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Blackburn Rovers sign Vince Grella

11:29pm Tuesday 26th August 2008 in


AUSTRALIAN midfielder Vince Grella has joined Blackburn on a four-year deal from Torino.

Rovers finalised a deal for the 28-year-old late tonight for an initial fee believed to be in the region of £3.5million.

Grella becomes Paul Ince’s fourth summer capture joining Carlos Villanueva, Danny Simpson and Paul Robinson.

Chairman John Williams said: “Paul made a holding midfielder a priority almost from day one and we’re delighted to have finally signed Vince.”

Comments(16)

kazz says...
11:43pm Tue 26 Aug 08

im happy with the signing but not really excited, im not sure whether he is the quality that was lacking in our midfield. i would have preferred stephen appiah for that position

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Mogster says...
11:57pm Tue 26 Aug 08

He he. I've just had a look for him on youtube and there's a video of him getting a yellow card and 2 great goals by his Pro Evo character :-)

Judging by the video and comments on many forums, he seems like a tough tackling, ball winning midfield hard man.

I'm looking forward to seeing him play.

While I'm on I just want to say THANK GOODNESS FOOTBALL IS BACK!!

Also, I don't know why this should matter but subconciously it seems to - did anybody see League 1 Leeds United knock 4 past eleven-man Championship outfit Crystal Palace tonight?

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Morst the 88th min Heartbreaker says...
7:50am Wed 27 Aug 08

Mogster wrote:
He he. I've just had a look for him on youtube and there's a video of
him getting a yellow card and 2 great goals by his Pro Evo character :-)

Judging by the video and comments on many forums, he seems like a tough tackling, ball winning midfield hard man.

I'm looking forward to seeing him play.

While I'm on I just want to say THANK GOODNESS FOOTBALL IS BACK!!

Also, I don't know why this should matter but subconciously it seems to
- did anybody see League 1 Leeds United knock 4 past eleven-man
Championship outfit Crystal Palace tonight?
Be Fair Mogster - 9 of the Palace players were tired from drawing with 11 Dingles on Saturday!

30 YEARS AND COUNTING!

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Robbie says...
9:32am Wed 27 Aug 08

not a bad signing..

but one thing.. not keith sodding andrews!!!! and robbie fowler stalling on the deal is a sign!!! dont do it ince. please!

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jinkyjase says...
9:32am Wed 27 Aug 08

Holding midfielder a priority with Axe, vogel and Reid in the squad? Did Ince not see David Bentley driving away from the training ground????

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Coach Taylor says...
9:36am Wed 27 Aug 08

Exactly. We had two holding midfielders on Saturday with axe and Reid second half and you could tell. No invention, lots of square passes. Think a right winger is more of a priority Ince. You cannot sell one of your best players and not replace him, simple as.

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Wilky says...
9:37am Wed 27 Aug 08

never heard of the chap but hope he's good enough. with 25 mil left isnt it time we pulled a big name?

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kevin e says...
9:39am Wed 27 Aug 08

Welcome to Ewood Vince - things are shaping up nicely. It's going to be a much stronger squad all round than last season.

Ince's signings are spot-on and if he thinks Andrews is right for the club, or Fowler for that matter, good luck to him. Neither would cost us much and, unlike some perennial whingers, I don't pretend to know better than the professionals.

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ripleywonder says...
9:45am Wed 27 Aug 08

Coach Taylor wrote:
Exactly. We had two holding midfielders on Saturday with axe and Reid second half and you could tell. No invention, lots of square passes. Think a right winger is more of a priority Ince. You cannot sell one of your best players and not replace him, simple as.
Are you utterly stupid? Our complete lack of a holding central midfielder for the last few seasons has cost us dreadfully.

Axe = just all round not good enough.
Reid = Not the same player we was before injury.
Vogel = was ok last season, but will just be a squad player.

Therefore, Ince has brought in Grella who is apparently a real strong powerhouse who will compliment Dunny nicely.

Also, Ince does want a right winger - I wish people would stop giving this man so much grief! All his signings so far show a real emphasis on youth and ambition, something Hughes sometimes was guilt of not doing! Simpson, Robinson, Villuaneva, Grella.

Team for this season:

Robinson

Simpson/Ooijer
Samba
Nelsen
Warnock

Reid/Emerton/Pennant
?!
Grella
Dunn
Pedersen

Roberts
Santa Cruz

Bench: Brown, Derbyshire, Benni Mcchubby, Villuaneva, Axe, Zurab, Tugay, Vogel etc

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Skelf says...
9:46am Wed 27 Aug 08

Must say it's a good signing but agreeing with comments on Appiah.
Please give us the big signing we need Profiled player we can't let 2 stars go with nobody comming in to replace. RIGHT WING being main area, if we can't get big names to Blackburn, please try Breciano atleast.

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jinkyjase says...
9:59am Wed 27 Aug 08

Ripleywonder...who EXACTLY is the holding midfielder holding FOR?

Our lack of width to beheind Hull's left back and supply Roque on Saturday, especially in the second half, was blatantly obvious.

Yes Dunny had gone off, but this illustrates perfectly that we lack a plan B. Also, Dunny tends to play clever passes through the middle of teams which is great when it comes off but it's easier to defend against than outright pace...a la Bellers.

You've included Pennant in your team which is a trifle presumptuous but I agree he's the type we need...therefore his type IS the priority, not a defensive midfield as we have adequate cover there.

All of the above will obviously be irrelevant when Carlos Villawhatever has a stunner tonight - ha ha!!

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Robbie says...
10:17am Wed 27 Aug 08

i hope villy (gonna call him vinny cus i never remember his full name) gets a run tonight..

but i also hope its not a game like coventry last year. we need a strong line up and to smash some goals in. anything less than 4 or 5 nil is a poor result!

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van der Aussie says...
10:37am Wed 27 Aug 08

Vinnie's a legend in Oz. A regular first-choice in the national team.

10 years in Serie A speaks for itself.

There's a touch of Steve Waugh in Grella: tough, fair, hard working and honest.

Well done Rovers, your profile in Oz has risen 200% overnight!

I'll be following Rovers, Vinnie and Emerton at the Lancashire Tele closely this season!

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Jason says...
10:55am Wed 27 Aug 08

van der Aussie wrote:
Vinnie's a legend in Oz. A regular first-choice in the national team.10 years in Serie A speaks for itself.There's a touch of Steve Waugh in Grella: tough, fair, hard working and honest.Well done Rovers, your profile in Oz has risen 200% overnight!I'll be following Rovers, Vinnie and Emerton at the Lancashire Tele closely this season!
Always good to hear!!

You got any decent right wingers??

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Marcus28 says...
11:17am Wed 27 Aug 08

Anybody with eyes can see we dont have a quality central hoiding midefielder in type of tim sherwood mould. This is why we have let alot of goals in cause nobody is their to notice it starting from the beginning and just going past us until they get to defenders and its to late. Vince Grella will be a great signing. Ince will purchase a right winger, pennant is to inconsisent and we could be looking at Grellas friend and aussie team mate Mark Bresciano who can right central and left side of midfielder, very good goalscoring record and loves to get foward, ar only around 5m we be a better bet. He is also buying in areas we need a goalie in paul robinson, an attacking creative midfielder in Carlos Villanueva and as stated before a quality midfielder to break up the attacks and get the ball from the defence to attack. With youth getting a chance like young Treacy we could have a really good attacking season and with the defence side of it geting sorted hopefully nigel wionterburn be able to help with that we could be very strong outfit and surprise alot of pundits that suggested we will struggle.

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m1st says...
1:11pm Wed 27 Aug 08

van der Aussie wrote:
Vinnie's a legend in Oz. A regular first-choice in the national team.10 years in Serie A speaks for itself.There's a touch of Steve Waugh in Grella: tough, fair, hard working and honest.Well done Rovers, your profile in Oz has risen 200% overnight!I'll be following Rovers, Vinnie and Emerton at the Lancashire Tele closely this season!
If Grella's today's Billy McKinley, he'll do for me!

I know that the Axe has played better this season than previously, but I'm not sure that he's the long-term solution. van der Aussie's description of Grella make me think he really could be the man.

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