Chris Samba => Arsenal/Spurs

[Hughesy]

Agree – hardly a surprise as he has been wanting out for a while and our mismanagement from top to bottom has likely triggered his desire to leave/transfer request.

Boll0x he has wanted out for 2 years, not 12 months

[adsfortheblues]

just as a sidenote, it show how important it can be in having a manager like Mark Hughes. Henrique is an unreal signing for QPR and he's reasons for joining them are "I like the manager, he is known all over the world and played for great clubs like Man utd and Barcelona".

[John]

Boll0x he has wanted out for 2 years, not 12 months

I said he wanted out for a while, but likely the current state of play has acted like a catalyst for his transfer request.

[davulsukur]

just as a sidenote, it show how important it can be in having a manager like Mark Hughes. Henrique is an unreal signing for QPR and he's reasons for joining them are "I like the manager, he is known all over the world and played for great clubs like Man utd and Barcelona".

Didn't Yakubu's autocue say something similar about Kean when he signed for Rovers?

[Stuart]

Really.... Samba gets more than £60k a week? Well I never!

Dont worry it wont affect the club, nothing dodgy going on here, he only earns £60k

I get that the first bit's sarcasm but is the second bit?

[John]

Didn't Yakubu's autocue say something similar about Kean when he signed for Rovers?

Scott Dann was pretty positve following joining - something along the lines of enjoying Stevie's coaching whilst they were at Coventry together.

[DE.]

If we keep playing like we did against Fulham Samba will become less important to us - let's remember, it wasn't Samba who rose to beat De Gea to win the United match, it was Hanley.

Kean seemed to panic last month and revert back to previous tactics, which didn't work. A return to a more ground-based style of play has yielded some decent results in the past few matches. If we stick with that Samba's importance in the opponent's box will be diminished (still a nice threat to have, but he's only scored two goals this season).

Losing him in defence will be a blow as on the pitch he is a leader and from crosses and corners he's a big presence and repels the ball seemingly with ease. Alternatively his ground-based defending often leaves a lot to be desired - he gets praised for last ditch tackles but if you're having to make a last ditch tackle it's usually because something's already gone wrong beforehand.

I'm guessing he won't start against Everton - this probably, again, won't matter as Everton have one of the bluntest attacking forces in the league. We'll have to wait until Newcastle perhaps to see just how much we'll miss Samba.

[Devon Rover]

Until last weekend I had held the view that selling Samba would be disastrous and would condemn Rovers to relegation. Whilst I still think losing Samba would be a huge blow, I don't see that there is too much option. I'm not sure that responding to his transfer request by telling him to stay put would gain much- either he will be cut from the team or his form will drop, either way the contribution he has previously made will probably no longer be the same. In the circumstances therefore it will make sense to sell him at a decent price (and not to a relegation rival, QPR) and look at bringing in cheap (in terms of fee and wage) cover for Hanley/Givet/Dann as our centre-backs for the remainder of the season.

Not a good situation but, with Venkys no doubt under pressure from the bank, and a disgruntled valuable asset in Samba asking to leave, I can't see him still being at Ewood in 2 weeks time.

[Paul]

Might have previous but these are very different circumstances. Walker Trust didn't promise the world !!!

HMRC will be VERY interested even if a concessionary loan.

Type of thing that KPMG should have verified in their audit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So long as Rovers put it on his P11D it isn's a problem for the club

[Ferrit]

The question is, will we see any of the cash reinvested?

As for Samba, the clown does the same every transfer window. The problem for him is he isn't good as he thinks he is, I'd be amazed if a top 4 club came in for him.

Good luck at QPR Chris, hope all your ambitions come true. /sarcasm off.

[martypellowe]

The question is, will we see any of the cash reinvested?

As for Samba, the clown does the same every transfer window. The problem for him is he isn't good as he thinks he is, I'd be amazed if a top 4 club came in for him.

Good luck at QPR Chris, hope all your ambitions come true. /sarcasm off.

Presactly. He's good, but he's clumsy. Good for a top 6 team, in fact I could see him in a Liverpool shirt, but the Uniteds and the Citys would probably steer clear of him.

Look at Jones for example. Seems a pretty decent lad and there was nothing in the news about him throwing his toys out of the pram trying to orchestrate a move to United. He might have done that, but it wasn't in the eye of the media. Samba on the other hand is happy to open his mouth to anyone and everyone, but not about the stuff that matters ie. the state of the club, more about what HE wants. I can't see a big club wanting to deal with that kind of media whoring. United have a Rooney, City have a Tevez/Balotelli. Do they really want another?

[bluebruce]

There isn't a team in the league with two better centre halves than samba. No idea where some of you are coming from.

[LeChuck]

There isn't a team in the league with two better centre halves than samba. No idea where some of you are coming from.

Sure there are. The short comings of defenders at top clubs are heavily scrutinized, so perceptions of them change. If Samba had made the catalog of errors for a top team that he has made for us, he would be nearing Titus Bramble status. He improved one that front over the last 12 months or so, but he's still got mistakes in him.

Terry Cahill Luiz

Kompany Toure Lescott

Vidic Ferdinand

Agger Skrtel

All better than Samba. He's on a similar level to lots of other defenders too, like Dawson, Jones, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Carragher etc.

If what you were saying is true then he would have more options than QPR in this league, and not only would most people on this board be wrong, but so would all the managers at top clubs.

[bluebruce]

We are going to have to disagree, as I don't feel that cahill, the current terry or ferdinand, lescott, agger or skrtel are better than Samba. And that Dawson, Mertesacker (my how he flounders, too slow for this league), and the present carragher are nowhere near. So thinking about it, possibly city can manage two better, but isn't kompany still being used in def mid quite a lot? Catalogue of errors is just a joke IMO. All defenders make mistakes. Samba makes far less than most and is a bigger attacking threat than most.

He DOES have more options than QPR. And I think you know that. Spurs have been clear enough that they'd like him and have for a long time. Our valuation is simply high compared to what most teams like to pay impoverished sides for their defenders.

[martypellowe]

Spurs have been clear enough that they'd like him and have for a long time. Our valuation is simply high compared to what 'Arry thinks he can get him for

EFA

Think the cheeky low bids are coming in because Samba made it clear he wants out. He could well be worth £10m on any other day of the week but given the circumstances I don't thinking anyone will offer that.

[Torgeir]

We are going to have to disagree, as I don't feel that cahill, the current terry or ferdinand, lescott, agger or skrtel are better than Samba. And that Dawson, Mertesacker (my how he flounders, too slow for this league), and the present carragher are nowhere near. So thinking about it, possibly city can manage two better, but isn't kompany still being used in def mid quite a lot? Catalogue of errors is just a joke IMO. All defenders make mistakes. Samba makes far less than most and is a bigger attacking threat than most.

He DOES have more options than QPR. And I think you know that. Spurs have been clear enough that they'd like him and have for a long time. Our valuation is simply high compared to what most teams like to pay impoverished sides for their defenders.

Kompany hardly plays def mid anymore, and in my opinion is currently the best central defender in the league. I agree with the rest of your post.

[LeChuck]

We are going to have to disagree, as I don't feel that cahill, the current terry or ferdinand, lescott, agger or skrtel are better than Samba. And that Dawson, Mertesacker (my how he flounders, too slow for this league), and the present carragher are nowhere near. So thinking about it, possibly city can manage two better, but isn't kompany still being used in def mid quite a lot? Catalogue of errors is just a joke IMO. All defenders make mistakes. Samba makes far less than most and is a bigger attacking threat than most.

He DOES have more options than QPR. And I think you know that. Spurs have been clear enough that they'd like him and have for a long time. Our valuation is simply high compared to what most teams like to pay impoverished sides for their defenders.

Fair enough. I didn't include any Spurs defenders as being better than him so I concede he would get in their team. But surely if he was deemed good enough to improve the first teams of every single team in the league as you suggest, more teams would be in for him?

I do wonder how much of top defenders you've seen though (or at least City defenders), given the comments about Kompany. He hasn't played defensive midfield since Hughes was there. He's the heart of the City defence, possibly the best defender in the league over the last 12 months. Lescott has really settled in as well, they wouldn't keep so many clean sheets if he wasn't a very good defender.

It probably doesn't help that I've never been Samba's biggest fan anyway. I think he'd get found out a top club, where 'backs to the wall' defending rarely happens, and composure, ball retention and concentration become far more important. None of those qualities are high on Samba's list, he suits a team that does a lot of penalty box defending.

[davulsukur]

http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~2580173,00.html

Another not for sale statement by Rovers

[Gav]

What the hell are we doing lending a player on 60k a week money for a house extension? 240k a month and he needs a loan

The mind boggles

[Tony Diamond Inc]

http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~2580173,00.html

Another not for sale statement by Rovers

If we are to squeeze any positives out of the Venkys ownership, it is that they are stubborn (see P. Jones fee).

Whilst it may not be particularly productive from an onfield perspective to keep hold of Samba, it sends out a clear message to the prima donna's who like to think they hold all the cards.

My view - get as much as you can for him, but not to QPR!

[DE.]

If we are to squeeze any positives out of the Venkys ownership, it is that they are stubborn (see P. Jones fee).

Whilst it may not be particularly productive from an onfield perspective to keep hold of Samba, it sends out a clear message to the prima donna's who like to think they hold all the cards.

My view - get as much as you can for him, but not to QPR!

Agreed, QPR can't offer enough to make selling Samba to them worth our while... from a footballing perspective, anyway. From Venky's/Barclay's perspective, however ...

[beastlove]

If someone offers over 12 million he will be gone , which is fair enough. Samba is a better Titus but makes some terrible errors at times

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Fair enough. I didn't include any Spurs defenders as being better than him so I concede he would get in their team. But surely if he was deemed good enough to improve the first teams of every single team in the league as you suggest, more teams would be in for him?

I do wonder how much of top defenders you've seen though (or at least City defenders), given the comments about Kompany. He hasn't played defensive midfield since Hughes was there. He's the heart of the City defence, possibly the best defender in the league over the last 12 months. Lescott has really settled in as well, they wouldn't keep so many clean sheets if he wasn't a very good defender.

It probably doesn't help that I've never been Samba's biggest fan anyway. I think he'd get found out a top club, where 'backs to the wall' defending rarely happens, and composure, ball retention and concentration become far more important. None of those qualities are high on Samba's list, he suits a team that does a lot of penalty box defending.

I agree 100 % with your last sentence. He's great in a siege of the penalty area situation but when the ball is spending more time in the other half of the field ( as it does with the top sides ) he lacks concentration and focus.

[ben_the_beast]

Talking of attacking presence has anybody noticed amount of headers Grant Hanley seems to be winning at corners. Coming on leaps and bounds in terms of his attacking presence as week as defensive.

[arbitro]

Latest news reports say the captain who jumped the sinking ship in Italy was using an alias name. His real name is Christopher Samba.