Often Partisan

Tumbleweed…

It’s all gone very quiet at St Andrew’s hasn’t it? While Blatter has said that he will (eventually) fall on his sword at FIFA, Blackpool convince another fall guy that he can be the saviour at Bloomfield Road and Lee Clark has thrown his hat in the ring for the Newcastle United job, it’s nothing but tumbleweed in B9.

I think I’m going into withdrawal symptoms at the moment. Like a junkie desperately searching for a fix, I’m there tapping away at google, social media – anything really to find an inkling of what might be going on; and I can imagine I’m probably not the only person doing it.

Half the problem is my expectation has been raised following Blues’ fortunes under the Bromsgrove Mourinho. There were times last season when I was genuinely excited for us, and genuinely felt like this was the start of something new and something big, a revolution that could see us improve and maybe even assault the right end of the table in time. We all know Rowett is picky when it comes to bringing in players, and it’s that pickiness that is probably the reason for the radio silence as he lasers in on the players he wants, ignoring the agent chatter and gossip online.

I think the other half of the problem is this feeling that we may actually be able to compete somewhat in the transfer market this year. Although the club doesn’t seem any richer there seems to have been money found for players when needed at the end of last season and the vibe I’ve had from the club is there is money there to bring in better players. I think there will still be some sort of sensible wage cap, but the thought of Blues not scratching around the bins outside Lidl looking for something does make me hunger for news of just where we are looking.

I know there are some who are anxious about the thought of a takeover, of new money coming into the club but if I’m honest (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), it’s probably the furthest from the forefront of my thinking. I know the job is in hand, I somewhat trust the people involved – infinitely more so than Peter Pannu, that’s for sure – and as such I’m more than ever prepared to wait for a positive outcome. Because of what happened on the pitch last year, because of that enthusiasm, the balance has switched and I’m more concerned about what is going on the pitch than off it. It’s quite a strange feeling.

Blues’ Head of Communication Colin Tattum was active on twitter yesterday, posting two tweets that I think sums up where things are going:


Let’s hope this comes to pass.

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53 Responses to “Tumbleweed…”

  • Mitchell says:

    Recent names banded about like Whitehead,Emanuel-Thomas and Randolph Austin hardly excite. However, GR knows what he is doing and suspect this time next week a few new arrivals will be done. I predict none of the above. My own list would be Hylton and Byrne of Swindon, Pringle, Bogdan(goalkeeper), and hold on to you hats! .. Joey Barton.
    We need bite and we need desire. Put Barton in Solihull Moors and he would give you the same.

    • NDF says:

      Agree on Barton, probably doesn’t appeal at first sight but we need a motivator who can drive the team on the pitch much as Ferguson and Savage did. We have missed that element and the young players respond well to figureheads. To some extent Robinson does this but it is hard to lead from the back.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      Have to agree. Not a single rumour has caused a ripple for me so far. But, with only about 4 weeks till pre-season training (6 weeks to the first friendly) I do think think it’s time the Bromsgrove Rowett got his finger out. Not trying to rush him or anything, but the clock is ticking.

  • ChrisG says:

    Having seen the write up in the BM yesterday on Wes Foderingham, I think he would be an ideal replacement for Randolf. It would also be interesting to hear what will happen regarding Tesche & if we could bring him back on a permenent deal

  • Mal says:

    Yep, Barton wouldn’t be a bad shout at all. OK, so he’s got baggage, but so had Lee Bowyer and Barry Ferguson. He’s a free agent now and he’d definitely add something to the midfield.

    • ChrisG says:

      We probably couldn’t afford his wages

      • Woody says:

        He would want and will get at another club wages that far exceed most championship clubs can afford.
        Can’t through the wages budget at one player, we’ve done that before.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      I’ve never been particularly bothered about a player’s baggage… only what he can do for us. Barton, yes, I’d have him in a shot (but unlikely to happen.) Fodderingham, not so sure about. Watching him in the 3 play-off games, he reminded me of Randolph… good shot stopper, but pretty flappy in other areas. I’d prefer someone like Johnstone or Amos I think.

    • steve says:

      And Marlon King.

  • DoctorD says:

    “The thought of Blues not scratching around the bins outside Lidl looking for something does make me hunger for news of just where we are looking.”

    I’m hoping for Morrison’s. We did well with a Morrison last time.

  • Dean says:

    I like mitchell’s list up until the last name. (Byrne at Swindon in particular is one of the younger lower league types I’d like us to look at.) But I would say that I believe Barton would be a very expensive disaster. Let others take the gamble, which is what signing such an opinionated guy is, a gamble. His best days are at least five years in the past.

    I like the look of Vilhete, the young winger at Barnet who reminds me of Adomah and Bolasie, similar career trajectory.

    And did anyone see Motherwell’s emphatic defeats of Rangers? Marvin Johnson, who started at Solihull and left Kidderminster in January, ripped them apart. His running with the ball was impressive, and he was more than able to help defensively too. I reckon he’d love to return to the Midlands and play for the Blues. Go to his wikipedia entry and read some of the linked articles.

    Both Vilhete and Johnson are the right sort of age (22 and 24) to know what the game is about, but also be ripe for the step-up and with scope for improvement. They’d not cost a lot of money and are the sort of bargain signings I’d love us to make rather than spending on the big wages that past-it guys like Whitehead and Barton would demand.

    And I know this will definitely be unpopular, but I reckon Andi Weimann would be a great signing in the Championship. He’s out of favour there, and if we could get him in loan that would be an improvement on Cotterill, who I like, but who isn’t going to get any better now.

    I await the pelters!

  • Dave mann says:

    Joey Barton would do me no problem , we’ve had those players a plenty over the years and they don’t disappoint me , pay the extra because he would get s going , bring it on!! Kro

  • If they leave us in the dark long enough we will except any signing . it seems to me the same sentence different judge , as much as I like GR being here , I still have strong doubts about E&Y getting anybody in to back the club with enough wealth or clout to take the club to an average rated position of 22nd in the premiereship , as to average that they need us to average 18 places in the league higher than what we are now allowing for the odd run of poor form and runs of injuries, and even if all this helps to sell the club will they , we will see , this silence is of the same pattern as we have had in the past , we soon will see if the new people putting money in are our genuine saviours or not ..

  • BigmanSteve0 says:

    I have heard from a couple of people who work at Birmingham airport that christophe duggary arrived at Birmingham airport this morning on a flight from istanbul???? That’s a bIt weird dont you think???
    Does he have property in the region?

  • Dave Mann says:

    How old is he now? 43 or something ? .. Sign him up Gary he could still do a job .. Just mentioning Duggary gives me goose bumps ! What a player ! Kro

  • Shirley Blue says:

    We should not go anywhere near Joey Barton. He is a nutcase and well up his own arse and is exactly the type who would destroy the team spirit and unity that GR built up last year. It’s not going to be an issue as we would not be able to afford his wages anyway.
    As for sheer arrogance then Lee Clark going for the Newcastle job is just beyond belief. How on earth does he think he is capable of managing a big club in the Premiership after what he did to us and then Blackpool. The best fit for him would be manager of a brewery team in Newcastle. He could combine his main interests then and be at the right level to match his abilities. The man is a joke.

    • Blue Lizard says:

      Agree ….and we would have to get all the doors Widened to get Bartons head through them

    • Mirkwood says:

      Overlooking the fact that a poll on Tyneside not so long ago had Steve McLaren as the fans’ favourite to take the job with Lee Clark as his Number 2!! With Steve M now seemingly in the driving seat ………..who knows??!

      • Tony says:

        Its as I have always said Lee Clark is round the bend, with his CV he applies for a premiership job, utterly unbelievable.Have been on an even keel of late not thinking about the moron,then I see this off I go again .
        Has he no shame? his skin must be like a rhinno, Delusions of grandeur come to mind ,just cant believe it he should be kicked out of football all together.

  • Dave Mann says:

    Very hard to argue with that Shirley Blue even though I said I would like Barton and the cheek of Lee Clark to ! Amazing! … The only thing that annoys me about Newcastle is there fans , ok they get 50,000 every home game And it’s a big city with a great ground but my argument is how can a team that has not won a major trophy for decades be a BIG club ?? My view is a big club is a club that wind trophies on a regular basis and not because of the city and support .. Just my opinion that’s all! Kro

  • StaffsBlue says:

    Isn’t it about time Gray and Arthur made their minds up? They’ve had long enough now, I feel. If one or both does leave, we could do worse than take a look at Luke Freeman of Bristol City. He’s impressed me every time I’ve seen him play (proper left-footer too.)

    • Dave Mann says:

      Staffs , Gray is with England under 20s at the moment and they play Mexico at 6 today live on TV so is minds on that at the moment but he’s only gotta look at his team mates to see that he’s better off staying at Blues but like you say it’s up to him and ime not bothered either way like yourself if he stays or goes ! Kro

      • StaffsBlue says:

        The only problem I see with that Dave, is that when our young players go away with the England squad, they see all these players around the same age, on tens of thousands of pound p/w. Then they return to the club with different ideas to before they went. Inevitable I suppose. One thing though.. hasn’t Gray’s offer been on the table for about 6 months now?

        • Dave mann says:

          True but let’s see what happens when he gets back from England duty and then he will have is holiday so this could drag on a bit , but we’re use to this sort of thing weren’t we ! Kro

          • StaffsBlue says:

            If I was Rowett, I’d go ahead and sign a proper left-sided midfielder, then if Gray stays, we’ll have competition.

  • Shirley Blue says:

    I don’t want to get in a debate about whether Newcastle are a big club. They are another example of where people like Mr Ashley are owning football clubs for the wrong reasons. The fact he appointed Dennis Wise and Joe Kinnear as Director of football says enough.I can’t see LC getting an interview for the managers job purely based on his managerial CV which is a train crash but with their owners nothing would surprise me. If he does we can look forward to playing them very soon.
    As for the lack of transfer activity I am assuming GR + team are having a well deserved holiday and will be all over it when they return.

  • ChrisG says:

    Dan, although there isn’t a lot going on on the transfer front it’s good to see the announcement from the club today they we are the 1st football league club ( 7th club in the country ) to achieve intermediate level in the kick it out equality standard. It’s not the 1st thing we’ve done well in recently & it’s so good to see that things are going on like this behind the scenes considering the problems in HK.

  • Tony E says:

    Personally I would like to see us replace Cotterill with Jamie Mackie who is out of favour at Forest. Although Cotterills goals and assists stats were good, he still vanishes far too often in games and I lost count of how many times he either passed straight to an opponent, or crossed in to row Z.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      If Gray does stay, it could be him who replaces Cotterill. We looked more effective at the end of the season with Gray on the right and Dyer on the left.

      • Shirley Blue says:

        I would pick Cotterill instead of Dyer every time. The latter did absolutely nothing until the last game. At least Cotterill, even when he was struggling for form, never hid even with the crowd on his back. I hope he can get his early/mid season form from last season back. He scored some great goals and probably was top of the assists table. How easily people forget.

  • Hillfield Blues says:

    Cotrill has genuine quality in his crossing and is a great weapon from set pieces,it’s his overall consistency that is his problem,so he’s worth another season on the right for me.
    A lot hinges on wheather we keep Gray or not IMO. I think now he’s had his breakthrough season he will kick on next season and it’s wheather or not we build our side around him or sell and build in other ways with the money.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      Whenever I saw Cotterill play before he joined us, he played more on the left, so he could do his trademark cut-inside-and-shoot. I think he gets frustrated on the right.. he’s not a beat-his-fullback-and-cross type of winger… although he did well for most of the season.

      • Hillfield Blues says:

        All the more for keeping him if Gray is sold.

      • Shirley Blue says:

        Cotterill and Gray can swap wings during a game depending on how it’s going – it’s not a problem. Going back to Dyer I would be amazed and disappointed if he was one of our summer signings. He is getting on a bit for one thing. The one I would love to see back is Tesche – the best central midfield player we have had since getting relegated.

  • andy says:

    I cannot see Gray going anywhere, the kid has 12 months of his contract to run and I get the impression Rowett wants him to honour that unless a bid higher than 5 Million is offered, and to be honest, no one will pay above that. It is Koby Arthur that needs to make his mind up as he is out of contract.

  • Craig says:

    In response to the Joey Barton stuff how would young players respond to having cigarettes stubbed out in their eye!?

  • River says:

    I can’t agree more than joey Barton being very oppionated but ain’t everyone got an opinion about everything it’s just he has the balls to stand up and let you know his

  • swissjonny says:

    Guys we can forget Barton.Never mind the differing opinions-all pf which hold merit-we simply cant afford his wages.Tesche is for me the most important potential signing along with the F fella whose name I keep forgetting.we do need a midfield driver and enforcer with the ability to pass simple balls on a relaiable basis.Any bargain basement ideas anyone?

  • Mitchell says:

    To get where we want next season is to win 22 games out of 46 and a dozen draws. Losing 12 is ok and if we can this equation right, then we have made great strides. Looking more deeply into all this, it could require a cagy cynical approach by GR with a crafted 1-0 regular results. We did it some years back when our strikers were not prolific.and with a ‘fortress ‘ like mentality at St. Andrews we could do it. Looking at the relegated teams and the likes of Derby, Forest, Wolves etc. we will struggle to get top finishers, but I believe if we adopt a solid defence and blanket midfield, we could do it. What we would not be able to accommodate in this system would be a first choice of Caddis and Gleeson. Bone hardness required here.

    • DoctorD says:

      Good points — what I crave more than anything is a flying start. The past four years have all seen very poor beginnings. Admittedly under Houghton we had the Europa Leauge commitments and eventually finished fourth, but under Clark it was terrible and we were forever playing catchup.

  • Mark says:

    Foderingham will sign in next 10 days

    Not concerned about transfers not much money but plenty of free agents around even Clark assembled a decent squad even if he couldn’t manage them!!!


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