[Archived] Nicko's January Rumour Mill

[EwoodGlory]

Nicko said the Crouch story wasn't his, and in the paper it says Simon Bird, I wonder if there is much competition between the Journalists?

Stick it on the scoop list anyway.

[Taggart]

We really shouldn't go for Nugent!

And I'd rather fight to keep Roque than get Crouch!

Completely agree - rather keep Roque, his impact on Wednesday night just proves how valueable he is to our team.

Not convinced Crouch is the answer for a replacement, personally i think we need someone with a bit ofd pace up front who can finish !

[Taggart]

I would rather have darren bent than peter crouch, Id be happy with £12 millon plus darren bent

Ditto - I would rather have Bent over crouch, he was red hot whilst with Charlton and offers much more than crouch in my opinion

[Atomicrover]

Ditto - I would rather have Bent over crouch, he was red hot whilst with Charlton and offers much more than crouch in my opinion

"I would rather have Bent over crouch...", Hmmmm

[my_name_is_Earl]

I'd rather have Crouch. He does a great job in holding the ball up and has a decent touch....ok he usually needs a few chances to score but so does Bent.

[Blue n White Rover]

Ditto - I would rather have Bent over crouch, he was red hot whilst with Charlton and offers much more than crouch in my opinion

Crouchy has the ability to win flick ons, he's good with his feet and can hold the ball up well, which is what we need. You have to also bare in mind that Crouchy has been in a relegation battle before with Southampton, and he played exceptionally well, hence why Liverpool paid so much for him. A great coup idmf we could get him. Intriguing few days ahead!

[Bobby G]

Roque has gone out again and stated he wishes to move to a bigger club BUT that he loves the club. He also says it may be strange to people that he can say both things, but its true.

[Kelbo]

Ditto - I would rather have Bent over crouch, he was red hot whilst with Charlton and offers much more than crouch in my opinion

Funny you should say that, each club Bent has been involved with have been relegated or close to it!!

For a big lad, Crouch has very quick feet, holds the ball up and will get his share of goals as well as being a real nuisance for the opposition at set pieces, sometimes that opens up for others to score, god, who will mark Samba and Crouch at set pieces???

[vintageadidas]

We need pace!!!!!!!!

I am happy with Crouch being linked but i dont see what he will offer to a team that does not put crosses in (when they are put in they are usually poor) and is very slow in building up an attack! Our midfield is pants without either an ageing turkish god or an injury prone local lad.

You have to have food to be able to eat or you go hungry!

[thenodrog]

DIOUF - If you pull the other business off then that becomes acceptable...if not then it is an appalling signing.

Thats a completely illogical statement.

Just for the record, I would prefer us to keep Roque. But if his exit is inevitable in this window, then I wouldn't mind Crouchie.

Exactly.

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.

If you think Crouch is rubbish you know nothing at all about football.

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.

Can't forget em if RSC follows Derbyshire out of the exit door. We need 4 remember.

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

I don't think your working background has taught you much about basic business practice. For example have you ever heard of the term 'return in investment' and do you think like most socialists that profit is a dirty word?

[jim mk2]

I don't think your working background has taught you much about basic business practice. For example have you ever heard of the term 'return in investment' and do you think like most socialists that profit is a dirty word?

Eh ? Nonsensical.

[thenodrog]

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.

You are thinking one dimensionally beerwins.

It was obvious to me in the first half that without Dunny's invention in the team the instructions were to hit the front two early in order to release Roberts as quickly as possible into the space left behind the defenders as they pushed forward. That is his biggest strength after all, and also is intended to make the best use of Benny's flicks and tricks. It didn't work so it was changed and the new system was successful. imo that is good tactical management.

Eh ? Nonsensical.

I'll allow you a little longer to understand the principle.

[gumboots]

If you think Crouch is rubbish you know nothing at all about football.

Could be he thinks Crouch is the 10% that isn't?

[Taggart]

I don't think your working background has taught you much about basic business practice. For example have you ever heard of the term 'return in investment' and do you think like most socialists that profit is a dirty word?

Whats the point in posting this ? and having a dig at someone`s "working background" ?

Its a thread for Nicko`s Transfer Mill - not an advert for Socialites.com !

[imy9]

Wow Peter Crouch, an excellent signing in my opinion for a striker in his prime, about to turn 28 with a very good pedigree.

However I would much prefer Darren Bent who has a better all round game, is younger and has what we clearly lack- pace.

[thenodrog]

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??

Why they've just signed Heskey?

As for City.... Cash only. Or is this regime like the last one and just full of empty promises and hot air? Spurs are reported to be offering cash so imo it's a case of 'if you cannot stand the heat then stay out of the kitchen'.

[thenodrog]

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.)

Diouff was bought by Lpool for 11m, Crouch bought by Lpool for into the teens of millions Crouch to Pompey similar, Bent to Spurs for 17m. God only knows the combined total transfer fees for these players so I'd say your opinion amounts to very little Spencey and there are lots of football managers whose opinions differ with yours. I know who I'd believe. So you deal with it.

jim mk2 hits the nail on the head, football is a team game and our midfield is @#/?, and you are all papping on about crouch, how is he or rsc going to get the balls they need? from emerton , or andrews or a maybe fit dunn or maybe a snails pace grella.

strikers arent nothing without a good midifeld unless you plan to lump it from defence every game, the amount of people getting caught up the striker drama is pathetic to say the least, you could sign the best two strikers in the world, but they wont score bugger all without a good midfield.

I would love to see a vote or poll about what fans think is most needed area to strengthen in the rovers team at the mo.

I know what you are trying to say but have you and Jim taken into consideration the fact that before long we might have have just 2 strikers in the squad compared to at least 9 midfielders?

Agree with the first part there. Sturridge must be part of any deal for RSC coming from City.

And if Sturridge will not come to Ewood what then? It isn't horse trading and slavery has been abolished.

Just posted the Guardian report of City's final offer on the transfer links pinned page.

It is woeful;

£18.5m NOT in cash

We can buy Ben Haim (it is NOT £18.5m + Ben Haim)

No loans offered

That is their final offer- they have explicitly said so.

So in other words they are not backing Sparky in his bid to get Roque when you consider how overboard against normal valuations they have gone for Bridge, Bellamy and De Jong.

It would be a disgrace if Rovers supinely accept this offer.

All I can say is that Sam's comments yesterday afternoon about it being too late to sell Roque to City and earlier that the valuation is £40m are going to look very silly if Roque is in sky blue on 3 February. None of us could believe a word he says in future.

You are assuming that the Guardian have the correct facts. Rem they are only a newspaper with space to fill Philip.... not the Holy Bible.

[BRFCBOY]

sky sports website says we have rejected another bid for cruz

[thenodrog]

So over to Spurs who have spectacularly fallen out with Liverpool over Keane.

But would Roque want to relocate the family to a club also in deep relegation trouble where his current Rovers wages are also at the top of their wage structure so he gets no pay rise?

I guess we need to ask Bentley.

Ditto - I would rather have Bent over crouch, he was red hot whilst with Charlton and offers much more than crouch in my opinion

Eh? Bent's hardly figured in the prem in 3 or 4 years and will have peaked years ago. Crouch has played much more football and would have played more but for the Spanish clown.

[Kelbo]

Nicko,

What would you rate the chances of Rovers signing Crouch?

I agree we need pace and indeed a CM, but Derbs had pace, you need much more than pace, a top quality player with pace would cost how much?? and there arent many of them around and available to Rovers.

As for a quality CM, yes but who and where are they???

Take away Gerrard, Lampard, Ballack etc and there arent many, even Man U CM is not in my opinion world class (Carrick, Anderson, Scholes (ageing now) Hargreaves even Giggs has had to play there!!

I am sure if there was a good one available, Sir Alex, Wenger etc would be interested!!

[joey_big_nose]

With Cruz's comments and the clear lack of availability of strikers I think we may as well keep Cruz now. His attitude looks good, and the signing of Diuof should improve the service coming into the front players.

The main advantage in selling Cruz is that we can then sign two or three on top of a replacement to strengthen other weak areas (central midfield and right back). However as we now do not have the time to finalise deals like that that what is the point?

I think Santa will stay.

[hawkiiz]

N'Zogbia is demanding a move from the barcodes. he will never ever play under kinnear again.

How much for him?

We know santa want to play under Sparky, but city cant table a proper bid, so i guess that one is off? why should we sell then? he enjoy rovers, so why sell to spurs?

could we get diouf and still have santa?

santa is much better than crouch IMO.

[T4E]

I would honestly take Crouch over Santa Cruz. He's been scoring goals in this league for far longer than RSC, he's nowhere near as injury prone and he scores goals for a better national side than RSC.

If we can do that swap AND pocket £10m its a no brainer.

Would love to see Crouch busting out the robot in a Rovers shirt.

[mohelger]

Nicko said last week/earlier this week that Allardyce had wanted to buy a player, but didn't get the green light from the board. Much points to that player being Jimmy Bullard, if so then a central midfielder is on the manager's wishlist - but it remains to be seen whether a good enough player is/becomes availible.

If Tottenham bid big for Roque, a bid which includes Huddlestone would be great (don't know if he's in 'Arry's plans).

[bob fleming]

If Tottenham bid big for Roque, a bid which includes Huddlestone would be great (don't know if he's in 'Arry's plans).

I don't get this Huddlestone thing, I really don't. Too slow and too big. Just my opinion - I know there are plenty on here who would have him but if he's that good why isn't he starting for the mighty Spurs week in week out?