[Archived] Kevin Davies - The Second Coming...?

[OJRovers]

Maybe someone could set up a poll, seems like 3 options:

A) Yes - Blow all our budget on Davies

B ) No - don't sign him whatever the cost

C) Yes - for £2m or less

I would be voting C, which is unlikely to happen.

To see us sell Santa Cruz for £15m and replace him with Kevin Davies would be a blow to the optimism carried forward from the end of last season for me.

[AggyBlue]

To see us sell Santa Cruz for £15m and replace him with Kevin Davies would be a blow to the optimism carried forward from the end of last season for me.

The feelgood factor that flowed at the end of last season has all but ebbed away

[ABBEY]

When it's been going downhill for years...the guy is a shadow of what he was.

Old players who just want pay days are no good.

Old players who still want to do the business are.

STILL DO THE BUSINESS?

11 GOALS IS hardly doing the busuiness? why the hard on for him nicko are gettin a cut or backhander?

[rovers_rob]

Davies is like Heskey, he isn't just about goals, he holds the ball up and brings other players into the game. He was on the verge of an England call up last season as well.

I can see Benni getting 15 goals or more playing up front with someone like Davies but I just can't see Bolton selling him.

Didn't he sign a new contract last season ?

[Al]

The feelgood factor that flowed at the end of last season has all but ebbed away

Yes I renewed my season ticket with a smile on my face expecting an exciting transfer window.

I should know by now that it doesn't happen at Ewood any more. Davies would be the last straw.

[LeChuck]

Yes I renewed my season ticket with a smile on my face expecting an exciting transfer window.

I think it's worth noting that the transfer window hasn't even opened yet!

[tcj_jones]

You'd have thought we'd learnt our lesson with spending £4m on a 29 year old Grella, but £4m+ on a 32 year old Davies? Well that's madness. A club of our stature MUST be looking to bring in players with a re-sell value.

Roque cost us less than Davies would now and is just about to make a £15 - £18m move. In two seasons time, Davies would probably move on for less than £500k.

[nicko]

STILL DO THE BUSINESS?

11 GOALS IS hardly doing the busuiness? why the hard on for him nicko are gettin a cut or backhander?

I have watched him over the years and come to realise what a good player he is.

If I was doing the deal he would be signed already...but probably for someone else.

I also remember how bad he was with Rovers before, but there were reasons for that. I also know how badly his night-out went down before the final game. But the club was diseased at that time and he was in among some wrong uns.

Big strikers also get better as they get older. He is the classic example of that.

[PAFELL]

You'd have thought we'd learnt our lesson with spending £4m on a 29 year old Grella, but £4m+ on a 32 year old Davies? Well that's madness. A club of our stature MUST be looking to bring in players with a re-sell value.

Roque cost us less than Davies would now and is just about to make a £15 - £18m move. In two seasons time, Davies would probably move on for less than £500k.

Do you not think that a player with a high sell on fee will also attract a high 'current' wage bill?

Sadly the situation at Rovers is that they can only plan for a season at a time. If Davies scores 12 goals as he did last season, in a Rovers shirt, none of us would complain. Especially if those goals helped Rovers to finish higher up the table - the league placement money would cover the Davies to Rovers transfer fee. One advantage - forget age, which is an issue - with regards to davies is that there would no adjustment or time required for him to come to terms etc with football in the prem - no time needed to understand what the manager wants. Basically a player that can slot into the team instantly. It may only be for one or two seasons.

[roversinmyblood]

STILL DO THE BUSINESS?

11 GOALS IS hardly doing the busuiness? why the hard on for him nicko are gettin a cut or backhander?

Benni scored 13 goals in all competitions last season (2008-09) and he hardly played many games, so why should we pay £5M for dodgy Davies?

[nicko]

Benni scored 13 goals in all competitions last season (2008-09) and he hardly played many games, so why should we pay £5M for dodgy Davies?

Think you answered your own question.

[tcj_jones]

Do you not think that a player with a high sell on fee will also attract a high 'current' wage bill?

Sadly the situation at Rovers is that they can only plan for a season at a time. If Davies scores 12 goals as he did last season, in a Rovers shirt, none of us would complain. Especially if those goals helped Rovers to finish higher up the table - the league placement money would cover the Davies to Rovers transfer fee. One advantage - forget age, which is an issue - with regards to davies is that there would no adjustment or time required for him to come to terms etc with football in the prem - no time needed to understand what the manager wants. Basically a player that can slot into the team instantly. It may only be for one or two seasons.

But that's the point, a club like Rovers HAVE to plan with longer in sight than just next season. We don't have even a half decent youth set-up, so the only way we're going to make an income is by buying in cheap and selling on for a profit.

The player with a high sell on fee might have a slightly heftier wage, but this can be easily accomodated by trimming the dead wood from the squad and operating with less players.

For the record, I'm not overly fond of Davies, but I know what a good player he has been over the past few seasons and how well he plays 'Sam's' kind of football. But for how much longer will he be at the top of his game?

As for league placements, it's all hypothetical, isn't it? You'd expect proportional returns to the financial outlays made, wherever they may be spent.

EDIT: also, I don't want people to think that I necessarily mean spending big money on a top quality player, just on somebody that we can recoup even a a fraction of his fee. In Davies case, in two or three seasons time, we'd probably recoup about 10% of the outlay.

Harry Redknapp at Pompey is a good example of this - he got £20m or so for Diarra and £17.5m for Johnson, would make a profit on Crouch and another big profit on Krancjar. Then there was Defoe who he made a profit on as well.

[Guest benmaxwell]

Think you answered your own question.

So your answer is to occupy a place in a team with someone who plays lots of games, and doesn't score that many, as apposed to someone who scores in their sleep?

DARREN BENT!!!!

[RovertheHill]

If ever there was a case of shoot the messenger this place is it. Quite funny really (sorry Nicko). Most people on here were more than happy to accept Nicko's view about the Chelsea lad and yet are having a pop about his views on fatboy. Also happy enough when he agrees with players you like.

Shall we just see whether there is any mileage in this and at what price before all the hissy fits start

[tcj_jones]

I think Nicko got far more stick over Di Santo than Davies. This is a messageboard for debate - if his views on Davies are contrary to those of the other members, then he's going to find people challanging his view. Just because he gives us some good info, it doesn't make his opinion gospel.

[Presty On Tour]

After the sales of Rocky and Matty go through, imo there is no way Sam is stupid enough to go in for Kevin Davies.

Davies was a disaster for us and contributed by being so ###### and sending us down and keeping us down for another season.

He has done alright in his career since he left us and is now Notlob captain and basically calling the shots down the road. There is no chance he would give that up to get a another backlash from the fans. JW, the board and Sam would be idiots to pay 5m when we should be looking to bring in better players than that scum!

Sam's got roughly 15m to spend? I wouldn't buy Davies for 5p, never mind 5 million!

[nicko]

So your answer is to occupy a place in a team with someone who plays lots of games, and doesn't score that many, as apposed to someone who scores in their sleep?

DARREN BENT!!!!

If Darren Bent is so good why do Spurs want rid of him?

Big fee, big wages, probably signing for Sunderland.

Move on.

I think Nicko got far more stick over Di Santo than Davies. This is a messageboard for debate - if his views on Davies are contrary to those of the other members, then he's going to find people challanging his view. Just because he gives us some good info, it doesn't make his opinion gospel.

Never said it was gospel.

It's always interesting to hear people's views...but I would love to know who has actually seen Davies on a regular basis on here...or Di Santo for that matter although that is obviously difficult as he is known to those who watch Chelsea's stiffs.

Funny that the people at Bolton rate him so highly that he is their captain and wad given a three-year contract a season ago. They know what he is worth.

And so does the manager who gave him a new lease of life and worked with him every day for three seasons or so.

I think HIS opinion matters most of all.

[gazsimm]

If Darren Bent is so good why do Spurs want rid of him?

Big fee, big wages, probably signing for Sunderland.

Move on.

Darren Bent will score 15-20 goals a season thats why Nicko, Spurs have Defoe, Keane and that Russian chap, so he never gets a run of games. Sunderland will have a cracker if they sign him

[Guest benmaxwell]

If Darren Bent is so good why do Spurs want rid of him?

Big fee, big wages, probably signing for Sunderland.

Because they have Defoe, who is a very similar player and marginally better?

[RovertheHill]

I think Nicko got far more stick over Di Santo than Davies. This is a messageboard for debate - if his views on Davies are contrary to those of the other members, then he's going to find people challanging his view. Just because he gives us some good info, it doesn't make his opinion gospel.

of course not and he got plenty of stick rightly for his views on that pensioner in claret over Tugay. But there are plenty on here who are happy enough when he names someone they like, and spend ages nagging about any new news, and are now seemingly full of righteous indignation in this case. There's a balance is all I'm saying

[tcj_jones]

Never said it was gospel.

I wasn't saying that you did, my post was more in response to RoverTheHills.

I'm sure you read my comments regarding Davies. I think he is a good player and would suit our style of football. However, at 32, he just doesn't represent good value for money. Far from it, in fact. I also don't know for how much longer he will be at the top of his game.

Out of interest, have you watched Di Santo on a regular basis? I must admit, I thought you over-hyped him somewhat.

[nicko]

Darren Bent will score 15-20 goals a season thats why Nicko, Spurs have Defoe, Keane and that Russian chap, so he never gets a run of games. Sunderland will have a cracker if they sign him

Bent is more like a 12-a-season man. He would cost around £10 million and is looking for around £75,000-a-week.

Is that value? Not so sure.

[gumboots]

I think Nicko got far more stick over Di Santo than Davies. This is a messageboard for debate - if his views on Davies are contrary to those of the other members, then he's going to find people challanging his view. Just because he gives us some good info, it doesn't make his opinion gospel.

Besides which, I don't think most people had a go at him at all, not for saying that Davies is the target. It's not his fault that the news, if true, is considered by many, though not all, to be bad. And i don't think he minds people disagreeing with his view that this is a good move for us, provided we argue the point without abusing him.

[DE.]

I think the main difference between Nicko's opinion, and that of the majority of posters, is that he believes Davies will last longer.

Most see only 1 or 2 seasons mileage in Davies before he loses his ability to play in the top flight... whereas Nicko must see 3 or 4 seasons left in him.

I'm in the former camp personally, and that is the main reason I think we should avoid. Each to their own, but 5M for 2 seasons of around 11 goals and a squad moulded to accomadate Davies doesn't seem like a smart move. If it was 4 seasons or so it may be reasonable, depending on where we finished and the players we bring in to support him.

[nicko]

Out of interest, have you watched Di Santo on a regular basis? I must admit, I thought you over-hyped him somewhat.

I first saw him in an Argentinian under-20 game and he looked the dog's. Followed his progress after that and wasn't shocked that Chelsea took a chance. You may recall he was linked to Rovers at the same time - but that one didn't work out.

Then I caught him in a reserve game last season and thought he had a real chance.

Burnley asked for him on loan and were told he wasn't be ing allowed out. But now they think he needs to get games at the best possible level.

For my pains I see a lot of ressie games involving the big clubs and he is easily the best compared to anything at Man U, Liverpool or Everton. Man City have Sturridge at a similar age and standard. But Di Santo could be more of a threat than him, although I am a Sturridge fan too.