[Archived] Sam's January Targets

[RoyRover]

I'm disappointed that we didn't sign a striker or Ibricic, but hopefully we'll do both in the summer. It seems like Lens are difficult people to deal with and I'd rather not be tied to any potential clause which meant us paying a lot of money for a guy who mightn't be up to it. Sam seems to prefer this 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 / 4-4-1-1 formation and if that's the case, then we'll only really be seeing one striker up top, with the likes of Dunn, Basturk, Olsson and Holliett supporting him. I think that Basturk could be a good bit of business and if Pedersen keeps playing like he has over the last few games, we'll have more of a threat from midfield. Steven Reid has looked good recently as well and if he can stay fit, then he too will be like a new signing. I just hope that Sam realises that there needs to be a big clean out of players in the summer and that the likes of Roberts, Diouf, Andrews, Zurab, Grella and maybe Pedersen are no longer good enough or should be allowed to get first team football elsewhere. That way, the wage bill could be cut significantly and the players replaced with younger, more talented players that we have either in our squad or have been linked to.

[RevidgeBlue]

in 05' Sav arrived with Nelsen and Mokoena. 06' was when Bentley signed for us permenantly and in the next game I think he did quite well. We also got Pongolle if I remember correctly. 07' was Warnock, Berner, Samba and Dunn. 08' was Vogel, 09' Diouf. Im sure there were others in 08 and 09 but I have forgotten, they werent special whoever they were.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Crikey. 08 Vogel 09 Diouf.

Hope Basturk turns out to be a little less of a damp squib.

[neekoy]

Pongolle

That makes me sad seeing that name. What a missed opportunity.

If we looked to bolster the striking stocks from the out of contract options I would be happy with end of season deals for Nonda, Nunez or Derlei

[Roberto Policano]

Would Giles Barnes not be worth a risk or is he totally crocked?.

The only decent midfielders in this Bosman list are De Souza and good old Meriam.

Sergey Kovalchuk was once a talent,but i think he's faded now.

Didn't Tobias Linderoth once play in your neck of the woods for Everton?.

I thought Oleg Ivanov was a decent player surprised he's been released,still only young and huge too,something like 6 foot 4.Maybe Allardyce should give him a weeks trial.

Cassio de Souza Soãres.

Oleg Ivanov

Camel Meriem

Giles Barnes

Sergey Kovalchuk

Tobias Linderoth

Dietmar Hamann

Brahim Hemdani

Stelian Stancu

Matías Pavoni

Barbaros Barut

Abubakari Yakubu

Mateus

Wenio

Moussa N'Diaye

Blessing Kaku

Miguel Sebastián García

Fabiano

Gustavo López

Habibou Traoré

Stjepan Poljak

Danny Mathijssen

Seyfo Soley

Fransergio

Maynor Suazo

André Hanssen

Gareth Williams

Domenico Morfeo

Paulo Almeida

Andrea Gentile

Quinton Fortune

Seth Johnson

Paul Weller

Injai Braíma

Martin Andersson

Tobias Grahn

Sammuel

Evgeni Shcherbakov

Mamaar Mamouni

Héctor Daniel Romero

Leandro

[Iceman]

Im not sure, why Linganzi should be any different to Nzonzi… The same was said about Nzonzi, that he wont play much because he is being kept for the future. If Linganzi is good enough, then he should play this season. My concern with Nzonzi is, that Sam is burning the lad out and for a young man that could be of real concern. Basturk I can understand, having not played much he needs to up his match fitness.

[brian_gallagher85]

For all those thinking that we missed a trick in not trying for Keane.... judging by last nights performance we have dodged another rather large bullet.

He looked worse than ever last night and missed around 20 chances in the first half alone. Jason Roberts would have been proud of some of them

[American]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Crikey. 08 Vogel 09 Diouf.

Hope Basturk turns out to be a little less of a damp squib.

09 Givet as well....

[unluckymorton]

Im not sure, why Linganzi should be any different to Nzonzi… The same was said about Nzonzi, that he wont play much because he is being kept for the future. If Linganzi is good enough, then he should play this season. My concern with Nzonzi is, that Sam is burning the lad out and for a young man that could be of real concern. Basturk I can understand, having not played much he needs to up his match fitness.

Burning him out or toughening him up? He's a young lad FFS, if he can't play week in week out now he never will!

[PAFELL]

Im not sure, why Linganzi should be any different to Nzonzi… The same was said about Nzonzi, that he wont play much because he is being kept for the future. If Linganzi is good enough, then he should play this season. My concern with Nzonzi is, that Sam is burning the lad out and for a young man that could be of real concern. Basturk I can understand, having not played much he needs to up his match fitness.

I think that is why Sam has stopped using di Santo - the fact he is not scoring must affect his confidence. Even worse watching Niko scoring. To continue to play Di Santo would burn him out also.

[modes98]

Would Giles Barnes not be worth a risk or is he totally crocked?.

Not a bad shout at all, I didn't realise he was a free agent. Although WBA and Birmingham have had him on trial since he left Derby and neither of them took a chance on him which probably tells you all you need to know. But worth a trial.

[BPF]

I think that is why Sam has stopped using di Santo - the fact he is not scoring must affect his confidence. Even worse watching Niko scoring. To continue to play Di Santo would burn him out also.

He's not playing him because he is not up to standard.

I would see Roberts ahead of Di Santo (Now known as Bambi of course) and that is potentially the most depressing statement this keyboard has ever typed.

[unluckymorton]

He's not playing him because he is not up to standard.

I would see Roberts ahead of Di Santo (Now known as Bambi of course) and that is potentially the most depressing statement this keyboard has ever typed.

[G Somerset Rover]

Well we're in February and the lads up front have contributed 5 goals between them. Di Santo doesn't look like he'll ever score again, while we all know about Jason's finishing prowess. Niko's got a lot on his shoulders.

You could argue that John, but only a fool would wish to watch Samba up front after the embarrassing stint he played up there a couple of seasons ago. Nor did it work, either for him, or for us.

Wigan did. Man City did. Sunderland did. Spurs brought three in. Don't think anyone else was looking.

There's no other way of looking at the last window other than very poor.

Exactly my feelings Den.

This and the fact that as a few of us have been pointing out that we will own just two strikers when Di Santo heads back to Chelsea in the summer (please nobody say Hoilett/Diouf/Samba/I even read Olsson - FFS they're not strikers) then you can see the predicament that we're going to be in without significant money to rebuild the squad.

Perhaps it's time to lock this thread? Myself, Den and more on this board believed that the club should have brought somebody in to replace Benni and have taken a huge gamble in not doing so whilst others (Mellison/the Morton brothers etc) will say that we were right to keep the powder dry (if there is any).

The fact of the matter is that we now need our key men to stay fit and best pray that they do. Nobody will be proved wrong or right until afer the summer, when we can see both how this season pans out and also who we bring in over the close season.

[JAL]

Thank god Allardyce didnt sign some of the shyte we were linked with, were the ferk Allardyces head was or the clubs raises serious questions.

At the end of the day the club had to reduce its wage bill, if they have gone some way to acheiving this through januarys activities then it has to be seen as a massive positive.

Di Santo is agood player who needs good guidance and coaching. If Rovers dont have the staff to improve this lad and get him producing on the pitch, then more questions have to raised about the capabilities of the people at the club rather than focusing just on young Franco Di Santo.

Jason Roberts missed a sitter on saturday and many fans seem to have it in for him, for me if Jason Roberts continues to give his all and apply himself in the best way he possibly can then I see him having a decent end to the season. After the garbage Rovers were linked with in Beattie,Benjani and Dindane I'm more than happy to keep Jason Roberts at Rovers.

Anyhow for all the negativity on here it looks like the fans are going to get behind the team on saturday so for me my hopes will be with them.

Arte et labore.

[thenodrog]

Compare this with the situation in Hughes' last season when we had Benni and Jason (only both several years younger) RSC and Derbyshire. It's frightening how far the Club has declined in so short a space of time.

Things can change quickly. Cast your mind back to when Hughes came and we only had the diminutive Dickov and the virtally useless Stead.

[thenodrog]

Perhaps it's time to lock this thread? Myself, Den and more on this board believed that the club should have brought somebody in to replace Benni and have taken a huge gamble in not doing so whilst others (Mellison/the Morton brothers etc) will say that we were right to keep the powder dry (if there is any).

Time will tell. I think we would all have felt safer now with one of the 3, but I think within 6 months whichever we had signed (with the poss exception of Dindane) would have turned into a figure of ridicule..... and we'd still have then for another two and a half years.

[thenodrog]

Di Santo is agood player who needs good guidance and coaching. If Rovers dont have the staff to improve this lad and get him producing on the pitch, then more questions have to raised about the capabilities of the people at the club rather than focusing just on young Franco Di Santo.

The jury is still out on Di Santo. He might just be one who flatters to deceive. He looks OK until he actually turns around to face goal. He doesn't appear to have a shot on him, he doesn't appear to be quick or possess dribbling skills and he certainly cannot meet a cross and head a ball with his forehead with any pace.

[Amo]

The jury is still out on Di Santo. He might just be one who flatters to deceive. He looks OK until he actually turns around to face goal. He doesn't appear to have a shot on him, he doesn't appear to be quick or possess dribbling skills and he certainly cannot meet a cross and head a ball with his forehead with any pace.

I'd love to see Di Santo's potential if we still had a player of Bentley's calibre. The fact our midfield is either sterile or injured surely plays some part in it.

[Silencio]

The jury is still out on Di Santo. He might just be one who flatters to deceive. He looks OK until he actually turns around to face goal. He doesn't appear to have a shot on him, he doesn't appear to be quick or possess dribbling skills and he certainly cannot meet a cross and head a ball with his forehead with any pace.

I think Di Santo would be different if we gave him 3 games as a partner for Niko. I think they would complement each other well and Di Santo would start to score a few more. I don't think he is a natural goal scorer but I would still like us to try to get him signed full time.

[Exiled_Rover]

The jury is still out on Di Santo. He might just be one who flatters to deceive. He looks OK until he actually turns around to face goal. He doesn't appear to have a shot on him, he doesn't appear to be quick or possess dribbling skills and he certainly cannot meet a cross and head a ball with his forehead with any pace.

I think he'll turn into a good target man for someone. He'd score 10 a season if he had service. He's obviously not had that here.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I think he's playing a link-up striker role rather than an out and out striker role, which is why we rely on the midfield to score us goals. He plays best with his back to goal, winning the ball for others.

If we could improve the midfield he could focus on getting in the box and going for goal rather than focusing on hold-up play.

[AJW]

I'd love to see Di Santo's potential if we still had a player of Bentley's calibre. The fact our midfield is either sterile or injured surely plays some part in it.

to a certain extent i agree , but you can't blame the midfield when our strikers fluff the one-ones like di santo at bolton and roberts at west ham

[TimmyJimmy]

Thank God Sam didn't have this perspective last season when he bought Givet.

Wenger must be kicking himself for getting suckered into buying that total non-performer Arshavin.

We could go back a season from that when Anelka, Cahill, Hangelend, Defoe, among other bad eggs, moved.

2007? Desperate buys included Carew, Ashley Young, Dunn, Warnock, Samba, Dempsey and Upson.

Yeh sure but a stopped watch is right twice a day.

Be reasonable, try comparing all your 'goods' with all the 'bads' over the same time frame and I stick to my view that January isn't the best time to do business. The argument is rather like saying my granny smoked forty a day until she died at age 102 so smoking isn't that bad for you. Falls down as a debating point because you can't base the whole smoking argument on a statistical sample of 1.

We're well shut of Benny and much better off without Dindane and Benjani IMO. If money was no object then sure take a punt but we ain't got none so folding was the percentage call and Sam/JW did the right thing. Sure they may end up scoring a bag full between them going forward but standing right here right now we made the right call (IMO). Plus as said before, we keep our money and add it to what we may get for the close season ... could well end up better off overall.

[BPF]

I don't think he is a natural goal scorer but I would still like us to try to get him signed full time.

Crazy! He has done nothing to suggest that we should sign him. People have been totally blinded by his "Blackburn Rovers are wonderful, I hope they beat Chelsea" talk! Why would we want to spend what little money we have on a striker that in your own words is 'not a natural goalscorer.'

Granted he is still very young but there has been no signs in his career thus far that he is Premiership quality. He has played many games for us and the cold hard truth is that if he was worth keeping then he would have made more of an impact.

[Exiled_Rover]

Crazy! He has done nothing to suggest that we should sign him. People have been totally blinded by his "Blackburn Rovers are wonderful, I hope they beat Chelsea" talk! Why would we want to spend what little money we have on a striker that in your own words is 'not a natural goalscorer.'

Granted he is still very young but there has been no signs in his career thus far that he is Premiership quality. He has played many games for us and the cold hard truth is that if he was worth keeping then he would have made more of an impact.

Runs his socks off. Big, strong, quick. Good first touch. Good movement. All that's missing is that clinical finishing, which isn't a problem if he's played upfront with a poacher like Kalinic. If he's left up top on his own with no service from the wings that's when he's in trouble.

If Chelsea want any more than £3m for him I'd say no, but he'd be an asset at that price. He's only 20 and he's only going to improve.