[Archived] Steve Kean

[Jimmy612]

If anything we should all be adopting a siege mentality, backing the owners, backing the club and hopefully getting out the mess we’re currently in, but then again pigs might fly.

I think you might be going abit overboard with 'back the owners' statements and I also think that this MB is absolutely the place for people to put across their real feelings regarding the club that they love.

Not surprisingly there is a huge amount of ill feeling towards Venkys, Kean, Anderson at the moment and I fully expect people to be posting 'negative' things on here.

I for one believe that we will be relegated this season, I have done since we sacked a PL manager and appointed a nobody.

However when I walk into Ewood Park, or turn up at Goodison, or Molineux for the remaining games of the season I will be right behind BRFC. I will never boo, or sing 'sacked in the morning' because I personally believe that it will help no-one. Especially when it seems that our owners don't give a ###### about the fans opinion anyway.

All I care about is Premier League survival, which in turn will probably preserve the existence of the club. I voice my opinions on here and in the pub with my mates but when i'm at Ewood I fully support BRFC as a club and forget all about these @#/? owners, (it's abit tougher to forget about Kean when he's making ridiculous substitutions or playing his nothing tactics).

I assume you took the same approach during Allardyce's tenure and weren't one of the morons booing during a 3-0 victory over Wolves?

When is the marketing masterplan getting going, by the way?

I assume the wheels will be in motion by the time Ronaldinho, Beckham, Riquelme, RVN, Kaka, Robinho (have I missed anyone?) will be playing under the supreme guidance of Maradonna. Top 4 here we come

[Gav]

I assume you took the same approach during Allardyce's tenure and weren't one of the morons booing during a 3-0 victory over Wolves?

I never booed an Allardyce team, decision or result, ever.

I also have no time for Mr Woolnaugh and his media cronies and their hidden agendas either.

[Jimmy612]

I never booed an Allardyce team, decision or result, ever.

Exactly, but you came on here and put across your opinion about Allardyce (as wrong as it was). Like I said, this is the place to get your true feelings out. At Ewood, we just need to get behind the players.

[Gav]

Exactly, but you came on here and put across your opinion about Allardyce

Well thanks for that

[thenodrog]

What really irritates me is the way people seem to have joined the media campaign of hammering everything Blackburn Rovers, this isn’t a new phenomena it’s been going on for years, but to have our own supporters helping stalk the fires seems strange to me. The meeting in London after the Fulham game were given as fact by a few on here, it was obviously utter nonsense. If anything we should all be adopting a siege mentality, backing the owners, backing the club and hopefully getting out the mess we’re currently in, but then again pigs might fly.

Some of us have been doing that for 20 years.

I am not including your actions for at least the last 3 years in that statement. You got your big wish granted on Dec 13th so you'll now have to live with the consequences .... Unfortunately the rest of us do too.

[Mercer]

Andy Cryer or Paul Plunkett - have either of you the balls to ask Kean at this week's presser if he has ever seen Formica play in a live match and, if so, when.

[John]

It is not a prerequisite for a manager to see a player play live - quite often signings can be made on recommendations of the scouting team.

I think the Formica bashing is a bit unfair - from everything I have read/heard etc there is no doubt he is very talented. Plus he picked up a niggling injury shortly after arriving so too soon to make any judgement.

Overall our transfer dealings in January have not really provided a positive impact yet (i.e could have done with 1-2 players making a difference but that has not happened thus far).

[Andy]

How many times had Hughes seen either Nelsen or Samba play a proper match before he signed them?

None.

[LeChuck]

I think the Formica bashing is a bit unfair

It's incredibly unfair.

If Santa Cruz and Jones had been roaring successes then no-one would have been complaining. Formica is taking the flak for those two (especially Roque) not having done much to improve our team.

Had we signed Jamie O'Hara and Demba Ba I bet people would be a lot more patient with Formica.

[booth]

I know you shouldn't judge a player from Youtube but there's tons of footage of Formica on there, and a lot of tribute videos. He can certainly control a ball, pass a ball and strike a ball. It's just about bringing him up to speed with the English game.

My issue is that we should have been strengthening for this season, not next season. Pardon the pun but it seems Kean counted his chickens before they hatched.

[chaddyrovers]

How many times had Hughes seen either Nelsen or Samba play a proper match before he signed them?

None.

think Nelsen played against wales for NZ when Hughes was Wales manager.

think Samba was a tip off from a scout or a contact who came for a trial and impress

[John]

Hughes always liked getting the players in for trial, if possible, then making a judgement on siging them after that (seeing them in person) - what good judgement he had too....

[den]

I know you shouldn't judge a player from Youtube but there's tons of footage of Formica on there, and a lot of tribute videos. He can certainly control a ball, pass a ball and strike a ball.

So can a lot of lads on Worden park.

Sorry, I haven't seen him yet, but the fact he's been nowhere near the bench, coupled with reports from people who have seen him suggest that he's currently nowhere near good enough. Let's not kid ourselves too much.

[booth]

So can a lot of lads on Worden park.

Sorry, I haven't seen him yet, but the fact he's been nowhere near the bench, coupled with reports from people who have seen him suggest that he's currently nowhere near good enough. Let's not kid ourselves too much.

But yet Keith Andrews struggles with passing, shooting and controlling the ball and he's considered to be acceptable to put in the first team.

Oh well, we can watch videos like this and dream of what might be in the future...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-1jFRvbAfg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAVTVMSI97A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[chaddyrovers]

I accept the Formica does look good in those clips but English football and PL is totally different to Argentina football.

He might be another Carlos Villanueva. Very good techinal and good dribbler but hasn't got the physical side of the game in English. also might struggle the speed of the English game!

time will tell.

[onlyonejackwalker]

But yet Keith Andrews struggles with passing, shooting and controlling the ball and he's considered to be acceptable to put in the first team.

Oh well, we can watch videos like this and dream of what might be in the future...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-1jFRvbAfg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAVTVMSI97A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thanks for the clips. Pleasing to see him scoring with both feet and also with power, chipped and placed shots.

As others have said, if results had been going well we would all have been happy to let him adapt and adjust for as long as was required, until ready to try and win and keep his place in the first team.

[Sverre]

I accept the Formica does look good in those clips but English football and PL is totally different to Argentina football.

He might be another Carlos Villanueva. Very good techinal and good dribbler but hasn't got the physical side of the game in English. also might struggle the speed of the English game!

time will tell.

Then why did Allardyce want Carlos Villanueva to stay at Blackburn? Problem was, Audax Italiano didn't want to extend the loan, and the fact that they required a fee around 4 million pounds...Money which Allardyce instead used on Gael Givet, if I remember correctly.

[dubdubdub]

A few weeks ago people were singing Formica's praises after he scored in his first game. The fickle and changeable nature of people on this board would be a psychologist's wet dream.

[Kelbo]

A few weeks ago people were singing Formica's praises after he scored in his first game. The fickle and changeable nature of people on this board would be a psychologist's wet dream.

From my information, they were expecting the lad to push on, he hasnt by all accounts and there are some worried faces at Brockhall!

[JAL]

How many times had Hughes seen either Nelsen or Samba play a proper match before he signed them?

None.

Both players came on trial for a couple of weeks at Brockhall before Mark Hughes made the decision to sign both of them. Now that is the most sensible approach, try before you buy, its a pity with our current players we are trying, in that we cant afford to buy them

[Mercer]

As others have mentioned, both Hughes and Sam liked to get the lads in to look at first hand.

Kean will no doubt have seen RSC but anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have realised that the lad struggles to say fit (do we never learn, examples Grella & Dunn). As for the other three, have never heard Kean say he's seen them previously and was excited with what he saw ! Rochina and Formica must have been relative unknown quantities. At half a million, Rochina just maybe worth the gamble and Nicko challenged me when we were signing him as to what I knew about him - well, as I said at the time, according to a friend who lives out there and has seen him, he described him as a typical young Spanish player, technically gifted who could go on and dazzle or could just fade away, which is what seems to have happened in his last 12 months at Barca.. As for Formica, nothing needs adding to the feedback and views that are slowly but surely beginning to emerge.

All I want Kean to do is to say at a presser, "these are my signings, I'd seen them play, they excite me and I will happily live or die by how they perform". That would clarify the situation for all.

[Majiball]

From my information, they were expecting the lad to push on, he hasnt by all accounts and there are some worried faces at Brockhall!

So playing well in Argentina a tough physical league (SA countries publish loads of training papers, with data from elite football).

He then has a whirlwind month of moving to prague, geneo, monaco, blackburn and so on. Even flying out to one place to be dragged off to another at the last minute once you've bloody landed in france.

Arrives at Ewood plays OK. Gets injured so stops playing.

Has plenty of free time IE 22 (obviously spends 8 or so sleeping/dreaming) odd hours a day having just had his world whipped seven ways from Sunday.

Spends time thinking as he can't talk to most people.

Comes back plays dross.

Mental issue, it's not just about spending 10 minutes at most with a shrink (who most likely can't even chat to him as he can't speak spainish). The above will be a lot to take in for the majority of people and its mainly some time after its all happened that things truly sink in.

He needs familiar things/people/activities/something, who wouldn't at his age. Even spending time with Rochina/Salgado et al will still leave loads of alone time for him. This really isn't good and Rovers have in the past been know to be poor at handling young foreign players. So I wonder if this is perhaps occurring here as don't forget it's not just about language we have the SA culture he'll be missing as well. Thankfully Blackburn has the metropolitan Manchester down the road, but who goes out on their own

Have the club brought say his mum over? We don't however need to go as far as signing his brother, but I wonder given his dramatic drop in form whether we are doing all we could be to keep his mental well being healthy.

[ben_the_beast]

So playing well in Argentina a tough physical league (SA countries publish loads of training papers, with data from elite football).

He then has a whirlwind month of moving to prague, geneo, monaco, blackburn and so on. Even flying out to one place to be dragged off to another at the last minute once you've bloody landed in france.

Arrives at Ewood plays OK. Gets injured so stops playing.

Has plenty of free time IE 22 (obviously spends 8 or so sleeping/dreaming) odd hours a day having just had his world whipped seven ways from Sunday.

Spends time thinking as he can't talk to most people.

Comes back plays dross.

Mental issue, it's not just about spending 10 minutes at most with a shrink (who most likely can't even chat to him as he can't speak spainish). The above will be a lot to take in for the majority of people and its mainly some time after its all happened that things truly sink in.

He needs familiar things/people/activities/something, who wouldn't at his age. Even spending time with Rochina/Salgado et al will still leave loads of alone time for him. This really isn't good and Rovers have in the past been know to be poor at handling young foreign players, so I wonder if this is perhaps occurring here as don't forget it's not just about language we have the SA culture he'll be missing as well. Thankfully Blackburn has the metropolitan Manchester down the road, but who goes out on their own

Have the club brought say his mum over? We don't however need to go as far as signing his brother, but I wonder given his dramatic drop in form whether we are doing all we could be to keep his mental well being healthy.

Brilliant, brilliant post. Sums up my own thoughts and to some extent personal experiences. I placed myself in a similar position in moving to a forign place for a job where you know nobody, on my own at the same age and found my initial time there very difficult before thriving.

Being uprooted in such a way is not to be under-estimated and can have dramatic effects on individuals. This coupled with the fact he has come with a price tag on his head and a lot of expectation placed upon him by tens of thousands of fans in the high high pressure environment of the premiership without even speaking the same bloody language, coupled with the fact he probably isn't used to getting lumps kicked out of him in 5 a sides in muddy wet Blackburn.

People writing him off is just obscene. He needs time and help to settle. He may come good, he may not. But at least give him a chance.

[Sverre]

Brilliant, brilliant post. Sums up my own thoughts and to some extent personal experiences. I placed myself in a similar position in moving to a forign place for a job where you know nobody, on my own at the same age and found my initial time there very difficult before thriving.

Being uprooted in such a way is not to be under-estimated and can have dramatic effects on individuals. This coupled with the fact he has come with a price tag on his head and a lot of expectation placed upon him by tens of thousands of fans in the high high pressure environment of the premiership without even speaking the same bloody language, coupled with the fact he probably isn't used to getting lumps kicked out of him in 5 a sides in muddy wet Blackburn.

People writing him off is just obscene. He needs time and help to settle. He may come good, he may not. But at least give him a chance.

I'm confident in Formica as well.

[Steve Moss]

Kean apparently jetted off to Pune again and confirmed that he is safe. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Blackburn-boss-Steve-Kean-has-made-a-flying-visit-to-India-to-be-told-he-still-has-the-backing-of-the-owners-despite-threat-of-relegation-article718541.html