[Archived] Nicko's January Rumour Mill

[47er]

I'm not even talking about his time at West Ham. At Blackburn, there were so many goals we conceded where you would look at the replay and think: "Where the hell is Neil?!?" when he shoul DEFINITELY have been in a better position to deal with it. If you didn't see it, and you think he was strong at positioning, I'm sorry but I don't think you were really paying attention. I have NEVER even noticed this particular problem so strongly with any professional player as I have with Lucash.

Anyway, one of the articles posted here (I forget which) says City want to let Elano go, and Micah Richards is out of favour. SCREW BEN HAIM!!! Either of these two, even with less cash for us, would be a STUNNING deal. Richards especially. What a player that lad is. Imagine a centre half pairing of him and Samba- all that strength and pace. Or of course, he could automatically solve our right back conundrum. As for Elano, my god how I was jealous of City for him last season. He's the centre mid we've been looking for for many years.

I honestly don't believe City would let Richards go or that we could afford him but its a great thought! As for Elano hasn't he expressed a wish to go to a Serie A Club? Lazio?

[philipl]

It is totally inevitable we will get howls of anguish about the players we get.

According to reports today, Diouf might not be allowed to leave Sunderland and MBama could be Sunderland bound.

That's what sitting in 19th place does to you as a transfer destination- it makes the club about as attractive as an isolation hospital.

I am terribly nervous about losing Roque. If for no other reason, I get echoes of Ashley Ward when I watch Jason Roberts- both are players who are popular for putting in a shift each game but both miss horribly when put in great scoring positions. Ashley's misses were as responsible as anything for the 1999 relegation.

[Paul]

So you would sell him now, without a replacement? Madness.

Didn't we just do that with Bentley?

I'd sell him now den. Four goals this season, showing little interest in recent weeks, apparently dropped by Allardyce.....anything between £15-20m would be excellent. Wthout a Bentley type player Roque doesn't perform for Rovers. As has been said it's only City who want him and although I'm sure RSC wants to go I'm less certain Hughes will be allowed to sign him than I was before Christmas.

Like Ricky if he goes in January I see no reason why he should receive any cut of the transfer fee. If the clause is for next summer that is how it should be implemented. RSC knows City are his only chance. He isn't worth £20m, if he was he wouldn't be at Ewood.

[joey_big_nose]

Santa Cruz for 18m plus Ben Haim is fantastic business which ever way you look at it. Ben Haim was good enough for Chelsea to pick him up, and has only really looked bad in a Man City defence so shambolic it verges on the ludicrous (and he is not the only one to suffer - Richards and Dunne have looked like numpties too).

18m quid should be able to get in a striker who can do more for us up front than Cruz has been doing, plus a top quality right midfielder, plus (maybe including a little money from existing sources) a high quality central player.

So we would lose one and be up four. Providing Sam has the targets in mind of course. And the Guardian is right about the deal (The broadsheets often get footballing news wildly wrong...)

One issue that from what Allardyce has been saying it sounds to me like M'Bami could have been our top target. It would be sickening to lose out to Sunderland.

[philipl]

Looks like we can add Chimbonda to Appiah, Diouff and MBamba who are not coming to Ewood.

The replacement for Roque will be a dumper truck full of £18m in used fivers at this rate!

[47er]

Looks like we can add Chimbonda to Appiah, Diouff and MBamba who are not coming to Ewood.

The replacement for Roque will be a dumper truck full of £18m in used fivers at this rate!

Mind you--------"Spurs linked" must be the most frequently used words in the Transfer Window----------any Transfer Window! And they've already dumped Chimbonda once.

[joey_big_nose]

As for Lucas Neill, if he really does want to come back then I would consider it. He can be a bit of a liability sometimes, but he is undoubtably a better right back than anyone we have now. He is a quality player as he showed in about two thirds of the time he was with us and would fit in well with the system that Sam likes with the doubling up and so forth (his work rate is good), plus can get forward very well, and Lucascan perform at centreback and - to a lesser degree - left back too.

If Ince or anyone else was in charge I would be worried becuase when the team lacks shape Neill gets exposed but I would absolutely think Allardyce could get the best out of him and we could also pick him up for free thus saving more money for other positions - for one we could definately sell Mokoena should he come in. Ooijer could also leave. I cannot see many names out there who would do a better job.

The main issue is that the fans might go ape about him being at the club again after the way he left, which would have to be taken into account. Plus there is no way we could justify paying him any more than Emerton or Warnock.

[RoyRover]

18m and the defender sounds a fair deal, i would consider it and only accept it if -

Apparently Sam has 10m already to spend, would he get the 18m to have 28m to spend on players? Do we have replacements lined up?

Being in the relegation zone can't attract the best players, selling a player of Santa Cruz quality is going to seriously make us weaker.

It's a tough call.

That's exactly why I wouldn't sell him now, because there is not going to be a striker of similar quality who will want to move to us, while in our current position. Make no mistake, we need Santa Cruz, no matter how well Roberts and McCarthy have been playing. The whole team has been playing better under Sam and I fully expect the same of Santa Cruz, when he gets fit. I just don't see why we can't tell City no and that's final.

[Zulu]

I just don't see why we can't tell City no and that's final.

I can think of eighteen million reasons.

[joey_big_nose]

That's exactly why I wouldn't sell him now, because there is not going to be a striker of similar quality who will want to move to us, while in our current position. Make no mistake, we need Santa Cruz, no matter how well Roberts and McCarthy have been playing. The whole team has been playing better under Sam and I fully expect the same of Santa Cruz, when he gets fit. I just don't see why we can't tell City no and that's final.

That's daft. No one will be expecting us to go out and sign a player of Cruz's proven quality. Even if we were seventh we couldn't do that - we cannot afford the salary, and we are not attractive enough as a club. Plus "proven" players are as much of a gamble as most (look at Alves at Boro, or Bent at Spurs, or even a really decent striker like Yakubu who has been broadly average for Everton) anyway. They often turn up without the right attitude and not enough thought is put into how they will work with the existing team. Some do work out - Cisse at Sunderland was one - but then he had something to prove right? Same as Crouch at Portsmouth.

Fact of the matter is that it comes down to who Sam has identified as potential replacements. We did well under Hughes by knowing what we wanted and being creative in who we bring in and then supporting them well once they were at the club. A big name charlie is no use - we need someone who has the right approach, somoething to prove and talent who can fit into the way we play. Just like Bellamy, McCarthy and Cruz himself.

There is no point bringing in a big name for 10m quid who is not that interested in playing for us and feels they have little to prove.

And there is not much point in keeping Cruz who does not seem that interested in playing for us either if we get a good compensatory offer - providing we do have good, solid and attainable targets in mind, which I am pretty sure Sam will have. I am not sure if we keep Cruz for the rest of the season whether we will get 7 goals out of him such is his attitude and fitness.

[Bobby G]

Mbami looks a very good player whenever Ive seen him play for Cameroon. But papers seem to believe Sunderland have their foot firmly in the door.

If Roque is to leave, then Id like players of his quality coming in.

I still dont see a single right winger linked with us. Makes me wonder Sam sees Bert there too.

[Majiball]

Mbami looks a very good player whenever Ive seen him play for Cameroon. But papers seem to believe Sunderland have their foot firmly in the door.

If Roque is to leave, then Id like players of his quality coming in.

I still dont see a single right winger linked with us. Makes me wonder Sam sees Bert there too.

Cisse will drag him to wasteside. Ah well I still want to see what Grella can do before we spend more money on this area. Givet is interesting purely because I can see this in the future.

------------------Robbo-----------------

-Ben-Haim---Samba--Nelsen---Givet-

Especially against the stronger teams.

[den]

18m quid should be able to get in a striker who can do more for us up front than Cruz has been doing, plus a top quality right midfielder, plus (maybe including a little money from existing sources) a high quality central player.

If they're top quality and available, how would we attract these players to a club second from bottom of the Prem? How could rovers provide top contracts when we could be playing in the Championship next season? It's exactly the same kind of talk as when we sold Bentley. We were going to sell an overrated winger and replace him with someone better - weren't we?

[Hughesy]

Yes we are second bottom, but im sure we have plenty to offer for most players.

Im sure the general feeling from players who know the premier league is that we wont go down, therefore most would see it as a good place to come. For our top, top players we can pay 50-60k a week, so its not like we offer rubbish money either.

I agree though, Allardyce has to be given the money and good quality has to be found to bring in.

[braddock]

It's exactly the same kind of talk as when we sold Bentley. We were going to sell an overrated winger and replace him with someone better - weren't we?

no

it is the same because we have one of our best players deciding he wants to move to a bigger club and we are getting more money than he is worth, making the deal a good one. did anyone seriously expected we would get anyone better than bentley when he left? if santa goes, which he probably will, we will not be getting someone who could do the same as santa last season or benni the season before. we just need someone who will score 12-15 goals and share the load. the majority of the money should be used on somewhere other than attack

[den]

Yes we are second bottom, but im sure we have plenty to offer for most players.

Im sure the general feeling from players who know the premier league is that we wont go down, therefore most would see it as a good place to come. For our top, top players we can pay 50-60k a week, so its not like we offer rubbish money either.

I agree though, Allardyce has to be given the money and good quality has to be found to bring in.

The best chance of getting quality in Hughesy, isn't by persuading "top quality" players that Blackburn are going places and is the place to be, but by offering players who can't get a game elsewhere, a loan deal whereby they get playing time.

No need to sell your last season's top scorer to do that - don't you think? Trying to do that four times is an impossible challenge though.

did anyone seriously expected we would get anyone better than bentley when he left?

Loads of 'em.

[Hughesy]

Not alot we can do at the end of the day. What is the use having a striker who will just sulk and not pull his weight?

Its the same with all those that hit the heights. Its happened with Duff, Bentley and now Roque aswell as many others, when they want to leave there isnt alot you can do, except for getting the best possible deal for the club.

Roque should go for £18m + Ben Haim, and we should also try to get Sturridge on loan

[Majiball]

Got to agree with Den loans are the way to go this window. We could easily get in one or two to boost our cause.

Loans can paper the cracks until we can sort out exactly how we want to grow. Spending large sums of cash mid-season never gets you the same quality as in the summer.

[Eddie]

You do all realise that loans cost money, right?

[jim mk2]

It's exactly the same kind of talk as when we sold Bentley. We were going to sell an overrated winger and replace him with someone better - weren't we?

It WAS possible if Rovers had insisted on Lennon as part of the deal. Best winger in England on present form.

[gumboots]

You do all realise that loans cost money, right?

But not the same as buying and you can send them back at the end of the season if they don't work out. also if you negotiate well enough you can get a fixed price set now that may seem cheap at the end of the season. I wouldn't want a team full of loan players but used well the system could suit us at the moment

[braddock]

You do all realise that loans cost money, right?

but we do have some money, even without selling santa, definitely enough for loans anyway

[philipl]

And the veracity of that Guardian report has to be questioned now West Ham have told Sky that they are not selling Parker in this window. So perhaps the too good to be true £18m up front plus Ben Haim is indeed not true.

[joey_big_nose]

If they're top quality and available, how would we attract these players to a club second from bottom of the Prem? How could rovers provide top contracts when we could be playing in the Championship next season? It's exactly the same kind of talk as when we sold Bentley. We were going to sell an overrated winger and replace him with someone better - weren't we?

Okay. The term top quality is a stretch. We are not going to get Wright Phillips or someone like that obviously. Kightley for example is a possibility, or someone from abroad. Essentially my point is 18m is enough to buy 4 very decent players providing Sam has done his homework. It really depends a lot on Sam's scouts and his jugement.

I can see us getting established Premiership names in defence (Ben-Haim, Neill maybe) but the flair players (striker, right winger) I fully expect to be from abroad or the lower divisions.

[waggy]

Sam once stayed up at Bolton by signing three guys he had never seen play in one last-minute set of deals...all done by one persuasive agent who bundled them onto a jet.

This transfer business is not an exact science.

bundles off what