[Archived] When Dalglish Stepped Down....

[JoeBlueWhite]

Just wanting to pick the brains of fans who were around then. I have been a Rovers fan since 1999 so I missed out on the glory years [i was 5 years old when we won the league].

When Dalglish became a director of football and Ray Harford took over what was the fans feeling at the time ? Did most predict it would be a disaster ? were some optimistic ?

[LDRover]

I remember trying to kid myself that nothing would change and that we'd still be as strong as before. Unfortunately after about a month of the season you knew things would never get back to how they were - damn shame.

I'm still left with the overriding feeling that Dalglish just wanted to prove something to certain people in the game and when he'd achieved what he wanted to got out as soon as he could.

God knows why he went to Newcastle soon after though.

[BPF]

I remember trying to kid myself that nothing would change and that we'd still be as strong as before. Unfortunately after about a month of the season you knew things would never get back to how they were - damn shame.

I'm still left with the overriding feeling that Dalglish just wanted to prove something to certain people in the game and when he'd achieved what he wanted to got out as soon as he could.

God knows why he went to Newcastle soon after though.

Not sure about that.

I think he had the idea to build us further and wanted further investment to do so. Walker was happy with what we had and said that we didn't need anymore:

"Why would we want Zidane when we have Sherwood?"

I think Dalglish thought "in that case, there is nothing more I can do."

Just another missed chance really...

[roversmad95]

Very disapointed when dalglish stepped down but the rummor was

hartford was the guy behind the success anyway so I think most

People thought things would carry on as they finished. I can't

Remember us buying anyone the year after we won the title. Very

Depressing. Europe wasn't great either.

[Rover Down Under]

I remember going to the Charity Shield v Everton which was, technically, Ray's first game. We were pretty awful and it was a really boring game. I couldn't believe I was watching the Champions of England and realised we were never going to do as well under Ray, I figured we might finish top 5 that season and make quarters in Europe, it was worse, a lot worse, then Shearer left shortly followed by everyone else.

It's hard not to want to blame KD for the decline, he ditched the job as soon as the title was won but that is what Jack hired him for and he delivered. I think if Sven had come in '97 we could have made a comeback. It's always painful thinking about what might have been, we just didn't have a long term plan, we came from nowhere in three years, it was like "Yay, we won! Now what?"

Still we won in what was undeniably the best ever season of the Premier League, scary how far the whole thing has fallen in a short space of time.

[thenodrog]

......I think if Sven had come in '97 we could have made a comeback. It's always painful thinking about what might have been, we just didn't have a long term plan, we came from nowhere in three years, it was like "Yay, we won! Now what?"

? Why do you think that RDU? I think the fact that Sven rejected us was a let off for us. SGE's been an abject failure in management since he left Italy ( if you notice no one over there ever seems to want him back). I think the oft repeated claim that he was sophisticated, multi lingual, politically safe and gave the impression that he was vastly intelligent carried more weight at the FA than whether he was actually any good as a manager. He has been well and truly sussed and exposed as a bit of a joke figure nowadays. I'd imagine if Sam left and the two outstanding applicants were SGE and Roy Hodgson most people would take Hodgson by a mile even though his tenure ended in failure at BRFC.

[Manchester Blue]

? Why do you think that RDU? I think the fact that Sven rejected us was a let off for us. SGE's been an abject failure in management since he left Italy ( if you notice no one over there ever seems to want him back). I think the oft repeated claim that he was sophisticated, multi lingual, politically safe and gave the impression that he was vastly intelligent carried more weight at the FA than whether he was actually any good as a manager. He has been well and truly sussed and exposed as a bit of a joke figure nowadays. I'd imagine if Sam left and the two outstanding applicants were SGE and Roy Hodgson most people would take Hodgson by a mile even though his tenure ended in failure at BRFC.

I suppose it's possibly a new topic but how do people think it would have gone if we'd stuck with Roy? I was living in Birmingham in his first year but still got to a good few games and remember thinking it was some of the best stuff i'd ever seen. I moved and had a season ticket again for his 2nd season and despite what can only be described as bizarre buys, the football was still very good and i was convinced he'd turn it around. He had a charisma about him that within weeks of Kidd arriving you could tell was lacking and i always wonder what it would have been like if he'd been given more time.

[Gav]

Very disapointed when dalglish stepped down but the rummor was

The reason KD actually stepped down was apparently because Jack was questioning his signings, Mark Kennedy and Marc Overmars spring to mind.

Not buying after winning the league sort of backs up that claim I guess. Jack was an intelligent guy, but not building on that success beggars belief, the decline soon set in.

[1864roverite]

I am in the MB camp, I think the club dumped Roy far too quickly. We had a marvellous season and then had a bad run. Under Roy we played some brilliant football but as his end neared you sensed issues within the club with some of the playing staff.

I look back to the season 1991/92 and some of the football we played with the players we had then. We had good and bad games then. Some of the football at times was scintillating but then sometimes it was awful. If anyone wanted to recall pure football then you only have to remember Plymouth Argyle away. That for me was one of the best games of the season and cemented our play off spot.

92/93 to 95/96 was simply irresistable as a Rovers fan. 4th 2nd and then the Championship. At its best Rovers were simply brilliant at times BUT we also had the lowest points as well, and they all appeared to be at times when KK was sulking about not being allowed to make further signings (imo).

When KK left the club lost its figurehead but at times under RH, we still played some good stuff but I think he was undermimed by players and then we had the Shearer sale quicky followed by others who left (at massive proft I might add). Rovers were pillaged of their best who were then replaced by some poor players. Ultmimately it led to relegation.

Who can remember JW and his tears ? He made a promise to take us back. We made it but Jack didnt live to see us go back up.

Since returning I dont think ANY Rovers fan can complain. The Worthy Cup win, European football, 7 semi final slots and decent finishes in the league. Yes we have had some off seasons but we survived.

The issue now is HOW LONG CAN ROVERS OPERATE IN THIS LEAGUE ?

If football isnt changed wage wise/fee wise then Rovers will simply be a victim of that scenario and will be unable to compete unless the youth system flourishes like never before.

Its been a long journey for me but like others, watching football in 1971, and recalling how Ewood was then, watching Rovers get back to Div 2, the play-off era and what we have now, who could really have asked for more ?

ONCE A ROVER ALWAYS A ROVER

[John]

The Hodgson era was a strange one - we played some great football in his first season and we did fantastically well.

Then the next season, there seemed to be an underlying fundamental problem(s) at the club - when he left, we were on a downward spiral plus he looked like he was feeling the pressure (something he never normally showed) - that touchline rant versus Chelsea comes to mind.

Even though we were doing poor at the time remember feeling quite down when Roy was sacked.

[Amo]

I am in the MB camp, I think the club dumped Roy far too quickly.

No, we really didn't.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I suppose it's possibly a new topic but how do people think it would have gone if we'd stuck with Roy? I was living in Birmingham in his first year but still got to a good few games and remember thinking it was some of the best stuff i'd ever seen. I moved and had a season ticket again for his 2nd season and despite what can only be described as bizarre buys, the football was still very good and i was convinced he'd turn it around. He had a charisma about him that within weeks of Kidd arriving you could tell was lacking and i always wonder what it would have been like if he'd been given more time.

As a manager you live or die by your signings- Roy signed some of the most in-effectual players ever seen at Ewood for vastly inflated fees. Dahlin, Blake, Davies, Perez, Valery, Davidson are just a few I can think of. His opening offer for Christian bloody Dailly was £5.2 million when Derby's board had told Jim Smith not to take a penny less than £2.0 million !!!!!

I'm sorry but Roy boy and Kiddo between them reduced us from being a top four Premier League team to a bottom four fizzy pop league team. His only decent signings were Henchoz and Filan !

[thenodrog]

I suppose it's possibly a new topic but how do people think it would have gone if we'd stuck with Roy? I was living in Birmingham in his first year but still got to a good few games and remember thinking it was some of the best stuff i'd ever seen. I moved and had a season ticket again for his 2nd season and despite what can only be described as bizarre buys, the football was still very good and i was convinced he'd turn it around. He had a charisma about him that within weeks of Kidd arriving you could tell was lacking and i always wonder what it would have been like if he'd been given more time.

One thing of significance Manc Blue is that our expectations are now much more modest. Roy would probably have done Ok. A lot of his signings were poor, he thought Darren Peacock was a better defender than Hendry! We've had a number of managers who couldn't handle an open cheque book, Souness worked better with little money and I think SA is similar. Problem at the time is that Roy had 'lost' influence with certain key players who it appears had turned into bad apples.

[John]

As a manager you live or die by your signings- Roy signed some of the most in-effectual players ever seen at Ewood for vastly inflated fees. Dahlin, Blake, Davies, Perez, Valery, Davidson are just a few I can think of. His opening offer for Christian bloody Dailly was £5.2 million when Derby's board had told Jim Smith not to take a penny less than £2.0 million !!!!!

I'm sorry but Roy boy and Kiddo between them reduced us from being a top four Premier League team to a bottom four fizzy pop league team. His only decent signings were Henchoz and Filan !

True, too many bad/awful buys for Roy. Have to question his judgement on players certainly back when he managed us, not sure what he is like these days....still have doubts whether he can succeed as a manager at the top level (meaning manage Liverpool and making them successful) however may do well at the England job at some point in the future.

[Manchester Blue]

As a manager you live or die by your signings- Roy signed some of the most in-effectual players ever seen at Ewood for vastly inflated fees. Dahlin, Blake, Davies, Perez, Valery, Davidson are just a few I can think of. His opening offer for Christian bloody Dailly was £5.2 million when Derby's board had told Jim Smith not to take a penny less than £2.0 million !!!!!

I'm sorry but Roy boy and Kiddo between them reduced us from being a top four Premier League team to a bottom four fizzy pop league team. His only decent signings were Henchoz and Filan !

I agree on some, obviously Dailly the big one. Blake wasn't that bad, probably a bit overpriced but he was on a par with say Roberts is now and had the credentials. Thought Perez was a good buy and played well in his short time, Davidson was average no more no less, not sure we paid a fortune for him and Dahlin was good first season but injuries did for him, how much did we pay for him?

[tonygreenbank]

There was a story that emerged after we won the title that Kenny had gone into see Jack in the November of 1994 and offered his resignation as he was not enjoying the job.Jack sympathised but managed to persuade him to stay on till the end of the season. After the celebrations had died down and Kenny`s feelings hadnt changed then it led to Jack offering him the Director status to keep him on board but it never really worked and Ray had to manage with this background.

Kenny soon left and Ray was shown to be a great coach but no manager. His relations with the press and in particular the local press nosedived. The club suffered badly;with good players leaving and not being replaced.It was a sad time in 1995-6 but this amazing club has built itself up again.Rovers is a special entity who have confounded the critics time and again.

[1864roverite]

Your last sentence TG sums it up PERFECTLY.

[JoeBlueWhite]

Problem at the time is that Roy had 'lost' influence with certain key players who it appears had turned into bad apples.

I heard one was definitely Tim Sherwood do you know the others ?

Thanks for the replies everyone.

[Commondore]

"Why would we want Zidane when we have Sherwood?"

That absolutely must be a misquote, or at least violently taken out of context. Not only does every other club have a story where an old manager has bizarrely likened an old workhorse to a future star, it also makes no sense to compare Zidane and Sherwood like that since they are as different as players can be. I really think that sentence never has been uttered, at least not in the way suggested.

[bob fleming]

There may not be any direct quotes for that but we were linked with Zidane and Dugarry that summer. We signed neither. But we did bring in Matty Holmes.

If I recall correctly Kenny wanted to bring in Kennedy (as mentioned earlier in the thread) from Milwall round about Feb time as cover for Wilcox. Jack said no, Kennedy signed for Liverpool and that may well have been the final straw for KD.

[unluckymorton]

There may not be any direct quotes for that but we were linked with Zidane and Dugarry that summer. We signed neither. But we did bring in Matty Holmes.

We also made an offer for Hernan Crespo at around that time.

[Majiball]

Wasn't Roberto Baggio also not linked? I'd have loved to see him playing alongside Shearer.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

The best story I heard - apparently after Shearer made it clear he wanted to go Harford made a bid for Ronaldo (Brazilian variety) only to find out PSV had agreed to sell him to Barca.

Its funny how things work out - in Shearer we probably had the best buy of the 90's - but we also missed out on some truly great players (like Zindane, Dugarry and even sick not Anderton) what could have been ?

[Nelsta]

Didnt Oliver Bierhoff turn us down.And didnt we try to sign Gabriel Batistuta but he turned us down saying he'd recieved death threats if he left fiorentina?

[ABBEY]

Wasn't Roberto Baggio also not linked? I'd have loved to see him playing alongside Shearer.

EVERYBODY who was anybody was linked..i wrote them down in a book thats in a box somwhere i will see if i can root it out.