Blackburn replace Bellamy with 3 strikers
Posted by DavidM in Blackburn Rovers | 3 August 2006
Blackburn's transfer activity has resulted in three strikers (or two goal-scorers plus Francis Jeffers) being bought to replace Craig Bellamy.
Jeffers has been an underachiever ever since he left Everton. Cameron at A Town Called Malice doesn't rate him too highly,
"with the greatest will in the world 'Foxy' isn't the top notch replacement we're all looking for"
He doesn't think too much of Jason Roberts either, but he's is a better signing for Blackburn. Roberts scored 14 goals for Wigan last season and 21 the season before. He does pick up a fair few yellow cards though - 4 yellow and 1 red last season, and a whopping 10 yellows in '04/05. As Cameron points out - in that respect he's a straight replacement for Bellamy.
The third and most exciting signing is Benni McCarthy. You can tell Blackburn are pleased because 5 of the top 7 articles on the Rovers homepage are about him.
McCarthy (real name Jacob Sean Iveson according to Wikipedia) was top scorer in Portugal the year before last when Porto won the Champions League and has been a Blackburn target for over a year.
McCarthy is a high-class striker, Roberts is strong and difficult to play against and Jeffers is reasonable back-up. Given that they cost a combined total of less than £6m it all looks like good business by Hughes.
All he needs now is commitment from Emerton and Neill and he'll be happy with his summer.
