Benni McCarthy looks set for West Ham

EDIT: BENNI MCCARTHY HAS NOW APPARENTLY AGREED PERSONAL TERMS WITH WEST HAM

It’s been an extremely quiet transfer window so far. Not just at Rovers, but across the Premier League as a whole.

But a few snippets of speculation have emerged recently as the window enters its final week.

It was always expected to be pretty movement-free, particularly at Ewood, where no secret’s been made of the fact that funds are tight and Big Sam has to sell before he can even think about buying.

The only deals that have gone through are those of youth players Andy Haworth (Rochdale) and Marcus Marshall and Gavin Gunning (Rotherham) who have all gone out on loan.

Rovers have been linked quite regularly with Eidur Gudjohnsen and  Valdiray Basturk (Daily Mail) throughout the window. But no move is likely unless certain players leave the club.

McCarthy is being linked with a move to West Ham as new owners Gold and Sullivan look to strengthen the Hammers’ squad. Alan Nixon wrote in The Mirror that he may have to go on loan until his contract with Rovers finishes in 18 months as his recent lack of international caps means he would not get a new work permit.

His strike partner and bezzie mate Jason Roberts, who is apparently back in contention for Wednesday’s clash with Wigan, is being lined up by Wolves, who have missed out on James Beattie.

Meanwhile, in a piece of speculation I’ve not come across until today, north east paper The Sunday Sun reports that Newcastle want Keith Andrews but Big Sam, instead of money, has told them they will have to give us Alan Smith, who Allardyce paid £6-million for in his time at Newcastle, in exchange.

Can’t say I’m sure how much there is in any of these suggestions. It’s certain that Benni Mac wants out and, if the deal was right for Rovers, Big Sam would let him leave. Unfortunately, despite being one of our more technically gifted players, McCarthy has made no secret of his desire to leave. This desire will not be doing dressing room harmony any favours and  getting him off the wage bill will be a big boost to finances.

Can’t say I’d be too sad to see Roberts go. As long as his departure paved the way for a replacement. He’s had a decent career at Rovers but has not been at his best this season and the fans are starting to criticise him. I feel if an offer did come in it would do us no harm to let him leave.

As for Andrews, I still rate the midfielder. His dogged style may not be pleasing on the eye, but he has a determination and a never-say-die attitude that we need to beef up the centre of the park. Since Robbie Savage left, we’ve missed someone with the fighting spirit in midfield. However, on a personal level for Andrews, the move would be a good thing. He’s been unfairly vilified by Rovers fans who were straight on his back before he’d even kicked a ball, just because he used to play at a lower level. A fresh start could be the right answer for Andrews, who certainly does not deserve booing when he comes on as a substitute.

On the incoming front, as is often the case, anyone who has previously played for Allardyce has been linked with the club at some point, and sometimes you feel the press looks for people in a situation they could move on from and trace back their ex-managers.

In this case, Eidur Gudjohnsen is unhappy at Monaco, what better way to revive his career than to team up with the gaffer that made his career in the first place? He’s on a good wage a week at Monaco, which means he would probably have to take a pay cut.

Alan Smith is, apparently, admired by Allardyce, however, as with Gudjohnsen, he’s on a massive salary – apparently about £60,000 a week – which I would be surprised to see Rovers match.

As for Basturk, I know nothing about him apart from he’s a Turkish midfielder. We could do with a bit more creativity and the Stuttgart player, who has 49 international caps, may be the answer. I do not know.

There’s only one more week for Sam to act and I reckon he’d be happy if there was no transfer activity whatsoever, so it’ll be interesting to see what the squad looks like come February 1.

However, a couple of articles this week have got my juices flowing.

Article one appeared in the Daily Mail, listing the owners of all the Premier League clubs and how much money they have. I’ve stolen their graphic to post below, but technically I’m an employee anyway so I hope they don’t mind…

It shows our gracious benefactors, with Uncle Jack’s money, very high up in football’s rich list, with £590-million to their names. That’s £160-million more than Walkersteel sold for back in 1992.

Now, I know they’re trying to sell up, but until the sale they’re stuck with us. When Jack died he left that money in a trust, with some instructions in place, I’m no financial expert but I believe we get the interest or a percentage thereof, from the money as it sits in the trust.

Apparently, that equates to about £3-million a year at the moment. Hardly enough for Rovers to compete in the Premier League and, despite us being, in my opinion, the best run club in the league, it’s a fact that without significant investment we will get relegated at some point over the next five years, as the big-money men take control more and more every season and we are going to get left behind.

It makes me sick that they can sit in Jack’s box every game and watch us head ever more gloomily towards oblivion. In the grand scheme of things, I believe the trustees are about 19th in the football rich list. And that puts them about 7th in the Premier League rich list, yet we continue to struggle…

Article two, which I’m not quite as bothered by, regards the England goalkeeper situation. Paul Robinson has, without doubt, buried his past demons since he was brought to Ewood by Paul Ince at the start of last season. Big Sam stuck by the Hull-born former Spurs keeper, who made a howler for England and lost all his confidence, which ultimately lost him his place at Tottenham.

I am confident that he is good enough to merit a place in the England squad.

Anyway, Martin Lipton’s blog looks at the contenders for the England number one shirt. They are Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart, Ben Foster and Robbo.

Immediately I say Robert Green, then Robinson. David James is too old, Ben Foster too shit and Joe Hart too inexperienced. Through scoring the contenders in ‘decision-making’, ‘shot-stopping’, ‘kicking’, ‘penalties’ and ‘gaffe-factor’. From that Robbo comes third with a paltry 33 out of 50. Robert Green gets 40, while pensioner David James somehow manages 38. How a 39-year-old keeper can be realistically suggested as an England number one is beyond me!

All Rovers fans, I’m sure, will look back at last season as a season to forget. A real season of transition as we got used to life without Hughesy.

It was a struggle. A real battle. Filled with emotion, disappointment, later hope with the arrival of Big Sam, frustration seeing Robinho’s last minute equaliser for City and, ultimately, elation as we eventually avoided the dreaded drop.

A real rollercoaster ride.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing. And, looking back on last season, it has to be said that yes, it was exciting.

Not exciting in a particularly enjoyable way. But with all the thrills and spills of that relegation battle, Rovers fans had to endure the most heart rate-raising and cortisol-inducing season of all fans in the Premier League, according to some ‘boffins’ who apparently measured these in groups of fans across the country.

In some ways it is better to have a relegation battle. Because, at the end of the day, football is an entertainment business. In fact it is probably the most expensive entertainment business in the world, the English Premiership!

Having said that, it is unusual in that people care more about this form of ‘entertainment’ than any other. If their team loses, it ruins their week. If they get relegated, it ruins their year and the same works the opposite way round.

But, at the end of the day, it is still simply a form of entertainment. So what better entertainment than to see your team struggle in the bottom three all season, spending all year wondering ‘will we survive this time’? only to see your team survive with just a couple of games to go, bringing real joy and happiness (see last season).

Compare that feeling with a lower mid-table finish. No chance at the title. No chance at Champions League. No chance at Europa League. No real threat of relegation. Mid-table mediocrity. I’m not taking the cup into account here, but when you think about it, for football to entertain your team needs to be involved in some sort of battle.

I’m not saying I want us to be involved in a relegation battle. But I do want us to be involved in something.

Let’s just hope Jason Roberts is right, and Rovers are capable of challenging in the top half with something, anything to play for!

Christian Vieri

There’s been an awful lot of transfer talk involving Rovers recently. But still no new signings brought in with just a month until the opening fixture.

Big Sam has £18-million to spend, and the press has done its best to link us with anyone who may be available.

Van Nistelrooy, Bent, Vieri, Benjani and Crouch, while Andrews and McCarthy continue to be linked with moves away from the club.

I was initially excited by the prospect of Ruud Van Nistelrooy in a Rovers shirt, but, having continued to read the press reports I am now confident that is a transfer that will not happen. If you are in any doubts, take it from me, he’s not coming.

Allardyce has ruled out a move, saying his wages (£120k a week) are too steep, but that hasn’t stopped bookies making us second favourites for his signature.

Vieri has, I am told, had his trial period extended to give Big Sam a look at him, maybe in the match against Cambridge at The Abbey on Saturday.

I have no preconceptions of Vieri. Obviously a legend of the game, but at 35 it remains to be seen if he’s just going to be another Robbie Fowler. Lets hope not.

Can’t see us going for Crouch. Although he is available, I just don’t think he’ll be turning out for us next season.

Bent’s too expensive. £13-million… He is not worth that, and for Allardyce to blow the majority of his budget on a player that would be a gamble would not be a good idea.

The latest speculation is over Manchester CIty’s Benjani. With former Rovers gaffer Mark Hughes happy to throw money at anyone who may look good in sky blue, he has a host of strikers all desperate to play first team football, so may look to offload Benjani, with Rovers looking in prime position to  be his suitors.

As I said, this is the latest one, so it will be interesting to see how this one pans out this week.

In outgoing news, McCarthy is going nowhere, I really can’t see why anyone would want to buy him at the moment when he hasn’t played at the top of his game.

Fulham came in for Keith Andrews but Big Sam is a big admirer of Ince’s signing and I don’t expect him to be leaving the club.

With the start of the season looming, our squad currently looks a little thin on the ground. Especially in attacking roles, and I hope Allardyce will look to rectify this as quickly as possible.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I looked at some reports in the media today, but Big Sam has confirmed he is interested in signing Ruud Van Nistelrooy from Real Madrid!

Normally I would dismiss these rumours but when ITN, Sky, the BBC, The Sun, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph and the Lancashire Telegraph all carry something on it, it just has to be a possibility doesn’t it? (For some reason this computer won’t let me link to the BBC and Sky reports but I promise you, they exist!

Big Sam has said he is no longer interested in Michael Owen, as he is too injury prone and Kevin Davies has also been ruled out as he is unavailable. But with Spurs and Fulham also being linked with the ex-United striker it could be difficult.

Nistelrooy is also likely to be on a mega-wage at the Bernabeu as well, which could prove a stumbling block.

One thing I will point out, as Big Sam has done also, is:

“Who’d have thought Bolton would get Nicolas Anelka? Nobody did. But I went out and did it.

“It would be nice to do it with a Van Nistelrooy.”

I couldn’t agree more Mr Allardyce!

We’ve also confirmed the permanent signing of Gael Givet, about time too.

Matt Derbyshire

Just as I was starting to wonder if the transfer window was going to be as boring as the ones we had under Hughesy, it all kicked off!

Disappointingly, Matt Derbyshire’s move to Greece is all but done. I like Matt, and thought the way he performed in Greece may have shown the management he is worthwhile having around.

Unfortunately, despite being a decent player for us, although he only ever seemed to impress from the bench, I thought it was worth another season.

Derbs hasn’t been treated well by Rovers ever since bursting on to the scene. Neither Hughes nor Big Sam have played him on a regular basis, and for a long period Hughesy kept sticking him at right wing, a position from which he rarely excelled!

The turning point for him seemed to be that equaliser for Man City at Ewood early in Big Sam’s reign. It was Derbs’ decision to try and play Emerton in rather than head for the corner flag that gave the ball away and saw City score a late goal to make it 2-2.

His moved to Greece on loan last season has proved to be the making of Matt. He has been treated well, put up in a nice villa in a posh part of the country and playing on a regular basis has seen him chip in with some vital goals for the club, becoming a bit of a hit with the fans already! It’s also a good move for him, moving from a relegation threatened small club in the Premier League, to the biggest club in Greece playing in the Champions League next season. And I wish him well.

Hopefully we’ll cash a few million for him. We were holding out for £5-million, considerably more than the £3-million Olympiakos wanted to pay, so I assume the clubs may have met in the middle. Still, whatever the outcome it’s yet more fantastic business for a player who cost us £35k from Great Harwood Town!

Then came the news that City had finally reached an agreement with us for Roque Santa Cruz. It’s about bluddy time. I can’t wait to see the back of the Paraguayan who has shown absolutely no respect for this football club in his short stay since we rescued his career.

His lack of gratitude is likely to see him reunited with former boss Hughesy, who must be a bit gutted at having to spend £17-million on a player that cost him £3.5-million just a couple of years ago. Then again, Man City seem to spend money for spending money’s sake at the moment.

I do believe we’re doing a fantastic deal. A £13.5-million profit on a player that has spent a long time injured is a great return.Latest I hear is that he’s having a medical at Eastlands, expect an unveiling later today.

Now Big Sam has started the clear-out, we need to see some incoming strikers. The loss of Derbs and Santa, alongside the likely sale of Paul Gallagher, sees us looking desperately short of fire power, with only Benni and Roberts, and possibly Samba/Diouf if they play out of position, left as senior strikers in the squad.

Franco Di Santo is likely to be joining us on loan from Chelsea. From what I’ve seen/hear I don’t think he’s our next 15 goals-a-season man. More of a squad player to replace the likes of Derbyshire. I would sincerely hope the board hand the £17-million recouped from the sale of Roque straight over to Big Sam. After last season’s dangerous brush with relegation they must spend money and gamble to ensure we become a better team for the experience.

Other names being linked with us include Kevin Davies, a player I wouldn’t want back at Ewood no matter how well he does at Bolton. He was fat and shit the last time he played for us and I don’t want to see him back in a Rovers shirt again!

Some less reputable sources have mentioned Eidur Gudjohnsen, while we are being strongly linked with PSG star Jerome Rothen, who has been told to leave the club he loves. Some say we have already tabled a £3-million offer for the striker, but that remains to be seen.

I expect a lot of new faces arriving over the coming weeks.

Cheers Roque

Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz claims he has told the club he is leaving at the end of the season for “a bigger, more ambitious team”.

The 27-year-old, currently recuperating after undergoing a surgical procedure on his troublesome right knee last week, told Paraguayan radio he has informed Rovers he wants to move on in the summer.”I have already told them (Blackburn) and they know that before the transfer window closes I would like to continue my career at a bigger, more ambitious team,” he told Radio Nanduti.

“Even though I haven’t heard anything, I haven’t changed my mind.

“I think it will be very difficult for me to play again this season because of the recovery. Our last league match is on May 24 and I also need a couple of days for my knee to physically recover.”

The former Bayern Munich frontman could, therefore, have played his last match for Blackburn, as he does not intend to take to the field again before he is 100% fit.

The way the fans cheered him after he stayed in January and this is how the Paraguayan shit repays us. Thanks.

In other news, Fans FC (who I regard as one of the least reliable sources of news in football) say we are going to sign Cameroon keeper Carlos Kameni, meaning Paul Robinson would leave the club. Unlikely. Robbo has been solid this season and has endeared himself to the Blackburn End since replacing Brad Friedel, whose boots were massive to fill!

- But will he pay £40-million? Lancashire Telegraph

- Ince to take over at Norwich? Sky Sports

- Zoro decision soon Daily Mirror

- Huddersfield bid for Gallagher? Terrior Bites

- Legend Jansen in Carlisle bid to save his career Sky Sports

“When we went to Blyth, which is just north of Newcastle, for our FA Cup tie I was told I was going to get it and I’ve never signed so many autographs and posed for so many photos.

“There was the odd one shouting “you fat *******” but I get that wherever I go”

The article itself makes a very good point. Allardyce receives an awful lot of stick from the Geordies from his time up there.

Yes, he spent a lot of money but, as this article points out, he did a better job than the current incumbent and his predecessor.

Given time I reckon Big Sam would have been succesful with Newcastle. But bollocks to them let’s hope he’s succesful with us!

]]> http://roversreturn.FootballUNITED.com/2009/01/16/you-fat/feed/ 0 http://roversreturn.FootballUNITED.com/2009/01/03/paper-talk-14/ http://roversreturn.FootballUNITED.com/2009/01/03/paper-talk-14/#comments Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:16:39 +0000 roversreturn http://www.roversreturn.net/?p=284 - Roque tells Paraguayan radio a City bid for him is imminent Setanta Sports News

- But wait, he denies saying this and is happy at Rovers Sky Sports

- Graham Fenton looking forward to Rovers reunion ITV

- Rovers legend Tony Parkes looks set to finally become a real manager! Lancashire Telegraph

- Daft geordie psychic reckons Blyth will beat Rovers Evening Chronicle

- Jack Straw turns down Blyth invitation due to foreign engagement Lancashire Telegraph

- Lucas Neill linked with return, very sceptical about this one… The Sun