The Rovers Return

Nikola Kalinic

With the Franco Di Santo loan move looking a formality, after the striker has been declared available for loan by Carlo Ancelotti, Big Sam is now focusing all his efforts on bringing in a permanent replacement for the departed Roque Santa Cruz.

It now appears we are leading the race for Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic, who’s name is a lot easier to pronounce than ‘that Russian’.

We’ve dropped out of the race for Kamel Ghilas, after Allardyce felt it necessary to stop the deal at the 11th hour, I can only assume for very good reasons. I could make the ‘hump’ joke again but it’s probably not necessary…

Back to Kalinic, the 21-year-old plays for Hajduk Split who, despite not being a major footballing force, are still about the best side in Croatia, and would cost in the region of £5-million.

He was looking like signing for Portsmouth – who I’m tipping for relegation, along with Burnley and Hull – but talks with the south coast club have broken down, leaving the door open for Rovers to take him if the deal’s right. Read more »

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Just discovered the Rovers Return will be seated among the cream of the Rovers faithful crop, season tickets moved from the Riverside to the Blackburn End lower tier. Get in!

The Blackburn End

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Franco Di Santo could be on his way

I keep holding off posting in the hope I’ll have a nice new striker to write about. Unfortunately, that day is still yet to come.

It doesn’t mean there has been no press coverage though, we have been linked with half of the football world this summer.

We’re still in the hunt to take Franco Di Santo on loan from Chelsea. It’s a win-win situation if we can get hold of the lad. He’s obviously a talent, although I know very little about him, you have to be to survive in Chelski’s youth set up.

If we can bring him in it will benefit us for the time he’s here, his own personal development by surely playing on a regular basis, and ultimately Chelsea who will see if he’s worth keeping hold of. On the other side if he turns out to be shite we can just not play him and it’s no big deal.

Other strong links at the weekend were made regarding Zenit St Petersburg’s Pawel Pogrebnyak (how much will that be to get on the back of your shirt). Apparently the 25-year-old turned us down in January but could now be keen on a move to the Premiership. Read more »

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2009

Notts County stun the football world by bringing in former England and Manchester City manager Sven Goran Erikson as director of football

1991

Jack Walker stuns the football world by bringing former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish out of retirement to manage Second Division strugglers Blackburn Rovers

It’s uncanny…

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Marouane Chamakh looks unlikely

The anxious wait for us to add some firepower to the front line continues, with more rumours being quashed and very little looking like it is actually happening.

Christian Vieri walked out, but we have apparently ‘left the door open’ for him to return. Why? If he’s being a prick let him go, I don’t want another player that doesn’t want to play for the club!

We’re officially ruled out of the race for over-priced Englishmen Peter Crouch and Darren Bent and, despite apparently having agreed terms with Morrocan Marouane Chanakh of Marseille, it looks increasingly unlikely we’ll ever get to sign the man who will probably arrive at Arsenal anytime soon.

Big Sam has already come out and said we will no longer be looking for a ‘proven Premier League goalscorer’, as they seem to have ridiculous price tags, but it looks to me as though we’re increasingly running out of time with the end of the transfer window looming just over a month on the horizon.

Our current crop of strikers isn’t strong enough. I rate Roberts and McCarthy, but both are prone to periods of poor form. If this is to happen where do we look? With Derbs gone, we’re left with the still unproven Paul Gallagher, our longest-serving player who has himself admitted this is his ‘last chance’ to make it in the Premiership. Read more »

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Bob Crompton

Back in’t day I was the author of Rovers’ section at The Offside, now still being run by my successor, a young American chap called Jimmy who does a good job.

During my time there, I started a series of weekly posts, looking back at Rovers’ legends, and I have decided to bring this back, as it’s important not to lose touch with the roots of the club.

I’ll be honest, the first few are going to be a bit of a cheat as I’m going to regurgitate those I used at The Offside, although I’ll be re-writing them a bit as, looking back, my writing in those days was, to put it mildly, a bit shit (please don’t comment, I am aware it may still not be the best, but I’m always improving!)

Any series of this kind has to begin with a man a lot of people not too big on their Rovers history may not be aware of – Bob Crompton. The man heralded as our greatest ever player and a true one-club man.

Born in 1879, he was signed by Blackburn Rovers in 1896, aged just 17. He made his Rovers debut in 1897 as a right back. A position he would occupy for 23 years. He was given his England debut in 1902 – he would go on to make 41 appearances for his country, more than any other Rovers player. He later became England’s first ever professional captain! Read more »

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Can anyone tell me what language this is?

According to my visitor stats, somebody has translated my blog to that but it’s all bollocks to me…

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Cambridge v Rovers ticket - £18!

Cambridge away in a pre-season friendly was never going to be the match of the season, but along with 143 other Rovers fans last night, I witnessed a couple of promising signs for the season ahead.

The match itself was extremely dull for extended periods, and I still feel very aggrieved at having shelled out £18 for a ticket, but it was a useful run out for the lads and a good way to start our busy pre-season campaign in a rather relaxed atmosphere.

Rovers ran out comfortable winners with two goals in each half. Andrews’ free kick gave us the lead after taking a deflection off the Cambridge wall and sailing over Danny Potter in to the top right hand corner. Diouf added a second when the Us had a defensive mix-up and pretty much played him through on goal, but he still had to beat the keeper and finished off nicely.

In the second half two tap ins from Jason Roberts rounded off nice moves. Firstly Stephen Warnock playing him in from the left. The second was the move of the match as some clever link-up play on the edge of the box saw McCarthy dart in from the right and play it across for Roberts to finish again. Very SASish!

To give the opposition some credit. I thought they played well, and Cambridge fans can take heart from the fact that, despite the one-sided scoreline, it wasn’t all one way traffic. They just couldn’t break down our defence which looked extremely solid. Read more »

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The Abbey

Tomorrow (or today as it has just become) I am off darn sarf.

The season is under way. Pre-season friendly number one begins at 7:45pm and I can’t wait!

The venue is the beautiful city of Cambridge. With a population of 120,000(ish) the city sits in East Anglia and is best known for its university for posh people. However, its football team is rather poor.

It is surprising when you look back in the history books, you only have to go back to Rovers’ successful promotion season of 1991/92, when we won the play-offs to become founder members of the newly-formed Premier League, that Cambridge were one of our promotion rivals.

In fact, due to our complete lack of ability to win a game during the last couple of months of that season, they actually finished above us. However, in the play-off semis they were roundly twatted by Leicester City, who were roundly beaten by a dodgy penalty by us in the final! Read more »

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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. Read more »

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