[Archived] Big Fat Sam's Shopping List

[Amo]

Sean Davis, Seitaridis, Leroy Lita - All worth taking a chance on free transfers.

[Guest benmaxwell]

Albin Ebondo - Could be good. Maybe Givet could have a chat with him?

Stephanie Mbia - "The new Vieria" - Which is why Arsenal want him...

Jerome Rothen - Wrong side of 30 and as a winger, is going to lose his pace over the coming years. Would make a hefty dent in our wage budget to. Could be a option, but i'm more in favour of signing a RM and having Diouf as the option LM/RM player...

Mido - No thanks...

Carlos Kameni - He's already said no to a move to a team like Rovers i believe...

Javier Flano - Would give us options at CB and RB. Has played at most levels for Spain internationally except Full... Only 24...

Milan Jovanovic - Good scoring record. Don't know allot about him.

Simon Vukevic - Good player, but has issues. Only 20 something games in 2 years?

Aly Cissokho - Only joined Porto 5 months ago.

Sidney Govou - Hmm... Not sure...

Sylvain Monsoreau - Has had some worrying fitness issues at Saint-Étienne.

Bafetimbi Gomis - Not got the most impressive scoring record to be fair.

[thenodrog]

Something doesn’t add up here. The club wants to cut its wage bill to 34/35 million per annum- yet turnover will still be around 55 million (largely due to the massive amount of cash it pockets from SKY).

Last financial year, the club made a 7 million profit on a 7th placed finish – with a wage bill of 39 million. I am lead to believe that prize money has increased slightly from last season- meaning that in real terms their isn’t much difference between a 7th placed finish & finishing 12-14th this season ( perhaps 2 million less).

Therefore, Sam will not be given any new finance (just money recouped from sales of players) yet he has got to slash 15% off the playing staff’s wages- this is an incredible statement. Given the fact that the trust are equally to blame for this seasons brush with relegation – they know appear to be moving the goalposts yet again. When will these supposed business people learn?

I wonder how much would be cut if we had been relegated?

I think a few scenarios could apply. I don't think we will be the only club with this intention. WHU, Pompey, Lpool, Bolton spring immediatley to mind. Maybe Everton, Fulham and Chelsea too. The current financial conditions mean that the rich have been hit hardest and will be in no mood to fritter wealth on the black hole that is Prem football. Maybe cutting the wage bill also makes the club more saleable

At Ewood SA declared that he was looking to run with a smaller squad so I guess this intention has been known for some time. I think we prob do have too many championship quality players on Prem wages in the squad in all honesty.

[Craigman]

I can't see a problem with us not having much to spend and having to reduce the wage bill. Surely this is much better than our club making a loss each season and ending up in toruble (administration has happened to lots of clubs lately). We need to keep the club in a decent financial viable state. I am just happy we are still in the Premier League.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Seems like the Trustees have finally cottened on that Williams running up a large overdraft to fund double digit wage bill increases doesn't make the club more attractive to investors.

We can get rid of fringe squad players at the end of their contracts, but who will take our under-performing big earners off our hands? I can see us having half a dozen Matteos hanging around the place: unplayable and unsellable.

I never understood why our wage bill had to be substantially above those of Bolton and Wigan.

[Amo]

Paul Robinson

André Ooijer

Stephen Warnock

Christopher Samba

Tugay

Ryan Nelsen

Brett Emerton

David Dunn

Roque Santa Cruz

Benni McCarthy

Vince Grella

Morten Gamst Pedersen

Zurab Khizanishvili

Aaron Mokoena

Steven Reid

Keith Andrews

El Hadji Diouf

Carlos Villanueva

Keith Treacy

Martin Olsson

Jason Roberts

Jason Brown

Mark Bunn

Aaron Doran

Andy Haworth

Alan Judge

Paul Gallagher

Maceo Rigters

Matt Derbyshire

------------------------------------

The highlighted players will be offloaded, trimming the wage bill down and hopefully making us £15-20m+ in transfer kitty, which will go towards a new striker and attacking midfielder - as well as the players I mentioned above (Sean Davis, Seitaridis, Lita) and anyone else Sam has his eye on.

[Eddie]

So you're getting rid of 2/3 keepers and Zurab, who is probably a relatively inexpensive but capable back-up.

[Tom]

The free transfers mentioned all look sensible shouts to me apart from possibly VDM.

Only 1 week till silly season officially begins and we get hundreds of guests and new members asking Nicko the same questions over and over along with some undercover Villa fans and the like.

Joy.

[Amo]

So you're getting rid of 2/3 keepers and Zurab, who is probably a relatively inexpensive but capable back-up.

With Nelsen, Samba, and (hopefully) Givet we have three solid centre-backs. Might as well keep a youngster as 4th choice and free up another wage packet.

And there's been talk of a couple of keepers coming to Ewood, which means Brown & Bunn should be moved on.

[rovers1993]

ur keeping treacy instead of zurab?? and having no backup for robinson? lol... get real

we have to have 2 back up keepers. just look at this season when both brown and robbo was injured and we needed bunn.

[modes98]

I doubt Dunn and Bunn will leave. All the rest from that list are welcome to leave, we just have to be careful that we don't take too much out of the squad and end up with no depth at all.

[LeChuck]

The wage cut thing fits in perfectly with what Sam was saying about reducing the size of the first team squad to 18 quality players. We're going to need players like Judge, Doran, Olsson etc. to play their part next year, that's for sure.

[Amo]

ur keeping treacy instead of zurab?? and having no backup for robinson? lol... get real

How many appearances has Zurab made this year?

And no, you don't think I'm actually suggesting we clear all these players out without lining up replacements? Kameni and that young keeper (whose name eludes me) have been linked here recently. Brown isn't a bad reserve, but he's put no pressure on Robinson. Same for Bunn.

[jny]

and

300,000th post

[modes98]

Kameni and that young keeper (whose name eludes me) have been linked here recently.

Kameni would only come in as a number 1 I would think. Can't see him wanting to sit on our bench and if he does then Robbo will be looking to move out especially in a world cup year. Are you thinking of the Preston keeper? Lonegan. Think there may have been another linked as well.

If we are after the best lower league keeper then Keiran Westwood is the man! Makes Coventry look half decent, very good command of his area, distribution is great and his reaction stops are up there with most premiership keepers.

[rovers1993]

kameni would no way come for backup... its either robinson or kameni, cannot have both. the keeper ur mentioning is the preston keeper. why would 1st team keeper come to be back-up and how do u know if he is better than brown and bunn already. our keeper is set for now... there much more important area where we need to get rid and replace.

[Bazzanotsogreat]

The club has operational running costs ie stadium/pitch maintanance etc. Legal costs. Loans. Travel expenses per season including tours. Staff wages. Merchandise outlay. Reserve and acadamy expenses including using Christie Park etc...

All of which are extremley small- staff wages are included in the club's wage bill.

[Amo]

Who said Kameni would be back-up? I can see only positives having two competitive goalkeepers, especially when one of them will cost the club nothing in transfer fees.

And it wasn't the Preston keeper. This guy was from abroad.

[BuckyRover]

We are not signing another keeper on big wages. Robbo will be our keeper well into the future

[Mr. E]

In order for us to have a respectable season next time a massive exodus of players needs to happen. A good deal are simply not good enough.

[modes98]

Who said Kameni would be back-up? I can see only positives having two competitive goalkeepers

I'm sure Robinson and Kameni wouldn't see to many positives in it. How many premiership clubs have got 2 first choice keepers? Not even, Man u, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool. Come on.

[Amo]

I'm sure Robinson and Kameni wouldn't see to many positives in it. How many premiership clubs have got 2 first choice keepers? Not even, Man u, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool. Come on.

Chelsea had Petr Cech and Cudicini (who could have walked into any Premiership side). Man. City have Shay Given and Joe Hart.

[Ninjathunder]

Chelsea had Petr Cech and Cudicini (who could have walked into any Premiership side). Man. City have Shay Given and Joe Hart.

and last season we had Brad Friedel and Peter Enkel..... oh.

[DE.]

Goalkeeper is not a priority. Robbo & Bunn are fine as 1st and 2nd choice... not sure why there's even any interest in us replacing either. There are other areas of our current squad that need tending to urgently, GK isn't one of them.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Therefore, Sam will not be given any new finance (just money recouped from sales of players) yet he has got to slash 15% off the playing staff’s wages- this is an incredible statement. Given the fact that the trust are equally to blame for this seasons brush with relegation – they know appear to be moving the goalposts yet again. When will these supposed business people learn?

YE GODS! I hope you are wrong mate I really do...what a depressing scenario indeed!!

The simple facts are that this team needs major surgery and investment come the Summer break,if not then its more of the same struggle........

Its as clear as daylight.