[Archived] Nicko's January Rumour Mill

[spencey7]

Nicko - After Allardyce's interview on SSN yesterday afternoon, I recall you mentioning that you had "a fair idea" of who the (two?) players were that Rovers had rejected bids for... Any chance you could expand on this now?

[USABlue]

I heard a rumour that Burnley are going up?

'Kin hell, who turned over a rock?

[The Prof.]

We didn't need to sign a world beater. All we needed (need!) is a central midfielder who gets forward, is better than Andrews and fitter than Dunny. There are always players out there who can fit that criteria. We either did not have the inclination or the money (or the inclination to find the money) to bring one in.

We were scouring Europe for a replacement striker that would have allowed us to sell Roque, but I can't remember any reports linking us with any midfielders. Except possibly Bullard, who Sam may have been blocked from trying to bring in.

We are gambling ~£40m on Dunny and Grella staying fit because we were not prepared to gamble ~£5m on a Bullard or a Perdo Mendes or even a Jermaine Jenas.

The Emerton injury was very bad luck and too late to do anything about, but that is a position that we could cover much more easily if we were more solid in the centre.

Hit the nail on the head there.

For any needing to know a bit of background on two that should have happened but went down, there is more here:

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,1...4891109,00.html http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,1...4891229,00.html

We should have gone for Mendes.

With the squad as it is our suvival is depending on a couple of fragiles and one aging midfielder, two 30 something forwards and a want away striker supplemented by a journeyman.

I cannot see any real prospect of this improving which is hugely worrying.

The club have to make a key decision now. Where the next crop of Premierhip standard players will come from.

1. The academy - which seems to be all but finished as a player source.

2. The bargain bucket - apparently the current preference.

3. Or some serious spending on younger players- too scary apparently judging by the numbe rof trials.

I think we're at the crossroads now. It's make or break and I think a clearout is needed at the Academy and with 2nd string first teamers who just are not good enough. Untill a replacement policy is formulated though we'r ejust going to get an aging large squad with a small number of critical players.

[EwoodGlory]

Agreed, Mendes is a quality player, we needed wide players though so I doubt he was on the radar.

Is the Arshavin deal going ahead? This quote is doing the rounds.

The FA’s Director of Communications, Adrian Bevington speaking to Russian Media.

Yes, it’s true, the transfer is in doubt. There is a chance it will take us 2-3 days. The odds are 50/50. If the transfer is declared invalid, Arshavin will be returned to Zenit. We can’t rule this out. I don’t think that would be a severe ruling: both clubs had a lot of time to complete it during the window.

Also rumours of it being a loan, as there could be some sort of loophole.

[Jonnolad]

We are gambling ~£40m on Dunny and Grella staying fit because we were not prepared to gamble ~£5m on a Bullard or a Perdo Mendes or even a Jermaine Jenas.

It's not just a £5m though, there's also the wages to consider.

Even @ 50k a week (and there was talk of Bullard being more than that), that equates to £10m over a 4 year contract.

So from a financial perspective suddenly it's a £15m gamble, but the crux is that the £15m is almost certainly going to be lost (bar reselling), whilst relegation is by no means as certain.

I agree we should have bought someone, I just don't think anyone was worth buying if both fees and more importantly wages were taken into account.

[ffan]

Deals that fell through -

Keiron Richardson - Sunderland to Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers - Bids rejected

Darren Bent - Tottenham Hotspur to Newcastle United, Sunderland

Steven Fletcher - Hibernian to Glasgow Celtic - Bid rejected

Kris Boyd - Birmingham City ro Glasgow Rangers

Michael Johnson - Manchester City to Newcastle United - Bid rejected

Giovanni Dos Santos - Tottenham Hotspur to Portsmouth

Eren Derdiyok - FC Basel striker to Everton - Player reported to have rejected the move

http://www.football-latest.com/footballnews/

[The Prof.]

Agreed, Mendes is a quality player, we needed wide players though so I doubt he was on the radar.

Is the Arshavin deal going ahead? This quote is doing the rounds.

The FA’s Director of Communications, Adrian Bevington speaking to Russian Media.

Also rumours of it being a loan, as there could be some sort of loophole.

Transfer window has been extended for lodon clubs due to the snow. Even though Arsshavin' was in London the day before!

Deals that fell through -

Keiron Richardson - Sunderland to Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers - Bids rejected

Darren Bent - Tottenham Hotspur to Newcastle United, Sunderland

Steven Fletcher - Hibernian to Glasgow Celtic - Bid rejected

Kris Boyd - Birmingham City ro Glasgow Rangers

Michael Johnson - Manchester City to Newcastle United - Bid rejected

Giovanni Dos Santos - Tottenham Hotspur to Portsmouth

Eren Derdiyok - FC Basel striker to Everton - Player reported to have rejected the move

http://www.football-latest.com/footballnews/

Richardson - we should have been in for him. Is Boyd not already at Glasgow?

[ffan]

Richardson - we should have been in for him. Is Boyd not already at Glasgow?

Probably meant Rangers to Birmingham.

[LeChuck]

We are gambling ~£40m on Dunny and Grella staying fit because we were not prepared to gamble ~£5m on a Bullard or a Perdo Mendes or even a Jermaine Jenas.

A gamble worth taking - I'd be very upset if we spent £5 million (plus whatever daft wages he thought he deserved) for a 30 year old with a poor injury record. Hull won't see any return on that investment and his injuries are only likely to become more frequent as he gets older.

This argument of 'he's worth it if they stay up' just doesn't wash for me, it's a short term view that will see a team relegated eventually. Teams without owners willing to pump in cash can't take that sort of view and expect to stay in the league for more than a few years. I'm sure there are other midfielders around who are much younger and available for £5 million.

Jenas would be a superb buy by the way but I fear he's far too good for us.

[Tris]

Richardson - we should have been in for him

So the list would read "Newcasle United, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers - bids rejected"??

[Gav]

'Kin hell, who turned over a rock?

[AndyR]

I heard a rumour that Burnley are going up?

Really, I heard a rumour they were going to Wembley, does seem to have gone quiet recently though!

[Fylde Coast Fan]

I checked my London A-Z for hours but couldn't see Burnley anywhere which is strange as I was reliably informed Burnley was only 2 minutes from Wembley...

Anyway, BBC Sport reporting that Arshavin to Arsenal has been cleared and it did definitely happen 24 1/2 hours ago.

[Amo]

Jenas would be a superb buy by the way but I fear he's far too good for us.

Always thought he was vastly overrated, myself.

[BuckyRover]

I have always thought that until I saw him make a couple of cameo appearances for England under Capello. I thought he was very impressive.

[John]

For those Bullard fans: Hull City have moved to reassure fans that the injury suffered by record signing Jimmy Bullard is not the same as that which kept him on the sidelines for 16 months at Fulham.

[Brfcrule1]

also on that site above it says we were after 2 Egyptian players the russian dude & zoro the latter had his work permit rejected hardly the clubs fault they tried but things happen the russian chap according to that website talks are ongoing but as Roque is not going anywhere till the summer means we have a replacement lined up for as and when he leaves in the summer hardly a disaster there and yes 2 Egyptian chaps were watched 2 midfielders I believe it is not the fault of the club if they are not of the right quality or if they were after loans and the selling clubs were unwilling to loan and were only after cash I also heard there were 2 loans that went up the tubes I heard from another source I think people need to realise yes unfortunately we have not signed any midfielders but it is not for want of trying and the position we are in no point spending huge amounts on dross or spending for the sake of it we have some decent cover for most and am sure we will get through till the summer ok.

[philipl]

Gosh, the punctuation express is back!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...r.html?ITO=1490

I find that really repugnant that the self-styled richest club in the world should have been after a loan signing from Arsenal on the last day of the window.

They have blighted the last seven months of RSC's life and Rovers' transfer planning but didn't have the wherewithall to sign RSC at the end of the day so were scraping around in the same loans bin that we were!

At least the late Arshavin deal screwed up City.

[allrovertheworld]

also on that site above it says we were after 2 Egyptian players the russian dude & zoro the latter had his work permit rejected hardly the clubs fault they tried but things happen the russian chap according to that website talks are ongoing but as Roque is not going anywhere till the summer means we have a replacement lined up for as and when he leaves in the summer hardly a disaster there and yes 2 Egyptian chaps were watched 2 midfielders I believe it is not the fault of the club if they are not of the right quality or if they were after loans and the selling clubs were unwilling to loan and were only after cash I also heard there were 2 loans that went up the tubes I heard from another source I think people need to realise yes unfortunately we have not signed any midfielders but it is not for want of trying and the position we are in no point spending huge amounts on dross or spending for the sake of it we have some decent cover for most and am sure we will get through till the summer ok.

I started to read this but passed out half way down.

[Exiled_Rover]

I started to read this but passed out half way down.

I think it's quite a skill to go that long without a full stop.

[DeadlyDirk]

I think it's quite a skill to go that long without a full stop.

I thought he meant the whole thread for a minute, now that would be an achievement! It's bad enough if you fall a day behind!

Just a fraction quieter on here tonight than last night though, wonder why?

[allrovertheworld]

I thought he meant the whole thread for a minute, now that would be an achievement! It's bad enough if you fall a day behind!

Just a fraction quieter on here tonight than last night though, wonder why?

Looks like the power of the new server is gunna be redundant until the summer then.

[thenodrog]

Jenas would be a superb buy by the way but I fear he's far too good for us.

Talented but a shirker and a glassback. A Billy Big-Time imo and no good for BRFC.

For those Bullard fans: Hull City have moved to reassure fans that the injury suffered by record signing Jimmy Bullard is not the same as that which kept him on the sidelines for 16 months at Fulham.

Maybe not but I think it's the same knee.

I started to read this but passed out half way down.

I gave up after the first sentence!

[T4E]

I gave up after the first sentence!

So you read the whole thing then?

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

So you read the whole thing then?

Whoosh.

I think.