[Archived] Reflections On The Transfer Window

[RevidgeBlue]

Odd post from Gordon, granted Hughes didn't have large amounts of money to spend, but then he rightly insisted our better players were kept. When he was at the Club we hadn't sold 50m quids worth of players in 12 months.

We've also discussed rewarding the manager umpteen times before. The only way to award bonuses (if indeed bonuses are needed when the manager is on a basiic salary of 30-40 k p.w. already ) is to do it by reference to being awarded a proportion of the increased TV revenue the higher up the League we finish.

You can only reward a manager for success, you simply can't reward someone for prima facie setting us up to fail by flogging off our best players!. Wasn't aware you worked in the Banking sector Gordon!

[thenodrog]

Poll added. Just looking at if you think the team is stronger or weaker than last season.

I suggest the word 'squad' instead of 'team' be used modes.

[Big Fat Sam]

I'd love to write a long reply about how I feel the same as Den, and if I'm being honest think we are weaker than last season. I'm becoming a real cynic with reference to our club and can't help but feel there was method behind the cheap tickets that were on offer this summer.

Salgado - WHY??? Hierro was renowned as a ball playing centre back someone who could carry the ball out of defence the only similarities between him and Salgado are the team they've both played for. Baffling signing especially since sam said we needed more height in midfield last year and now we have a 5 8 DM C. Mixed info on him some say he's still got legs others think we're mad.

Jacobsen - I honestly think Sam acted too quickly with him it wasn't as if we didn't have cover here so we didn't have to run out and buy the first one that came along, patience could have seen only Chimbonda and then perhaps a left back.

Van Heerden - Understand why, Treacy has never cut the mustard and never will so we needed back-up to Gamst which we have never had. He's reasonable quick and plays a reasonable ball in but, I question his choices during games and haven't seen him use his pace to attack defenders yet. Needs lots of work, but one disappointment is his injury record its quite long already at his age.

N'zonzi - Promise, but thats all needs to be given time to settle and if he can play within his limitations then he will blossom. But throwing him and saying sink or swim is not the best way forward. Could be a really good find.

Di Santo - Lots of promise. But only 6 months so we will probably be searching under the seats of cars looking for some change to replace him with in Jan. One year fine great but what the hell will we end up with in Jan????

Givet - best signing to date. But he's a centre back and excelling there I see no logic in moving him to left back.

Chimbonda - Signing him makes Jacobsen and Salgado look strange, but he's the one out of the three I want to see at right back. Good player but we needed a left footer. Strange signing considering we already had Salgado and Jacobsen.

Kalanic - So much pressure on his shoulders now, I hope to god he's up to the task.

So do I think we're stronger IE a better squad than last season, no not at all. We've got a better balance in some area's IE midfield we now have two back-up wingers in Van heerden and Hoillet, which was badly needed so thats good. Up front we're weaker than last year, yes RSC never played but when fit we had a serious threat even the likes of United feared. Again kalanic has a huge responsibility as it would seem Sam has decided Benni's yesterdays news (kalanic on before Benni at sunderland has convinced me along with comments made by Sam about him. Sam has to get in Benni's head and get him playing again he's the only proven goal scorer we have now. Sam's meant to be renowned for recovering old boys on the decline, I'll wait and see.

We are weaker up-front.

Midfield Flanks are stronger and I thought most of our play would come down these avenues this season. Emerton I hope to god he's not lost any of his physical attributes as he's just become my attacking midfielder. Dunn one full game in 18 months, finger crossed all of them, I'm not convinced on this all our eggs in one basket. Why didn't we snap off Fulhams hand??? Getting any more than we paid for him would have been a great move, if we then hadn't run all starry eyed to Salgado that money could have signed us what we seriously lack creativity.

Better balance IE back-up which is a step in the right direction. But if we're going to do anything more than scrap through this injury prevention system of Sam's had better get up and running quick. Hopefully Emo can step in and do OK at least he will run with the ball.

Stronger, BUT only if we keep them all fit and thats a serious long shot at present.

Defence, Givet has really strengthened us here he's a great signing and better than Nelsen, sorry he is IMO. Personally I don't want to see him at left back but since he's our only left footer of the required quality now we have no choice. Chimbonda will do well hopefully at right back but signing him made signing Jacobsen pointless.

slightly stronger but the balance is all wrong now and we have lost all pace on our left side.

Overall, we've signed one or two good ones, along with some serious head scratchers. But I do feel our 1st 11 is weaker than last year and we have all our eggs in one basket in Dunn and I'll be gob-smacked if he plays more than 10 full games in the premiership this season. Emerton is our only real back-up for this role provided he can adapt to playing there full time. Reidy I just don't think he can be considered part of the squad yet, he's got a long road back, but here's hoping.

For me we have too many if's this year and Warnocks sale just highlights the change in policy at our club. We've done OK so lets hope its enough and its all being done to make us more competitive next year as surely now we generate a profit. JW always said we ran right on the line and spent every penny we had so with all the cut-backs and such we must now generate money surely??? Lets hope its for spending and not The B.A.N.K. manager.

I can only hope that the above combined with staying up by the skin of our teeth again will allow us to build from next summer on-wards, but if not no cheap ticket offers will be enough to appease any fan at the club. And to think I started writing a short reply.

[thenodrog]

Odd post from Gordon, granted Hughes didn't have large amounts of money to spend, but then he rightly insisted our better players were kept. When he was at the Club we hadn't sold 50m quids worth of players in 12 months.

We've also discussed rewarding the manager umpteen times before. The only way to award bonuses (if indeed bonuses are needed when the manager is on a basiic salary of 30-40 k p.w. already ( ) EVERY MANAGER IS ON SIMILAR) is to do it by reference to being awarded a proportion of the increased TV revenue the higher up the League we finish.

You can only reward a manager for success, you simply can't reward someone for prima facie setting us up to fail by flogging off our best players!. Wasn't aware you worked in the Banking sector Gordon!

THE ONLY SUCCESS TO ANY OWNER IN FOOTBALL IS FINANCIAL SUCCESS AND THATS THAT. CUP'S N STUFF COME A LONG WAY SECOND. SO ANY MANAGER THAT CAN BRING FINANCIAL SUCCESS SHOULD BE REWARDED.

TELL YOU WHAT YOU WRITE A LETTER TO MARK HUGHES TELL HIM HE'S ON 40K PW AND THAT YOU'LL HAVE A MEDAL STRUCK AND A STATUE COMMISIONED ......... AND I'LL OFFER HIM 40K PW PLUS 20% OF HIS TRANSFER PROFITS ...... WHO DO YOU THINK HE'LL WORK FOR?

[CAPT KAYOS]

Well I've voted slightly stronger.

We might have sold 'established ' players but aside from the midfield gaping hole we are much more balanced with cover imo, consistenly fit Dunn with maybe Bert will help in this area.

My only worry is the same as last season and the way we set up for games and Sams propensity to target games for points which leaves us clueless when things don't go our away as it makes us have to chase to make up the points.

Don't know about anybody else, but there's a freshness to the new signings and despite the debacle of last Saturday still feel we will be ok this season as long as Sam gets out of his self pity bed and the percentage football mindset.

[RevidgeBlue]

it's fair to say that the fans/supporters of BRFC have gained massively from the input of the Walker Trust but what has the Walker Trust to show for it's support for BRFC? [/b]

Errrr...........................whoever Jack's Trustees are, they didn't have to pick up those duties, they assumed them entirely voluntarily on the basis they would be paid extremely handsomely for their professional services.

They sure as hell haven't lost a penny themselves, it's not their money! They will however no doubt have made many hundreds of thousands of pounds in costs charging out their services at the going rate of £200 per hour or whatever it is.

[thenodrog]

Errrr...........................whoever Jack's Trustees are, they didn't have to pick up those duties, they assumed them entirely voluntarily on the basis they would be paid extremely handsomely for their professional services.

They sure as hell haven't lost a penny themselves, it's not their money! They will however no doubt have made many hundreds of thousands of pounds in costs charging out their services at the going rate of £200 per hour or whatever it is.

Are you saying that the trustees (i.e. administrators of the trust) are the only beneficiaries of the trust Rev?

[RevidgeBlue]

Are you saying that the trustees (i.e. administrators of the trust) are the only beneficiaries of the trust Rev?

Of course not. The Trustees are not Beneficiaries of the Trust (although I presume the family have representation on there) but they get paid for administering it unless Solicitors firms in Jersey work for free these days.

[bob fleming]

The poll is a sham. Where's the "We'll have to see how the new signings get on" option?

[modes98]

I suggest the word 'squad' instead of 'team' be used modes.

There is no I in Team.

The poll is a sham. Where's the "We'll have to see how the new signings get on" option?

I'm daring people to have an opinion There is already the Grooby kop out option

[joey_big_nose]

We are certainly stronger in defence. Perhaps the best we have ever been. On the other hand it's almost impossible to say whether we are stronger in attack at the moment or not. It depends on Kalinic, Di Santo and Hoilett (and as a real outside chance Van Heerden), all of whom are clearly very talented but it is a question of impact. If those four can offer us more (most importantly in goals) than Derbyshire and Cruz then we are in a good position. That remains to be seen. Personally I am hopeful and fearful at the same time...

Midfield wise we will miss Tugay, however the main loss is still Bentley who was only partially replaced by Diouf. We need to find a new way of playing without that pair. Currently the only answer seems to be Dunn who is fragile. It's a shame because if we had signed one true quality midfielder the atmosphere would be very positive IMO.

However Sam is no mug so he must be happy with Dunn, Emo, Grella, Van Heerden, Pedersen, Diouf, Hoilett as creative forces. Time will show whether he is right.

ps. I have to back up what Phillipl says about Allardyce. He will go if another prem team with slightly (or a lot) more backing comes in for him.

If this guy at Portsmouth actually has cash I would see them as a major threat as they will almost certainly be in the bottom three in December and they will sack Hart. Allardyce would be the obvious choice for anyone in that position just like he was for ourselves. If they have real money it will be attractive for him.

I have no idea where we will go from there.

[LeChuck]

I'm with the majority here; slightly stronger.

- I think Kalinic will give us more over the course of this season than Roque did last season

- N'Zonzi is a definite upgrade on Mokoena

- Overall the defence is stronger, it certainly has more depth

- Hoilett has added much needed competition on the wings

Like most, I'm disappointed we couldn't get in a quality central midfielder, but we have so many central midfielders on the books that it would have been incredibly difficult to justify adding another one to the wage bill.

Considering the vast difference in money between incomings and outgoings, we've done incredibly well not to be going into this season weaker than we were last.

[bob fleming]

There is already the Grooby kop out option

I've taken it!

[thenodrog]

Of course not. The Trustees are not Beneficiaries of the Trust (although I presume the family have representation on there) but they get paid for administering it unless Solicitors firms in Jersey work for free these days.

In that case I dont understand your point. I never mentioned the trustees.

[doctorryan]

...........................So a good window? Not bad and possibly very good indeed if Nzonzi and Kallinic fulfill promise, Salgado is the new Campo and the bet on the injured quartet of midfielders recovering to their best form pays off.

Philipl apparently possesses the priceless ability to convince one's self, when someone else farts, that they smell maple syrup. I don't know how much longer I can put up with this club. This window had a chance to be great but could end up being disastrous. The Trust had a chance 20 months ago to push for the CL. Now it's like we're sitting at a blackjack table and choosing to sit on 15.

The bet on the table? Our Premier League status.

I hope I'm wrong and we're able to hold out long enough in the top flight to find a suitable buyer, but personally I think we're screwed.

So for now it's:

One for the other middle finger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

We are Penn State (American college football)

V for Villanova (basketball)

Let's go Flyers (NHL)

All of the above expect to be in contention for their respective championships this coming winter.

As for Rovers, I hope we're still a top-flight club come World Cup 2010.

[den]

Calm down Gord.

You refer to my age and how I should know better, but you're old enough to step back and look at the bigger picture and the direction the club is going. I mean, you've told us often enough.

It's just an opinion as well Gord. Hopefully I'm completely wrong and we'll do well this season.

[philipl]

Doc you picked up on one observation from a lengthy post.

As the Irishman answered when asked the way to Dublin; "Well I wouldn't start from here", nobody in their right mind would plant a Premier League club in Blackburn.

But we are a top Premier League club for all our foibles and failings and as a Blackburnian I am mighty proud of it. Last season an Ince experience would have killed the Premiership status of at least half the clubs in our league but Rovers were strong enough to pull through. This summer's big cash adjustment was in part the price paid for Ince so far as I am concerned.

I bet the Board are not budgeting on finishing 10th this season and that alone is a product of the Ince disaster.

It is pick yourself up and start again time and Rovers have a Premiership squad in strength and depth everywhere except question marks over the forwards just now even though one of them holds a CL winner's medal.

[67splitscreen]

Overall, everything considered, the squad is slightly stronger, the club itself much stronger on the finical side (less debt) I think.

Really not sure if there is anything left for January, if not I can see Sam hanging himself, can a dead man walk.

My concerns are.

Di Santo goes back in January, (if needed)

Lack of quality in MF (quality costs)

Several players contracts up before next season (four I know of)

Positives.

Some potentially good signings.

Givet a snip at 3.5m

N'Z'onzi, I like the look of this lad.

Hoilett a young player with potential and that wonderful attribute pace.

Kalinic, potential, have to wait and see if he can cut it.

Salgado created the funniest topic ever on this board if nothing else (although some thought it childish)

Changes at the top in the academy.

it's Rovers so no real big surprises, only three months to the winter sales.

Let's hope again there are five or six clubs in a worse position come May.

[joey_big_nose]

Philipl apparently possesses the priceless ability to convince one's self, when someone else farts, that they smell maple syrup. I don't know how much longer I can put up with this club. This window had a chance to be great but could end up being disastrous. The Trust had a chance 20 months ago to push for the CL. Now it's like we're sitting at a blackjack table and choosing to sit on 15.

The bet on the table? Our Premier League status.

I hope I'm wrong and we're able to hold out long enough in the top flight to find a suitable buyer, but personally I think we're screwed.

So for now it's:

One for the other middle finger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

We are Penn State (American college football)

V for Villanova (basketball)

Let's go Flyers (NHL)

All of the above expect to be in contention for their respective championships this coming winter.

As for Rovers, I hope we're still a top-flight club come World Cup 2010.

What's your point? That you won't support a team who cannot fight for a title or CL? You better start supporting Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, or as an outside bet City or Tottenham.

The other 90 teams in the football league will be of little interest to you.

[Hughesy]

I base mine on what Sam had to work with last season to this.

I think we are stronger and I would of gone much stronger had we got some players with abit more prem experience.

Defence - Much stronger. Losing Warnock was no great loss and we have already got a left sided replacement (Givet) or Chimbonda who can both probably do a better job. We now also have more options for centre defence and we now also have proper right backs. Jacobsen people are saying looked like a rushed signing but so afr he has done well and doesnt deserve that tag. We also lost Ooijer but we now have many right backs who can play that psition with much more confidence.

Midfield - Well what have we lost? Gallagher (finally), Mokoena (Fans favourite hater), Treacy (Not prem standard) and Tugay (Legend but past it).

We have added both left & right wingers to add competition and we have also added NZonzi who could be made into either a box to box man or a quality defensive midfielder. We also have the injured quartet all more or less back from injury and Dunn has just completed his first 90 mins in 18 months. Gamst seems to be returning to some form, and Diouf still looks a good buy.

Strikers - Derbyshire was deemed not good enough last season (which I agree with) and we got a decent fee for him. RSC wanted out for 12 months and sulked until he got his move (we therefore got a massive profit on him and cashed in early). Replaced them with Junior - who looks a massive talent, Kalinic - a big talent back home and full of promise, and also a highly rated loan player in Di Santo. The way I look at it, was that last season Sam had just Benni & roberts, this season he has 5 players available to play up top.

So we have cut some deadwood, some ageing wood and we have added some real youth and ability. It is now up to those younger players to take the opportunity to push our senior 11 and start to fight for places. I think our first games have shown us alot of promise and I am very happy with our squad now, compared to what Sam had to work with to keep us up.

Money - We had £16m debt, we finished 15th therefore losing £2.5m on places and we also had topay Ince etc off for £3m. Thats almost £22m debts.

Hopefully we have cleared £12-15m of that debt, and we have also cut our wage bill by £5m. Giving us much more scope for the future. Rome wasnt built in a day (as someone else mentioned) and we have made some good, solid moves to securing a much more stable foundation.

Reid, Dunn & Gamst are all out of contract in 12 months so they too will be scrutanised and could also be cut if necessary. The first 2 obviously depend very much on injuries.

[LeChuck]

and we have also cut our wage bill by £5m.

I'll be very interested to see what the figures show next time they are released, because I'm struggling to believe that at the moment.

[T4E]

I've gone for slightly stronger, simply because, Warnock aside, we haven't sold anyone who made much of an impact last season. If you're going to lose a player from any position that was good last year, you'd probably be happy losing a left back or right back above any other.

[tcj_jones]

I've gone for slightly stronger, simply because, Warnock aside, we haven't sold anyone who made much of an impact last season. If you're going to lose a player from any position that was good last year, you'd probably be happy losing a left back or right back above any other.

My thoughts as well. Plus, we'll hopefully now have a fit Dunn in the team, and that is absolutely vital.

[T4E]

Emerton will be player of the season.

Dunny and Grella did 90 mins.

It's not all bad.

Just need Sam to get his (Please don't use that word again)ing act together now.

[Hughesy]

I'll be very interested to see what the figures show next time they are released, because I'm struggling to believe that at the moment.

Well they expected it to rise to £40m last year - so that should be on the next accounts, followed by £35m the year after.

I tried following our deals all summer and id have us at around £5.1m shaved off the wages.