[Archived] Steve Kean

[nicko]

I don't think the refereeing decisions thing is the main problem.

If you had a goalscorer - signed one last summer or signed a better one in January - you would be well clear.

Look at the difference Sturridge has made at Bolton. Take away his goals and Bolton would be six points or so worse off and close to you.

There wasn't much wrong yesterday that a finisher would not have sorted out. Roque is a spent force. He had two very takeable chances. Roberts and Benjani run around and that's it.

Got to say I fear for you a bit because of that.

[tony gale's mic]

I don't think the refereeing decisions thing is the main problem.

If you had a goalscorer - signed one last summer or signed a better one in January - you would be well clear.

Look at the difference Sturridge has made at Bolton. Take away his goals and Bolton would be six points or so worse off and close to you.

There wasn't much wrong yesterday that a finisher would not have sorted out. Roque is a spent force. He had two very takeable chances. Roberts and Benjani run around and that's it.

Got to say I fear for you a bit because of that.

We didn't have a goalscorer last season.

[nicko]

We didn't have a goalscorer last season.

Another good reason for signing one or two this time.

You turned it round last mid-season by duffing up poor Premier teams like Hull, Portsmouth and Wigan - plus Bolton on a very off day. Mostly with goals from set-pieces as I recall. Your finish was admirably strong.

There are no poor teams like Hull and Portsmouth this season.

All the more reason for needing a finisher.

[Parsonblue]

All the more reason for needing a finisher.

Wasn't that the role that Kean earmarked for Formica? So far he has managed just two reserve games since his arrival. Something sadly wrong there as he must be fit as the official website continues to name in the first team squad prior to every match. Somehow he never quite makes it to the bench and now seems to struggle to get a game with the Reserves. Kean had the January window and money to sort out the problems. If we go down the finger of blame can only point in his direction and that of this favourite lady in Pune.

[Mattyblue]

But nicko, a couple of extra wins would have us ip in the top half again, already safe-, something Allardyce would have provided, striker or no striker.

Unforunately Keano cannot provide a win at all.

[chaddyrovers]

Big Sam wanted a striker in the summer and wasn't given the money to do so. I think he wanted the polish striker who went to Dortmund. He also wanted Kenwyne Jones before he went to stoke! that why we ending up from Benjani and M.Diouf. both who have not done a great deal.

[nicko]

Wasn't that the role that Kean earmarked for Formica? So far he has managed just two reserve games since his arrival. Something sadly wrong there as he must be fit as the official website continues to name in the first team squad prior to every match. Somehow he never quite makes it to the bench and now seems to struggle to get a game with the Reserves. Kean had the January window and money to sort out the problems. If we go down the finger of blame can only point in his direction and that of this favourite lady in Pune.

Formica's no-show is a huge disappointment. You have to take it that the guy has fitness problems. We are not talking about a dud here. Most people sais he was a good player in Argentina. He WAS at Monaco before he got snapped up and flown over here. His contribution is being sadly missed.

Roque was a total waste of time and money. A romantic idea that everyone fell for - before and after the takeover. If you had not wasted a loan deal and money on him you might have got something better. Bad, bad decision.

So, you are right, those in charge at the time have to take the blame for that.

However - over the course of a season - you have to also include the lack of funds and signing of Benjani and Diouf in the previous window.

But nicko, a couple of extra wins would have us ip in the top half again, already safe-, something Allardyce would have provided, striker or no striker.

Unforunately Keano cannot provide a win at all.

That is wishful thinking talking.

I don't like hypotheticals, but this scenario is not hard to paint.

NO takeover. NO money at all in January. Every chance a player would have been sold to give Sam a penny to spend. He STILL signs Roque. Or Sam gets even more peeved than he was last summer and goes - who could blame him?

The current positiion is very dangerous.

The previous would probably have been worse.

[chaddyrovers]

But nicko, a couple of extra wins would have us ip in the top half again, already safe-, something Allardyce would have provided, striker or no striker.

Unforunately Keano cannot provide a win at all.

That was what Allardyce was good at doing. Did the same at Bolton without serious money. Bought Anelka when he was in charge at Bolton, who was great for the club and made K. Davies into a very good PL player.

Allardyce got the best out of the players by playing a certain way. might not be the best football but it is winning football.

[nicko]

Big Sam wanted a striker in the summer and wasn't given the money to do so. I think he wanted the polish striker who went to Dortmund. He also wanted Kenwyne Jones before he went to stoke! that why we ending up from Benjani and M.Diouf. both who have not done a great deal.

All of which is correct.

There was little to NO money around.

Let's not forget that.

[Amo]

That was what Allardyce was good at doing. Did the same at Bolton without serious money. Bought Anelka when he was in charge at Bolton, who was great for the club and made K. Davies into a very good PL player.

Let's ignore the £6m ###### away on Kalinic, though.

[chaddyrovers]

Nicko, I never understood why we didn't go for Demba Ba or Roman Pavlyuchenko. both would have been better option than RSC. or Shane Long from Reading

[Jimmy612]

Another good reason for signing one or two this time.

You turned it round last mid-season by duffing up poor Premier teams like Hull, Portsmouth and Wigan - plus Bolton on a very off day. Mostly with goals from set-pieces as I recall. Your finish was admirably strong.

There are no poor teams like Hull and Portsmouth this season.

All the more reason for needing a finisher.

Utilise what you have Nicko. We played 4-5-1 for a reason, we were comfortable with it, the players knew how to get a result and never got beaten from teams below us in the league (and won most of the home games against them as you so beautifully presented above).

Now this season we had Wigan, Wolves and Villa come to Ewood and we beat them under SA. Since Kean has taken over, we have played WHU, Stoke, Blackpool, Birmingham, Newcastle and WBA. All you may suggest candidates for relegation at the start of the season, and at Christmas. We have taken 7 points from a possible 18?? Now you tell me that doesn't have relegation written all over it.

We can't rely on our away form, so this begs the question, WTF is going on when you get only one win out of those games. Difference between a manager and Kean is that we won the games we had to under SA, we survived because we gave teams around us nothing. And people moan about us going to OT and getting beat 7-1, who gives a ######, we did the job in the games that were most important.

And how you can say we 'need a finisher' after January defies belief. The fact that we couldnt find one is surely down to Kean, Venkys and JA. That lot couldn't find their arse with both hands. Benjani came on yesterday and looked better than Santa Cruz hands down. Isn't he on pay as you play and was absolutely free??

[nicko]

That was what Allardyce was good at doing. Did the same at Bolton without serious money. Bought Anelka when he was in charge at Bolton, who was great for the club and made K. Davies into a very good PL player.

Allardyce got the best out of the players by playing a certain way. might not be the best football but it is winning football.

Sam did a great job at Bolton, but don't fall for the 'no money' stuff. Anelka cost £9 million and was paid £75,000-a-week.

Bolton have got Eddie Davies...who is a massive backer.

[Jimmy612]

The previous would probably have been worse.

FFS!!!

[nicko]

Nicko, I never understood why we didn't go for Demba Ba or Roman Pavlyuchenko. both would have been better option than RSC. or Shane Long from Reading

You signed Roque early...and that was supposed to be the solution.

Ba would not have passed a proper medical at your place, Pav is not available and Shane Long is a decent Championship striker.

[chaddyrovers]

The previous owners are somewhat to blame for this by not giving Big Sam money in the summer and Kean for not signing a better striker than RSC.

I still believe that Kalinic will become good if you play him and create chances. That why RSC scored so many goals last time because of the chances created by Bentley and Pedersen.

[Jimmy612]

Sam did a great job at Bolton, but don't fall for the 'no money' stuff. Anelka cost £9 million and was paid £75,000-a-week.

Bolton have got Eddie Davies...who is a massive backer.

And was later sold for how much?

Name the other big money signings he made in 10years at the club Nicko?

[chaddyrovers]

If we stay up would any of you change manager in the summer?

I think if we go down then we have to change manager for sure!!!

[Amo]

The previous owners are somewhat to blame for this by not giving Big Sam money in the summer and Kean for not signing a better striker than RSC.

News for ya, Chaddy...

Big Sam wanted Crocky too.

[nicko]

And was later sold for how much?

Name the other big money signings he made in 10years at the club Nicko?

Anelka was a great signing. The type of deal clubs of Blackburn's and Bolton's size should stick their necks out and bring in.

That's not the point I was making. The point was that Sam had plenty of cash at Bolton - for the odd fee, but even more for top wages to pay top if ageing names.

Sam did a brilliant job at Bolton. But by the end that 'plan' of investing in seasoned players was not working.

He never got the chance to do anything like it at Blackburn because there was no cash like that. When he did buy big he signed Kalinic...

[Parsonblue]

I accept what you say about the Trust nicko, and I would agree that they share some responsiblity for the situation we are now in. Sam should have been given money in the summer but because the club was up for sale the Trust retreated with money that had been promised him last season. I could understand his frustration with the owners at that time. However, I firmly believe that with the same players, the previous manager would have kept us up. For me, the season turned on the decision to get rid of Allardyce and was compounded by showing John Williams the door. Those two decisions have completely undermined the club in a way in which I haven't seen in my previous fifty years of watching the Rovers.

The time for change, if that is what they felt was needed, should have been the summer but because of the impulsive nature of the lady in Pune (I'm resisting the urge to call her the Lune in Pune)we are where we are. Kean, like so many before him, is finding the step up from coach to manager a struggle and apart from the recommendation of his agent, I have yet to grasp what his qualifications were or are for becoming a Premier League manager. Clearly he sweetalked the Lady in Pune into giving him the job but when you are on a shortlist of one, and the interviewer knows nothing about the subject, it couldn't have been all that difficult.

[nicko]

I accept what you say about the Trust nicko, and I would agree that they share some responsiblity for the situation we are now in. Sam should have been given money in the summer but because the club was up for sale the Trust retreated with money that had been promised him last season. I could understand his frustration with the owners at that time. However, I firmly believe that with the same players, the previous manager would have kept us up. For me, the season turned on the decision to get rid of Allardyce and was compounded by showing John Williams the door. Those two decisions have completely undermined the club in a way in which I haven't seen in my previous fifty years of watching the Rovers.

The time for change, if that is what they felt was needed, should have been the summer but because of the impulsive nature of the lady in Pune (I'm resisting the urge to call her the Lune in Pune)we are where we are. Kean, like so many before him, is finding the step up from coach to manager a struggle and apart from the recommendation of his agent, I have yet to grasp what his qualifications were or are for becoming a Premier League manager. Clearly he sweetalked the Lady in Pune into giving him the job but when you are on a shortlist of one, and the interviewer knows nothing about the subject, it couldn't have been all that difficult.

The same players would have meant NO strikers worth the name...and Roque still coming in loan as was the 'dream' plan.

I agree that the time for change would ideally have been at the end of a season. However the new owners took a quick look at it, didn't like what they saw,didn't fancy giving Sam any money to spend and binned him.

Kean was NOT the first choice as you will recall. The Maradona thing was in the minds and calls of some of the Rao family. Fortunately that passed. Kean did some strong work at the time, pulling things together and getting the job done. If you saw that at first hand you would have been impressed.

I will be in a [small] minority here, but I think the guy has handled a difficult situation well and kept calm.

Obviously there have been mistakes - the biggest still being the lack of a goalscorer. On the plus side you would be down already if he had not given Hoilett his head.

Since he took over you have been without David Dunn for most of the time and Phil Jones for a large chunk of games.

He was right to dump Diouf who is only good at winning free kicks. He has obviously seen enough of Kalinic to have formed an opinion. The Givet dispute is something that would be better out of the way - but, believe me, that is one potential can of worms...

[47er]

A point that seems to be lost on a lot of posters on here....

We didn't suddenly get into trouble in the last 4 games though did we? We are still looking at a club going backwards whatever the ref did or didn't do.

[Majiball]

All of which is correct.

There was little to NO money around.

Let's not forget that.

Stop trying to shift the blame.

I won't deal in hypothetical's either but we were fine until Venky's came along and we'd had no money from the day Sam came. He was even forced to sell our best player at the time in RSC, showing he could cope with the scenario you create.

Fact is we were fine until Venky's decided to start gutting out our club.

Lets not forget that.

[chaddyrovers]

I agree that Big Sam wanted RSC and i thought then it wouldn't work but was willing to RSC a chance.

Nicko, I still don't understand what the owners or some of them wanted Maradona for manager job?

Did they not speak to any manager to see whether any would be interest in the rovers job?

The owners didn't see to have a plan B or even plan A.