[Archived] Nicko's January Rumour Mill

[jim mk2]

Forget strikers, Rovers need a dynamic midfield player far more. Are Andrews and Grella good enough to keep us up ? I don't think so.

[47er]

Crouch would be an unbelievable signing! Because of his height people think he's just a tall man to get on the end of crosses. Mysteriously he is not as good in the air as he could be but has exceptional skills when the ball is played to his feet. I'd be ecstatic to see him at Ewood.

[Tris]

Why stop at Crouch? What's Daniele Dichio up to these days?

Good touch for a big man

At least the manager has identified what went wrong in the Newcastle and Bolton first halves - the incumbent strikers simply aren't tall enough.

[Exiled_Rover]

I'd be gutted if we got Crouch.

[Hughesy]

A choice of Crouch or Roque leading our line against relegation? Roque everytime...

Me too - but you have to consider Roque wants to go. We could also maybe net £12m on top of crouch and then hopefully that will help us get a top midfielder (although more likely to happen in summer)

[onlyoneDuff]

If it takes Diouf to get Emerton back to RB and Oojer to the bench, then I think we will be strengthened. My concern is that with all the striker talk, we will fail to add a center mid, which I believe is and has been our weakest area for a while

[Billy Castell]

...and a lot better. 9 million would surely make players like Janko and Zigic available?. Or even better than them?

I guess this is the backside of life with Sam Allardyce: being linked to 4 or 5 players every week, and 90 % of them rubbish.

Seen Zigic or Janko play much? Out of those two, I have only seen Zigic in Euro 2004, or another tournament around that time, and he was slow and a right donkey then. It was like he was doped up on elephant tranquilisers. Janko may be as good as Shearer, but I haven't seen him play. If RSC has to go, Crouch would be a pretty good replacement. And then we can have more money to buy a good central midfielder.

[roversmum]

Not a fan of Crouch at all.

Crouch and Spit - well if they come and do the business maybe I'll learn to love them but it's going to be jolly hard.

Will still be there cheering on my Rovers though.

[jim mk2]

. We could also maybe net £12m on top of crouch and then hopefully that will help us get a top midfielder

.....or more likely be trousered by the Jersey boys. Like the Bentley millions.

[philipl]

Well this completely cuts across Sam closing the door on Roque leaving this afternoon which was not a repeat of his press conference last night from what I could see.

To be sure of getting a new massive offer for Roque, surely he would have kept quiet?

Crouch has the advantage over all the other possible targets of at least being a proven PL striker. He has the downside of earning £90K a week so on his own takes up £1.5m of the budgeted £5m increase in wages and with Givet earning £2m, there is only £2m left (and what does Diouf earn?).

Lifting the wage bill to almost £45m in one window leaves the summer looking bereft.

So anyone thinking the delta between what RSC might be sold for (and lets face it with this news breaking, what we could screw out of City has dropped) and what we might pay for Crouch going anywhere but to the bank manager is probably going to be seriously disappointed.

Pompey are still in trouble but they have stabilised themselves with the disposals of Diarra and Defoe. Are they going to sell Crouch this late without a replacement? I believe Crouch was an early target for Harry at Spurs and they successfully resisted him on this one.

My hope is we keep Roque- it always has been.

[Eddie]

Crouch? Diouf?

Lost the plot.

[Billy Castell]

As much as I would like Crouch to replace RSC, I would baulk at the £90,000 p/w wages Phillipl believes is will be on.

[EwoodGlory]

Not a surprise, when I mentioned the disco clue to my boss before he thought of Crouch because of that dance and reminded me that Sam tried to get him at Newcastle.

[Commondore]

Seen Zigic or Janko play much? Out of those two, I have only seen Zigic in Euro 2004, or another tournament around that time, and he was slow and a right donkey then. It was like he was doped up on elephant tranquilisers. Janko may be as good as Shearer, but I haven't seen him play. If RSC has to go, Crouch would be a pretty good replacement. And then we can have more money to buy a good central midfielder.

I just don't think "pretty good" is good enough when we, for once, have money (atleast theoretically). I haven't seen Janko play and only managed one or two games with Zigic during his first spell at Santander (where I thougt he looked good technically for a big man and really benefitted from playing with a "tricky" strike partner in Munitis). Crouch will, at best, give us 10 goals in one season if played regularly. Thats not good enough for 9 million.

[Stevo]

How many would he create though?

[beerwins]

ok im being a bit of a stick in the mud here and dont get me wrong i wanted sam in the summer but over the last few games newcastle and bolton our first halves have been total dogshit, longball humped up to the forward, a bit like sam was known for playing at bolton, now with the second halves being a lot better, i kinda got the jist that we werent really trying to play the dull unimaginitive @#/? that bolton used to play, but i couldnt understand why a good manager like sam sends his players out in the first half with no agenda at all , unless the agenda was to lump it to the forwards in the first place.

I may well be talking absolute turd but rovers have never been a lump it team but 2 games i have seen the same tactic employed in the first half and now i see a 16 foot striker who holds the ball up well linked and im starting to worry.

Not only that but the fact that my major worry about centre midfield being not creative enough is worrying me too, this area of the park hasnt been mentioned once in all the jan window and this is very odd as most of the fans can see its a problem too.

Pls someone reasure me that we are not resolving to long ball up and under as oposed to a creative counter attacking team.

[Hughesy]

For £10m we could do much better than crouch. Someone with abit of pace would be good. The lad upfront at Seville would be good ha ha!

[Exiled_Rover]

Sunderland striker El Hadji Diouf is reportedly in talks with Blackburn over a proposed move to Ewood Park. (Sky Sports News - 2250 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their efforts to sell Darren Bent by offering the forward to Blackburn Rovers, should they sell Roque Santa Cruz. (The Times - 2228 GMT)

I'd jump all over that Bent deal.

[Billy Castell]

It is probably quite irrational Commodore but for some reason I think Crouch may work out, but I'd want him for less than £9m. £5m or so would be fine by me, but that is very unlikely. I'd like to see a youngster like Fryatt or Mackail-Smith looked at in the long term, and of course a happy and focused RSC wanging them in all season.

[Hughesy]

I think the dull 1st halves have come due to the fact that Sam has made it Crystal clear that the 1st stage of our performance is to keep it tight and try to not conceded no matter what. Whilst its 0-0 we can always win. Last night that went wrong, so he changed it around and we battered them from then in.

I think he is doing a great job with what he has been given and thanks to Ince making a real mess.

Diouf deal to cost us £2.8m according to Independent.

Rovers to pay £2.8m for Diouf

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

ok im being a bit of a stick in the mud here and dont get me wrong i wanted sam in the summer but over the last few games newcastle and bolton our first halves have been total dogshit, longball humped up to the forward, a bit like sam was known for playing at bolton, now with the second halves being a lot better, i kinda got the jist that we werent really trying to play the dull unimaginitive @#/? that bolton used to play, but i couldnt understand why a good manager like sam sends his players out in the first half with no agenda at all , unless the agenda was to lump it to the forwards in the first place.

I may well be talking absolute turd but rovers have never been a lump it team but 2 games i have seen the same tactic employed in the first half and now i see a 16 foot striker who holds the ball up well linked and im starting to worry.

Not only that but the fact that my major worry about centre midfield being not creative enough is worrying me too, this area of the park hasnt been mentioned once in all the jan window and this is very odd as most of the fans can see its a problem too.

Pls someone reasure me that we are not resolving to long ball up and under as oposed to a creative counter attacking team.

I dont think the style of our play is the biggest problem right now. We need to stay up at any cost, long ball or attractive counter attacking.

In terms of Crouch, i doubt we'll get him. Pompey selling him and then him coming here are two very slim possibilities. Although pompey are no world beaters i doubt he'd want to leave in order to endure a much tighter relegation battle. I reckon we'll get Diouf and be with Santa until the summer.

Having said that i do think that Crouch is probably the best alternative we have considering he's a proven prem player and is much less of a risk then Janko or whoever else we were linked with from abroad.

Roque at his peak is probably still a better player but considering he hasnt had the best of seasons, £10m or so and Crouch could be a decent bit of business.

[Hughesy]

According to Gaurdian - City are to offer us £18.5m + Ben Haim as the last offer. What do people think of that deal?? Id say that deal + Sturridge on loan might be acceptable.

Also iv just heard that Benjani might be going back to Pompey for £3m. Is this a follow on from the Crouch move Nicko?

Also wouldnt Villa become interested in Crouch should he become available??

[Billy Castell]

Ben Haim can stay at Citeh. We have enough defenders. I'd love £10m+ Ireland and Sturridge, but that really will not happen.

[spencey7]

Jesus H. Christ.

What has become of Blackburn Rovers Football Club?

Look at the players we're being linked with - El-Hadji Diouf, Darren Bent, and our "tentpole" £10m target is PETER F'ING CROUCH?!?

I pray to God we keep Roque. Please, please, please let us keep Roque. Surely Portsmouth wouldn't sell anyway.

I take it we're supposed to forget the £10m+ promised in transfer fees prior to this window?

Ridiculous.

(And before anyone posts all the usual "grow up"/"support the team" rubbish - My opinions differ to yours. Deal with it.)

[47er]

Ben Haim can stay at Citeh. We have enough defenders. I'd love £10m+ Ireland and Sturridge, but that really will not happen.

agree.Ben Haim would make little difference to us. Our problems are mid-field and upfront (should Roque go.)