[Archived] Steve Kean

[Jeru tha Damaja]

If Samba, Nelsen, Dunn, Emerton, Bunn, Robinson, Pedersen, Olsson, Hoilett, Hanley and Roberts play in a succession of good results then it might not be Allardyce you should be applauding.

I don't see why we have to keep hearing about what Sam did, what he would have done, how unfairly he was treated. Yes, it was wrong to sack him and it made a challenging part of the season even more difficult due to poor timing. Yes, Allardyce rescued the club and it was an achievement to keep Rovers stable in mid-table on a non-existant budget. But he can't have been the only man on the planet who could have done it, so let's stop pretending that he was perfect and everybody at Ewood loved him because we all know that that's just not true.

As for what Big Sam would have got from our last three fixtures, we'll never know and it's really irrelevant now. Funny how he became a football mastermind overnight, but it's time to realise that he's not coming back and we should be backing the man who has taken over rather than caring more about being right than how the club fares.

[American]

I know the apostrophes round that phrase tell us that you don't mean it seriously, but still...the new Fergie? Really?

He's the most uninspiring, dour person I can imagine. Every Premier League manager has something about them that makes them unique. Kean? He's nothing. Listen to any semi-articulate lower league manager. That's where he is, with the nobodies.

To be honest I hate him most because he blatantly got this job by telling Venky's exactly what they wanted to hear - that £5 million could propel this club into the upper reaches of the league. I don't think he would have been anywhere near the job without those lies.

Edit: Having said that, if I'm wrong I'll willingly hold my hands up as knowing absolutely nothing. I won't pursue the issue despite success, like some people.

Still wondering why this 5 million amount still gets thrown around like gospel. Did I miss the interview where Kean says that is what he can keep us top 10 by spending?

[daveoftherovers]

Eh??

Not like you that Le Chuck you're normally a very good poster.

If Kean does better than Sam he does better. If he does worse he does worse. Surely?

Or have I missed a sarcasm smiley somewhere?

Add in:

Sam didn't play Kalinic or 2 up front, Especially Away, and would BS have played Hanley from the start yesterday? I don't think so.

Would BS want passing to feet (Referring to Physical body parts and not the measurement of altitude gained by the ball during hoofing it up top?)

[philipl]

I won't be complacent about our Premier League safety until we are are on forty points or so near to it with a lot of the season left as to make it irrelevant. Then again, I was never completely confident under Sam's brand of hit and hope football and sod the away games either.

Has Shah actually issued a law suit in India or has he merely expressed dissatisfaction at some perceived slight? If it's the latter you're possibly sailing a bit close to the wind with your comments.

The news being reported in Indian papers is:

Legal notice issued

This Australian report is interesting on a number of levels

It refers to this Indian AFP report which includes-

The correspondence claims that Venky's successful bid for Blackburn was the result of work put in by Shah, who was therefore entitled to payment.

Shah, who had been looking to buy Rovers himself, told AFP that Venky's had "backstabbed" him and completed the deal independently, with the "dishonest" motive of depriving Qubic.

"This is unethical and nothing less than a highway robbery," he said.

Venky's chairwoman Anuradha Desai rejected the allegations outright, accusing Shah of "talking nothing but lies" and said the company was in the process of filing a defamation suit against Qubic.

"Venky's has never cheated anyone in its history of 40 years," she added in an email.

The joint venture was rejected because Venky's considered a variety of business models where the poultry firm invested all the capital but Qubic received a stake in the club -- sweat equity -- as unfair, she said.

Venky's had asked Qubic to act on a commission basis to negotiate with the club, she said, but no reply was forthcoming, so it appointed its own agents to conduct talks and complete due diligence.

Qubic only responded to the offer to work on commission after Venky's submitted their bid for the club. Shah's firm had not done any ground work for them, nor had Venky's borrowed Qubic's ideas about business models, she said.

So there were talks between Shah and Venky's- I wonder if these were disclosed to the Trust and Rothschild's? There is another version of how/when Venky's met Jerome there as well.

All but impossible to claim ownership over fairly obvious marketing ideas but there was a striking similarity between what Shah put forwards when he first emerged in July and what Venky's were proposing (and seemingly have not started on yet) in November.

[Amo]

One good result and suddenly everything is OK .... what a load of twaddle this is..

Let's see where we finish in May shall we ?

Two bad results and suddenly we're guaranteed relegation.

Let's see where we finish in May shall we? Hyuk yuk yuk!

[Parsonblue]

Just happy to see egg on a few faces...some that seem to be ducking for cover right now.

The lack of respect shown to someone who was a coach for the past 18 months and has fully served his apprenticeship has been quite disgusting.

The bandwagon-jumping blethers have shown a few folk up too.

You judge this regime at the end of January when their 'plan' starts to take shape - and signings are made. That was an astonishing result in the circumstances. Your bench at Sunderland will be full of unknowns now too.

There will be three or four managers who will find their clubs don't back them and their judgement in the transfer market next month...at least your owners had the bottle to make that decision sooner.

I think you're being a tad harsh there nicko.

Firstly, I don't think anyone has shown a lack of respect to Steve Kean for the work he did as a coach. The worry, and it was something which concerned me, was the fact that he is so heavily linked with the agents involved with Venkys. That was something that you first raised in your DM article. Nothing wrong in bringing it up, it was a good piece of journalism, but it has sowed the seeds of doubt in many minds as to whether it was his qualifications or his links to agents which have got him the job. People read newspapers articles and then draw their own conclusions based on what they have read - you can't blame them if the conclusions they reach aren't what you intended when you wrote the article. The two home games, against WHU and Stoke City, suggested the players were not convinced. However, yesterday the players seemed really "up" for the game and fair play to Kean for pulling everyone together.

I must admit that coming back from West Brom, and listening to the interview with Kean on talksport, I feel much happier about the situation. One win doesn't wipe away the PR fiasco of the past fortnight but it does suggest that we might not be the lost cause that we have looked in the last two home games.

The other concern that I had is that appointing someone who is an excellent coach doesn't always mean he will become an excellent manager. Brian Kidd came with the highest of coaching qualifications but his time at Ewood as manager was depressing to say the least. With the relegation battle seemingly involving half the division, my concern has always been that asking a rookie manager to keep us afloat is a major risk. If he does keep us in a mid table position then he will deserve to keep the job after the end of the season.

Where I would fully agree with you is that the time to judge both Kean and the owners will be in four or five weeks time. I fully agree that we are badly in need of investment. You only have to look at the bench in the last two games to see that. With the relegation battle so tight, three or four quality signings should make all the difference. Looking at West Brom yesterday, they played some really attractive football but their intricate passing came to nothing because of a lack of quality in the box. Ultimately, if we can sign a forward and a midfielder who could weigh in with some goals it will make all the difference to our final position.

[Parsonblue]

It's called giving someone a chance. Kean is certainly well qualified. He hasn't been a manager before, but as he said himself, he's done everything but. There will be blips along the way, but after today's match I have every confidence that Kean will prove himself. He may not produce the histronics pitchside like some (which are most entertaining but not really necessary) and conducts himself in a quiet, calm manner. I'm willing to bet that he doesn't miss much though. I wondered, for example, when someone would realise that Givet has been a bit of a liability of late and Lo! there he sits on the bench. Whilst I like Gael a great deal he has allowed a few unnecessary goals to be scored rather too easily by the opposition.

Kean has more difficult choices over the next few games than Sam ever had, with current injuries and suspensions rife. No doubt his critics will be licking their lips in the hope of failure - shame on them.

Mrs Desai will get extra flak because she's a woman, but I have a feeling that she is a lot smarter than most recognise, and also that whilst it may indeed be true that she does not know a great deal about football, she learns fast.

Granted the PR has been awful over the recent past - but it's all part of the learning curve, and hopefully will improve.

My main concern at the moment is whether the new owners will stand by their decision to provide funds to improve the squad, without pussyfooting about and missing/losing targets.

Firstly, roversmum, I don't think anyone actually wants Steve Kean to fail. If he fails the club falls into the Championship and I doubt anyone wants that. The club is more important than any individual - be it Sam, Jack Walker, Steve Kean or Mrs Desai.

Reservations about Steve Kean are understandable. Firstly, his links with Kentaro were bound to raise questions. When Mrs Desai stated that he is a good man who works long hours she is merely stating what she has been told by others. Neither Mrs Desai or her brothers have spent time at Brockhall studying coaching sessions. Having decided to sack the manager, I assume that Kentaro will have suggested Kean as a short term replacement.

Secondly, I can't see anyone giving Mrs Desai flak because she is a woman. Clearly, in her own field, she has been extremely successful and obviously has a flair for business. My concerns are about the fact that having acquired the Rovers, she has made decisions without taking advice from those who have a better knowledge of the industry. In replacing Allardyce with Kean she has taken a huge gamble. It may well be successful - hopefully it will be - but it is still a gamble. Retaining Allardyce until the summer and then replacing him would have given her time to learn about a business that is totally new to her.

[Ozz]

The whole Steve Kean thing is a bit bizarre. First we sack a manager when we are doing OK and looking like we may acheive progress on the previous season. Then, the new manager effect completely fails to work in the first two matches, where we play truly awful stuff and drop five points at home.

Then totally out of the blue, we put in a much improved shift win a game I fully expected us to lose.

The Honeymoon period has well and truly started.

[roversmum]

Ha ha well Kean certainly showed some passion when Mame was mown down! Ha was hopping around furiously in the background!

The woman comment was a bit tic, to be fair, but it has been mentioned at least a couple of times and I felt it needed saying. Having said that, my own daughter is reading Sport Management at Loughborough University with the intention of emulating Karen Brady (though hopefully not with the porn brothers in tow!

The club is more important than anything. It is bound to be a worry when our historic club finds itself in a situation where it is owned by someone from another continent (and please don't start that racism nonsense, I have no time for any of that rubbish). The facts are, culturally there is a big difference and the Rao family would be well advised to seek the assistance of our own John Williams and Tom Finn to clarify matters pertaining to this issue.

Yes, I also understand the concerns about Steve Kean. However, there is something about him that suggests to me he is an honest man and he will do his utmost to prove himself, which as I have already said is not going to be easy given the problems with the playing staff at the moment.

The mistakes have been made now, there is no going back. We can do no more than go forward. And there is always the possibility that had Mrs D kept Big Sam on until the end of the season, she would have begun to hate the game rather than love it. Let's face it, there were many who were beginning to do that very thing.

I also understand completely your fears, Parsonblue, with your long association with Rovers you have seen and experienced things that many of us cannot comprehend and I know you and our other fans of many years would not wish to revisit certain times. Hopefully that will not happen and our great club can move forward through another successful phase in it's history.

[Jimmy612]

Give him a chance? The team started 3-5-2 against Stoke before it became a rabble. So what was that about? Pennant and Etherington are good quality players so why leave massive space down the flanks for them to exploit? Last time we played 3-5-2 to the best of my knowledge was in the Championship when we had better players than the rest and wanted to utilise Berkovitz's incredible creativity. Unfortunately Souness kept it like that against Arsenal in the cup and we got battered. Once we were promoted he rightly abandoned the formation.

Just happy to see egg on a few faces...some that seem to be ducking for cover right now.

The lack of respect shown to someone who was a coach for the past 18 months and has fully served his apprenticeship has been quite disgusting.

The bandwagon-jumping blethers have shown a few folk up too.

Add in:

Sam didn't play Kalinic or 2 up front, Especially Away, and would BS have played Hanley from the start yesterday? I don't think so.

Would BS want passing to feet (Referring to Physical body parts and not the measurement of altitude gained by the ball during hoofing it up top?)

It appears that Steve Kean has actually become the Sorcerers apprentice. Either that or he read my post above which is probably tantamount to the ame thing. Anyway whatever Andy Cryer's report in the LET below throws that egg right back in nicko's face with Dave and numerous anti Allardyces caught right in the crossfire.

Quote "Having seen his 3-4-2 formation fail so dramatically against Stoke, Kean reverted to Allardyce's favoured 4-5-1 with Kalinic ploughing a lone furrow in attack. Rovers looked more dangerous but the absence of a hard tackilng midfielder with Grella, Andrews, Jones and N'Zonzi all injured allowed the midfielders to continually play through them"

So 4-5-1 it is then Steve. err if thats OK with you Mrs Desai.

[imy9]

Or as it played out 4-3-3, in Sams 4-5-1 Kalinic was a lone figure with little/no support, in Keans he is well supported, the difference is in the approach not the system.

[booth]

It appears that Steve Kean has actually become the Sorcerers apprentice. Either that or he read my post above which is probably tantamount to the ame thing. Anyway whatever Andy Cryer's report in the LET below throws that egg right back in nicko's face with Dave and numerous anti Allardyces caught right in the crossfire.

Quote "Having seen his 3-4-2 formation fail so dramatically against Stoke, Kean reverted to Allardyce's favoured 4-5-1 with Kalinic ploughing a lone furrow in attack. Rovers looked more dangerous but the absence of a hard tackilng midfielder with Grella, Andrews, Jones and N'Zonzi all injured allowed the midfielders to continually play through them"

So 4-5-1 it is then Steve. err if thats OK with you Mrs Desai.

I don't care what formation it was, a Sam Allardyce team hasn't ever and will not ever play like that.

[den]

Well done to Steve Kean today. I hope he makes the right signings in January because ultimately this is where he has the opportunity to shine. I don't expect this result to change anything in terms of how people perceive him - most seem to have made their minds up already.

Yeah, well done to everyone yesterday.

I don't know about having made my mind up Bellamy, but I do have an opinion of Kean which didn't alter after one result. If he turns out to be the man to take us forward, then good for him, good for the team and good for the fans.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Going back to the title of the thread, I think yesterday was when Steve Kean finally did take charge. Leaving Givet out was complteley unexpected, although warranted in my view as he has been costing us goals all season. Then Kean comes out afterwards with the exhaustion story, so was Givet dropped or merely rested? We don't know. Equally, was Salagado subbed for being cack or reprieved after herically playing on through sickenss? Don't know either. My point being: I think Kean is going to be the oppostie of Allardyce in that he will always look to give them cover, which also explains his upbeat assessments of the previous two games. I don't think we'll be seeing any 'Manager blasts......' that we saw after every Allardyce defeat. The players may well soon come to appreciate that aspect.

Tactics-wise yesterday, we saw a quite different approach to the game. Not so much in formation - some would have us believe that 4-5-1 was an Allardyce invention rather than the most common set-up going - but in how it was deployed and most clearly in the subbing. We played further up the pitch, used the wings a lot better and varied the set-pieces. But the biggest difference was in subbing. Allardyce, by his own admission, is pessimistic during games. When we go ahead, his first thought is 'how can we hang on?' With Kean (and Neil Mac in the couple of games we saw him) it seems to be, 'how can we finish them off?'

Time will tell whose approach is more effective, but the differences were very apparent yesterday.

[Miker]

Eh??

Not like you that Le Chuck you're normally a very good poster.

If Kean does better than Sam he does better. If he does worse he does worse. Surely?

Or have I missed a sarcasm smiley somewhere?

Sam inherited a good side that was assembled by Hughes, but by the time he got his hands on it and had a chance to make necessary changes we had lost a lot of our key/regular players. Warnock, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Tugay, Ooijer, Bentley, Derbyshire, and Friedel were all bade farewell and new players had to be brought in.

When he first took over we were ravaged by injuries more so than now. To the extent that we didn't have a single striker to play up front by the end of the season and had to rely on Samba playing up there. We didn't have midfielders either and were using Warnock in there instead and the ageing Tugay.

What Sam managed to do was bring in some good players to strengthen the squad - Salgado, Diouf, Givet, N'zonzi, Kalinic, and Mame Diouf have all done that. He also brought in youngsters into more prominent roles in the squad including Jones, Olsson, and Hoilett. So yes, Sam did manage to assemble quite a strong with very little resources, especially after having to sell so many key players.

If Kean does well with this team we shouldn't point our fingers and say "it's thanks to Sam", but let's not discount the contribution that Sam has made.

[Jimmy612]

Or as it played out 4-3-3, in Sams 4-5-1 Kalinic was a lone figure with little/no support, in Keans he is well supported, the difference is in the approach not the system.

Potayto, Potahto, Tomayto, Tomahto.

[OscarRaven]

Yes, I also understand the concerns about Steve Kean. However, there is something about him that suggests to me he is an honest man and he will do his utmost to prove himself, which as I have already said is not going to be easy given the problems with the playing staff at the moment.

Really? Feel free to share the basis of why. Personally I can't over the pungency of his appointment process, particulary in relation to Kevin Mcdonald. He was far from in the dark and is probably the only man at the club who knows the real reasons why such a stupid decision was made. I'd also love to know how he managed to impress a woman thousands of miles away who barely had the time to talk to the incumbant manager.

That said we are where we are, lets hope he can keep up his 1.25pts/games ratio against wider PL and we can survive this crazy gamble, but honest? He is too good a politician from my first impressions.

I don't like Steve Kean but I didn't like Sam particulary either but I respected Sam for his achievements. Steve Kean has a long way to go for me and I'm not going make snap judgements based on one game or even three for that matter (c.f. Paul Ince after 3 PL games -> W1 D1 L1).

As I've said before time will tell and Janauary will be a dam sight more defining than December in the 2010/11 season. In the meantime we have our 'jobs' to do as fans and try and put our concerns, fears and personal feelings aside and support the team and its management becuase however much we disagree we all want the same thing - success and the continuation of the Blackburn Rovers story.

[Jimmy612]

I don't care what formation it was, a Sam Allardyce team hasn't ever and will not ever play like that.

Well write to Andy Cryer at the LT then and not me.

Miker and Oscar Raven I take my hat off to you both. The above are two excellent posts.

[imy9]

Oscar- why hate kean? He has done nothing to anyone, in fact in the face of a lot of flak has come out looking good.

[Jimmy612]

Oscar- why hate kean? He has done nothing to anyone, in fact in the face of a lot of flak has come out looking good.

He doesn't say he does.

btw Did you hate Sam?

[imy9]

He doesn't say he does.

btw Did you hate Sam?

Sorry my mistake question should be why dislike Kean?

We dont know how he got the job but IF he is successful then we will have to accept that the correct footballing decision was made, likewise if he fails then the opposite is correct.

To answer yours I was firmly in the Pro Sam camp and actually LIKED him as manager.

[philipl]

Miker and Oscar Raven I take my hat off to you both. The above are two excellent posts.

Completely agree with that assessment. The two posts together sum up how I feel. I hate how Kean has got the job. Even on the most charitable of explanations he has been placed by Jerome Anderson and that is bound to cause problems ahead.

Hope EiT is correct in his interpretation/assessment too.

[OscarRaven]

Oscar- why hate kean?

I don't like him, hate is a strong word.

As I said in my post my personal feeling is that he isn't the surprised caretaker boss he is pertaining to be and his embracing love for our clearly clueless owners 'vision' is a little sickening given the risk thats being taken. I don't really feel for Sam athough he has been treated very disrespectfully but I'm furious about the treatment of Kevin Mcdonald.

Kean seems to be the only man happy with how business is being conducted at Rovers these days. Now this may be the sign of a strong leader who will ultimately provide the stabilty between the owners chaotic babble and on the pitch business, but right now he has a shot at a postion he would not normally be considered for - why?

I suspect it has more to do with the sports agency he is affiliated with than the fact he works late and that worries me.

[Glenn]

Jim.

Whilst not the most offensive insult we've let slip through over the yeara, "You are an idiot" is a direct insult aimed at an individual and adds nothing to the discussion. Stop it. We've got enough problems to deal with at the moment without the old timers that should know better playing up.

T4E ..... you're just as bad, "well he did, so why can't I" is no defence. Just behave and let me enjoy what is let of my Christmas.

[American]

Jim.

Whilst not the most offensive insult we've let slip through over the yeara, "You are an idiot" is a direct insult aimed at an individual and adds nothing to the discussion. Stop it. We've got enough problems to deal with at the moment without the old timers that should know better playing up.

T4E ..... you're just as bad, "well he did, so why can't I" is no defence. Just behave and let me enjoy what is let of my Christmas.

That would be left, you moron!