[Archived] Nicko's Thread

[Majiball]

In which case Villa might get a little closer - for one season.

The top four are SO far in front of the rest it's untrue. Some other club might take advantage of a major downturn in form, - for one season - and that would be whoever is nearest to them at the time, not necessarily Villa.

The foundations in place at the top four clubs mean that no-one in the medium term can match them.

I honestly think that Liverpool are there for the taking, yes it would take some effort but they are the ones to catch. I do not see any team catching united, Chelsea or Arsenal. Rafa is a strange one, his transfer dealings have bemused me this year, they have really weak flanks, he'll do his usual rotation policy and they will drop silly points again.

There to be taken.

[vintageadidas]

Why would there be trouble? The vast majority of both Villa and Rovers fans are sensible, decent types. I think that the way you engage with opposition fans on this board is great too!

Believe me there will be. I dont want to say much more but coach windows put through, bricks thrown, scaffold bars used happened last season.

They have used Villa v Rovers in the last two seasons as a non-policing game. Just the ticket for idiots to go on a rampage.

[riggers77]

Nicko I have just heard that we are selling Roque to Villa for 16 million plus reo coker? Is there any truth in that...please say not?

[Tom 1]

Believe me there will be. I dont want to say much more but coach windows put through, bricks thrown, scaffold bars used happened last season.

They have used Villa v Rovers in the last two seasons as a non-policing game. Just the ticket for idiots to go on a rampage.

Sounds chavvy.

Just embarrassing on our part and on Blackburns. I'm not surprised it's a non policed game, the teams have absolutely no relevance to each other really and have never had any rivalry.

Nicko I have just heard that we are selling Roque to Villa for 16 million plus reo coker? Is there any truth in that...please say not?

Well that's that rumour dead right there. MON loves him.

[Ewood and I Would]

I honestly think that Liverpool are there for the taking, yes it would take some effort but they are the ones to catch. I do not see any team catching united, Chelsea or Arsenal. Rafa is a strange one, his transfer dealings have bemused me this year, they have really weak flanks, he'll do his usual rotation policy and they will drop silly points again.

There to be taken.

I think Arsenal are more vunerable than Liverpool to be honest. If Keane and Torres works as a partnership it will be awesome! Arsenal only just beat West Brom and personally didn't think they outplayed them by that much. Adebayor could have a benniesque season after his head was turned and they seem to be relying on 16 year midfielders quite a bit.

If it's not this year, I really think Arsenal will suffer due to their wage and contract policy in future years. They should never have let Hleb leave so easily..

[Billy Castell]

Sounds not so bad to me, a few years ago we were 16th. I can handle that type of progress. You shouldn't let a minority of fans make you believe we're all deluded. I know we most likely won't make top four, I'd be delighted to make top 6 again considering the extra games we play this year.

I don't pay that much attention to the signings other teams make to be honest, our team on paper is nothing THAT special, it's just a good system that we have the players for with the odd top player like Young and Barry. If we ever got into the higher bits of the prem it wouldn't be with a special side full of classy names, it'd be a side which gets results and is effective.

Policing the Blues Villa game, ouch. I was at that game, the police locked all the Villa fans into the away end car park, the Birmingham fans surrounded it and were throwing bricks and bottles over the gates at all of us, it's a rough match all the time mainly because the Birmingham fanbase is scum. Mind..so are a few of ours.

Parking near Villa is a 50/50 shot of getting robbed, again ###### area.

There won't be anything to resist, we'll never bid 20m.

I don't think Villa fans are as arrogant as Spurs, and the improvement is heartening for fans of any team that was managed by Graham Taylor and John Gregory. My sister was at the game at Villa Park when it was the first time you 2 had played for 20 years or so. From what I remember it was the match that Dion Dubling got sent off for headbutting Savage. And when I told a Brum friend about the car her response was 'he parked his car in Aston??!!!' I suppose he was asking for it.

Anyway, go and buy Zigic, he's a bit like Carew, and doesn't play for Rovers. You already have Brad, and that's enough.

[The Rover of Finland]

Nicko I have just heard that we are selling Roque to Villa for 16 million plus reo coker? Is there any truth in that...please say not?

Good offer. But accepting it would be a butt f**k for us, fans. Maybe we should begin bidding Agbonlahor? £12m +Axe?

[BiggusLaddus]

There is one way? Persuade Bill Gates or the Sultan of Brunei to get into football. People have very short memories as the term "big four" is only about 4 years old and was the Big 3 until Roman came along. Chelsea were a mid table team before 2003

However it is sad that the only way to break it is to get a Billionaire owner who isn't too bothered about where is money goes.

No they were not.

They were top 6 regulars (usually higher) and had been winning cups for fun. They were apparently in lots of trouble financially, but had just finished 4th to qualify for the chumps league when Roman came in for them.

[AndyCV]

Think that's a made up offer to try and get Nicko to comment to be honest - I don't think O'Neill would sell Reo-coker

[Majiball]

I think Arsenal are more vunerable than Liverpool to be honest. If Keane and Torres works as a partnership it will be awesome! Arsenal only just beat West Brom and personally didn't think they outplayed them by that much. Adebayor could have a benniesque season after his head was turned and they seem to be relying on 16 year midfielders quite a bit.

If it's not this year, I really think Arsenal will suffer due to their wage and contract policy in future years. They should never have let Hleb leave so easily..

Fair enough you'll never convince me that Arsenal will finish fourth this year, there kids are nothing short of magical, and Helb is not a big a loss as is being made out, Nasri is a great prospect. I even have dollar on them to win it. Liverpool's full backs are weak, they have no wingers, babel may come good. I saw the west brom game, the gooners had how many shots on goal, in the first half they should have gone in 3 to the good. West brom had a couple of chances to equalise but did not, arsenal will click soon, then watch.

Oh and by the way in 5-6 years they will be the dominant force in England, some of there kids are different gravy.

[Ninja Boi]

Theres no way reo coker would leave Villa. Silly rumour!

[BRFC4EVA]

Not much to add from yesterday...

JOAQUIN - Down to price, but other right wingers still being watched. So that is far from settled.

Hi Nicko, this is the first time ive bothered to ask you something as im generally a reader rather then contributer. However, Joaquin is a player ive always held in very high regard and still think he is one of the best right wingers in the world-its exciting to hear him linked with us.

Anyways, as you say its down to price, but say that Rovers decide to go through with it, do you have any idea how likely it is he would want to join us? Or would it be a case of Valencia pushing through the deal due to cash shortages.

Thanks!

[BiggusLaddus]

Fair enough you'll never convince me that Arsenal will finish fourth this year, there kids are nothing short of magical, and Helb is not a big a loss as is being made out, Nasri is a great prospect. I even have dollar on them to win it. Liverpool's full backs are weak, they have no wingers, babel may come good. I saw the west brom game, the gooners had how many shots on goal, in the first half they should have gone in 3 to the good. West brom had a couple of chances to equalise but did not, arsenal will click soon, then watch.

Oh and by the way in 5-6 years they will be the dominant force in England, some of there kids are different gravy.

Not if they have to sell most of them.

Stories earlier in the summer that they had to raise £20m+ through transfers every season to pay for the stadium.

[AndyC]

Hi Nicko, this is the first time ive bothered to ask you something as im generally a reader rather then contributer. However, Joaquin is a player ive always held in very high regard and still think he is one of the best right wingers in the world-its exciting to hear him linked with us.

Anyways, as you say its down to price, but say that Rovers decide to go through with it, do you have any idea how likely it is he would want to join us? Or would it be a case of Valencia pushing through the deal due to cash shortages.

Thanks!

I'm sure he's always dreamed of playing for Blackburn Rovers and he can't wait to move to Lancashire.

"I can't have any complaints – Jason was awesome at Everton and I can't see the reason why he should be taken out of the starting line-up and obviously Roque's fantastic as well, he's scoring goals.

"Those two deserve to play but, if I can't get in the team then, yes, I would want the move."

Well put from Benni, I expected him to be complaining in that article, but there's not a hint of it. He knows he's not worthy of a starting place here at the moment, so has conceded he might have to look elsewhere. There are some other nice quotes in there too, but that one stood out for me.

agreed. thought he gave a great interview there and was very respectful.

[trueblue]

Can we please keep this to asking Nicko questions.. take the discussions elsewhere

[Majiball]

Not if they have to sell most of them.

Stories earlier in the summer that they had to raise £20m+ through transfers every season to pay for the stadium.

I cannot believe that they would have built the new stadium, knowing that they would have to sell each year, its also worth noting that they have not made a 20M profit on players this year, paper talk I think.

[LeChuck]

Can we please keep this to asking Nicko questions.. take the discussions elsewhere

I agree, but it's difficult.

The responsibility lies with the person starting the discussion, it's almost impossible for it to be 'carried' to the correct place after it's begun. Too many people are just putting links to anything and everything in here, when it has nothing to do with Nicko or what's being talked about.

[DingleBaiter]

Total lack of class, talking about opposition players is just a poor mans way of unsettling players

Anyone else think Gary Cook is the next 'Comical Ali'? Either that, or he's reading the Sid Wardell quote book for inspiration in his one-liners.

Gary Cook's pearlers

On another article from that wonderful Times Online, surprised to see it saying Hughes has just met Shinawatra for the first time. Then again, it is City - a club owned by a lunatic who felt it was safe to return to Thailand because of the planets (clearly as crackers as the French national team manager) and then suddenly changed his mind.

Hughes meets the crackpot

Nicko - do you think there is a trigger figure for Benedict, or do you think they're deliberately keeping their price high not to sell? As we got 2 mill for Kuqi, then the 9 mill banded about doesn't seem as ridiculous as at first, especially with it being Keane. Based on last season & snippets so far, we might as well have Bernie Mac in the squad.

[Ewood and I Would]

No they were not.

They were top 6 regulars (usually higher) and had been winning cups for fun. They were apparently in lots of trouble financially, but had just finished 4th to qualify for the chumps league when Roman came in for them.

You could say the same for Leeds and look where they are now...

[DeadlyDirk]

nicko,

You mentioned in the Joaquin comments that we are still looking at other right midfield targets due to the price, any other names of who they are? Pennant again I'm sure will be a name thrown around by some places until the end of the window.

[Ewood and I Would]

Oh and by the way in 5-6 years they will be the dominant force in England, some of there kids are different gravy.

Getting your opinion from Football Manager is never a good idea

Can we please keep this to asking Nicko questions.. take the discussions elsewhere

Mods make me chuckle, I always imagine you have to have OCD to be one and everything's got to be compartmentlised into its own special box. They're the type of people who go through their cupboards at home and make sure all their tins of beans are turned round so the labels are facing the same way

[Flopsy]

Nice to be recognised for your work eh Nicko Football 365 Mediawatch

You Read It Here First

'Sunderland boss Roy Keane is set to beat several Premier League rivals and sign Djibril Cisse' - EXCLUSIVE! in The Daily Mirror.

Top work to scribe Alan Nixon for putting all that work into the EXCLUSIVE!

Of course, he could have saved himself an awful lot of time by just reading the statement confirming the deal by Pape Diouf, the Marseille president, posted on their club website yesterday morning.

[roverich]

Can we please keep this to asking Nicko questions.. take the discussions elsewhere

If you are only interested in what Nicko has to say and not discussion then read the pinned topic "Nicko's News Ticker". That's exactly what it's there for.

I'd love to sign Joaquin but have doubts over his interest in joining us. Money can't be that big an issue though can it? He had a poor season last time round and although he's no old man he's not exactly a spring chicken so surely we can easily cover his cost with the Bentley money, what kind of money are Valencia after?

[Valois]

nicko,

any ideas on the difference between what valencia will sell joaquin for and what we will pay for him?

apologies if this has already been asked

thanks

Think they want around £10/£11million, blackburn are looking at around £8/£9miilion

[Ste B]

Getting your opinion from Football Manager is never a good idea

Mods make me chuckle, I always imagine you have to have OCD to be one and everything's got to be compartmentlised into its own special box. They're the type of people who go through their cupboards at home and make sure all their tins of beans are turned round so the labels are facing the same way

They can also stop you posting for a couple of weeks for being disrespectful. People are trying hard to try and sort this out, and thats the level of crap we get.