[Archived] Samba Set To Sign For Anzhi

[Fife Rover]

For me, if he wasn't going to play for us again then it's a good move all-round.

He gets to play with people like Eto'o, Zhirkov, Roberto Carlos, Tardelli and a few other genuinely class players and we get some much needed funds.

Ultimately if this sale allowed us to finally be rid of that arrogant and incompetent piece of dirt that is Kean, I'd consider it one of the best pieces of business the club has done in recent times.

Hmmm! .........Be very careful what you wish for. Remember that Mr Bruce is still unemployrd, and we currently have his great friend and buddy as our assistant manager!!

[thenodrog]

I have no problem with Samba wanting to leave, I dont blame him for that at all and I wont blame Hoilett/Robbo/Nzonzi when they leave in the summer either. Owners and managers breaking promises is one thing but to refuse to play or train is another. Samba can moan all he wants about the broken promises that were made but he refused to play and that is inexcusable when he's on 60k a week. Venkys and Kean are certainly culpable here, but Samba's conduct has been disgraceful.

I blame them far more for selling Nelsen then Samba given the circumstances.

As someone has already pointed out him refusing to play is based only on heresay.

Consider Samba's thoughts as the summer window closed and after he'd been convinced to sign a new deal in Jan on the basis that the club were to bring in some top players. I'd guess that he had objected and said that he had been lied to and made a fool of and promised that if nothing happened in that direction this January that he wanted to leave? How about the effect on a man as competative as he is on losing every week and also seeing senior pros of massive experience discarded and cast aside around him with poorer players brought in as replacements. The club had no respect for Emerton. Salgado and Nelsen so why would he be any different?

imo the last thing that has happened is that this has been done on impulse. I'm sure it's been brewing for a long time and that the manager and the club have known full well what was likely to happen this January.

[Andy]

Fife, in a straight choice between Kean and Bruce, I would choose Bruce every day of the week.

I don't rate him and I don't think he's a very good manager, but compared to Kean he looks like Sir Alex.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

As someone has already pointed out him refusing to play is based only on heresay.

Consider Samba's thoughts as the summer window closed and after he'd been convinced to sign a new deal in Jan on the basis that the club were to bring in some top players. I'd guess that he had objected and said that he had been lied to and made a fool of and promised that if nothing happened in that direction this January that he wanted to leave? How about the effect on a man as competative as he is on losing every week and also seeing senior pros of massive experience discarded and cast aside around him with poorer players brought in as replacements. The club had no respect for Emerton. Salgado and Nelsen so why would he be any different?

imo the last thing that has happened is that this has been done on impulse. I'm sure it's been brewing for a long time and that the manager and the club have known full well what was likely to happen this January.

Salgado and Nelsen I agree, but Emerton wanted to go back home and Kean let him. That's not a lack of respect. Selling Nelsen was a terrible decision.

As you rightly point out, Samba had many reasons for wanting to leave and I do not blame him in the slightest for wanting out. IF he has refused to train or play then I consider that to be completely inexcusable. Having valid reasons for wanting to leave the club and refusing to play are two very different things.

[roverandout]

honestly given up caring about rovers now, i havent really given today's game a second though since the match against qpr, this tale is just another in a long line of cock ups and lies from venkyscum!!

[tomphil]

Fife, in a straight choice between Kean and Bruce, I would choose Bruce every day of the week.

I don't rate him and I don't think he's a very good manager, but compared to Kean he looks like Sir Alex.

My thoughts are the same. Ive never liked Bruce i think he's like a moaning old woman most of the time but i'd welcome him like the messiah over that two faced lying con man. It also must be said that Bruce's best work has come at Brum who are similar to us.

[broadsword]

I notice that Eric Black, on the official site, is saying how fantastic our defenders have been in recent weeks.

He's obviously been drinking wee Stevie's Budweiser.

[Veevs]

He's obviously been drinking wee Stevie's Budweiser.

To be fair to Eric though they have not been that bad.. you could argue they have played fairly well, it is the incompetant tactics that have been at fault with utterly no cover from midfield and a reliance on an overly attacking formation that kills us.

[broadsword]

imo the last thing that has happened is that this has been done on impulse. I'm sure it's been brewing for a long time and that the manager and the club have known full well what was likely to happen this January.

He must've been out-and-out desperate to go. He only had to wait until the summer to go to a British club, but even then, if we were relegated then the Rao's would've demanded £12 million for him.

CF Andrews' comments recently about the relief to be out of the club. These people have ruined the club for everyone. Who in their right mind would come here? Has-been's looking for a pay-day that's who. Anyone with an ounce of self-respect and talent would be riding over the horizon to play for a club that treats them with respect.

[roverandout]

samba has gone to play for one of the world's most respected managers or he could have stayed and played for one of the world's most despised managers, which choice would you make?

[Veevs]

He refused to play. I sympathise with everything you've said but you cannot excuse a player for refusing to train or play football when he's paid £60k a week. Venky's and Kean have lied to us and will lead this club into the championship and Samba certainly has many valid reasons for wanting to leave, but his refusal to play in order to force a move is pathetic.

'Venky apologists'. Get a grip. I dont think anyone is saying that Venky's are blameless. I just dont like to see people paint Samba as a martyr in all of this. His conduct has been childish.

Why oh why do people keep saying he refused to play.. I will repeat unless I have missed something the only comments we have are from Kean who stated without question Samba was available for selection but he (Steve) decided not to include him. I do not trust a word that comes out of Keans mouth, but he had no reason to lie in this situation if anything it just made himself look stupid. Lets not forget the other players who have been dropped from the squad the 'injured' Nelsen to name but one.

[Andy]

Exactly.

It's not just a case of going for the money, though he will obviously have had a nice little payrise.

In a choice between staying here and playing for Kean, alongside players like Orr, Goodwillie and Petrovic whilst struggling to stay in the league and challenging for the title for Hiddink and playing with Eto'o, Tardelli, Zhirkov and the two Carlos', there's only way it's going to go.

[tomphil]

I wonder how much the owners have had to do with this anyway given that they seem to be totally ignoring the club. It was probably the bank that forced the sale anyway, doubt Samba had that much say in it and once the mega wages were offered he was off. Wouldnt be suprised to find him loaned back to a prem club in the near future, just a thought

[sparky12]

anyone who says that samba left for footballing reasons need to open their eyes..your not telling me that the £120k a week he's getting has nothing to do with it... who in their right mind would go to an obscure foreign country and play for an obscure club in a obscure league?? especially when he knew that come summer he could get his move, probably to another premier league club!!

I will always be thankful to the big man for his contribution to the club but I lost all respect for him when he said he wouldn't give 100%

[imy9]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4120485/Chris-Samba-news-Sambas-fresh-demands.html

Samba did refuse to play in reserve match according to the above.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/fun/competitions/

He says he is not 100% for the club.

Let's not make him a martyr hey?

[Jim Royle]

anyone who says that samba left for footballing reasons need to open their eyes..your not telling me that the £120k a week he's getting has nothing to do with it... who in their right mind would go to an obscure foreign country and play for an obscure club in a obscure league?? especially when he knew that come summer he could get his move, probably to another premier league club!!

I will always be thankful to the big man for his contribution to the club but I lost all respect for him when he said he wouldn't give 100%

What a ridiculous comment. He has gone to Russia, will live in Moscow! How un-obscure can one get?

[Stuart]

Well done imy. That's exactly what he said.

Samba has been cleverly turned into the bad guy in all this. Somehow taking all the blame. Yet soon he will be a distant memory while Kean and Venkys remain.

I'm actually starting to think people are jealous that Samba can move on, with the rest of us still stuck in this never ending nightmare.

Samba is just the latest in a long line of mistakes, problems and jokes that constitute our club these days. Although, there is always someone with an argument that "it's not the club's fault that...".

[Silencio]

I've no problem with Samba. After doing so well for class managers like Hughes and Sam he must see how bad Kean and the Venky's are. He has got a move to a decent club on amazing money and will get to live in a great city. In the meantime he has given Kean and the Venkys the bad publicity they deserve. David Dunn has slagged off the fans in interviews and at games. Sold his house to the Venky's and justified their disgraceful stewardship of the club by saying "they bought and can run it how they want". This has earn him another undeserved contract with us. Good luck to Samba from me. He almost always did the business for us. Perhaps if a few more senior players had publicly kicked off with Kean etc we would have had him out by now and the media would not be so much on our backs. Nelsen may have been more dignified but did he do anything to expose the shoddy treatment he received?

[Jim Royle]

Salgado and Nelsen I agree, but Emerton wanted to go back home and Kean let him. That's not a lack of respect. Selling Nelsen was a terrible decision.

As you rightly point out, Samba had many reasons for wanting to leave and I do not blame him in the slightest for wanting out. IF he has refused to train or play then I consider that to be completely inexcusable. Having valid reasons for wanting to leave the club and refusing to play are two very different things.

Oh were it so, alas did BRFC (I usually use the term "we" at this point but I realise that no longer an apt term anymore) not pay off the remainder of his contract and Spurs picked him up as a non-registered player?

So yes, selling him would have been terrible, the reality is somewhat worse.

Ultimately, like em or loath em, the series of senior pro's who have felt it necessary totake un-professional steps surely cannot be unrelated. The fans have seen Roberts, Salgado, Andrews, Nelsen, Samba all have complications that cannot be clearly explained. They cannot all suddenly become rogues without good reason surely!

[thenodrog]

honestly given up caring about rovers now, i havent really given today's game a second though since the match against qpr, this tale is just another in a long line of cock ups and lies from venkyscum!!

So it really is 'roverandout'.

[thenodrog]

He must've been out-and-out desperate to go. He only had to wait until the summer to go to a British club, but even then, if we were relegated then the Rao's would've demanded £12 million for him.

CF Andrews' comments recently about the relief to be out of the club. These people have ruined the club for everyone. Who in their right mind would come here? Has-been's looking for a pay-day that's who. Anyone with an ounce of self-respect and talent would be riding over the horizon to play for a club that treats them with respect.

And never-will-be's carrying a 'kick back' on their deals. imo thats why Emerton (Chimbonda and Diouff too) were disposed of to make room for such. Just who benefits from such kickbacks I'll leave to individual opinion.

[chris]

This Russian club look the real deal, billioaire owners, great manager, one of the worlds best strikers and MOST LIKELY Champions League football.

Samba got what he wanted because no English wanted to splasgh the cash and Blackburn Rovers are a complete joke now under Venkys, I know fans are hurt but Samba did what had to be done to get away from this nightmare.

Samba will look like the bad guy but he was lied to we all were lied to, and for him the nightmare is over, for fans it's just getting started.

[budha]

Will samba be playing in the Champions league next season?

No. Anzhi needs a miracle in the second half of the season to make it to Europe. CL is out of reach, no matter who they have as a coach or who they bought.

[thenodrog]

Oh were it so, alas did BRFC (I usually use the term "we" at this point but I realise that no longer an apt term anymore) not pay off the remainder of his contract and Spurs picked him up as a non-registered player?

So yes, selling him would have been terrible, the reality is somewhat worse.

Ultimately, like em or loath em, the series of senior pro's who have felt it necessary totake un-professional steps surely cannot be unrelated. The fans have seen Roberts, Salgado, Andrews, Nelsen, Samba all have complications that cannot be clearly explained. They cannot all suddenly become rogues without good reason surely!

Just like the management side. None of em good enough for here and yet most of them have moved on to bigger and better positions. It really cannot be down to mere coincidence can it?

Allardyce was not good enough and now he's sitting atop the Championship with a club whose owners I used to ridicule but now envy.

Williams was not good enough either but he was sharply signed up by no less than megabucks Man City for goodness sake.

Martin Goodman soon got snapped up by newly rich Stoke City.

Just how many times have these stupid owners been proven to be so wrong? I doubt those that have left would come back if the Slumdogs collectively went down on their knees and begged.

It still irks and aggravates that somehow in the eyes of the press and media the supporters of BRFC are to blame and that Kean is some sort of martyr to the cause. Why can't they see the wood for the trees or alternatively as they can't all be thick who is actually manipulating them and how.

[Eddie]

Only one of those is worth his salt in the Prem at this moment in time.

Eddie time and again you are eager convince us that you are the only person connected with BRFC who knows less about football than our owner.

Although we don't know these players personally can you not recognise is that 80% of the people who have been booted out of the door by the Slumdog Millionaires are people of strong principles who are not yes men and will not tolerate bullsh1t?

When it comes to the players I totally disagree with that. Samba had tried to manufacture a move on at least two previous occasions. He's managed to convince supporters that he was doing it for all of the right reasons this time around, but the fact that he has chosen to go to Russia shows that he was just out to increase his pay and make some money. Anyone who thinks that he won't have received a significant pay-rise from this move is obviously totally unfamiliar with the amount of money that Anzhi have been spending over the last two years.

As for the rest of the players that we have moved out, well with the exception of Nelsen and Jones they were all deadwood who were overpaid and barely figured in matchday squads. The decision to move them out was a good one. For Jones we received good money and, for all the talk about how important Nelsen could have been, that logic totally ignores the fact that the last two years of his career have been completely blighted by injury and that he hasn't looked the same player that he once was for some time.

As I have said, there are plenty of reasons to be critical of the owners and the management, but their handling of the Samba fiasco is not one of them. He's just another player who wanted to make more money and realised that he held all of the cards. The club did their best to get a good fee for him and sold him to a club outside of this league, that is really all that we could have asked for once he had made it clear that he would no longer play for the club.