[Archived] Sam's January Targets

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Some people need to get a grip. First of all the players we were linked with would not have improved the squad. Secondly, look around. Hardly any of the teams around us in the league have improved and the few that have are counterbalanced with the ones that have been weakened.

Losing Benni and not replacing him looks bad, but if the only options were Benjani/Beattie/Dindane, then quite frankly Im glad that we held fire until the Summer.

If getting Dindane in now prevents us from being able to get a decent striker in over the summer then Id much rather not bring him in.

Buying players simply for the sake of it isnt good business.

[hollowsr]

We've got to keep hope! But my prediction is that no-one comes in, cue 5.05 the messageboard being flooded with messages about sh*t scouts, manager, chairman, club, other fans, and anything else that can be blamed.

Well done Rovers. Managed to weaken our goal shy strike force.

What a Joke.......Sam has been saying for weeks Benni will be going, ive known, you've known he

was going so why the hell do we leave deals to this time? Sam also said he need more goals!

It was so blatantly obvious. Our forward line without Benni is now possibly the weakest in the league.

Whether its Sam or Williams it all looks to be very un-professional.....................

Surprise surprise - another high profile player sold and not replaced. Same old story.

heh, well, not surprising. I guess we needed to "balance out more books".

The only problem with this is that it creates the possibility that the oaf Roberts might play again for us this season. Which would truly be a terrible, terrible thing. And I guess we're also stuck with 4-5-1, Kalinic's potential being stifled game in and game out.

How they can say we simply ran out of time to get Dindane in is ridiculous!! Benni has been out of the door for ages now so we should have had plenty of time to work on getting someone in. Why did they mess about with Beattie, then Benjani then Dindane?? They should have picked 1 and focussed on getting them in. Sounds like they moved too late for Dindane but could have got him in if we acted sooner so question marks over why we didn't. I know Dindane is not the greatest striker out there but I would rather him than no-one! Even if he just sat on the bench for the rest of the season at least we would have a bit more strength in depth than we have now, just in case something happened to Di Santo or Kalinic. As it is we have to see the rest of the season out with 2 and a half strikers (Roberts is only worth a half - he is useless). Knowing our luck one of them will get injured now...

In reply to above, I don't think Basturk or Linganzi will be playing Premier League football anytime soon, but yes, they are attacking midfielders so hopefully they can do a job when required.

Williams is losing his touch...........First the appointment of Ince,then handing Andrews a new improved contract and now this debarcle......Very unprofessional of BRFC.

Can't say I didn't call it 3 hours ago

[ffan]

First the appointment of Ince,then handing Andrews a new improved contract and now this debarcle......Very unprofessional of BRFC.

On the contrary...

Ince was a realistic risk to take and he corrected his eventual error of judgement by appointing Sam, who kept Rovers in the Premiership.

I read that Andrews was told he would be given a new contract if he did well in the Premiership, added to the fact he is in the Irish squad regularly, I would say it was professional of Williams to keep his word and give Andrews the new contract and he's hardly on massive wages anyway.

I'll agree with you about the strike situation though.

[savage90]

###### take, allardyce knew damn well we couldn't lose Benni without a replacement he said it himself and Rovers have just watched it happen. If no one was coming in. Keep him for gods sake. McCarthy was lazy but he was far far better than NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[budha]

Very very poor from Rovers. Benni should not have been sold without a replacement being signed. Upfront we are now weaker, any injury to Niko could lead to problems for us. What puzzles me the most is that Sam has being bleating on for at least 6 weeks that he would listen to offers for Benni, I assumed that a replacment had been lined up, appears not.

Didn't nicko tell us that Ilan was lined up, even had his medical, but the unexpected delays in the Benni's transfer ment we had to abandon that? Edit: and at that point Benni was on strike and we couldn't pull out of it?

[Plastic Head]

Tracey to PNE - undisclosed. One bad un out at least.

[Bazrakats]

Skysports sayign we cancelled Rigters loan because we couldnt get another striker in as replacment for Benni.

Are we actually planning to use him?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Im not too disappointed we didn´t sign any of them three strikers. Andrews could have been offloaded. . We saved Benni money now and also a lot on wages. There is one problem though. The money will be gone by the summer and Sam won´t have it to spend on new players. Same old.

I agree about the dosh, we won't be seeing any of that any time soon. I'm miffed we sold our only natural goalscorer to a team that will be fighting to dump us back down the division. Smacks of the same old amateurism that let Roy Keane slip through our fingers years ago. They managed to get 3 strikers in at West Ham ( hang on ,can't count Mido as a full one ). Anything happens to Kalinic and what's the betting we'll be playing Samba up front again !

[LeChuck]

###### take, allardyce knew damn well we couldn't lose Benni without a replacement he said it himself and Rovers have just watched it happen. If no one was coming in. Keep him for gods sake. McCarthy was lazy but he was far far better than NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Basturk turns out to be a good signing then he can replace McCarthy in that role behind a main striker. It's not like McCarthy has been in good goal scoring form or anything this year, we don't have to find many extra goals to make up for him going.

[imy9]

Basturk = not a direct replacement and high risk due to lack of match fitness.

The young lad from France = not a direct replacement and clearly one for the future.

The Summer = do you have the memory of a goldfish?

Basturk and the young lad from Algeria are players that we have signed, the first one should be ready to play in a few weeks.

In the summer we had a MASSIVE wage bill that needed to be slashed, the money is obviously there otherwise how would we have purchased the Polish bloke? Benni is no big loss, he was a burden on the wages/ How much has he contributed this season?

[Hi Mack]

Nearly all your points are wrong.....

Some people need to get a grip. First of all the players we were linked with would not have improved the squad. Secondly, look around. Hardly any of the teams around us in the league have improved and the few that have are counterbalanced with the ones that have been weakened. - They are all different to what we have already and WOULD give is better/more options

Losing Benni and not replacing him looks bad, but if the only options were Benjani/Beattie/Dindane, then quite frankly Im glad that we held fire until the Summer. - The money wont be there in the summer-FACT see 09/08/07 etc

If getting Dindane in now prevents us from being able to get a decent striker in over the summer then Id much rather not bring him in. - He was only on loan, so we could change in the summer

Buying players simply for the sake of it isnt good business.- weve had long enough to search for a replacement or to tell Benni "Sorry but your staying"

[saxo1man30]

Can't say I didn't call it 3 hours ago

wouldn`t have minded the pace of dindane upfront but i`m delighted beattie won`t be joining rovers. all in all if the club needed to cut the wage bill desparately and weren`t that keen on paying over the odds in that situation to bring a less than top class player in, then i`ll back their judgement.

we are still ok imo with what we have, benni has contributed very little this season.

[insiderover79]

Well we may all have our opinions on whether it was advisable to sign a player or not this window, but as Nicko will maybe hear about in the coming days some players are not happy we havent done better in the window.

And we are damn lucky there are some really poor teams in this league again this year.

[Guest Kamy100]

In the summer we had a MASSIVE wage bill that needed to be slashed, the money is obviously there otherwise how would we have purchased the Polish bloke? Benni is no big loss, he was a burden on the wages/ How much has he contributed this season?

At least 4 points (scored at Wigan and his delivery from set pieces played a huge part in the 2 goals that we scored against Fulham). Sam had decided that he had to go, that is fair enough, but he should have signed a replacement before selling him.

[den]

Bit of a shambles really.

Dindane was always difficult because of the number of people involved and the tall stories being told.

Benjani should not have been considered.

Beattie is a narrow escape.

Does missing out on all of your targets ever get classified as a triumph?

I look forward to seeing the spin doctors get to work on this.

The plus is that so many others have made a pig of the job too. How can West Ham go for Keane and get Mido? How can Pompey know who is still there? Did anyone want the Hull rejects?

Bonus points to Wigan for the Bolivian and the young chap at Bolton for getting three players he wanted.

Elsewhere - is anybody better off?

Not bothered whether anyone else is better off Nicko. We are worse off. Terrible management weakening an already shot shy "strike" force.

To be frank, I'm disgusted in Rovers. Amateurish to say the least. What is there to look forward to between now and the end of the season?

Should be interesting going to the Turf with that strike force.

[Amo]

People actually thought we'd sell Andrews? He won't leave while we still have a midfield of crocks.

[imy9]

Treacy gone so that is about £10K minimum off the wage bill?

Nicko any idea on the fee?

[des]

if the right player was available them yes we should of signed them, but the key is the right player, by all acounts we got the correct monet for him (according to big Sam on sky)

if the right player is not availble them we are right to wait unitl the summer.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Some people need to get a grip. First of all the players we were linked with would not have improved the squad. Secondly, look around. Hardly any of the teams around us in the league have improved and the few that have are counterbalanced with the ones that have been weakened. - They are all different to what we have already and WOULD give is better/more options More options, not BETTER options. Buying players for the sake of it doesnt make sense.

Losing Benni and not replacing him looks bad, but if the only options were Benjani/Beattie/Dindane, then quite frankly Im glad that we held fire until the Summer. - The money wont be there in the summer-FACT see 09/08/07 etc Well thats not a FACT is it, your scepticism over the boards perceived reluctance to let the manager have money doesnt mean that Sam wont actually get the funds from Benni's sale in the long run

If getting Dindane in now prevents us from being able to get a decent striker in over the summer then Id much rather not bring him in. - He was only on loan, so we could change in the summer A loan with wages. Therefore losing us money. Due to Dindane not signing on loan we therefore have more money to spend on wages in the summer

Buying players simply for the sake of it isnt good business.- weve had long enough to search for a replacement or to tell Benni "Sorry but your staying" Im assuming we got the funds from Benni's sale today, a sale which may have broken down. We could only move with certainty over the past 24 hours in which time we had a go at both Benjani and Dindane if reports are to be believed. Two players who quite frankly would have added nothing

[Sysagent]

Quite happy with this windows signings and getting riddings, bring on the Summer for a proper clear out and assessment...

How people can say we have signed no-one is beyond me, our midfield has been bolstered up by a proven (albeit not match fit) international midfielder and a young up and coming one, also don't forget Reid is back match fit, so that's the midfield catered for.

As for the strike force, yes we are one man down but that person only contributed for how many games in how many seasons, not too be missed by me for sure.

Onwards and upwards I say.

[philipl]

So if I get this correct, there is a possible loan striker whose name begins with a M from afar- yes or no?

We have sold our only striker who quickened the pulses and could terrorise any defense if you talked nicely to him and kept him away for bowls of spag bog.

We have added to the list of Messrs Emerton, Reid, Diouf, Pedersen and Dunn with Basturk- another midfielder who was a potential world beater at his best but whose peak was many years ago and has spent aeons injured.

We off-loaded Keith to PNE but got the wrong sex (Treacy, not Andrews...)

We picked up Aimee somebody for the future, and

We failed to pick up three sometime forwards- a used dildo from Pompey, an injury-prone and tempramental ageing speed machine from the Council House and Dunny's drinking buddy from Stoke. This triple failure alone has made the January transfer window a resounding success for good old Rovers.

[ada2020]

At least 4 points (scored at Wigan and his delivery from set pieces played a huge part in the 2 goals that we scored against Fulham). Sam had decided that he had to go, that is fair enough, but he should have signed a replacement before selling him.

Like who? Do you really consider Dindane or Benjani worthy replacments for Benni?

I certainley do not!!!

Given the calibur of players available during the window I for one am glad we saved the cash, those harping on about how great McCarthey was need to start remembering that he wanted to leave, he made that very clear.

Once it goes that far the club and manager can do very little else, the 2million will come in very handy in the summer when we will be on the lookout for more reinforcments.

It is a loss, not a major one like some suggest though.

Allardyce would get slated by 50% of this board whatever he did during the transfer window.

[Tom]

Abysmal stuff how Can you sell benni and nt replace him at all

if we were to go down now it would be deserved IMO

The money will be gone in summer

[Brfcrule1]

well I have to say very disappointing but hopefully the dosh will be there in the summer to strengthen our forward line there's only one thing that needs saying Jason Roberts get those shooting boots on and no more excuses for missing empty nets show us what you are made of!

[Ossydave]

Whilst slightly concerned we haven't signed a decent striker, I'm glad we avoided Benjani, Beattie and Dindane.

An injury to Kallinic now would be an absolute disaster though