Crossroads for Benni deal

thecisone wonders whether any readers are old enough to get the pun in the headline. Not that it's very funny, but still...

After more than a year of chasing it seems that Rovers have finally stitched together a deal for Porto striker Benni McCarthy. The champions league winner is reported to have shaken hands on a deal to bring him to Ewood Park after Rovers agreed a £2.5million fee with Porto. There's a few issues unresolved as yet - including a work permit, which isn't likely to be a problem given his track record as an international professional - but word is that the move will be registered with the FA and Premier League on Friday.

While this is undoubtedly good news, thecisone cannot help but still feel that despite the quality of the replacements there is still a small, Welsh, Bellamy-sized hole in the forward line. Let's hope the new boys prove otherwise. Maybe now we can stop collecting strikers - six seems like enough of anything and we shouldn't forget the homegrown talents of the excellent Paul Gallagher and promising Matt Derbyshire.

What else do we need before we start the European campaign? Replacements for the departing Neill and Emerton. Sparky will sit both players down next week to see whether they want to sign new lucrative deals or ply their trade elsewhere. Neill would be a particular loss but given his performance at the World Cup you hope he would command a handsome transfer fee. combined with cash for Emerton there could be enough in the kitty to finance a move for a young creative midfielder and another right back.

Would Didier Agathe be a useful addition? His performance at Stanley seemed creditable and a right-back with attacking instincts is exactly what Rovers would be losing in Neill. His failure to shine at Celtic shouldn't be overplayed. Sparky's duraglit has polished up more than one career in the last 18 months.

And, of course, we need to decide how to replace Mr Tugay Kerimoglu, who has no doubt spent the summer taking advtantage of his OAP's railcard in the Lake District. He can't go on being brilliant forever.

Memo to Mark Hughes: Even Turkish Delight will not last indefinitely. The terraces would ideally like the same player, but 10 years younger. We do concede this may be difficult unless the backroom staff have finally got to grips with cloning at Brockhall. So, please can you see what's available in the Summer sales. Best, as ever, thecisone

Who next, Ian Brady or Hitler?

Flurry of new rumours today.

Most startling is the Man City outkast Nic Anelka's claim that Sparky has been trying to lure him away from Fenerbache. He also reckons Bolton and Portsmouth are in with a shout, but with the player's own valuation at more than £8m you have got to wonder if the combustible Frenchman hasn't banged his head in training. Harry might have the cash, but I'm certain Big Sam won't be in a hurry for a turkish takeaway and why would we want to waste the whjole transfer kitty on such an unproven talent?

Imagine what Anelka would do for our reputation as bastions of fair play and clean, wholesome tackling... you might as well see if Ian Brady wants a game or Hitler.

Another bolt from the blue has been the re-emergence of the rumour that Rovers are in for Benni McCarthy from Porto with a far more sensible asking price of £3m. This story is two years old now (amazingly it's the one story not to have originated in the Old testament that has been floating around longer than the Mido 'signing'). Although, since the transfer fee is half what it was 12 months ago it which does give this rumour a bit more credibility.

thecisone has also learned that Jorge Acuna, the 27-year-old Chilean international midfielder and former Feyenoord player, is telling anyone who will listen that he is on his way to Ewood Park for a medical and expects to be in the blue and white halves within the week. Grateful for some feedback from any readers who know his background and potential.

Silly Season Hokey Cokey

The media love to refer to the summer months as the silly season - trusted sources of news bugger off on holiday and it becomes difficult to fill the pages and the airwaves. Into the gap looms a lot of news that, many would agree, isn't fit to print.

And that sums up where the Rovers rumour mill is at. Lucas Neill, Brett Emerton and Mido are engaged in a bizarre three-handed hokey-cokey where it is no longer possible to tell who is in, out, in, out or shaking it all about. At least, that's the case if you read the reports circulating on t'internet. Mido was at long last a done deal and would sign today - not happened. Neill and Emerton had both said G'bye nice contracts and... nothing official.

Even the usually informative Lancashire Evening Telegraph can't do any better than reheating a piece of gossip about Emerton pledging the next 12 months to Rovers at some meet the fans session.

Who knows what is happening?

theciseone gives up. It's too bloody hot. Roll on September and away games in the North East.

Do they not have a dictionary at the Daily Mail?

Ah, the middle classes and football.

Never really sit well together, do they? Too much analysis and not enough singing of songs about the local rivals being inbred.
Not that we see much of the chattering classes at Ewood Park - not since Graeme Le Saux left anyway.

thecisone was prompted into this reflection on class war in football by a headline in today's Daily Mail: Pardew targets Blackburn bruiser. Reidy defecting? Todd upping sticks? Kuqi moving on? No, it seems West Ham might be interested in Brett Emerton. Those nice middle class boys on the Daily Mail really want to invest in a dictionary and look up the definition of "bruiser". In no way could it be stretched to describe Emerton, who also attracts the description of "powerhouse". Silly right-wing rag. 'Foppish flair player of flickering genius' is more like it - and they generally aren't the sort of players that go down well with the Hammers fans, are they?

Fulham and Middlesborough are also reported to be monitoring developments on the contract offered to Emerton by Rovers.

We're a wee bit short of incoming rumours. The Mido deal is not dead, according to Hughes. It's certainly dragging on, though...

On other fronts: Jeffers believes his move to Rovers could lead to an England call up. And the new away kit is out soon - check out www.rovers.co.uk for a shot of Robbie Savage parading the new uniform with a less than thrilled looking Jason Roberts.

Robbie Savage, a man of integrity

A second bid to lure Robbie Savage away from Ewood Park appears to have failed. Wigan Athletic tested the player's commitment and Rovers' ambitions by tabling a second bid for the controversial Welshman with improved personal terms. But Sav says he is staying put. In his own words (via Sky Sports): "I am more than happy at Blackburn. I knew when I left Birmingham that this was the right club for me and nothing has changed. It was very flattering for me that they showed an interest but there's a Uefa Cup season ahead and I'm very much looking forward to it."

Forget what thecisone was saying yesterday about professional sportsmen and filthy lucre and raise your glass to Robbie Savage, a man of integrity.

More grist for the rumour mill

You turn your back for a few days and all hell breaks loose.

For those not paying attention, thecisone has previously reported that Chelsea's Carlton Cole was a transfer target for Mark Hughes along with Mido, the stroppy Eyptian striker who shone for Spurs last season.

Both, thecisone felt, would have been positive signings for Rovers following the departure of Craig Bellamy to Liverpool.

All was still on track up to Sunday evening. And now, less than 72 hours later, everything has turned around. Carlton Cole succumbs to interest from West Ham; Mido, some sources claim, decides the money isn't sufficient to leave current club Roma despite the Italian board agreeing a fee of £3.5m with John Williams; Francis Jeffers gets the sort of pay as you play deal that thecisone was advocating at the weekend, and Jason Roberts clinches a 'dream move' to Ewood Park from Wigan Athletic.

We'll reserve judgement on Jeffers. He's lost his way but maybe Sparky can rehabilitate him. Roberts is a good player who will be right at home at Rovers with his robust style of play. And Mido and Cole... well signing for West Ham shows a lack of ambition on Cole's part and if Mido has snubbed a move to East Lancashire, it just betrays his lack of imagination. What these rejections do mean is that Rovers still need to tie up a top-flight striker, pacy and skilful rather than muscular. thecisone has faith in Hughes - he's not let us down before. But it is getting difficult to see where the quality we need to shine in Europe is going to come from on the budget we have at our disposal.

Perhaps the coffers will be boosted by Sparky's summer clear out...

A devastating loss would be Lucas Neill, who has admitted that he is keeping his options open amid interest from Newcastle, Spurs, Barcelona and Monaco. His World Cup performances were no fluke and losing him would create problems at right back. If he goes, lets hope the sale reflects his value. Arsenal's Pascal Cygan is a name that Rovers are reorted to be tracking - as a replacement maybe?

Fellow Aussie Brett Emerton has long been rumoured to be a target for Everton. He's a decent squad player who many feel has never fulfilled his promise - so is it time to cash in his contract? Everton are rumoured to be ready to part with £1.5m, and the player wants to leave so he can get more games.

And recent reports suggest that Wigan haven't given up all hope of tempting Robbie Savage to switch clubs. Some reports suggest Robbie is keen to talk to Paul Jewell and Dave Whelan, despite the original 'no chance' from Hughes and Williams. While not as big a loss as Neill you have got to ask the question of whether Rovers could replace him with someone of similar quality for the £3m that is being offered. thecisone finds it difficult to believe that he would want to leave having been part of Rovers marvellous achievements last season.

But then again, these are professional sportsmen we're talking about. Us honest working folk, can't be expected to understand how these fellas think. That much money does something to traditional senses of loyalty, honour and team spirit. Or is thecisone being cynical?

Sav staying put

The most hated man in English football is staying with the Premiership's most consistently belittled team. That's right - Robbie Savage is staying put, after it was revealed that John Williams actually had received a bid from near neighbours and Premiership rivals Wigan Athletic for the influential Welshman. Apparently Rovers were offered a cool £1million plus wantaway striker Jason Roberts for Sav and found it very easy to tell Paul Jewell to bugger off. It's the right decision even though at times in his brief spell with Rovers, Robbie has failed to live up to his billing. After the car crash that was his transfer from Birmingham, the man who once described himself as "the Welsh David Beckham" is finally finding his feet. Let's hope he keeps improving and we aren't left to rue the departure of the wrong Welshman this summer.

With the out door bolted, who is knocking at the in door?

The latest rumour is that Franny Jeffers is being lined up to be one of our Bellamy replacements. Cue hoots of derision from football fans everywhere that this former England international and once £8m rated striker is being given another crack at the Premiership after being dumped by Charlton and having failed so conspicuously at Arsenal. You will have to forgive thecisone from reserving judgement. Hughes rehabilitated Bellamy, Reid, Todd and Bentley to lesser or greater degrees and while the same can't be said of Jansen or Emerton we need to see what magic Sparky can perform with young Francis. An important caveat worth adding is that nobody would want to see Jeffers at Ewood on a big money deal. If he comes, he has to earn the shirt and the pay packet - one year contract with performance clauses - or he is free to continue being courted by Coventry.

There's no more news on the big name transfer targets being linked with Rovers. Carlton Cole was widely expected to sign for West Ham on Friday from Chelsea, but nothing happened. And a deal with Roma for Mido - perhaps the one player who would give Hughes a genuine replacement for Bellamy - does not appear to have progressed any. Let's hope we have something to celebrate this summer other than England lifting the World Cup.