[Archived] Steve Kean

[PAFELL]

Agreed, it is something I was thinking also, he is not a muppet and only a couple of players moving on (Mascharino and Alonso especially gave them huge problems at Liverpool.

At Rovers he would be following a poor manager and thats how you get more success normally, follow a good one and its backs to the wall!

I think I would be in favour of his opponent if it ever happened. Just happy to debate the subject with others on here at the mo.

[Kelbo]

My major concern with someone like Rafa, would be how much control would he want? He changed everything at Liverpool from top to toe and if being honest what happened at the acdemy was not good and they didn't produce during his tenure. If Rovers vision is one of producing and nuturing kids, then for me we shouldn't let Rafa have free hand intially. Bowyer et al should be allowed to get on with it as the turn around from the acdemy has been good since he took over.

Maybe Maji he is more than a one trick Pony, at Liverpool it was Champs League or bust, will have to see but I think it must have been discussed.

Will be in touch, wife been in hospital!

[Gav]

Not unfair at all really. It wasn't just the pathetic show at Utd, there were others. The performance at Anfield was a million miles away from what could be regarded as in any way acceptable.

Happened numerous times away from home dgs.

Most fans can accept defeat, but what you can't accept is defeats time and time again with no effort or commitment, that’s criminal, and was reflected in the numbers following the team away.

Back to Kean, the tactics and motivational skills for the Arsenal game proved extremely successful last weekend. Wenger can claim his player were tired, but even a tired Arsenal should be able to beat a very average Blackburn side. If Kean performs well tomorrow, we can beat Birmingham, so lets judge him at 5pm tomorrow, as we all know you’re only as good as your last game.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Like the last few minutes when 3-0 up against Wolves?

Was that aimed at me Alf? You might be confusing me with Someone who was anti Allardyce. Plus, as you are so fond of pointing out, I was 12000 miles away.

[Kelbo]

Happened numerous times away from home dgs.

Most fans can accept defeat, but what you can't accept is defeats time and time again with no effort or commitment, that’s criminal, and was reflected in the numbers following the team away.

Back to Kean, the tactics and motivational skills for the Arsenal game proved extremely successful last weekend. Wenger can claim his player were tired, but even a tired Arsenal should be able to beat a very average Blackburn side. If Kean performs well tomorrow, we can beat Birmingham, so lets judge him at 5pm tomorrow, as we all know you’re only as good as your last game.

Kean is already out at the seasons end, so no point discussing anymore thank god!

[Gav]

Kean is already out at the seasons end, so no point discussing anymore thank god!

Have I missed something? has that been announced?

Tell you what, if he keeps us up they'll struggle to get rid Kelbo, he makes himself unsackable.

[tony gale's mic]

Again where is the 'fact' that we wouldnt have gone a terrible run of form? After all its happened under SA before? Thanks for the tip by the way mystic meg.

We might have gone on a terrible run of form, chances are at some point this season we would've had a bit of poor form. I'm sure Bolton under Sam went through some bad spells too.

But experienced, quality managers like Sam has arguably proved himself to be, know how to get those sides out of the bad form.

The two times Sam has been involved in a relegation scrap in the best part of a decade he's managed here can be discarded. The first one was with a team he'd just got promoted (and who he'd took over mid table in the league below) and the second was after the Ince debacle (and if the league had started when Sam took over we wouldve been 10th).

So in a decade of management in the Premier League, he's never really led a side to so much as a relegation scrap, let alone relegation itself. We can't say for sure that Man U will finish top 4 next season, but we can say beyond reasonable doubt they will, just like we can say based on his past record that Sam woukdnt have had us scrapping for relegation now.

[thenodrog]

What's done is done but you will never convince me that Sam was removed for any other reason than he would be too hard to control and had the wrong people representing him.

Why not? What do you base such a vehement belief on?

Simply being able to distinguish the wood from the trees I'd imagine DGS. I appears to be a rare ability on this site. Do you agree?

[Kelbo]

Have I missed something? has that been announced?

Tell you what, if he keeps us up they'll struggle to get rid Kelbo, he makes himself unsackable.

Just wait and see, you heard it here first, no more than that!

[thenodrog]

That's some revelation! The Raos would need very deep pockets to keep Snr Benetez happy!

If they gave him a Kings ransom he'd still be a crap manager for any English team.

[Roverite28]

You really are amusing TGM, im not going say we would of been heading for europe or saying we would be where we are now, i just find it laughable that you seem to think you can predict what would happen in the league, despite this being the most unpredictable season for a long time.

But dont let this get in the way of your agenda.

[blue_and_white]

Have I missed something? has that been announced?

Tell you what, if he keeps us up they'll struggle to get rid Kelbo, he makes himself unsackable.

He does? We'd never even be in danger of going down if it wasn't for Kean. When Venkys sacked Allardyce I can only imagine it was because they wanted as good or better with a more attractive style of football, i.e. pass our way firmly into the top half. Even if Kean keeps us up what will they have gotten instead? A stressful, long-winded battle, frequently on the brink of despair, that by the grace of god narrowly avoiding falling into an abyss of possibly decades in the lower leagues. They would have to be truly barmy to then say "Great stuff Steve, have another go next season!".

[thenodrog]

Here's a stat for you. In the Bolton game (which a lot of people said was unacceptable), we completed more passes than either the Fulham are Arsenal game. In fact, it was only 9 less than the Blackpool at home game - a game where you would expect to have the lion's share of possession.

Good stat. Allardyce was sacked within 24 hours. The obvious message being sent out here is stuff the football just win the game!

Rather contradictory to popular belief about the owners.

[tony gale's mic]

You really are amusing TGM, im not going say we would of been heading for europe or saying we would be where we are now, i just find it laughable that you seem to think you can predict what would happen in the league, despite this being the most unpredictable season for a long time.

But dont let this get in the way of your agenda.

It's really not that unpredictable.

The teams fighting it out at the bottom are the usual suspects apart from us (change of manager) and Villa (change of manager).

[Gav]

He does? We'd never even be in danger of going down if it wasn't for Kean. When Venkys sacked Allardyce I can only imagine it was because they wanted as good or better with a more attractive style of football, i.e. pass our way firmly into the top half. Even if Kean keeps us up what will they have gotten instead? A stressful, long-winded battle, frequently on the brink of despair, that by the grace of god narrowly avoiding falling into an abyss of possibly decades in the lower leagues. They would have to be truly barmy to then say "Great stuff Steve, have another go next season!".

Isn't Kean on a 2yr deal? so they've already offered him next season?

[thenodrog]

You really think under Al-lard-ass we'd have managed to complete more than three passes against Arsenal? And the Bolton game was poor...were all these passes you speak of backwards leading up to a hoof? Stats don't tell you everything. I know from watching that we are making more forward passes than before.

It really is better football.

Spot on dubdubdub. Our opponents since Dec have bloody loved it!

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Simply being able to distinguish the wood from the trees I'd imagine DGS. I appears to be a rare ability on this site. Do you agree?

But not to have actual evidence to back up such strident statements? Yeah, that would be about right for some on here.

[blue_and_white]

Isn't Kean on a 2yr deal? so they've already offered him next season?

Yeah but wasn't that after West Brom when we were 7th? To be fair as I said they'd have to be truly barmy to stick with him and they are truly barmy so you're probably right. But as his fans used to sing, who needs Mourinho we've got Steve Keanio?

[RibbleValleyRover]

I hope the Rafa rumours aren't true. I've never been a fan of his especially in regards to his over-rotation policy and his ability to spend money wisely.

If Venky's are prepared to spend big money and bring in a proper manager there are better ones out there.

[thenodrog]

hmmm, that's a debating point for this board

Only for about 10 numpties around these parts. Everybody in the country and their mothers shares Allardyces opinion.

[Roverite28]

It's really not that unpredictable.

The teams fighting it out at the bottom are the usual suspects apart from us (change of manager) and Villa (change of manager).

So you expected a 8 way relegation fight? You expected blackpool to do so well?

Like i say, its laughable predicting with such certainty where or where not we would be with SA in charge.

[thenodrog]

Lets be honest he is not likely to say the opposite to that. He is also the only manager of Rovers - in modern times to have suffered a 7 1 defeat to man u. That is also on his record.

You and a few others keep falling back on that like drowning men clutching at straws. It's a pathetic little default position given that the week before MU we beat Villa and the week after we beat Wolves! How much would you give for 6 points out of the next 3 matches now Pafell? Just let it bloody drop it's boring!!!

So who is the perfect BRFC manager anyway?

KMD with our millionaire squad got dumped out of Europe by the amateurs of Trelleborgs, a year later they ended up scrapping in the Champions League before being dumped out in disgrace. Mark Hughes showed himself and the team up at Villa park when we could have qualified for Europe yet we lost 4-1, Hughes had a crap semi final too at Cardiff that earned us the title Blackeye Rovers. Would you have either of them back? Course you would.

Please get it into your head that one result means sweet FA in football.

[tony gale's mic]

So you expected a 8 way relegation fight? You expected blackpool to do so well?

Like i say, its laughable predicting with such certainty where or where not we would be with SA in charge.

I would have expected Blackpool to be bottom, but then if someone told me they'd go on a great run at the start of the season before dropping off massively to be a point off the drop zone with 7 games to go I would have not been that surprised after seeing the exploits of Hull and Burnley in past seasons.

Apart from Rovers and Villa, all the teams near the bottom are people everyone expects to be there. The only surprising thing is how close they are to each other - but since Sam never got his teams into that position where they were 34 points from 31 games and 2 points from the drop zone, it would have been irrelevant how close they wouldve been to each other since we never would have been there in the first place.

It's not laughable using records over the last ten years to predict how a manager would have done with us this season. It's entirely reasonable.

[Gav]

Yeah but wasn't that after West Brom when we were 7th? To be fair as I said they'd have to be truly barmy to stick with him and they are truly barmy so you're probably right. But as his fans used to sing, who needs Mourinho we've got Steve Keanio?

I must admit I'd be looking for a change in the summer also, regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, but can we justify complaining if he keeps us up and stays on as manager?

[thenodrog]

Big deal. How many managers have won the Champions' League, La Liga and finished second in the Premier League without spending big money?!

Who else would you rather have than Rafa? We wouldnt be asking to win the Champions League or the Premier League so it's not like he'd need the same kind of money.

The vast majority of bottom half managers have gone to top 4 sides on numerous occasions and played for the draw. Plus there were some notable exceptions. Everyone talks about our 6-2 loss at Arsenal but forgets for half of that game we were very much in the game and were 2-2 at half time. We beat Arsenal last season. We got a very creditable draw at the City of Manchester Stadium. We were very unlucky to lose at OT the season before and could have easily won that game.

That's not to say that Allardyce's record against the big teams wasn't an issue, but if a few games over the course of the season made you question his position, over our excellent home record which kept the vast majority of our paying spectators happy and which propelled us to a top 10 position, then the problem lies with you and not our former manager. The idea that Sam just rolled over in games against the big teams is another total myth as I've shown.

It's quite obvious that Venkeys only want 'yes men'. Benitez for all his ineptitude is not one of those.