.5/20.6

5. Adebayor 20.6/20.4

6. Torres 20.6/20.4

7. Bentley 19.6/21.3

8. Young 20.3/20.4

9. Martins 20.5/20.1

10. Lennon 20.6/19.6

EDIT: Roverich - Cheers! I got the details sent in a email by a mate, a few months ago when arguing with a mate.

I think this shows that it isn't a great test though. There's no way a player should be faster with the ball than without.

[joey_big_nose]

Is Bentley actually fast? He never seemed that quick to me?

[Esulx]

If you drew a few £ signs on the ball he may have chased it quicker... allegedly.