[Archived] Rhodes To Boro

[Hasta]

So let me get this straight we now have a player who publicly said doesn't want to play for the club anymore. .

Has he? Link please.

[jim mk2]

Its coming to the stage that a proven striker in the Premier League will cost £15m, at Championship level, its under that if your looking at serious promotion capabilities. This is a fantastic opportunity for a Premier League club to come in with a 'take it or leave it' offer now.

I don't think the fee is the issue... he is a proven goalscorer. However he is probably on Premier League wages - I don't know how much he earns, but I am speculating that he'll have to take a pay cut to leave Blackburn Rovers.

Could well be the case.

[yoda]

Maybe the best thing to do would be to loan him out ideally to a Premier League club with a future fee agreed.

It wouldn't be ideal for us in terms of the fee we will ultimately get for him and strengthening the squad this window but it would get an unhappy player out of the club.

There are bound to be some Premier League sides flirting with relegation or looking to advance a few places that might be interested to loan him to see if the unanswered question of whether this prolific scorer can score at that level can finally be answered.

I just can't see how a player who has wanted out for some time and ended up staying once again can be 100% motivated. When you add the Manager's comments on top of that it would be extremely difficult to remain focused.

Can't see that being done, it could destroy his value if it goes wrong, there are many who believe JR could not thrive in the PL

[had.e.nuff]

He might now realise what a good deal he is on here and knuckle down to win the fans back with goals and hard graft.

[JHRover]

So let me get this straight we now have a player who publicly said doesn't want to play for the club anymore. The manager publicly said doesn't want him anymore. Rock hard place meet Rhodes.

He was ahem is our best player but I've no time for someone putting in sub par performances to force a move.

Rhodes has never said he doesn't want to play for Rovers, just that he wanted to be able to speak to Middlesbrough. He's chosen his words very carefully over the last few years and has always been complimentary towards the club.

If the move broke down over his financial demands or his agent's demands then he's only got himself to blame for still being at Rovers. If he got wind Middlesbrough were questioning his financial demands then he could have lowered them to get the move done, yet presumably didn't.

Lambert will be able to talk his way out of it quite easily. Lambert didn't say he wanted rid of Rhodes, just that the money would have been useful and that the team is more important than one individual.

I do imagine that Shaw and Lambert will be out there trying to find someone to come in with a late bid to make things easier.

[tomphil]

Maybe the best thing to do would be to loan him out ideally to a Premier League club with a future fee agreed.

It wouldn't be ideal for us in terms of the fee we will ultimately get for him and strengthening the squad this window but it would get an unhappy player out of the club.

There are bound to be some Premier League sides flirting with relegation or looking to advance a few places that might be interested to loan him to see if the unanswered question of whether this prolific scorer can score at that level can finally be answered.

I just can't see how a player who has wanted out for some time and ended up staying once again can be 100% motivated. When you add the Manager's comments on top of that it would be extremely difficult to remain focused.

If we've now allocated his wages elsewhere across the squad which looks to be the case then that would probably be a sensible alternative. Unless they aren't worried about the money of course.

[mick]

How long does JR have left on his contract with Rovers? Is it that far off that we would have to accept a much reduced offer or lose him for nothing at the end of his contract?

Perhaps 'Boro are thinking they'll manage with what they have and be back in the summer.

[Guest]

How long does JR have left on his contract with Rovers? Is it that far off that we would have to accept a much reduced offer or lose him for nothing at the end of his contract?

Perhaps 'Boro are thinking they'll manage with what they have and be back in the summer.

He's still got 3.5 years left on his contract.

A bit of rough maths here, excluding agent's fees...

Over 5 years, Rhodes will have cost us £20m, based on £40K p/w wages and the £8m transfer fee.

Allegedly, he was going to cost Middlesbrough £30m over 4 years. Taking away the £11m transfer fee, that leaves £18m in wages once agent's fees are taken out. Unless I'm mistaken, that's in excess of £80,000 p/w in wages. Can that be right?!

[mick]

That puts that notion to rest.

[LewisF]

Well if he's not sold and he does knuckle down, perhaps he'll help us go up next season. Rhodes, Jackson, Watt, Graham. Mmmmmm

[Reedy You're A Star]

Step forward Swansea

BREAKING: Newcastle have made a £21m bid for West Brom striker Saido Berahino. #NUFC #WBAFC

Could be a replacement, with £10m to spare?

[JHRover]

There seems to be quite a lot of disagreement over the reasons behind the collapse. Middlesbrough claiming that its his personal demands whilst the Rhodes camp claiming that it wasnt that and they are baffled as to the reasons.

I can't see an agreement being reached with them now, even if Rovers lowered their demands to get it done. Someone has royally mucked about here and it would take a big turn around now to bury the events of today.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Personallly id give Boro until this evening to come back to us and then shut up shop. A reduced deal shouldnt be on the table. Their problem is with Rhodes' agents not us.

If he stays, he stays. The problem all along was timing. Keep him until the summer and then sell to highest bidder. PL is not obliged to start him considering how this has all panned out but having Rhodes around isn't the worst scenario.

[chaddyrovers]

Would agree with that. Yesterday Lambert used Jackson through the middle as a lone striker with Watt playing behind. Jackson's pace was utilised to the full in terms of getting behind defenders. It's something that Rhodes doesn't have and I suspect that the lone striker is the system that Lambert will play. Having told the manager he wants away, and following the manager's post match comments it's surely going to be difficult for all concerned if he returns to Ewood at this stage. It's a complication that Lambert could well do without.

Exactly ParsonBlue.

Rhodes doesn't suit Lambert's style at all and Lambert has already made his views clearly on the bid and that's the money improve the team overall.

So let me get this straight we now have a player who publicly said doesn't want to play for the club anymore.

Exactly Matt. Rhodes has said he wanted to speak to Boro and go there.

Then he says today to SkySports's Reporter Jim White that Rovers are a great club.

cant have it both ways

Boro haven't done anything wrong - this is a business deal after all. I still think it will go through very late - with Rovers accepting a reduced fee to save the overall cost to Boro. Lambert doesn't want him, Rhodes doesn't want to play for us anymore and Rovers want his salary off the wage bill so I expect all the parties to come up with a deal.

I can see Rovers/Lambert accepting a lower up front bid and maybe us signing a player from them. maybe 7 mil plus 4 million in add ons and a player

[mick]

I'm afraid that many Premier league teams have watched him often in the past. Rhodes misses too many chances, lacks real pace and doesn't have the physique to compensate for that. Much like Nugent used to be.

[JHRover]

How long does JR have left on his contract with Rovers? Is it that far off that we would have to accept a much reduced offer or lose him for nothing at the end of his contract?

Perhaps 'Boro are thinking they'll manage with what they have and be back in the summer.

He's under contract until 2019. We don't need to worry about his value deteriorating for at least another 18-24 months.

[yoda]

Play off's here we come

[T J Hooker]

massive slap in the face to PL if Rhodes ends up having to stay after PL saying no one player is bigger than the team......., we need the money to reinvest... I think its will throw everybody's plans in the air, Boro are a totally unprofessional craphouse of club, we should never deal with them again and rhodes will probably now be realising he's dodged a bullet by not going there.

[chaddyrovers]

From Kamy on twitter

Looks like deal broke down due to Rhodes/his agent not backing down on clauses for bonus. Payments related to promotion etc. Very stupid on their part if this is true and fair play to Boro for standing firm on this.

Last Week on Talksport Peterborough United owner/chairman Darragh Macanthony were saying that some agents ask for more too much and sometimes don't tell the player the full truth. Listening to Macanthony was very good and he was open, honest and sometimes funny

[roversoutsider]

I can't see anything except negatives for us. Amateur hour all around.

Jr- You've got an excellent chance of being in the PL, a chance you will not get at Rovers for the time being at least. Why be a greedy sod and cock up the best/only chance you had of playing in the Premier League?

Lambert - I wasn't comfortable with the timing of his interview at all. Yes he gave a good interview but couldn't he have waited until the deal went through? I can't recall a manager ever talking about a departed player before the deal is completed.

We now have a player who doesn't want to be here and a manager who doesn't want him. There's going to be one heck of an awkward making up to do for both parties after what either have said.

And people don't seem to be thinking about the effect this will have on the rest of the team. Watt and Jackson will be benched now Jr's back and that would kill they're morale after the way they performed. PL will have no choice but to play Jr in order to maintain his fee.

I really don't think any other team is going to come in for him. Championship clubs can't afford him and I can't see a premier league club that would need a JR type striker.

I really hope this doesn't affect our performances for the rest of the season. By god what has PL had to go through in his short time here!

[LewisF]

If he stays until the end of the season, a line up of

Steele

Marshall Ward Hanley Spurr

Akpan

Bennett Conway

Watt

Rhodes Graham

And Jackson as an impact sub doesn't look too bad. In a midfield diamond

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

No winners in this situation other than ' Boro's promotion rivals. They've looked a real two bob club, Rhodes has shown his true colours, we're stuck with a guy who doesn't want to be here. He will most likely be warming the bench on mega bucks barring injuries and will get us plenty of grief when we go to 'Boro next week.

What a mess.

[yoda]

Exactly ParsonBlue.

Rhodes doesn't suit Lambert's style at all and Lambert has already made his views clearly on the bid and that's the money improve the team overall.

Exactly Matt. Rhodes has said he wanted to speak to Boro and go there.

Then he says today to SkySports's Reporter Jim White that Rovers are a great club.

cant have it both ways

Don't be churlish, he can still believe the Rovers are a great club, he said he wanted to speak to them, not that he wanted to go per se. He is ambitious as any footballer should be.

I can see Rovers/Lambert accepting a lower up front bid and maybe us signing a player from them. maybe 7 mil plus 4 million in add ons and a player

It is down to the owners what fee is accepted, have you learned nothing about them ?

[Veevs]

Stunned by this, but happens I suppose. They will of agreed terms in principle prior to the medical and known his wage etc so it is a real surprise that it has gone this far to all go wrong, given the official comments on their site, this has nothing to do with Venkys or Rovers (for a change), the basic wage will of been agreed in principle so I would imagine its probably agent fees, promotion bonus (or other bonus) or promotion pay rise that has caused it to all go horribly wrong.

If no one else comes in for him then at least we will get to see him playing up front with Watt, those two could work very very well together. From my perspective I would of preferred to strengthen the whole team rather than build the team around Rhodes, but still happy enough for him to stay. The good thing is neither PL or Rhodes burn't any bridges, PL stated the obvious that the money would strengthen the team as a whole and Rhodes made good comments both prior and after it falling through.

[LewisF]

No winners in this situation other than ' Boro's promotion rivals. They've looked a real two bob club, Rhodes has shown his true colours, we're stuck with a guy who doesn't want to be here. He will most likely be warming the bench on mega bucks barring injuries and will get us plenty of grief when we go to 'Boro next week.

What a mess.

Not when Rhodes scores the winner