[Archived] January Transfer Deadline day

[Amo]

A club of Rovers' size will always be a stepping stone for greener pastures, whether they're motivated by personal ambition or boosting their bank balance. Most footballers are glorified mercenaries and have no obligation to anyone but themselves in what is a short career span. Players like Samba, Neill, Bentley, Roque etc. were all offered opportunities they couldn't afford to pass up. In life, you'll often regret the things you didn't do rather than the things you did. Who can blame them for seizing a golden opportunity to play at a higher level and/or double or even treble their income?

Like I said before, I have no beef with Neill. Perhaps his motives turned out to be duplicitous but either way he let the club know well in advance that he would run down his contract. He didn't string the club along and then jump ship at the eleventh hour.

[Leonard Venkhater]

A club of Rovers' size will always be a stepping stone for greener pastures, whether they're motivated by personal ambition or boosting their bank balance. Most footballers are glorified mercenaries and have no obligation to anyone but themselves in what is a short career span. Players like Samba, Neill, Bentley, Roque etc. were all offered opportunities they couldn't afford to pass up. In life, you'll often regret the things you didn't do rather than the things you did. Who can blame them for seizing a golden opportunity to play at a higher level and/or double or even treble their income?

Like I said before, I have no beef with Neill. Perhaps his motives turned out to be duplicitous but either way he let the club know well in advance that he would run down his contract. He didn't string the club along and then jump ship at the eleventh hour.

I think it is important to acknowledge that. He was clear all along that he was not going to sign and fans didn't like it....

[rossyrover]

Lucas Neill if he has to come back it should be on a pay as you play contract as for Dann moving I think he's been poor in his time here and I'm not sorry to see the back of him especially at the wages we were paying him,

[OJRovers]

I think it is important to acknowledge that. He was clear all along that he was not going to sign and fans didn't like it....

I think at the time the fans would have accepted it (and understood) if he had joined Liverpool. Showed a lot about his character turning Champions League down for an extra few thousand, especially if you are already a millionaire.

[Neal]

Interesting to see how Palace will do. Pulis has done brilliant job there and really hard to understand what he sees in Dann.

I know. Considering Pulis likes physical centre halves who can score from set pieces, are physical and can jump... It's hard to understand what he see's in him beside aimlessly lumping the ball forward.

[Amo]

I think it is important to acknowledge that. He was clear all along that he was not going to sign and fans didn't like it....

I should've noted that any concerns I have over Neill are strictly football related. If the boys at Brockhall think he's up to the task, then his experience could come in handy. I can't see him getting top dollar when the club is desperately trying to reduce the wage bill.

[thenodrog]

Another one going

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/10984983._/?

Great transfer window, just hope we can get some good players in now...

Who was he then?

[thenodrog]

A club of Rovers' size will always be a stepping stone for greener pastures, whether they're motivated by personal ambition or boosting their bank balance. Most footballers are glorified mercenaries and have no obligation to anyone but themselves in what is a short career span. Players like Samba, Neill, Bentley, Roque etc. were all offered opportunities they couldn't afford to pass up. In life, you'll often regret the things you didn't do rather than the things you did. Who can blame them for seizing a golden opportunity to play at a higher level and/or double or even treble their income?

Like I said before, I have no beef with Neill. Perhaps his motives turned out to be duplicitous but either way he let the club know well in advance that he would run down his contract. He didn't string the club along and then jump ship at the eleventh hour.

Exactly right.

[Oklahoma]

Who was he then?

Another portuguese "football player", Henrique.

[The Gull]

It is worth pointing out that money was not the only reason Neill turned down Liverpool, the fans did not, want him after a couple of incidents with Carragher and Co, and made their feelings quite clear both to LFC and the player.

I believe the deal offered was changed once LFC management realised he would not be a popular addition and West Ham came in with a great deal, who would have done anything different given the appathy towards him from LFC and the love and money from West Ham?

Saying you would have gone to LFC and truned th fans round is nice and romantic, but what if you wouldn't get much chance on the pitch to do that?

A footballer's career is a relatively short one and unless you have an affinity to a club you have to go where you head tells you to ensure you maximise your career.

The only reason Neill should not come back to Rovers is because he is not up to it, GB has been a fairly good judge of player so far so I will let him make the decision and if he does get something then as a Rovers player I wish him the best of luck.

[CapeTownRover]

pay as you play deal, and ill be okay with Neill coming in until the end of the season

[OJRovers]

Keep him on stand-by incase we get injuries to Hanley/Killer, then draft him in on a pay as you play. Not the type of player we should be giving a contract to.

[thenodrog]

Keep him on stand-by incase we get injuries to Hanley/Killer, then draft him in on a pay as you play. Not the type of player we should be giving a contract to.

I imagine he'll soon get an offer around these parts. Living where he does his agent will no doubt have alerted other local clubs. I'd imagine BWFC, Wigan. Blackpool, PNE and of course Burnley would all be interested for one reason or another. Given Burnley's paper thin squad, the pressure of expectation mounting and Lucas's age and experience if I were Burnley I'd be on the phone to his agent pdq.

[beanie]

I just don't see what the other options are really we need a cb to cover we cn only get frees until the loan window opens and even then its likely to be a young center back who we can loan we could do with some senior pros around the squad i'd say.

[Guest Norbert]

Can Evans play in defence? He is coming back to full fitness.

[darrenrover]

It's not just cover for centre back that's required it's also competition for places.

If Neill proves his fitness and his commitment, I can't see why there's an issue.

His experience could prove invaluable to our young squad as could his spunky attitude.

[Atomicrover]

I also think experience is the key word here especially along that back four. Damn may have had the years but not the mileage and Hanley can besom so much better if his boisterousness is reigned in a little

Anyone know how to turn auto-correct off?

[Leonard Venkhater]

It is worth pointing out that money was not the only reason Neill turned down Liverpool, the fans did not, want him after a couple of incidents with Carragher and Co, and made their feelings quite clear both to LFC and the player.

I believe the deal offered was changed once LFC management realised he would not be a popular addition and West Ham came in with a great deal, who would have done anything different given the appathy towards him from LFC and the love and money from West Ham?

Saying you would have gone to LFC and truned th fans round is nice and romantic, but what if you wouldn't get much chance on the pitch to do that?

A footballer's career is a relatively short one and unless you have an affinity to a club you have to go where you head tells you to ensure you maximise your career.

The only reason Neill should not come back to Rovers is because he is not up to it, GB has been a fairly good judge of player so far so I will let him make the decision and if he does get something then as a Rovers player I wish him the best of luck.

I agree. Interesting context re proposed Liverpool move. That was new to me.

[RevidgeBlue]

Don't understand why everyone keeps saying Neil informed the Club well in advance he wouldn't be signing a new contract, he did nothing of the sort. If he had have done there wouldn't have been a lucrative new deal waiting on the table for him for months. He said nothing either way, keeping his options open, waiting to see who offered him the most money, then left us in the lurch at the last minute.

If he'd shown a bit of loyalty towards us and signed a new deal, it wouldn't have stopped him going anywhere else but we'd have received a proper fee. Compare his attitude with RSC who surely knew he was leaving sooner rather than later but nevertheless did the right thing by us by signing a new deal enabling us to extract a whopping 16m fee from Citeh.

We weren't good enough for Neil in his eyes at the time, now no-one else will have him, not even at J League standard, he's come crawling out from under his rock. We should despatch him back there forthwith. He's a parasitic scumbag imo.

[Commondore]

It is worth pointing out that money was not the only reason Neill turned down Liverpool, the fans did not, want him after a couple of incidents with Carragher and Co, and made their feelings quite clear both to LFC and the player.

I believe the deal offered was changed once LFC management realised he would not be a popular addition and West Ham came in with a great deal, who would have done anything different given the appathy towards him from LFC and the love and money from West Ham?

Saying you would have gone to LFC and truned th fans round is nice and romantic, but what if you wouldn't get much chance on the pitch to do that?

A footballer's career is a relatively short one and unless you have an affinity to a club you have to go where you head tells you to ensure you maximise your career.

The only reason Neill should not come back to Rovers is because he is not up to it, GB has been a fairly good judge of player so far so I will let him make the decision and if he does get something then as a Rovers player I wish him the best of luck.

He broke Jamie Carragher's leg, and wasn't he involved in injuries on Babbel, Cissé and/or Baros as well?

[Leonard Venkhater]

He broke Jamie Carragher's leg, and wasn't he involved in injuries on Babbel, Cissé and/or Baros as well?

Knowing that lot, they'd probably blame him for Hillsborough too!

[Bucksrover]

The comforting thing now (compared with much of the Venky reign) is that I think the manager has good control over who we sell and who we bring in, and he will get deals that suit Rovers rather than some agent.

If Bowyer gets Neil, I am ok with it. He is watching him train every day - marking the likes of Gestede and Rhodes.

[Amo]

Don't understand why everyone keeps saying Neil informed the Club well in advance he wouldn't be signing a new contract, he did nothing of the sort. If he had have done there wouldn't have been a lucrative new deal waiting on the table for him for months. He said nothing either way, keeping his options open, waiting to see who offered him the most money, then left us in the lurch at the last minute.

Neill set for Blackburn departure - August 4th 2006

Australian defender Lucas Neill wants to leave Blackburn.

The 28-year-old, reported to be a target for Tottenham, has one year remaining on his current contract and has rejected the offer of a new deal.

"They have made an offer which Lucas has declined - he is not going to be signing a new contract at Blackburn," said Neill's agent Peter Harrison.

"He has enjoyed his time there, he loves the club and the fans, he just feels it is time for a change."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/5246524.stm

[RevidgeBlue]

Neil's most recent C.V. (According to Wiki)

19/08/11 joins Al Jazira in the UAE. Released 02/06/12

Aug 2012 joins AL Wasi. Released Jan 2013

Feb 2013 joins Sydney - plays 4 games only

Aug 2013 signs 4 month deal with Omiya Ardija in Japanese J League - Released Nov 2013.

Offers services to all Australian A League Clubs but receives no offers.

[Guest Norbert]

That suggests he is sh_t to my eyes.