[Archived] Steve Kean

[John]

When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Kean has been no more unlucky than Sam was when he first joined us. do you not remember the horrific injuries Sam had to deal with including playing Samba as our main striker in a number of games because there was no one else fit (RSC, IMO, didn't want to know!).

Samba up front worked a treat and galvanised the team at that time IMO - remember the Spurs game, at home, he was immense.

The problem was I just wanted some sort of balance. I wanted to keep winning at home at least, but also move towards a more entertaining style of play. Note I say move towards because I think we had the players who could have remembered how to pass a ball to a teammate without it collecting snow as long as we had a mix of styles that meant that we also remembered how to defend and how to grind out results. I didn't want to be entertained but I didn't want to be bored rigid either, because football is about winning first but also about feeling good and some of our home performances were dire. Like you I think we could have been marginally more expansive but still won if we'd brought in a suitable manager. I wanted to give Kean a chance because I could see no point in getting on his back before he'd even started. However, the manager never materialised and Kean became manger instead. I still wanted to give him a chance, notwanting to undermine his fragile start by jumping on a Kean out bandwagon before we saw what happened. However, it has not taken long to show that he is not up to the job. I just want us to win. I was never on the allardyce out bandwagon even though I didn't like him. There were those of my acquaintance who suggested I'd be dancing in the streets when Allardyce was sacked - I wasn't, although I did hope we'd get a decent person to replace him. Survive this season and we HAVE to get a decent manager in to replace Steve Kean.

What about the 2nd half of last season out of interest?

It is widely accepted, even by the Sam haters, that we played some decent stuff....

[otto man]

dicking around - aka trying to get the players to play a type of game that some of us said wasn't possible with the current squad. Seems like we were right, because that's why we're failing.

Not having a dig Den, but I wonder if you and a few others on here who believe the current squad aint capable of playing passing football would actually pop down to the dressing room and let the lads know your opinion of them?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Can't agree about Samba playing up front. I remember watching the Liverpool game and it was totally embarrassing, we wouldn't have created a chance if we'd have played whilst now. I'm not knocking Samba, he put his hand up to play in a false position when nobody else either would or could. It was like watching a fish riding a bike.

[John]

Was going to mention the Liverpool game, he was poor - however that Spurs win was huge for us at the time, he gave their centre backs a torrid time on the day.

[chaddyrovers]

I understand what you are saying about Playing Samba up front. But you can't play Benni up front on his own. because he won't hold the ball up and chase things. Plus he had loss his pace and sharpness and was putting alot of weight on. Roberts and RSC were out injured. Maybe we should sign another striker but we bought in Givet and EHD. both were good signings.

[gumboots]

Samba up front worked a treat and galvanised the team at that time IMO - remember the Spurs game, at home, he was immense.

What about the 2nd half of last season out of interest?

It is widely accepted, even by the Sam haters, that we played some decent stuff....

Perhaps we did, but the start of this season still felt like all the stuff we'd done after we were safe was lost again. I was bored by the football but not by the results - Don't get me wrong, winning has to be the main priority but a bit of better stuff, not gung-ho, but pressing home an advantage when you have one wouldn't have gone amiss.

[Mattyblue]

That bloody Liverpool game! Yes, we were much the better side, but it was a Lpool team on its arse.

'bored by the football', the paralells with Charlton fans who felt Curbishley 'had taken them as far as he could go' are striking!

[John]

After spending nothing in the summer, I was not expecting a massive improvement in the quality of our play this season.

[gumboots]

That bloody Liverpool game! Yes, we were much the better side, but it was a Lpool team on its arse.

'bored by the football', the paralells with Charlton fans who felt Curbishley 'had taken them as far as he could go' are striking!

No, because i didn't ever say we should get rid of the manager. I kept going, kept supporting and kept my thoughts on the style fairly quiet. I didn't boo players or question the tactics, substitutions or any of the things fans do when they want a change of manager. I did, however, find that big chunks of the match had passed me by and I couldn't recall what had happened. I never sat on the edge of my seat scared to miss a moment. I didn't want rid of allardyce, or at least not without an experienced manager to come in and hit the ground running. I wanted to win, and the fact that I hoped there were better ways of doing it with the players we had than what we watched week in week out, was not a cry for change for the sake of it.

[patrickvalery]

I don't know why this can't be put to bed. It seems the following applies roughly speaking;

60% of people didn't want Sam to go at the time, were quite happy with the football and the results.

38% of people didn't want Sam to go at the time, didn't like the football but appreciated the results considering the restraints.

2% of people hated Sam and wanted him out regardless.

Now it just seems the 60% are intent on banging the Sam drum at anyone outside their group. It seems to me there are very few people worth banging the drum at. Not many people are that blinkered that they wanted him out regardless of the consequences. Sadly it seems team Venky's were in the 2% and we have to make the best of a god awful situation. Now we either back Steve Kean or we don't. 2 options. 1 will benefit the club and the performances. 1 will do the exact opposite. Come the end of the season there may be more options available. Who knows?

[den]

Dicking around - picking the wrong players, wrong formation, substitutions etc.

Besides, it takes time for players to adapt to a new system. Especially after playing route one for two seasons. This is exactly why those of us fed-up of Sam preferred a change in the SUMMER.

So Sam was picking the right formations, players and making the right substitutions?

Right in one. He was making the best of what he had. Listen Topman, getting rid of Allardyce as you wanted all along [never mind the summer, that's simply a new position to cover your backside], has put this club in a perilous situation. Possibly the most perilous situation it has ever been in. Better acknowledging that fact, than clinging on to the old argument that we could play nice passing football with the players we had.

[den]

Not having a dig Den, but I wonder if you and a few others on here who believe the current squad aint capable of playing passing football would actually pop down to the dressing room and let the lads know your opinion of them?

I don't think I'm on my own in saying that Allardyce was getting the best out of our squad Otto man. Kean recently hasn't been getting the best has he and to be honest, I don't think anyone else could get more out of them than what Allardyce did either - whether they had been appointed in summer, winter, spring or autumn. So, yes I would tell anyone that.

[Amo]

So Sam was picking the right formations, players and making the right substitutions?

Right in one. He was making the best of what he had. Listen Topman, getting rid of Allardyce as you wanted all along [never mind the summer, that's simply a new position to cover your backside], has put this club in a perilous situation. Possibly the most perilous situation it has ever been in. Better acknowledging that fact, than clinging on to the old argument that we could play nice passing football with the players we had.

He's gone. Move on.

[John]

ESPN on Kean - Kean struggling to match ambition

[philipl]

He's gone. Move on.

So has our Premier League status.

[roversmum]

Hold on a minute. Whatever ANY fan did or didn't want, it wasn't THEIR decision. No-one was to forsee what was going to happen, with Sam being unexpectedly sacked, and then being replaced by a (seemingly) unsuitable candidate. As the time, most of us assumed that an experienced manager would be brought in.

Why do we have to keep bleating on about it? Nothing is going to change. The fact is, the owners were ill-advised and/or thought they knew the way forward when that was obviously (with hindsight) not the case.

Now we're getting long-term fans saying they are missing matches because 'Sam was sacked/Sam should still be in charge' but we CAN'T turn back the clock.

Kean is the Manager. We need to get behind Steve and the lads and SUPPORT OUR CLUB.

The silence from Venky's is deafening. We have no Chairman. We (generally) have no idea what is going on behind closed doors.

The only place at the moment we CAN make a difference is pitchside at the remaining matches of the season. LET'S DO IT!

[John]

ESPN on Kean - Kean struggling to match ambition

Pleasant reading...

With well-respected and long-serving chairman John Williams leaving, there is chaos behind the scenes. It all suggests that, rather than the top five, Blackburn are heading for the Championship, either this summer or next. Kean's personal journey from unsackable to unemployed may be brief; so too Rovers' transition from Premier League overachievers to relegation, ridicule and then the comparative obscurity of the lower leagues.

[chocky]

It's funny Roversmum I seem to remember one or two on here saying as long as Allardyce was in charge they would not attend another Rovers match. It is now the case that others are saying the same about Kean. I thought we supported the club not the personnel. There are allways going to be some player or another we don't like or for that matter some member of the coaching or management staff. We are Rovers fans and we need to get behind the team and cheer them on if we are going to get through this difficult time. If we boo certain players or the manager or the whole team for that matter what chance survival.

[thenodrog]

It did against 'Pool & WBAx2, when we had a good balance and the right players on the pitch.

Kean has been dicking around too much recently, which is a key reason why we're faltering.

That Liverpool match was a freak and shouldn't really be used as comparison. If Kenny had taken over a fortnight sooner we'd likely have lost. If Gerrard had scored the pen too I think we'd have drawn. The teams best performance under Kean imo was v Spurs but we lost.

[ben_the_beast]

ESPN on Kean - Kean struggling to match ambition

A depressingly true and accurate article on our current plight

[Iceman]

Just because we are a town team, with a smallish fan base, DOES NOT mean we are over achievers. We have had some very good players, a very smart chairman, and some brilliant managers. Unfortunately, all the above seem to be missing at the moment. This stupid mentality, of thinking we have over achieved should be dismissed as nonsense. We have competed, and we will continue to compete next season in the Premier League.

[chocky]

Just because we are a town team, with a smallish fan base, DOES NOT mean we are over achievers. We have had some very good players, a very smart chairman, and some brilliant managers. Unfortunately, all the above seem to be missing at the moment. This stupid mentality, of thinking we have over achieved should be dismissed as nonsense. We have competed, and we will continue to compete next season in the Premier League.

I agree Iceman. That smalltown mentality is tosh. We achieve because we deserve to or fail the same way. Size of town or catchment area has nothing to do with it. Look at all the big city clubs not done as much as Rovers has.

[thenodrog]

Dicking around - picking the wrong players, wrong formation, substitutions etc.

Besides, it takes time for players to adapt to a new system. Especially after playing route one for two seasons. This is exactly why those of us fed-up of Sam preferred a change in the SUMMER.

Like so many others you are now backtracking. If he'd have stayed and we'd finished top half again how on earth could Venkeys justify sacking him? Our situation is all about their ignorance, their stupid pride and their gullibility to believe a smooth tongued shyster. Also the goons who booed and spit fury from the stands for the final 5 mins v Wolves must take a big share of the blame too. That booing and jeering must have been music to the ears of the aforementioned shyster.

Just as a matter of interest were you one of them Topman?

[rebelmswar]

If we had it all to do without any cash at all besides gates and Sky you would see how financially outclassed we are Iceman.

We are still riding the crest of the Walkers. If we do go down we will see the rocky bottom.

It is the horrid truth of todays game.

[Amo]

Like so many others you are now backtracking. If he'd have stayed and we'd finished top half again how on earth could Venkeys justify sacking him?

How's it "backtracking" when I said it at the time? Whatever helps you sleep at night, Theno.

And I've never, ever, once called for Sam to be sacked, despite the fact I'm a seething hater who burns effigies of the man once every fortnight.