[Archived] Nicko's January Rumour Mill

[mclove]

I think we should have signed Robbie Keane, sorry if this is in the wrong thread?!

[DE.]

Nicko one last one what happened to the deals Zoro defender Benfica, Tschite the striker from Africa, Progrebnayk the russian striker & Al Muhammaddi the Egyptian winger thought the Egyptian guy was going to be flown in on a loan deal could that still happen as it is only a loan? thought also the russian striker was to be a loan as well did they just not complete it in time? or if they are to be loans could they still come in is anything still being worked on?

cheers for the nicko see you in here in the summer

I believe Nicko's already answered most of these earlier in the thread... Zoro had work permit issues. Poggy wasn't pursued as we didn't sell RSC, but a deal was apparently on the table should we have wanted to sign him. The Egyptian thought he was coming, but nobody else did, apparently we chose not to pursue that option... can't remember Tschite, but likely just agent talk.

[beerwins]

I think we should have signed Robbie Keane, sorry if this is in the wrong thread?!

All heart but no composure in front of goal , quite happy at keeping santa not too happy at the lack of vison in looking for centre mids though, not sure what goes in in these windows , im sure its chaos, but i feel we could have made more efoort even if it was a squad player, someone with tugays vison but 200 fags and 10 years younger would have been great.

Maybe someone should order this Egyptian a ticket back he was convinced he was coming haha.

[Fylde Coast Fan]

I think we should have signed Robbie Keane, sorry if this is in the wrong thread?!

Spurs got him for £12m but that may have included the cancellation of Liverpool's outstanding debt for the sale of Keane to Liverpool in the first place, which is rumoured to be £9m making the deal worth £21m in total. Assuming for a moment that Robbie Keane would have been willing to come to us, that's every penny of the Santa Cruz money and probably a little bit more. And then there's his Liverpool wages of around £80k per week.

[mclove]

I know FCF, pity cos he isnt even worth half that!

[T4E]

So then why do you think we should have bought him?

[Veevs]

The TV money is irrelevant as I said before. All the clubs recieve the same. All the clubs need to stay competitive with each other, therefore most of this just goes towards wage inflation and to a smaller extent transfer fee inflation.

It's why clubs spend 5 times as much on wages as they did in 1996/97.

Where did you work that one out mate.. TV money (for the EPL at least) is distributed according to clubs league postition.. See relevant article

[Hughesy]

I think it works out something like everyone gets £20m to start with, they then get £xm based on finishing position, and you can also get more tv money if you are on TV more for things like cup finals etc.

If anyone has a copy of the latest accounts - id like to see them if you could pm them to me.

[philipl]

Spurs got him for £12m but that may have included the cancellation of Liverpool's outstanding debt for the sale of Keane to Liverpool in the first place, which is rumoured to be £9m making the deal worth £21m in total. Assuming for a moment that Robbie Keane would have been willing to come to us, that's every penny of the Santa Cruz money and probably a little bit more. And then there's his Liverpool wages of around £80k per week.

No- pretty well all of the £12m and some is cancelled Liverpool debt.

A lot of mist around this one but just like Defoe before him, Spurs are not announcing this acquisition to the London Stock Exchange. The reason- its not costing them above £10m.

[thenodrog]

I think we should have signed Robbie Keane, sorry if this is in the wrong thread?!

Why can he play right back?

[RevidgeBlue]

Quite right, playing Russian roulette with the very future of the club at this level.

Very disappointing.

Sadly, I agree on balance.

Not all bad, I actually think Diouff will be a decent signing and great news we kept Roque for a few more months.

But............unbelievable we've not strengthened in midfield. We've needed major investment in that area on a top quality player for at least four years - to the point now where it could easily cost us our top flight future - for good.

I really can't see any strategy or long term planning at the Club. Souness said years ago that staying in the Premiership for five or six years would be the making of us. Sadly the reverse seems to be true.

At grass roots level the output from the Academy is a disaster compared to many other Premiership Clubs. At senior level there has been no sustained investment in the playing side, indeed that has steadily gone less and less and practically dried up. As a result the owners drove away a particularly successful manager.

We couldn't even oversee the completion of redevelopment of the new Ewood, that should have been done when we were promoted, at a fraction of the cost it would entail today.

If Sam manages to keep us up, I wonder what the odds are on him walking in the summer?

[blue/white]

Sell to whom?? We hardly have a queue of people willing to buy us.

Well, Claire... we could all queue up w/ 100 pound notes & purchase our Rovers.

Seriously thou -- many thanks to Nicko for his patience with our silly,breathless & repetitive queries,

you made a horrible month easier to deal with. Another set of thanks to the Mods for sheparding this

herds of cats & for being a bit more patient with our stupid questions and our tendency to veer off topic.

Cheers all! Now it's time for all of us to stop moaning & get behind our Rovers in our own particular way :!:

[The Rover of Finland]

Thank you Nicko for this window. It´s been an exciting month really about nothing.

[aussie odg]

nicko

being out here in australia your thred was great kept me in touch,rovers have been on sky almost evey week.as a long suffering fan of over 40yrs thanks again and to all on the threads for your imputs hope we survive the drop

cheers aussui

[Paul Mellelieu]

Sadly, I agree on balance.

Not all bad, I actually think Diouff will be a decent signing and great news we kept Roque for a few more months.

But............unbelievable we've not strengthened in midfield. We've needed major investment in that area on a top quality player for at least four years - to the point now where it could easily cost us our top flight future - for good.

I really can't see any strategy or long term planning at the Club. Souness said years ago that staying in the Premiership for five or six years would be the making of us. Sadly the reverse seems to be true.

At grass roots level the output from the Academy is a disaster compared to many other Premiership Clubs. At senior level there has been no sustained investment in the playing side, indeed that has steadily gone less and less and practically dried up. As a result the owners drove away a particularly successful manager.

We couldn't even oversee the completion of redevelopment of the new Ewood, that should have been done when we were promoted, at a fraction of the cost it would entail today.

If Sam manages to keep us up, I wonder what the odds are on him walking in the summer?

The lack of investment in the midfield was the main reason we dropped in 1999, and it will be touch and go this season for exactly the same reason. It's unbelieveable that haven't brought in two more players.

[nicko]

It's been an exciting month about nothing...what a great line that was from somebody.

And what a fitting end to it all.

Keep you posted on any news for the rest of the season.

But thankfully the madness is over.

Now back to the search for loan players to help out a mate...

All the best.

[Bobby G]

Can he get loans from abroad nicko?

[roversmum]

Thanks Nicko. Next few months should be interesting, fingers and toes (and anything else possible) crossed.

Meanwhile, there's hardly any snow here in 'tbrook, it's a lovely sunny morning, and I feel I might possibly survive this bout of 'flu.

One more favour. Couldn't you find that mate of yours a new job that doesn't involve our less than loved neighbours????

[EwoodGlory]

I take it we are not allowed to call Gally back from Plymouth now?

With Derbs gone, Emerton out, Dunn and Grella fragile, we could have done with him back as cover.

LEFT

Pedersen

Treacy

RIGHT

Diouf

Judge

CENTRE

Mokoena

Vogel

Andrews

Grella

Dunn

Tugay

Carlos?

Looking at it puts the frighteners up me.

[Bobby G]

Judge is out on loan.

Carlos may have to play a more prominent role now if injuries hit us.

He has been on the bench in the last couple of matches so I assume he is well within the plans of the boss.

[bringdunnback]

cheers nicko, wouldn't mind seeing carlos being given a chance on the wings, he needs to toughen up though

[novella]

any chance we could see dunn on the right. with tugay and grella in the middle.

[broadsword]

Sadly, I agree on balance.

If Sam manages to keep us up, I wonder what the odds are on him walking in the summer?

Maybe not this Summer, but quite possibly at the end of next season.

managing Rovers is now a thankless task.

[philipl]

This is not me saying Vogel is wonderful but Vogel comes back into the equation surely?

Nobody is denying that the guy played a blinder against Man U at Ewood last season. OK one game but you have to be one heck of a good player to run midfield in a game which came within three minutes of costing Man U the Premier League title.

Turning it around at what point don't you want Vogel in midfield?

When the alternative is Mokoena, Grella and Andrews trying to play together, when it means Treacy playing, etc etc?

If Sam things he can control Diouf, surely he can get inside Vogel's head as well?

[Bobby G]

Right back is my biggest worry at the moment. Dunn and Grella if both fit will be a good combination in central midfield.