[Archived] Steve Kean

[American]

A good manager supports his players and does his talking in private because he knows he needs his best player with him and he needs team a good team spirit. Coming out with this kind of talk and publically stripping him of the captaincy wasn't necessary in the slightest.

Before Keans actions there had been no problem. After his actions Samba is probably closer to leaving than before. What Kean did was counter productive and he used it for his own ends.

As for Kean saying "anyone who wants to leave can do", either he shouldn't say it, or he should be prepared for an exodus. Sometimes you need to hold back in the interests of the team.

No offense, Den, but you have no clue what Samba is thinking now or how he feels about the comments. I don't either, but I'll more trust someone who works with the player on a daily basis than someone who spends most of his days on a messageboard.

[FourLaneBlue]

After his actions Samba is probably closer to leaving than before. What Kean did was counter productive and he used it for his own ends.

No, I don't think so. We are in the same boat.

If someone comes in with the right money for Samba, meaning big money, he will be off...

'twas ever thus den.

It seems as if it was likely there was some kind of informal arrangement in place, as in...keep playing your heart out, but if a bigger club comes in for you with the right cash then it is a different matter.

[booth]

Give the hatred a rest.

Allardyce managed the Samba situation quite well don't you think? He was still here, still captain and still performing. And we knew nothing about it.

Samba didn't say he wanted to leave in public under Allardyce though, who knows how he may have handled that. When Roque wanted to go SA discussed that with the press, and the same with Warnock. I doubt it would have been any different. I can't see how Samba could remain captain after making it public he may want to leave. Especially as he was using the clubs turmoil as an excuse which we now know to be lies. It reflected badly on Kean too, so it's understandable he didn't want to be undermined like that. I personally cant see how he would have handled it any other way considering how Samba conducted himself.

Also saying Samba is closer to leaving because of Kean makes no sense. As the above poster wrote, he would have been off no matter what. Let's face it if he wanted to go at the start of the season he wants to go now and will in the future.

[deftangel]

Agreed but the LT are suggesting Steve Kean doesn't know what it is. That is not good news as it suggests he is not in charge of running the transfers.

Really? In what article would that be then? This one?

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8762762.Blackburn_Rovers_forward_s_New_Year_goal/

With no recall option available to Sir Alex Ferguson, the 23-year-old Senegalese international will be at Ewood until the end of the season with Rovers already considering making his move permanent.

The club could even be tempted to make an offer for Diouf next month, in the belief it would be easier and cheaper to secure his signature rather than waiting for the summer.

Rovers though are waiting for more clarity on their new owner’s vision for the club, including future transfer budgets, before being able to make definite plans – but they do believe Diouf could have a long term future in East Lancashire.

The last paragraph, taken out of context, could be indicative of that but in reading the entire piece, it quite clearly relates specifically to Mame's situation and whether it's worth making a bid now as opposed to the Summer. We already have him till the end of the season. Other areas MUST be the priority for now given the injury situation and areas we are quite clearly weak. Kean alluded to this much himself .

Incidentally, in said interview, he sounds pretty much like he understood the craic and had a handle on the transfer situation to me. Note that the answer to the direct question about budgets was not "I don't know". Clearly, there will be a finite cap on transfers given the relative wealth of our new owners and it sounds like that was something to be discussed when targets were finalised.

I'm certainly hoping that has been done by now as we are desperately short in some departments. If you are basing your suggestion on something else in the LT, perhaps you could point me in the right direction?

[Majiball]

I have to agree with Den in his comments that Kean's actions may well have caused an issue with Samba.

Samba has supposedly been seeking away for over a year now and had been rebuffed in his attempts to date. Now previously it must have been done on the QT as Kean as good as said I knew nothing about that with his comment 'his agent told me he'd been wanting away for a year'. So all during this last year either Samba or his agent have been speaking privatly with Sam in a bid to get him his move.

Now if Samba wanted a move the first person he's going to speak to is without doubt his agent. He's not going to come to Sam he's going to the man who manages his career, sorts out his life and generally runs round after him. Don't forget that Rovers employ one man to 'fix it' for all the players, even down to a mobile phone contract. Little things like this should really put things into perspective, footballers cannot organise their own lives, they don't know how to. Some have said Samba's coming out is poorly timed, I cannot agree with that one little bit. If I'd been wanting out for a year and getting nowhere really then its the perfect time to get what you want. I do not for one second believe that Samba didn't speak with his agent before he spoke with the reporter, his agent probably set it all up for him. Everything that has gone gives Samba the perfect oppurtunity to get out and use everything that's been going on as an excuse as that's all it really is, if he's been pushing for this for a year. 12 months or so privately asking and the second the manager leaves, he comes out, poorly timed no chance, taking advatage of the situation to benefit his desires.

The problem that has arisen since then is that Kean has seen fit to discuss a number of issues surrounding this saga publically. Samba has wanted out for a year, he was obviously now given the armband to make him stay. That should never have come out. So Samba didn't get it because he was the best man for the job or because Ryan was getting on, it was all about keeping him here.

The next mistake for me is taking the cataincy from him. Football clubs do not often change their leader within the players it causes lots of issues as that player will have friends. Football teams are not 22 players who all get along fantastically its generally groups of players within the team IE french speaking. Samba is obviously not 100% behind all the changes he has said as much and taking the armband off him for one & his only real public mistake can only really bring further issues. Its hardly as if Samba has banged his best mates wife and even then most managers wouldn't strip him ala Ancelotti and Terry. It's a harsh choice and if Samba's not 100% happy about it you can garuntee he will bitch about it to his mates within the team. That will cause issues within the camp and genrate animosity towards Kean. This senario was being avoided by Sam, clearly as even the first team coach knew nothing about it, now the whole world knows and are talking about it. yet more uncretainty and intrique surrounding our club which is already knee deep in it.

It just gives him another excuse to want out and whilst its not the be all and end all, it does display poor management. Sam had clearly been dealing with smoothly for 12 months, buttering him up along the way by giving him the armband. Kean should just have asked him to apologise and moved on. But perhaps he did and Samba refused, you never really know. The other factor that no one has mentioned is what involvement if any did the chicken overlords have? did they tell Kean to strip him? I can't see them being best pleased one their players said what he said, especially the captain.

Its nigh on impossible to know exactly what has gone on and whats been said, but its not been handled very well. Samba's lack of a public apology means in my mind his opinion hasn't really changed and he wants out asap. The player said it and until the player unsays it, I'm not going to take Keans word for it as the whole situation surrounding him stinks. Keans No1 target was defintly to get everything back in place and Samba back in as captain and fighting for the team, for whatever reason he failed. I suspect Samba will be gone soon and soon.

The one part i don't undertsand though is that surely if Sam knew he wanted out, then surely so did JW. I don't believe for one second that Sam would keep that from him. So lets suppose that he did, then why didn't Kean. Surely the manager reports to the chairman? I'm fairly certain that JW would have told him, so why did Kean say his agent told him? I truly believe JW is completely out of loop now.

[67splitscreen]

Spot on IMO maj.

Someone will no doubt try a late 'cheap' bid for him and he will go.

[Wilky]

Samba should be the first one out the door come weekend, don't want for him to got, push him... we've had good out of him.. now push him before starts pulling the team even further down.

It will be interesting to see how much more than 5mil wil get...

[Majiball]

Someone will no doubt try a late 'cheap' bid for him and he will go.

He'll be gone asap as Nicko said its far from over and if there was no issue at all anymore it wouldn't be.

I just hope we can get him playing well again and without issue until the summer, when we really don't have much choice now but to sell him.

Kean should sit him down tell that's the way it is and he has to perform if he wants his move.

[92er]

I'd agree with that.

It seems the Venky's are micromanaging things they shouldn't be doing

One of the pieces of information that came out at the AGM from JW was that he expected the new owners would be much more "hands-on" than the Walker Trust.

I can only speculate that this kind of management might well continue, at least in the short-term, until Mrs Desai has met up with JW.

[thenodrog]

We're singing from the same hymn sheet FLB. I do think this has been handled badly by Kean though - irrespective of Samba's comments, which have been misrepresented. If Samba has been itching for a move, he's been itching apparently for around 12 months. In that time he's been team captain, has been giving his best on the park, not demanded a move and he's not been a problem to anyone. As soon as Allardyce was sacked and there was obviously much resentment around the club and the fans he saw fit to speak out about his concerns. Kean then turned this against Samba, informing the press that Samba wanted out and stripped him of the captaincy - all of which was totally unnecessary, didn't need saying and will probably work against what Kean is trying to achieve. On top of that, can the players have confidence that what's said to the manager in confidence in future, will remain in confidence?

IMO, there was no problem with what Samba actually said [as opposed to what people are now translating it to be], until Kean went public with his opening of the details. All this has done is to turn fans against the team captain - bad management.

Exactly right. Things said in the managers office must always stay there. Inexperience to the fore for Mr Kean.

[fishmesiter]

Exactly right. Things said in the managers office must always stay there. Inexperience to the fore for Mr Kean.

But Kean wasn't the one to bring it out into the public domain - Samba did (or his agent) by speaking to the press.

[thenodrog]

You said the bit about things going pear shaped. That's your agenda showing again. Frankly, reading posts from you at the moment is like watching someone with OCD turn the light on. It's all Jerome Anderson bad, Kentaro bad, players are revolting, Rovers are going down until we won where you can go and point at the tiny bit of positive you've posted recently. None of us want a football agent running the club or even involved. We all know you hate Anderson as well. I don't want to hear about it every five minutes though.

I don't want to sound melodramatic too but you need to bear in mind that if we get relegated Ivan it could easily signal the end of the club itself! We could easily become bankrupt and cease to exist. That is my opinion of the gamble that the Venkeys have taken with our club. If we are relegated I can see the parachute payments vanishing and the club being asset stripped as Venkeys seek to recoup their investment whilst they disappear into the setting sun.

For the umpteenth time...

I know he was looking to get a move going THIS SEASON.

The manager asked his agent [one of the current ones] what it was all about and he said it had been the case for A YEAR.

Are you that well in with the new manager already Alan? I'm impressed. How have you managed that so quickly?

[thenodrog]

The facts about Samba are there in print, in black and White, if people want to believe hypothetical situations that may or may not be happening about Samba so be it, in my eyes unless he makes a public statement clarifying the situation he will have be one yet another mercenary footballer.

Mercenary footballer? You make it sound insulting. Imy Do you expect players to be loyal when the owners set such a bad example and obviously don't know what the word means? I can't think of any managers who have been sacked with the backing of 75% or so of the supporters.

[Majiball]

I can't think of any managers who have been sacked with the backing of 75% or so of the supporters.

I can:

Sam Allardyce.

[CrazyIvan]

I don't want to sound melodramatic too but you need to bear in mind that if we get relegated Ivan it could easily signal the end of the club itself! We could easily become bankrupt and cease to exist. That is my opinion of the gamble that the Venkeys have taken with our club. If we are relegated I can see the parachute payments vanishing and the club being asset stripped as Venkeys seek to recoup their investment whilst they disappear into the setting sun.

I think I know that Gordon. You need to read the thread to understand what I was talking about.

[Pete1981]

Is this some dingle taking the p*ss or is this Venkys twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/VenkysBlackburn

[jim mk2]

I can:

Sam Allardyce.

Evidence please.

I would suggest it would be the other way round: most Rovers fans were horrifed Sam was sacked.

[FourLaneBlue]

Evidence please.

I would suggest it would be the other way round: most Rovers fans were horrifed Sam was sacked.

I think that was the point they were making.

[roversmum]

The problem that has arisen since then is that Kean has seen fit to discuss a number of issues surrounding this saga publically. Samba has wanted out for a year, he was obviously now given the armband to make him stay. That should never have come out. So Samba didn't get it because he was the best man for the job or because Ryan was getting on, it was all about keeping him here. but it was Samba who talked to the press

The next mistake for me is taking the cataincy from him. he was absolutely right in my opinion

But Kean wasn't the one to bring it out into the public domain - Samba did (or his agent) by speaking to the press.

Exactly. If Samba had not made the statement why has he not come out and said so?

I really don't see how Kean is getting the flak for this. He was absolutely right. Personally I don't want my captain saying he wants to leave the club because of the situation it is in. He should be saying along the likes of "this is a difficult time but we have a job to do and we will pull together".

[darwenblueswearehere]

Exactly. If Samba had not made the statement why has he not come out and said so?

I really don't see how Kean is getting the flak for this. He was absolutely right. Personally I don't want my captain saying he wants to leave the club because of the situation it is in. He should be saying along the likes of "this is a difficult time but we have a job to do and we will pull together".

Absolutely spot on Roversmum, my sentiments exactly!

[RovertheHill]

Exactly right. Things said in the managers office must always stay there. Inexperience to the fore for Mr Kean.

Experience or inexperience? Guess it depends on whether you like them or not

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/15/sam-allardyce-roque-santa-cruz-blackburn-rovers

[booth]

Is this some dingle taking the p*ss or is this Venkys twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/VenkysBlackburn

Whoever it is, it's a bit daft to put yourself in the firing line (legally) like that.

[ada2020]

Evidence please.

I would suggest it would be the other way round: most Rovers fans were horrifed Sam was sacked.

Is it just me that read his comment wrong, or was that pretty much what he said?

Theno: I can't think of any managers who have been sacked with the backing of 75% or so of the supporters.

Maji: I can:

Sam Allardyce.

Implying that Allardyce was sacked with 75% of the fans backing him.

Are you that desperate to argue for Allardyce that you dont even bother to read the comments properly?

[67splitscreen]

Is it just me that read his comment wrong, or was that pretty much what he said?

Theno: I can't think of any managers who have been sacked with the backing of 75% or so of the supporters.

Maji: I can:

Sam Allardyce.

Implying that Allardyce was sacked with 75% of the fans backing him.

Are you that desperate to argue for Allardyce that you dont even bother to read the comments properly?

He's probably had the grandchildren round for Christmas, retribution time on the MB.

[True Blue & White]

Is it just me that read his comment wrong, or was that pretty much what he said?

Theno: I can't think of any managers who have been sacked with the backing of 75% or so of the supporters.

Maji: I can:

Sam Allardyce.

Implying that Allardyce was sacked with 75% of the fans backing him.

Are you that desperate to argue for Allardyce that you dont even bother to read the comments properly?

I thought Maji meant 75% of the fans backed Sam's sacking too. To be fair the way it's written it could be either so not sure you can read that sentence "properly" as such.