[Archived] Nicko's Thread Part 3

[thenodrog]

Well I suppose Bentley is off if we get fifteen million then. Interesting that Liverpool started the bidding so high at 12m. I thought it would be lower than that considering how idiotic Benitez has been.

You are kidding right? Think Duff / Carrick / SWP / Hargreaves etc etc. Tell you what JBN you tell me which current English international of outsatnding promise that we could buy for 12m? How much do you think Lpool would ask if he were their player and Chelsea came in for him? I'd wager the first figure would be a 2! I really hate this subservient cap-wringing attitude that we have toward the billy big times.

[Torgeir]

If it were down to me it would be cash only and thats that! You can swap players all you like but sometimes a perceived step down often affects the attitudes of some players and can act as a disincentive. If Liverpool want to swap it's cos they have little available money and (like us) need to offload before they can buy and do NOT want to lose face. So why the hell should we help them out of the hole of their making? Lpool want 10m for a reserve keeper, and 16m for a reserve striker ffs yet they offer us 12m for a young Englsih international player who was MoM on his full debut and is widely tipped to be the new Beckham! Tell em to sod off until they at least match the price that the last England winger sold for.... SWP.

Hear hear!

£15 million at the very least. Spend the money on Arshavin and a right winger and we'll be better off.

[Eddie]

You touch on a point there which may justify why it is right to sell Bentley this summer: there appears to be a large number of relatively high quality players available who we could sign.

For 25 million we'd have a serious shot at signing a combination Arshavin, Zabaleta, Aimar, Annan, Bradley or whoever else are targets are. Certainly it would allow us to sign 3 players who I think we would all agree appear to be either very good prospects or already proven players. That isn't something that is true every summer. Even if Bentley's value increases by 5 million next season we may find that 5 million doesn't buy much in June 2009.

[alexanders]

You touch on a point there which may justify why it is right to sell Bentley this summer: there appears to be a large number of relatively high quality players available who we could sign.

For 25 million we'd have a serious shot at signing a combination Arshavin, Zabaleta, Aimar, Annan, Bradley or whoever else are targets are. Certainly it would allow us to sign 3 players who I think we would all agree appear to be either very good prospects or already proven players. That isn't something that is true every summer. Even if Bentley's value increases by 5 million next season we may find that 5 million doesn't buy much in June 2009.

Spot on.

There are many clubs with a lot of money and there will be a lot of good players and prospects on the market this summer.

I also think that if we sell Bentley Hughes will have a decent amount of money to work with. We all know his abilities on the transfer market !

[philipl]

Again, fans have to forget transfer fees and think wages.

[AJW]

Arshavin's price is £10 million. It would be absolutely inspired to sign him if he would come.

It does put Bentley's price into perspective...if you get £15 million you have won the pools.

Arshavin is a far better player and captain of his country.

NICKO

can you tell us if arsenal will receive a % of any of bentleys transfer fee , and how does that work if we do

any kind of swap deal involving players only

[Eddie]

Wages add up quite well here as well Philip.

We've just offered Bentley 50k a week. It's quite possible that we could sign two players who would have combined wages not far above that, with some of our targets (Bradley, Annan and probably some others who we haven't been looked at) we would be looking at combined wages below that figure.

*I'm aware of the fact that some of the names mentioned may not be our actual targets.

[nicko]

Have you changed your stance here? I seem to rem you suggesting that it was BRFC that allegedly called off negotiations and not Bentley?

No, Bentley wasn't lying before. He has changed his mind.

There is no longer a rise on the table and no talks planned - he confirmed that yesterday I believe.

[nicko]

Heard some interesting and probably alarming news.

Your manager has TWO key supporters at Chelsea - and lobbying on his behalf.

I don't know if they can convince Roman he is the man, but they are trying.

I would now be officially concerned.

And I'm no longer laying but backing - after earlier advice...

[tony gale's mic]

If Bentley goes then we should have around £20 million to spend, (£10 million already + £15 million for Bents - £5 million for sell on clauses, agents fees etc).

I'd like it if we spent around £12 million this summer and then left another £8 mill for January transfer window/maybe some left over for next summer.

[tony gale's mic]

Heard some interesting and probably alarming news.

Your manager has TWO key supporters at Chelsea - and lobbying on his behalf.

I don't know if they can convince Roman he is the man, but they are trying.

I would now be officially concerned.

And I'm no longer laying but backing - after earlier advice...

What about Deschamps?

[Oklahoma]

Maniche has stated that he can't work with Aguirre, Atletico Madrid manager.

Agirre is staying, Maniche is looking for a move toEngland or spain.

[philipl]

So as things stand right now, Blackburn Rovers' summer is on the point of completely falling apart.

[thenodrog]

No, Bentley wasn't lying before. He has changed his mind.

Roy Keane did the same.... after shaking hands too.

[bringdunnback]

Im guessing that one is Peter Kenyon according to a paper yesterday, things are looking downwards. If we lose Hughes then he may want Bentley and then we have lost our two biggest assets. This then wont please the likes of Santa Cruz, McCarthy etc who will know we are a selling club. Worst case scenario coming true?

[tony gale's mic]

Hughes is the key.

Bentley I don't want to lose at all but there's still a fair chance it could work out well for us - think how much Hughes could do with that money spread around a few positions.

However if we lose Sparky we could well be staring down the abyss of mid table obscurity or even worse.

[rover6]

So as things stand right now, Blackburn Rovers' summer is on the point of completely falling apart.

There's no point worrying until things are concrete.

If we can get Yossi Benayoun as replacement for Bentley, I think we would've done well (and have a bit of change in the pocket). Before someone gets excited, there's no suggestion that Rovers want him or that he would want to come but just a name to throw in. If Liverpool sign Bentley, Benayoun would probably be surplus.

ANd for all Peter Kenyon's supplications to his Russian Lord, I cannot believe that Abro will go for Hughes - unless, now I think about it, as a stop-gap until someone like Gus Hiddink becomes available... Hughes is too self-effacing and unglamorous for the whirlwind ego-frenzy largesse of Chelsea.

[thenodrog]

Hughes?

Heard some interesting and probably alarming news.

Your manager has TWO key supporters at Chelsea - and lobbying on his behalf.

I don't know if they can convince Roman he is the man, but they are trying.

I would now be officially concerned.

And I'm no longer laying but backing - after earlier advice...

Whose the other besides me then Alan?

One thing Hughes or anybody will have to do is clear out lots of dead wood and troublesome personalities. All season its sounded like Grant was unpopular with 'some' players in the dressing room, in fact I'd imagine that he brought in Ten Cate to do introduce some discipline on his behalf. It didn't work and I imagine that the tail will still try to wag the dog next season. Drogba appears to be off so Terry would be first against the wall along with Frank and Frank and possibly even Frank.

[LeftWinger]

Your manager has TWO key supporters at Chelsea - and lobbying on his behalf.

And I'm no longer laying but backing - after earlier advice...

Having seen some of your past betting tips, I feel a lot more confident of him staying now your money is on him

[nicko]

Whose the other besides me then Alan?

Forgot...that makes it three.

[nicko]

Having seen some of your past betting tips, I feel a lot more confident of him staying now your money is on him

Boom, tish.

I did say I couldn't see it because of Roman's identikit. I now fear otherwise.

It would be wrong of me to advise laying when I would now think he is over-priced and with a powerful friends on his side.

Sorry to say, I think the next few days are going to be bumpy.

[Eddie]

What price is he at now?

[LeftWinger]

What price is he at now?

Best priced 11.5-1 on betfair

[thenodrog]

One hell of an important time in Hughes's career if this is indeed the case. The chance to manage at the very top with all the wealth in the world only comes by very rarely. Don't want to see him leave but good luck to him in his efforts to land the big one...... as long as our compensation package is in context.

[Eddie]

Well, hopefully that won't change too much in the few hours before I get home from work.