[Archived] Nicko

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

So what did Berkovic do, in the top division(epl) while at Rovers? Reid and Dunny has also been injured, so the Warhurst bit is stupid as well.

Berkovic did the best thing ever for Rovers in the top flight - Souness decided not to buy him after we got promoted and bought Tugay instead

[TimmyJimmy]

Right now Benni and Roberts are filling the dressing room with negative waves. Doesn't matter how good you are if you are hurting team moral and togetherness.

Simply getting rid of them will improve things even if they aren't replaced - although we'd obviously be down on numbers to cover Di Santo and Kalinic but that's not the point I'm making here.

Don't get me wrong I rate Benni the footballer very highly but he's sulked his way to become a toxic liability to the rest of the team.

Beattie in replacement - why not? Insults about old/fat/ego aside he would give us more than Benni and Roberts together. He's a strong holdup player and we are desperate to see the ball not being given away right now. He can hold it up front and bring others into play.

MGP inside and Olsson on the wing - again why not, they did alright against Villa.

If Beattie is not silly money I'd do it.

[Iceman]

I dont think you can say that just because Bellamy's head was turned that it made him any less of a player. Bellamy was world class for us, as he is right now for City, and thats regardless of his attitude. RSC is different. I dont rate him as highly as Bellamy as his form was totally dependent upon the service he got.

Benni is a very good player on his day but clearly doesnt want to be here. The difference is that he also isnt particularly fit and when he isnt interested he very rarely gives 100%. That could never be said of Bellers.

If the option was a top form McCarthy or a top form Beattie, there wouldnt be a discussion but thats not what we're dealing with. Its an off colour, disinterested Benni or a Beattie who would be playing for his home town club and desperate to impress.

The argument was, that Bellamy was one of the best players at Rovers. He had a good season, like Benni in his 1st season. However, because Bellamy left after a good season, he is regarded amonst the best we ever had. Benni on the other hand, has been here to long and now he is regarded as being worse than a goalkeeper, a defender and Berkovic.

[mellison24]

Name me one? I'd especially like to hear about the time he saved a stinging shot then rolled the ball out to himself dribbled 20 yards, played a one two with himself in midfield then sprayed a lovely ball out to himself on the right wing, took on the full back and whipped in a glorious cross right onto his own head at the far post where he firmly planted the ball into the corner of the net.

This would be a great story to hear because I missed it and just saw the part where he tried to play a fancy flick on the half way line rather than a simple pass and allowed the opposition to attack our back four time and time and time and time again.

I think we've mixed him up with Simon Garner here.....

[CrazyIvan]

Berkovic didnt last long at Rovers when we signed Tugay for the prem but i agree with prev comments, he was a class act in promotion season.

Berkovic was on loan from Celtic at the time we had him. We had an option to buy but Celtic wanted £5million (iirc) and we weren't prepared to pay that much. He eventually went for something like £1mill I think. Tugay was a steal in comparison.

[T4E]

Berkovic was on loan from Celtic at the time we had him. We had an option to buy but Celtic wanted £5million (iirc) and we weren't prepared to pay that much. He eventually went for something like £1mill I think. Tugay was a steal in comparison.

Not to mention 10 times the player Berkovic ever was.

[Kelbo]

Warhurst was a good player, and did well in the odd game but was injured far too much to have any real impact. Scored a couple of crackers though.

The main reasons we got promoted were Jansen, Duff, Flitcroft, Dunn, Hughes, Jansen, Freidel, Berg and did I say Jansen?

And Craig Short, he and Berg along with Brad gave us experience and a real solid back four!!

[philipl]

In reply to all these arguments, Benni going to WHU is a worry primarilly because we all know he will be dynamite for them for the next six months.

Sam is not on his own in failing to unravel the pasta-loving enigma that is Benni Mac but he is at fault in failing to manage adequately the players he has signed. I have to admit I don't really know how good (or bad) this summer's crop is (including Hoillet) because Sam's predictable tactics and unpredictable selections have routinely and repeatedly failed eg "keep it tight for the first hour" when we have conceded 50 goals so far this season!

What I do see is that his two signings from this time last year are horribly out of form now- Diouf and Givet.

[Commondore]

And Craig Short, he and Berg along with Brad gave us experience and a real solid back four!!

Funny, the way I remember it Short was constantly slagged off for being too slow, worthless with the ball, Souness personal favorite and generally over the hill.

[saxo1man30]

benni is crap in the majority of games, end of. any fat @#/? can tart line and score goals. most players though, even park players, that have anything about them want to help the team perform rather than just goalhanging for personal glory. have you ever considered the fact that mccarthy is composed when he gets chances because he`s done naff all else in the game to break sweat or make his legs a bit shaky?

maybe roberts could finish better if he just stood around upfront all game so he wasn`t tired when a chance came along, he`d soon be booted out the team though if he did as he hasn`t got a long past superstar reputation to live off.

[S15]

Funny, the way I remember it Short was constantly slagged off for being too slow, worthless with the ball, Souness personal favorite and generally over the hill.

You remember wrong. A great player for us, even after we got promoted he was fantastic for a year or two.

[MeanGreenMachine]

I could give you a list of players who dont run around like a headless chicken like paul dickov but are considered some of the best players in the world. Running around alot doesn;t make you a fantastic player, though i guess thats why Bryan Robson is a legend .

[saxo1man30]

I could give you a list of players who dont run around like a headless chicken like paul dickov but are considered some of the best players in the world. Running around alot doesn;t make you a fantastic player, though i guess thats why Bryan Robson is a legend .

yes i could name a few as well, but they didn`t play for teams that needed all the workers they could get to compensate for a lack of ability within it. we simply cannot afford to play with 10 men every week, which is effectively what you do with benni in the team when you haven`t got the ball.

i`d argue that we finished the game against villa with 9 players on the field from a defensive perspective as there was no way benni was running back when villa countered.

[bob fleming]

50 goals in 134 years isnt really a good strike-rate!

Indeed. One goal every 100 games or so isn't what we're looking for. He should be losing weight at his age not putting it on.

Time to get shut.

[DeadlyDirk]

I hope there are no W.Ham observers on here today. The sheer number of posts that have been at pains to describe just how useless and unfit and uninterested Benni is at present will ensure that we will be lucky if Gold and his henchmen offer anything over £50 for Benni. Maybe that is the plan from those that want him to stay!

There's probably been a few Wigan fans on here seeing what we think of Roberts as well!!

To be honest with Benni I don't think we should sell him to West Ham, why sell him to one of our rivals, I'd much rather he went to Gala or someone else abroad. Should we sell him at all? I don't know it's a tough one to say, in my eyes he doesn't always give 100%, far from it so I can see the reason why Sam wants to get rid, I guess he's also one of the top wage earners too. Bringing Beattie in to replace him though seems like a bit of a backwards step, I guess he might have a good 6 months as an impact signing but if it's going to cost 3m or so then maybe we should look elsewhere.

As for Benni's scoring record, does it really matter what he did, 3 years ago, 2 years ago? Even last season is almost irrelevant, all that matters is whether or not he's good enough now? What he's done in the past might be nice to look back on when he's retired but you can't just keep players because they have done well in the past, Shearer's out of work, maybe we could tempt him out of retirement, he had a pretty good scoring record too.

Benni has one league goal in fourteen appearances this year, seven are those are starts, not exactly setting the world on fire right now is he. He can still be a talent on his day which is why I'm unsure on whether or not it would be a good reason to move him on, only time will tell us that, but we simply can't keep living off what someone did in the past.

Any decision on Benni staying should depend on his current ability, not a previous one.

[Silencio]

You remember wrong. A great player for us, even after we got promoted he was fantastic for a year or two.

I liked him and thought he was just as good if not better after we got promoted, Berg was even better...

[mellison24]

I liked him and thought he was just as good if not better after we got promoted, Berg was even better...

Agreed. I still regard them both as two of my fave defenders that have been at the club!

[frosty]

I'd be quite happy to sell McCarthy to any of our rivals................preferably along with Diouff, Andrews, Salgado & a couple of other drains on the club.

[MCMC1875]

Indeed. One goal every 100 games or so isn't what we're looking for. He should be losing weight at his age not putting it on.

Time to get shut.

Now your pedigree strikers, like Jimmy Quinn, never carry an extra ounce.

[Steve Moss]

I'd be quite happy to sell McCarthy to any of our rivals................preferably along with Diouff, Andrews, Salgado & a couple of other drains on the club.

Agreed, except as to Salgado. He'll get there.

[broadsword]

I liked him and thought he was just as good if not better after we got promoted, Berg was even better...

Shorty for England!

[Kelbo]

Funny, the way I remember it Short was constantly slagged off for being too slow, worthless with the ball, Souness personal favorite and generally over the hill.

Ask Henning Berg the same question, they worked so well as a unit, not over the hill by a mile, he could play off memory as could Berg!

[Iceman]

Berg to replace Allardyce.

[tonygreenbank]

I hope there are no W.Ham observers on here today. The sheer number of posts that have been at pains to describe just how useless and unfit and uninterested Benni is at present will ensure that we will be lucky if Gold and his henchmen offer anything over £50 for Benni. Maybe that is the plan from those that want him to stay!

Dont worry Fife WHam are too professional a club to be concerned with the ramblings of football fans on a messageboard. If they want him then he will go. Thank God that we have a manager who knows his own mind and his capabilities. Otherwise his head would be spinning with the differing opinions on every topic under the sun that you find on a fans forum.Both you and I as ex-St Mary`s lads would be familiar with the concept of only one authority in an organisation! Lets leave it to Big Sam.

[nicko]

There will be an 11 o'clocker...a couple of things on the move.