[Archived] Morten Gamst Pedersen

[broadsword]

If you want aimless set-pieces or corners that hit the first man, he's peerless.

[Mr. E]

Let's just hope he trains real hard over the summer and we see anew and improved version of him next season.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

For those complaining - I have just one word Davies.

IMO Sam sees something in MGP that he can now build on. Lets not forget his performances improved drastically - not just when he was towards the end of the his contract - but when Sam converted him to a more central position.

He reinvented Davies into a very effective Premiership player - I think Sam thinks he can do the same with MGP. To be honest - if not for his more effective games in a more central position I don't think anyone would have given him a contract.

[RoyRover]

An utter waste of money. That charlatan has been taking the p**s for the last 3 years and we give him another 4 year contract - on more money?!? I'm incredulous .... What's happened to Rovers that we can be taken the p**s out of by such a poor player? He's only signed because no-one else would touch him with a bargepole for the money he expects.

Looks like we've got another 4 years of that joker wimping out of any physical contact, mincing about putting in the bare minimum effort, taking shockingly bad free-kicks and corners, and the dreaded long throw to look forward to. Yippee.

Please, please sign someone - anyone - who will keep this waster from the first team Sam!!

There is no positive to this. None whatsoever.

Perhaps that says a lot about Sam's judgment! Surely no-one in their right mind can be happy that we're wasting circa £6m over the next 4 years on Pedersen?!? He's done nothing at all in the last 3 years to justify even being retained at all, let alone on a 4 year deal. That money could have been put to far better use.

I was beginning to feel a bit more positive about BFS - this has just wiped that out in one fell swoop.

MGP will now slide back even further into the depths of mediocrity now he knows that he's just secured the rest of his career at our expense.

Very, very bad decision imo.

It astonishes me that with our record of transforming unproven/unfavoured players that people are so adamant that replacing Pedersen (of all players) would be beyond our means. Pedersen is a shirker who hasn't had a decent season for years, and only contributes through the sheer abundance of set-pieces and long throws he's ordered to take. To reward him with a four year IMPROVED contract is madness by the club and they should be ashamed of themselves.

I think the positive reaction from a surprising number of people on here just goes to show how many of our supporters are prepared to settle for second best – something that MGP clearly is.

Amazing and shows a complete and utter lack of ambition on their part.

What on earth has he done over the last number of seasons to justify a new contract? I was really looking forward to a clean break from this guy. He raised his game to an acceptable level only when requiring a new contract so perhaps we should expect the prior malaise to return. Here's to another season of aimless hoofing then.

Brilliant, 4 more years of utter garbage. Well done Rovers!

If you want aimless set-pieces or corners that hit the first man, he's peerless.

I agree with all of these sentiments. The guy has been a passenger in our team for years and how he's been offered a new improved 4 year contract is beyond me. The idea that people have that he played well in the second half of this season is a complete myth. He played better, which when compared to the years of dross that he has served up, could be mistaken for him playing well when there was any kind of improvement. Even then it was only for a couple of games, before returning to his same mediocre self and aimlessly hoffing the ball up the pitch. I do see people's point of view that because of the way that we play, we need to have someone who can take set pieces. However, I do believe that we need to move away with this low percentage style of football that is based on lumping the ball into the box and hoping that one of our players gets on the end of it. We all know that our midfield has been pathetic for the last couple of years and Pedersen has been one of the main culprits. Again I can see peoples argument that replacing him would cost too much. Well as I said, we've known that our midfield has been the weak point of our team and has been holding up the progression of the team and the club has had years to put this right. To keep him is just a cheap and easy option that won't improve the team. So why they or others think that the 'creative' guy who has been in the midfield for years will make us better doesn't make sense. I'm willing to support him next season and hope that he improves, but after all these years of abject performances, I'm prepared for, as blue n wite rover says, 4 more years of utter garbage.

[Shaddy]

I posted earlier that the point of no return had been past, and MGP was out the door. How wrong I was. I'm glad of that too. MGP is frustrating, that's true. But he's talented. There are brief spells of form that have shown just how talented, and valuable he can be. That's what I suppose Sam is banking on, and hopefully working on getting the most out of MGP.

I'm fairly positive about this. Holding together a squad is very important in the Premier League.

[speeeeeeedie]

Aside from talent teams need consistency, team spirit, and cohesion to make them successful. Pedersen may not be Messi but he strikes a ball very well which is a real weapon for a dead ball merchant like Allardyce. The same uproar unfolded on here a few years back when Emerton signed a new deal, then everyone started raving about him.

[BigUts]

I think it's a positive for two reasons...

1. We now don't need to spend money bringing in a new player

2. He WAS much improved for the latter half of the season. I tend to be cynical, but in fairness to the guy, he had more influence on games in the centre and wasn't constantly expected to beat his man to put a ball in - something we all know he CANNOT do.

Let's hope we can bring in another creative midfielder and a decent striker due to the lack of initial expense replacing Morten.

We could probably do with a right winger too, as I don't see Diouf or Hoilett filling said role!

[jim mk2]

Fantastic news. Experienced and talented player, key member of the squad and one of the first names down the team sheet. Looking forward to seeing him play with his customary panache for the next 4 years.

[Bing]

Four more years of anonymous performances, countless shocking corners and utterly ineffective long throw-ins. Great...

[Jackson]

A great excuse for the Benni money to now disappear.

How utterly depressing.

[MarkBRFC71]

play with his customary panache

Lol. I wasn't going to contribute anymore to this debate, until Jim pulled out that cracker. Quite possibly the most ridiculous statement I've ever read about MGP.

According to Wikipedia, panache means "a word of French origin that carries the connotation of a flamboyant manner and reckless courage." His hair and tan might be flamboyant, but he could never be accused of reckless or any other kind of courage.

Oh wait, you were being sarcastic and I fell for it? Damn ...

[jim mk2]

Lol. I wasn't going to contribute anymore to this debate, until Jim pulled out that cracker. Quite possibly the most ridiculous statement I've ever read about MGP.

According to Wikipedia, panache means "a word of French origin that carries the connotation of a flamboyant manner and reckless courage." His hair and tan might be flamboyant, but he could never be accused of reckless or any other kind of courage.

Oh wait, you were being sarcastic and I fell for it? Damn ...

My dear boy, you misunderstand. I am genuinely thrilled that Pedersen will continue to light up the Ewood stage for probably the rest of his career. As a Rovers supporter of 50 years plus standing, I consider him to be one of the best players to have donned the famous blue and white halves. Ridiculous is the word I would use to describe your intemperate response.

[Amo]

The election's gone to your head, Jim.

[nick1979]

Got to say i'm a bit suprised at the length of the contract aswell.

One thing i would add though is successive managers have consistently picked him in the starting eleven for years now. He must be doing something right. It would be interesting to see some of the pro-zone stats on his performances as both Hughes and Allardyce are heavily into using it to analyse performances.

[Daremz]

I'm really positive on this one, maybe because I'm a MGP-fanboy, but I also think he really contributes due to his work-rate. I see him doing the job the upcoming 4 years, no worries. Top-assister upcoming season, mark my words.

[rovers1995]

FANTASTIC news

[Majiball]

Hi guys I was hoping you could all give me some directions I think I'm lost after reading this.

Is this the Andrews thread?

[DeadlyDirk]

Wow, talk about splitting a board with one contract signing.

Personally I hope he bucks his game up now because his form has been patchy at best in recent years. With that said I don't see how we could replace someone of his talent without dipping into our transfer budget which it seems is aimed soley at a striker and hopefully Guti, so all in all I'm happy he stays, just hope we see more of the old Pedersen now it seems like he's here for the long haul.

[rebelmswar]

I have no idea what everyone is so angry about and I am surprised at the prolix concerning his performances. Can you not all see that the pay raise is simply a readjustment for inflation?

[Ossydave]

Not conviced, if he plays as well as he is capable of doing all season it's great news, sadly I can't see it happening.

PLEASE relieve him of free kick and corner duty though, that's an essential!!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Totally depressing signing, the guy's a waste of space. " Well it saved us having to go out and buy a replacement". Why ? What do we have to replace ?

[Exiled in Toronto]

Confirms what I have thought for a while - we overpay for mediocrity. I'm all for paying Samba whatever it takes to keep him here, but the fact that MGP was available for nowt and no-one would pay him the wages speaks volumes.

[BRFC1995]

sign morton for 4 years on big money OR pay big wages to any old player on a freebie who can't fail to be a better footballer. Its option 2 everytime, fed up to the back teeth of the guy playing week in week out despite getting worse by the week.

Loyalty is nice to see but i wish it was from a better player.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I'm delighted he's signed. Let's hope he has an excellent future at Blackburn. We need to show our support to him and help him get back to his best. I'm sure the 50k p/w will also help too!

[Tom]

I think Pedersen gets a rough ride off our fans, the facts our he has more assits than anyone this season more goals than any midfielder other than Dunn I think and never stops running.

If he was from Shadsworth and didn't dye his hair etc I imagine he'd get a lot more support.