[Archived] Blackburn Rovers Transfer Topic

[nicko]

I don't, but I think you are wrong when you are saying that we are relagtion scrap right now.

One quality striker and a good midfielder and we are ready to rumble.

Two quality strikers - a midfielder too if you can afford it.

Which is the point I was making.

These deals are absolutely crucial.

[LeChuck]

As it stands - after the signings of Jacobsen, N'Zonzi and even Givet and after the loss of Roque, Derbs and the rest - Rovers look like a side that could be close to the relegation zone.

If you don't sign one top striker or two that will remain the case.

What price is that to you? What long-term financial future will that mean?

If it was Thierry Henry or someone you could argue it would be worth it.

But this is Kevin Davies. He's an average Premier League player. Despite England's complete lack of depth in the striking department over the past decade, he's never even received a call up. Look at the dross that has been picked ahead of him. Even after his best season and with a manger who loves a strong target man he still can't get a look in, instead being picked behind Heskey, Cole and Crouch, none of whom are that great.

Sam's record last season suggests we wouldn't be fighting relegation without a new front man anyway, we just need one if we are to progress.

And finally, stopping us being relegated doesn't make money, it saves money. HUGE difference.

[nicko]

ok. nice to know nicko. do you know when the hoilett situation will be solved?

No idea. There is supposed to be a tribunal, but don't know when. Soon. Hopefully.

[Roversider]

don't panic and don't waste 10m.

Agree with the don't panic comment but I also see it as a bit of panic when we try to dissuade Sam from going for the players he feels he needs. If he feels it is worth a big fee for a Van Nistelrooy or even Kevin Davies then I am sure that John Williams will support him so long as the price isn't silly.

Sell on values are irrelevant if you go down and you need strikers who can and will do the business.

Back the manager's judgement I say.

[alexanders]

Agree with the don't panic comment but I also see it as a bit of panic when we try to dissuade Sam from going for the players he feels he needs. If he feels it is worth a big fee for a Van Nistelrooy or even Kevin Davies then I am sure that John Williams will support him so long as the price isn't silly.

Sell on values are irrelevant if you go down and you need strikers who can and will do the business.

Back the manager's judgement I say.

£10m kevin davies is silly.

[nicko]

If it was Thierry Henry or someone you could argue it would be worth it.

But this is Kevin Davies. He's an average Premier League player. Despite England's complete lack of depth in the striking department over the past decade, he's never even received a call up. Look at the dross that has been picked ahead of him. Even after his best season and with a manger who loves a strong target man he still can't get a look in, instead being picked behind Heskey, Cole and Crouch, none of whom are that great.

Sam's record last season suggests we wouldn't be fighting relegation without a new front man anyway, we just need one if we are to progress.

And finally, stopping us being relegated doesn't make money, it saves money. HUGE difference.

Look, fortunately, it's the manager who picks the players he wants.

Heskey and Crouch are dross, eh?

Relegation costs you fortunes and would probably mean you never came back.

[Sparky Marky]

As it stands - after the signings of Jacobsen, N'Zonzi and even Givet and after the loss of Roque, Derbs and the rest - Rovers look like a side that could be close to the relegation zone.

Total cack!! What evidence do you have to back this up.?...under Sam this year, we're a top 10 side and none of Roque, Derbs etc played this year....emerton will be back, which is virtually a new signing, Jacobson, Givet and NzOZI can only improve us....

[nicko]

Total cack!! What evidence do you have to back this up.?...under Sam this year, we're a top 10 side and none of Roque, Derbs etc played this year....emerton will be back, which is virtually a new signing, Jacobson, Givet and NzOZI can only improve us....

So there is no point in making signings then...cancel those moves now...

[blue and whites]

thanks for all the information nicko, it is great to have a "insider" here to ask.

on other notes, what is the situation at spurs right now? do they have to sell before buyin, who are they after, and who do you think they are trying to offload. have some players there that might be useful to us:)

[joey_big_nose]

£10m kevin davies is silly.

It is incredibly hard to argue with that. What is the record fee ever paid for a 32 year old or over outfield player?

[nicko]

on other notes, what is the situation at spurs right now? do they have to sell before buyin, who are they after, and who do you think they are trying to offload. have some players there that might be useful to us:)

Spurs want £18 million for Bent. When they ask prices like that they just confirm that they are one of the hardest clubs to do business with.

Look how long it took to do Bentley and Robinson last summer?

[LeChuck]

Heskey and Crouch are dross, eh?

Relegation costs you fortunes and would probably mean you never came back.

I didn't mean Heskey and Crouch, I meant ones over the last six years, not the ones in there currently.

The two options aren't buy Kevin Davies or be relegated. We've got our solid Premier League players in Roberts and McCarthy, hopefully Di Santo will add some depth. This could possibly the last time we ever get to spend this amount of money on one player, Sam should be going out of his way to make it a special player who can move us on a level, not make the most mediocre safest-of-safe signings.

[nicko]

I didn't mean Heskey and Crouch, I meant ones over the last six years, not the ones in there currently.

The two options aren't buy Kevin Davies or be relegated. We've got our solid Premier League players in Roberts and McCarthy, hopefully Di Santo will add some depth. This could possibly the last time we ever get to spend this amount of money on one player, Sam should be going out of his way to make it a special player who can move us on a level, not make the most mediocre safest-of-safe signings.

Well I don't know what England strikers you did mean...

Rovers NEED the right target man otherwise the tactics will not work. You scrambled away from trouble last time courtesy of a couple of big displays in key matches with Big Chris up front.

If you want to be in that kind of fight again, don't sign a top striker.

There is no way Sam is going to go into a season with McCarthy and Roberts as his senior options.

He left the pair out a couple of times when the going got rough. What does that tell you?

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

As it stands - after the signings of Jacobsen, N'Zonzi and even Givet and after the loss of Roque, Derbs and the rest - Rovers look like a side that could be close to the relegation zone.

If you don't sign one top striker or two that will remain the case.

What price is that to you? What long-term financial future will that mean?

Signing a top striker is all well and good - if the striker guarantees you 20 goals a season and remains injury free. We have been lucky in that both Benni and Cruz did that in their first season. Last year neither did and we struggled. Signing Davies provides someone to hold the ball up effectively, this is fine if you have a goal scoring midfield. We do not. The signing of Davies would have to be supplemented by two attacking midfielders. Pedersen and Diouf's recent record (last 2 years) is not good enough. Given that goal scoring midfielders normally cost a few bob, I can't see how signing Davies will help us move forward (certainly not for upward of £5 million) as the goals won't come from the middle.

When Sam signed Anelka for Bolton, he had already built a team that played a certain way with players suited to the roles. It will not work at Rovers because the players we have aren't suited to that approach, which was clearly evident by the mish mash football last season.

I believe Rovers would be much better off replacing the midfield and/or wingers with some quality and playing Benni and Roberts up front (+ a couple of loan signings on the bench). Given a decent supply they will still get at least 10 goals a piece, if midfield can weigh in - that will see us safe. Next season we could then use what ever funds are available to buy a striker having built a solid defence and midfield.

As unpopular as it maybe, bringing back Bentley (decent goals record) and A. N other would be a much wiser investment of our limited resources.

[Tom 1]

Davies is great at what he does, and he got a decent goal tally last year. I think when England were really short he should have got the nod ahead of Crouch who at the time was in no special form and had a very ordinary game for England. He isn't worth 10m at all but he is defo worth you signing if the price goes down.

Spurs want £18 million for Bent. When they ask prices like that they just confirm that they are one of the hardest clubs to do business with.

Look how long it took to do Bentley and Robinson last summer?

18m for Bent? What planet are they on, I know Redknapp said he was on sell to buy but he can't surely expect a club to spend 18m on Bent who really is absolutely nothing special, will go on and score goals for anyone he joins but adds basically nothing else creatively and doesn't get involved in the play much at all, ludicrous,

And ah, David Bentley, where the hell is he going, the constant rumours are annoying me, as are newspaper titles of 'Aston's Martin to get a Bentley'...

As a suggestion, why don't Blackburn have a look at Sidwell, he's not bad, he'll score goals but he has struggled a bit since he joined Villa and he was contending with Barry who was expected to leave and Petrov who won player of the year, he played most of the games in that run of wins we went on when we looked certain for 4th place.

[joey_big_nose]

I didn't mean Heskey and Crouch, I meant ones over the last six years, not the ones in there currently.

The two options aren't buy Kevin Davies or be relegated. We've got our solid Premier League players in Roberts and McCarthy, hopefully Di Santo will add some depth. This could possibly the last time we ever get to spend this amount of money on one player, Sam should be going out of his way to make it a special player who can move us on a level, not make the most mediocre safest-of-safe signings.

Totally agree. If Kevin Davies was the absolute stick on world class striker that Nicko claims he would have been hunted down for years by clubs with more money to spend than us. Fact is he isn't, he is good at his job, but not a special player. Hence why he has never got into the England squad when we are very short of quality strikers at the moment.

Theres no way we will spend more than 4m on Davies. Allardyce won't be able to justify to Williams, or - I would imagine - himself. He needs to find someone who can do the job he wants either cheaper, younger or a combination of both. This is what he is paid to do.

[Exiled_Rover]

Davies isn't a top striker and he's certainly not worth the money Bolton are asking.

You're right Allardyce needs more than McCarthy, Roberts and potentially Di Santos upfront next year, but it doesn't mean he should take his ball and go home if the board veto him spending an obscene amount of money on a 32 year old journeyman that he happens to have a history with (one, I might add, that is hated by the majority of the Rovers fan base).

[Iceman]

So there is no point in making signings then...cancel those moves now...

I dont agree either with that Nicko. Givet was solid for us, Nzonzi is a young lad who we didnt splash much money on. Same with Van Heerden. Jacobsen is a very experienced player at both club and international level. This after not spending any of the Roque money. I agree with you on a quality striker or 2. If Sam messes that up, we could be in deep trouble. On the other hand we did cope perfectly well without Roque towards the end of the season.

[Tom 1]

Davies was a menace when he played for Allardyce before, he's given every club in the league trouble at some point, he isn't a technically awesome player by any stretch but he is good at what he does and thats causing lots of trouble in the opposition half and being a big presence up front who people can play off. Bolton wouldn't have ever been good or finishing in europe places were it not for him.

[joey_big_nose]

As a suggestion, why don't Blackburn have a look at Sidwell, he's not bad, he'll score goals but he has struggled a bit since he joined Villa and he was contending with Barry who was expected to leave and Petrov who won player of the year, he played most of the games in that run of wins we went on when we looked certain for 4th place.

Wages are massive (60k plus). He is also a bit of a tool. Villa would want in excess of 6m. We need to sell a central player before we sign one. So its not going to happen!

[Jackson]

There is no way Sam is going to go into a season with McCarthy and Roberts as his senior options.

He left the pair out a couple of times when the going got rough. What does that tell you?

...that Sam actually made some crap decisions last season.

[LDRover]

I'm sorry, but there's no way on this earth that we'll be top ten next season with the current personnel.

Kudos to Sam for getting us out the mire last season but as Nicko alluded to, it was down to big performances from key players in the big games and also the fact that the bottom three teams were dog toffee and couldn't get any results themselves.

It won't be like that next term and I'd fear for us if the season started tomorrow, and that's with our currently injured players fit.

[joey_big_nose]

Well I don't know what England strikers you did mean...

Rovers NEED the right target man otherwise the tactics will not work. You scrambled away from trouble last time courtesy of a couple of big displays in key matches with Big Chris up front.

If you want to be in that kind of fight again, don't sign a top striker.

There is no way Sam is going to go into a season with McCarthy and Roberts as his senior options.

He left the pair out a couple of times when the going got rough. What does that tell you?

I don't think anyone is arguing that we don't need a striker. It is just a case of who. I trust Sam, but it can't be Davies at ten million quid. That is just an impossible scenario. I bet you £50 that we won't sign Davies for a fee larger than five million pounds by the end of the transfer window. I do accept it could happen for cheaper than that although I wouldn't be happy about it.

Willing to put your money where your mouth is?

[farhanology]

Hi Nicko,

Are the persistent rumours linking us with Oscar Cardozo stand on a 'probable' basis or merely a figment of our Football Manager tainted imaginations.

Quality, at 1.93m tall, could be a targetman Sam desperately is looking out for.

plus, Sam is using Ince's scouting reports, i'd imagine him looking at Sporting's Vukcevic as someone to bolster the midfield after he finally solves the Striker question.

bye

[Tom 1]

Wages are massive (60k plus). He is also a bit of a tool. Villa would want in excess of 6m. We need to sell a central player before we sign one. So its not going to happen!

I doubt he's on 60k wages plus, we pay big wages but Sidwell wasn't exactly in the Barry category and thats the kind of money Barry was on, I know Barry, Friedel and now A.Young are on big wages (tho at his new home I am sure Barry is enjoying his 130k...), as are Petrov and Carew, but Sidwell at 60 I am sure must be incorrect.

Can't see how we would justify more than 6m, we signed him for 5.5m and he's had some injuries and not played all the games, I think 4m would make us at least listen. He can be a tool (always in town with Shorey at lloyds bar or gamestation...) but he is honest and hardworking from what i've seen. I wouldn't mind keeping him but I think we'll sign a new midfielder to replace Barry then his situation is the same again, bench.