[Archived] Sam's January Targets

[Tom]

Shocking if true, Kuryani can't be costing much yet we go for sh1te like Beattie.

Appalling

[Fylde Coast Fan]

Nicko - one of your Mirror colleagues claims Fulham are going to try and hijack O'Hara. Does that mean he can play for three clubs or is the journo in question in the dark on the rule?

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Im assuming a straight swap for Kenwyne Jones with Jason Roberts is off the cards then.

Beattie. Underwhelmed. But thats where we're at. Sunderland/Stoke/Birmingham all have money. We do not. Hopefully if Benni and/or MGP go then we'll be after a creative midfield spark before too long.

[Fylde Coast Fan]

A few days ago it was reported that Kuranyi turned down Birmingham because he expected the £70k a week to be NET - as in £130k a week. Either he's willing to take a drop for that move or he's way, way out of our league. We're trying to offload anyone earning more than about £30k...

[EwoodGlory]

A few days ago it was reported that Kuranyi turned down Birmingham because he expected the £70k a week to be NET - as in £130k a week. Either he's willing to take a drop for that move or he's way, way out of our league. We're trying to offload anyone earning more than about £30k...

I think Bent and Cana are on about £70k, so I would expect it to be around that?

[Hughesy]

Anything in Benni to Everton?

Fee for Linganzi is apparently £50k!

£50k - and a player our coaches believe to be a gem......cant be bad!

[Kelbo]

I think Bent and Cana are on about £70k, so I would expect it to be around that?

Wonder if Burnley will sign them then

[modes98]

A few days ago it was reported that Kuranyi turned down Birmingham because he expected the £70k a week to be NET - as in £130k a week. Either he's willing to take a drop for that move or he's way, way out of our league. We're trying to offload anyone earning more than about £30k...

I heard the same thing from a couple of brum fans. He isn't exactly a brilliant striker either. Sunderland are welcome to that one. I would much rather have Beattie at a snip of the price and wages.

Interesting of MGP, I think the key is just to offload him for the best fee we can. With 6 months on his deal £1m would be great to put into getting someone in with some desire.

Hopefully this will kick off the window.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Interesting of MGP, I think the key is just to offload him for the best fee we can. With 6 months on his deal £1m would be great to put into getting someone in with some desire.

Agreed. £1 million is better than nothing (which is what we will get if he is still here in the summer). It would also clear some space on the wage bill to bring in a player or two.

[herbergeehh]

Kuranyi is way out of reach, but well done to Sunderland for taking the next step - they have performed this season and seem to build on that.

Kenwyne Jones would be a much better signing for us, any idea what kind of money he is on and will cost, Nicko? Surely a better bet than Beattie.

[bluebruce]

£50k - and a player our coaches believe to be a gem......cant be bad!

I'm not so sure. Wasn't the main holdup with the Linganzi deal that we were haggling over the fee? For such a small fee, that implies maybe we don't truly rate him that much. I'm happy we aren't paying a lot given our predicament, but unless we were playing hardball with them on account of their own financial position and a lack of rivals for his signature, I'm not sure this bodes well for his actual quality. I'll reserve judgement until I've seen him, obviously, but I wonder if this might come under the Nick Blackman category of signing (which I felt from the start may only have been an exercise in spending stuff all to convince the fans we were investing in youth, and perhaps make a miniscule profit if he did well out on loan). On a similar note, I can find no mention in our squad list or reserve squad list of that young goalie we signed perhaps two seasons back, who was Finnish I think? Gunnar Nielsen or something was his name. Anybody know what happened to him?

[Fylde Coast Fan]

Kuranyi is way out of reach, but well done to Sunderland for taking the next step - they have performed this season and seem to build on that.

Kenwyne Jones would be a much better signing for us, any idea what kind of money he is on and will cost, Nicko? Surely a better bet than Beattie.

Most of the paper reports on Kenwyne moving have been in the £10-12m range. Way out of our budget.

We're looking for someone who we can buy for less than £3m and pay around £20k a week, I think.

[bluebruce]

Kuranyi is way out of reach, but well done to Sunderland for taking the next step - they have performed this season and seem to build on that.

Kenwyne Jones would be a much better signing for us, any idea what kind of money he is on and will cost, Nicko? Surely a better bet than Beattie.

He would cost a much greater amount than Beattie too. I believe that last season Sunderland rejected a 15 million pound bid for him at some point. At an absolute minimum I would expect him to cost £5 million plus, probably quite a bit more. Just out of our price range frankly, unless we have a huge firesale to sign just him. Personally I would think that if we can get the, say, 7 or 8 million it might take, we would be better spending it on a few lower-priced gambles (Not Beattie though). I think Jones is overrated anyway.

[RevidgeBlue]

We're looking for someone who we can buy for less than £3m and pay around £20k a week, I think.

I doubt outside of Turf Moor there are many Premiership players on 20k p.w. these days.

If we were to offload MGP or Benni who I would suspect both earn more than 30k p.w. there'd be no real reason why we couldn't pay a new signing the same but you're unlikely to atract a real top quality player on a free or for 1m etc.

Which is why we're being linked with cast offs like Beattie. Bet he still wants something like 30k p.w. though.

[patrickvalery]

You think Beattie likes the ball to feet, where he can turn and run at defenders? No way Jose. He's a big, strong target man with little skill.

A kind of poor man's Kevin Davis.

Den, i can't agree on this. Beattie is a big lad. He can't help that. But that doesn't make him your archetypal target man. Moyes tried to make him that at Everton and it didn't work. If he gets brought here to be a battering ram he'll fail. For a big guy he's not great in the air. Yes he is a presence in terms of his size and bulk. But he won't play the succesful target man role. Just ask Kevin Phillips and Andy Johnson. The man is so selfish his ego wouldn't allow him to be the unsung hero, creator type.

On the plus side, he is big on confidence. Get him scoring and we'll see the best of him. Also he is without one of the best penalty takers i've seen. We could use one of those.

My opinion of him. Grade a c0ck. But on form, would walk into our side.

.....which is how we tried to play Roberts. Corrected your spelling too.

Dear god man!!! Stop being such a condescending prick!!!

[BigJackWalker]

IMO good news on Beatie hes a good player and just what we need to stay clear of trouble. I don't get why all you guy are like "depressing "Apalling" thats really apalling on your behalf complaining that were improving our sqaud, rovers don't need critics when we have fans like you guys. you all expect too much we are on a shoe string budget and u expect us to sign young talented players well you stump up 10 million id rathe have player who i know will do the job, so either stop complaining or go and support real madrid they sound lke the perfect team for you people jeez!

\rant over

[neekoy]

Close call. Lorik Cana is ranked 381 in the Castrol Rankings, compared to Keith Andrews who's ranked 316.

There'd be some tough competition. Kenwyne Jones is ranked 264 in the Castrol Ranking only just ahead of Kevin Kuranyi who's Ranked 273

A good buy. Kenwyne Jones is ranked 264 in the Castrol Rankings ahead of Benny McCarthy at 920.

A good buy. Kenwyne Jones is ranked 264 in the Castrol Rankings ahead of James Beattie at 589.

A good buy. Kenwyne Jones is ranked 264 in the Castrol Rankings ahead of Jason Roberts at 417.

Controversial. Ryan Babel is ranked 123 points behind Morten Gamst Pedersen in the Castrol Rankings.

[mellison24]

I'm not so sure. Wasn't the main holdup with the Linganzi deal that we were haggling over the fee? For such a small fee, that implies maybe we don't truly rate him that much. I'm happy we aren't paying a lot given our predicament, but unless we were playing hardball with them on account of their own financial position and a lack of rivals for his signature, I'm not sure this bodes well for his actual quality. I'll reserve judgement until I've seen him, obviously, but I wonder if this might come under the Nick Blackman category of signing (which I felt from the start may only have been an exercise in spending stuff all to convince the fans we were investing in youth, and perhaps make a miniscule profit if he did well out on loan). On a similar note, I can find no mention in our squad list or reserve squad list of that young goalie we signed perhaps two seasons back, who was Finnish I think? Gunnar Nielsen or something was his name. Anybody know what happened to him?

Gunnar Nielsen was Faroese, and is now at City, the last I heard.

[roversnick]

Gunnar Nielsen was Faroese, and is now at City, the last I heard.

Yep, I think Hughes took him to city

[bluebruce]

Gunnar Nielsen was Faroese, and is now at City, the last I heard.

Thanks, not sure why I didn't wikipedia it, which is my habit. I wonder why Hughes snapped him up for City then loaned him out almost instantly to a mere Conference team...very strange.

[Steve Moss]

Per the Daily Mail, Everton allegedly looking at Benni McCarthy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1241154/Blackburns-Benni-McCarthy-ready-solve-Evertons-striker-crisis.html

And per FansFC, Sam wants Gudjohnsen.

http://www.fansfc.com/BlackburnRovers/story/18054/4.html

[Bobby G]

Theres no way the Greeks will pay that much for him when theres 6 months left on his contract.

And about that merry go around, what a dissapointment, look at some of the names being thrown around in that mix and look at who we have in between them.

Id take Beattie but only if we are exchanging him for Roberts.

[alexanders]

I doubt outside of Turf Moor there are many Premiership players on 20k p.w. these days.

If we were to offload MGP or Benni who I would suspect both earn more than 30k p.w. there'd be no real reason why we couldn't pay a new signing the same but you're unlikely to atract a real top quality player on a free or for 1m etc.

Which is why we're being linked with cast offs like Beattie. Bet he still wants something like 30k p.w. though.

IMO we should look in the low/middle bracket ie cast-offs, potential world-beaters and young players who f***ed their careers. We know that we don't have any money and I personally think players such as Kevin Kuraniy represents a very big risk.

We are also looking at shifting down our wage bill AND then half the point is to shift out our big earners and replace them with players who earn less?

I also think that in this financial climate throughout the world, now is the time to begin this process. For some years in Norway most clubs have upped their wage budgets and bad players earn a lot more than they deserve. This has resulted in negative numbers in almost every football club in the top division in Norway. What we know see is a change and an overall acception that the wages shouldn't be this high.

I think we might see the same in England.

[American]

Um, I don't know what crack your smoking but 1 goal in 3 games over a ten year+ career is pretty bloody good. A very small percentage of strikers can beat that.

Benni being one of them, and Roberts being in the neighborhood.....

We need to improve our squad, not just bring in a new face with the same results.

[Bobby G]

Roque is going to go out on loan it seems. Should we be interested or has he burnt all bridges?