[Archived] Currie lines up new bid?

[tomphil]

OK - that's two of the twenty or so players that were regulars.

Point is they were BIG signings which gave a large boost to the steady/average squad that was already there. Tugay, Freidel, Nelson were already there and would have walked into over half Prem teams at the time. Hardly a collection of misfits and journey men that no one else wanted but more like a decent squad put together over a few years costing time and money.

[Eddie]

Point is they were BIG signings which gave a large boost to the steady/average squad that was already there. Tugay, Freidel, Nelson were already there and would have walked into over half Prem teams at the time. Hardly a collection of misfits and journey men that no one else wanted but more like a decent squad put together over a few years costing time and money.

That wasn't my point. When we signed Tugay, Friedel and NelsEn they weren't walking into any premier league sides. My point was that you can put a team together. I'm talking about putting the puzzle together, you're deconstructing it and pointing out what the important pieces were.

Barely any of those signings raised an eyebrow when they came in. Friedel was a Liverpool failure and no one knew what we were getting. At the time most would have preferred that we kept Berkovic than sign Tugay. Nelsen was a decent MLS defender who few would have thought stood any chance of even becoming a first team regular. Even Bellamy was a headcase that struggled to turn his talent into actual product (lets not forget that this was coming after his bizarre exchanges with Shearer).

It can be done. It isn't easy, it isn't likely, but it can be done and that is what everyone at the club should remember.

[47er]

You're right Eddie but can anyone see Bowyer doing what Hughes did?

[tomphil]

That wasn't my point. When we signed Tugay, Friedel and NelsEn they weren't walking into any premier league sides. My point was that you can put a team together. I'm talking about putting the puzzle together, you're deconstructing it and pointing out what the important pieces were.

Barely any of those signings raised an eyebrow when they came in. Friedel was a Liverpool failure and no one knew what we were getting. At the time most would have preferred that we kept Berkovic than sign Tugay. Nelsen was a decent MLS defender who few would have thought stood any chance of even becoming a first team regular. Even Bellamy was a headcase that struggled to turn his talent into actual product (lets not forget that this was coming after his bizarre exchanges with Shearer).

It can be done. It isn't easy, it isn't likely, but it can be done and that is what everyone at the club should remember.

Of course in theory it could be done although it's going to get harder and harder but the origional point you made suggested " we built a top six team off cast offs, has beens and never were's" . That wasn't the case and that was my point. Regarding Friedel, Tugay and Bellamy it's obvious some decent teams would have come in for each one of those without a doubt had we not got them despite the possible flaws you pointed out. We only got each one of those because of the respective managers and no other reason which brings us back to the situation now. What we appear to be building now is a steady squad capable of surviving the coming cutbacks and being a safe midtable championship side fot the next few years, probably punching above our weight again on small crowds and tiny budget with the odd cheap young Bowyer signing hopefully flourishing and being sold on to help the books. A watered down version of our latter years in the Prem before the loons really, nothing more nothing less.

[Baz]

The team that we had?

There's barely a single player in there that excited the fans when they signed and there's only one or two that achieved anything else with another club.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005–06_Blackburn_Rovers_F.C._season

Almost makes me cry to see that squad.

Fantastic team, and still such a shame to see Matty and Thommo leaving the club with their careers devastated by injury. I particularly remember beating Le'Arse with Savage walking arms aloft at the end of the game towards the BBE and laughing as Lehman squirted his water bottle at him, and will never ever forget being 4-1 up against a great united team.

[Eddie]

Of course in theory it could be done although it's going to get harder and harder but the origional point you made suggested " we built a top six team off cast offs, has beens and never were's" . That wasn't the case and that was my point. Regarding Friedel, Tugay and Bellamy it's obvious some decent teams would have come in for each one of those without a doubt had we not got them despite the possible flaws you pointed out. We only got each one of those because of the respective managers and no other reason which brings us back to the situation now. What we appear to be building now is a steady squad capable of surviving the coming cutbacks and being a safe midtable championship side fot the next few years, probably punching above our weight again on small crowds and tiny budget with the odd cheap young Bowyer signing hopefully flourishing and being sold on to help the books. A watered down version of our latter years in the Prem before the loons really, nothing more nothing less.

That absolutely was the case. Friedely was a failure. Tugay was a talented player that couldn't fully establish himself at Rangers (and as I pointed out earlier, most would have preferred that we kept Berkovic). The likes of Neill, Nelsen, Kuqi, Dickov, Todd, Zurab, Mokoena and the rest (ie the vast majority of our squad) were not big signings nor were they in high demand when we got them. If you could essentially recreate that universe today we would have every chance of resigning the majority of that squad even in our current position. That isn't to say that it's easy, but the point I was making that it can be done. That has to be the aim for everyone working at the club.

This idea that we just accept the fact that we will be a midtable championship squad is simply pathetic. Why on earth would you have any interest in the club if you are happy to accept that? I'm not unhappy with where the club is now, we are, in many respects, probably finding our true level, but that doesn't mean that more isn't possible. Can Bowyer do it? Maybe, maybe not. Souness and Hughes both managed to pull off great signings, it takes a good eye (which you would imagine Bowyer must have given his youth coaching background), some good connections and scouts (that will be the big test) and a lot of luck (the Samba story being a good example).

All too often people see small teams achieve a lot and then they start to think that those sort of squads took incredible luck or skill to put together. Far too many small teams make a run at the top 6-8 for us to think that it is no longer possible. I don't know if it will happen, I certainly wouldn't bet on it, but in every preseason team meeting Bowyer should be pinning up that squad and pointing to the examples set over the past 10-15 years by the likes of ourselves, Bolton, Fulham, Swansea (the list can go on) and telling the players that recreating that is the end goal.

[yoda]

That absolutely was the case. Friedely was a failure. Tugay was a talented player that couldn't fully establish himself at Rangers (and as I pointed out earlier, most would have preferred that we kept Berkovic). The likes of Neill, Nelsen, Kuqi, Dickov, Todd, Zurab, Mokoena and the rest (ie the vast majority of our squad) were not big signings nor were they in high demand when we got them. If you could essentially recreate that universe today we would have every chance of resigning the majority of that squad even in our current position. That isn't to say that it's easy, but the point I was making that it can be done. That has to be the aim for everyone working at the club.

This idea that we just accept the fact that we will be a midtable championship squad is simply pathetic. Why on earth would you have any interest in the club if you are happy to accept that? I'm not unhappy with where the club is now, we are, in many respects, probably finding our true level, but that doesn't mean that more isn't possible. Can Bowyer do it? Maybe, maybe not. Souness and Hughes both managed to pull off great signings, it takes a good eye (which you would imagine Bowyer must have given his youth coaching background), some good connections and scouts (that will be the big test) and a lot of luck (the Samba story being a good example).

All too often people see small teams achieve a lot and then they start to think that those sort of squads took incredible luck or skill to put together. Far too many small teams make a run at the top 6-8 for us to think that it is no longer possible. I don't know if it will happen, I certainly wouldn't bet on it, but in every preseason team meeting Bowyer should be pinning up that squad and pointing to the examples set over the past 10-15 years by the likes of ourselves, Bolton, Fulham, Swansea (the list can go on) and telling the players that recreating that is the end goal.

Disagree with "our true level" its what you make it

Bowyer I believe has already put up pictures of some of the Rovers greats

Still think he needs to improve tactically though

[Eddie]

Disagree with "our true level" its what you make it

That was sort of my point.