[Archived] Nickos Thread

[AussieinUk]

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.

Its Opta stats only and based on week in, week out games.. You will also ntoice I highlighted in my post that Bentley has a big difference 'with' and 'without' the ball, which may indicate that the he is lazy winning the ball, but feels alot more confident with it.

Nike actually did tests on the four that I mentioned previously, using the same boots.

Anwyay, read into this whatever way you want, but 'Emu' is not in the EPL top 10.

[philipl]

You guys are massively massively under-rating how good and how important Bentley was for us last season.

[T4E]

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

Quite surprising that. As good as Ronaldo is, I never thought he was speedy.

Not sure this really answered the debate. Get them all on Superstars and lets sort this out.

[Esulx]

In fairness Philipl, your key word in that statement was last season.

He's gone now and we want a bit of niggling at him for doing so. We're only reacting the same way as when any of our decent players leave. No-one is arguing that he wasnt great for us, we're still just a little bitter thats all. Christ, the Lucash thing will probably rumble on for another year or so and I dont think many would argue when I say that he was a great player for us.

To be honest, if someone came in for Bents last summer, he'd have gone for £6m or so. During last season, he performed great, got England caps and boosted his value to the lovely sum of £15m.

Last season is last season though. He's not wearing a Rovers shirt now so as far as I am concerned, he's fair game for some stick.

[malk]

In fairness Philipl, your key word in that statement was last season.

He's gone now and we want a bit of niggling at him for doing so. We're only reacting the same way as when any of our decent players leave. No-one is arguing that he wasnt great for us, we're still just a little bitter thats all. Christ, the Lucash thing will probably rumble on for another year or so and I dont think many would argue when I say that he was a great player for us.

To be honest, if someone came in for Bents last summer, he'd have gone for £6m or so. During last season, he performed great, got England caps and boosted his value to the lovely sum of £15m.

Last season is last season though. He's not wearing a Rovers shirt now so as far as I am concerned, he's fair game for some stick.

Spot on, I'd only add that a fair ammount of the vitriol for him probably comes from the fact that he mailed it in for the last few games of the season. This is especially grating when he started banging on about european football. Had the bugger played properly up to the end of the season we could well have been there ourselves.

Not that it was just Bentley that looked stagnant, a fair few of the players and a certain silver haired welshman are subject to the same accusation!

TRP: I've wanted to see what McCarthy would produce this coming season for a while after assuming that he realises that a "big" club won't be looking for him any longer. Seven million though... I'd have to wish him a fond farewell.

[67splitscreen]

CM/RM

Here's a few not mentioned.

Franco Semioli at Fiorentina would be a direct replacement for Bentley, would he come though?.

David Odonkor at Betis, he's lost his way a bit, may welcome a change.

Dario Srna the croatian at Shakhtar Donetsk would be a top signing for us he can play right winger or right back, so he and Emerton could interchange positions throughout the match.

Ibrahim Afellay at PSV and Patrick Ebert at Hertha Berlin can play right wing, but they can play right across the middle, but again your in the territory of would they leave their current club for rovers.

[den]

In fairness Philipl, your key word in that statement was last season.

He's gone now and we want a bit of niggling at him for doing so. We're only reacting the same way as when any of our decent players leave. No-one is arguing that he wasnt great for us, we're still just a little bitter thats all. Christ, the Lucash thing will probably rumble on for another year or so and I dont think many would argue when I say that he was a great player for us.

To be honest, if someone came in for Bents last summer, he'd have gone for £6m or so. During last season, he performed great, got England caps and boosted his value to the lovely sum of £15m.

Last season is last season though. He's not wearing a Rovers shirt now so as far as I am concerned, he's fair game for some stick.

Your problem with that though, will be that no-one will take your posts seriously.

[PAFELL]

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

He soon forgot Rovers.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Very dangerous move selling Benni.

Man U still could be just around the corner(CRUZ)

Berbatov says he would prefer Barca to Utd.

If we knew for sure Roque was safe then yes it's good business.

A very real and horrible scenario.Keep ALL your players now Rovers.....enough of selling please.

[Poita]

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

Sorry Prof, but that isn't true at all.

He recorded a very fast time over 30m, but no where near the sprinters. A Shot Putter actually holds the record.

Bert is regarded though as one of the fittest athletes within Australia.

[JAL]

£7m for Benni Mac now, excellent business, would we be able to command such a fee come the end of the season, doubt it, for me this is a natural progression with which Paul ince is charged with managing - god as Ince got it easy all that dosh to splash on a replacement.

I heard Podolski's name mentioned within the first few days of Ince arriving so maybe there could be something in it, anyhow as Fowler not gone yet so that Ince has to look for two forwards not one.

[AJW]

mcarthy - dont think he will go to sunderland , he wants european football , he misses the champs league, only stupid money will tempt him to go there

galatasray are a different story they're guaranteed euro footy every season , the style of footy will also suit him as for a replacement, well i have a feeling ince will go with a lone striker ( santa cruz) with 5 in midfield , 2 wide men 2 central midfielders with strength and energy and 1 "floating " i.e villanueva and with roberts , derbyshire , (fowler possibly) gallacher and rigters all currently on the books ince may decide he doesnt need another striker.

[Kai]

David Odonkor at Betis, he's lost his way a bit, may welcome a change.

Odonkor? Odonkey is more like it. Fast as #### but just completely awful at everything else. Very similar to Aaron Lennon (Lennon's marginally better with the ball), who we also incidently don't want.

[Fife Rover]

If he is then I take it we can expect you to take up a cudgel too Simon!

Oh yes? In that case you can expect me to take up my umbrella to defend him, so be warned Theno!

[67splitscreen]

Odonkor? Odonkey is more like it. Fast as #### but just completely awful at everything else. Very similar to Aaron Lennon (Lennon's marginally better with the ball), who we also incidently don't want.

He has been under the knife quite a bit in the last two years.

Did show a lot of potential 2006 WC.

So the other four, must not be to shabby then.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Personally - if we are going to play with a lone striker - I don't think McCarthy would be particularly suitable. £7 - 8m would represent excellent business for a player that currently doesn't appear interested or particularly fit. If Santa is absent - I would prefer Roberts in the lone striker role - at least you would get some effort from him.

A tough one for Ince - but if he can line up somebody to replace McCarthy - preferably somebody with pace - it may suit all parties.

[philipl]

Personally - if we are going to play with a lone striker - I don't think McCarthy would be particularly suitable. £7 - 8m would represent excellent business for a player that currently doesn't appear interested or particularly fit. If Santa is absent - I would prefer Roberts in the lone striker role - at least you would get some effort from him.

A tough one for Ince - but if he can line up somebody to replace McCarthy - preferably somebody with pace - it may suit all parties.

You'd get some effort from me as well if I were the loan striker for Rovers and you wouldn't have to pay me a million a year for the privilege.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

You'd get some effort from me as well if I were the loan striker for Rovers and you wouldn't have to pay me a million a year for the privilege.

Ah - but are you as quick as Emo

[Fife Rover]

i think with annan coming to us (nearly garunteed) and pennant price being touted at 4m which is the price mention by nicko earlier i think our new attack would be looking like this:

--pennant--dunn--annan--pedersen--

---------villanueva---------------------

------------------santa cruz------------

which i think would provide plenty of exciting football as villanueva and annan would provide pace,

dunn, villanueva, and pennant will provide creativity, pedersen providing crosses and santa cruz providing the goals!

thats an attacking force to be reckon with!

Ok that looks quite exciting; just one little quibble though. Why does everyone that draws up these proposed line-ups on here seem to assume that Vilanueva is going to play on the right hand side of midfield? He is almost exclusively left-footed as can easily be seen in all the U-Tube vid's.

[brian_gallagher85]

A very real and horrible scenario.Keep ALL your players now Rovers.....enough of selling please.

Steady on now... Moko still hasn't moved to Stoke yet

[The Prof.]

Sorry Prof, but that isn't true at all.

He recorded a very fast time over 30m, but no where near the sprinters. A Shot Putter actually holds the record.

Bert is regarded though as one of the fittest athletes within Australia.

A shot putter - how did that work then? Forgot to let go of the shot?

[nicko]

Everton signing Alan Smith tomorrow...poor business.

[67splitscreen]

Nice list.

You should add:

Fernando Ezequiel Cavenaghi , Bordeux

Nihat Kahveci, Villareal

And Roque, strike partner. in a (4-4-2 at home)

"The Bull" Salvador Cabanas 27 year old., he has looked very impressive in internationals, along side Roque for Paraguy.

Top scorer in most leagues he has played in.

Roughly a goal in two played.

Cabanas is valued at around 5 million, he's only has 1 year left on his contract with Club America

[Denis_B]

Everton signing Alan Smith tomorrow...poor business.

And that slime ball of an agent Alex Black makes more money from tarting his players around

[67splitscreen]

He is almost exclusively left-footed as can easily be seen in all the U-Tube vid's.

Fife is that not the free role position behind Roque.

Just go and create havoc, in and around the box