[Archived] Steve Kean Thread (Poll reset after Stoke game)

[Stuart]

This is what drives me bananas about the "Most Recent Unread Post" facility not working due to all of the posts that mods have to remove.

But for the congrats, I would have missed DE4LIFE's fantastic post. A creditable effort that cuts through all of the rumour and speculation surrounding the club and highlights the heart of the matter - on the pitch.

I just wish that someone would act as a result of the clear evidence of on-field matters. My 8 year old son doesn't understand or care on jot about the finances, agents, PR or stats. And even he can see its time for a change. Why can't our owners? (Rhet)

Too many people at the club who keep quiet and keep taking their salaries when if there was any honour and pride they'd be saying "Kean needs to go or I'm off".

Yes I'm talking about you, Mr Hunt. You are being made to look impotent and powerless, in my opinion.

[Mattyblue]

Hunt won't be arsed Jisty. I presume that when he was brought in, he was made aware that he would have limited scope, that his job would not give him anywhere near the authority that John Williams enjoyed.

He's a high paid employee who's loyalty is to Venky's, he isn't a Rovers man.

[Pelio]

So much for Kean introducing a prettier style of football, this report confirms we are officially a long-ball team;

http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2011/12/13/blackburn-must-ditch-kean-to-survive/

Everyone else sees it except Venkys, who are fooking blind to everything....

[trueblue]

So much for Kean introducing a prettier style of football, this report confirms we are officially a long-ball team;

http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2011/12/13/blackburn-must-ditch-kean-to-survive/

Everyone else sees it except Venkys, who are fooking blind to everything....

Somebody send that article to Venky's!!!

[Devon Rover]

What makes me laugh about Steve Kean is ...I just remember the above - a long, torturous, painful fall of a once proud club - and think you have no idea what you are talking about.

Worst post ever.

Joking.

DE4life - this is one of the best-written summaries I've seen. Thanks for reminding me that my views on this farce are shared and I am not missing something here!

I haven't been on-line for a while but, inspired by your post, I'm off to delete my vote then vote for him to get sacked once again.

[Andy]

So much for Kean introducing a prettier style of football, this report confirms we are officially a long-ball team;

http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2011/12/13/blackburn-must-ditch-kean-to-survive/

Everyone else sees it except Venkys, who are fooking blind to everything....

What worries me is that there are actually some people who believe what they read in the press more than what they see with their eyes.

They read Kean talking about pretty football for several months and they start believing that it's real.

The football is awful and, even worse, it's losing football.

Say what you want about Big Sam and Hughes' early days - sometimes it was ugly but it was winning football.

[The Rover of Finland]

What makes me laugh about Steve Kean is his continuous verbal diarrhoea relating to the way we play football. We hear him espouse meaningless platitudes and vague references about 'the direction the club is going' and 'the vision' he claims he has for the club. I'm not sure what vision Steve is having, but away from the influences of any liquid drugs he may or may not be ingesting it's apparent to the entire footballing world that not only is he a horrific tactician but his failure to implement the system he craves has led to our team reverting to the tactics that made us successful before Big Sam was so senselessly dumped. I feel like reflecting to validate this.

When Kean started as manager the majority of people were ready to give him a chance, and to be honest he didn't get off to a terrible start. He definitely changed the way we played football, and at first it seemed like it may form into something successful. We had a rocky start with a few bad results, but wins against Liverpool and WBA x2 suggested Kean had a formula which could work. Unfortunately, in retrospect it is clear to see those victories were mainly down to the opposition and not Steve Kean. We played the worst Liverpool side in years, rock-bottom on confidence and IMO not playing for their manager at all. We almost threw that result away, and both wins against WBA were fortunate. The second win in particular was undeserved.

It became apparent Kean's tactics were not going to stand the test of time. We entered February and proceeded to lose 3 and draw 1. Our losses included conceding 4 goals twice, against Villa and the mighty Wigan Athletic. March continued the downward spiral as we lost 3-2 to Fulham, and then salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Blackpool. The same Blackpool who were relegated from the league at the end of the season. Depending on who you listen to Kean potentially lost the dressing room at half time and the players took matters into their own hands. True? Who knows, but the two goals we scored were straight out of the 'Big Sam' handbook.

Our next 8 games yielded only 2 wins, but also a few crucial draws (albeit one at home to West Ham[away], relegated as the bottom club in the league, and Birmingham City[home], also relegated... Kean tried to spin these as "positive results"). The teams we beat were Bolton, who had entered a run of form somehow as horrifically bad as ours, and coincidentally enough also with a young Scottish manager, and Wolves on the last day of the season. We very nearly threw the Wolves result away as well, hanging on at the death having had a comfortable 3-0 lead reduced to 3-2.

We did stay up, and at this point Venky's should have done the right thing and sacked Steve Kean. He had failed to deliver success or good football. If Venky's had sacked Kean and appointed a decent manager I think most of us would have said 'okay, they made a mistake, they were lucky not to pay for it. Let's wipe the slate clean and look forward to pushing on'. Instead, they kept Kean on and made an absolute pig's ear of the summer transfer window. Their incompetence was staggering. We ended up selling our brightest young star Phil Jones and failing to replace him. We also let Emerton and Diouf go - both useful players with bags of prem experience. Despite Venky's promises of investment we actually ended up with a NET PROFIT in the summer and our signings consisted of unknowns and cheap foreigners. I think we all knew we were in for a struggle this season, and so it has come to be. Other than a mind-bogglingly lucky win against a hapless Arsenal (who scored two goals for us) and a win against a Swansea team newly promoted and yet to win away, we've crashed and burned this year. Kean's tried to implement "his style" of football again with "his players" and surprise surprise, it hasn't worked. We're even more woeful than last season, and even though Kean seems to have now attempted to revert to his predecessors style of football again... without a Jermaine Jones or Phil Jones to give us an extra push it isn't working either. Instead it’s like a sad parody.

What's sad about the whole situation is that we've now reverted back to what many people believed Big Sam's style of football to be, except it’s worse. Allardyce knew how to win using percentages and a direct gameplan. Steve Kean does not have a clue, and as the second half of yesterday's game showed our players are utterly clueless when it comes to working out how they're supposed to be playing. The manager cannot advise them because he doesn't know what to do. Kean (ALLEGEDLY) went to India and told our owners Allardyce had lost the dressing room and that we could play a more entertaining brand of football. However, it has been shown beyond reasonable doubt that the style of football Kean attempts to play doesn't work with a club like ours. Allardyce inherited a team of grafters and played to their strengths. It was a team shorn of the creativeness and ability of Craig Bellamy, Brad Friedel, David Bentley and Tugay. What was left was a bunch of grafters and a waddling Benni "McDonalds" McCarthy. Santa Cruz, bereft of decent service, had become a shadow of the man that scored for fun only a season before. Allardyce did what he could with the players he had at his disposal - Kean (ALLEGEDLY) wormed his way into the job by suggesting it didn't have to be that way and the players we had were capable of more.

Doesn't seem that way now, does it Steve? Kean knows it isn't working and is desperately trying to back-pedal to Allardyce's style of football, but he hasn't got the same ability and the players don't have the same belief in him as they did Allardyce. Defensively we are a mess. We've got academy players all over the pitch who just aren't ready. Kean can blame injuries if he chooses but it is he who has said the owners have "always backed him" in the transfer market, so if that is the case why is our squad so perilously thin? Any half-wit can see the academy players are not ready to be thrown into first team football. Hanley should be on loan to Bournemouth or Torquay, Henley and Lowe should also be on loan somewhere. Blackman should be playing in the non-leagues somewhere. None of them are at a stage in their development where they can benefit our first team in any way, and the fact they're being chosen week in week out to play shows how badly Kean and the owners have failed to live up to the promises of investment in our squad. The young players are not to blame, and I won't blame them for any mistakes they make. They should not be thrust into the first team now. Our injuries speak for themselves – funny how these amounts of injuries rarely appeared during the Hughes or Allardyce eras, and even if they did we always had adequate cover. I very much doubt any manager of any competence would have allowed Ryan Nelsen or Martin Olsson anywhere near the team unless they were sure they were ready to potentially play. Kean has risked both of these players and caused reoccurrences of injuries which have kept one out for months and could potentially keep the other out for even more weeks, after being close to coming back.

I don’t normally rant or write long posts, but the second half performance yesterday really has me fuming and I needed to vent. I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry at the way our team has been set up. Totally amateur from the first whistle of the second half to the end. Most owners would have seen how incredibly poor Kean was as a manager some time ago and binned him... but we have a woman running the club who’s only ever been to one match in her life and has absolutely no idea about football. What a time to be a Blackburn Rovers fan when I hear the idiot pundits on Match of the Day, Soccer Saturday and the print media talk about giving Kean "more time" and how the fans are stupid for booing I just remember the above - a long, torturous, painful fall of a once proud club - and think you have no idea what you are talking about.

Amen. This should be published.

[mogster]

We hear him espouse meaningless platitudes

Fantastically brilliant post. I highlighted the above line because it's the best line I've ever seen, and I've seen some lines!

Everything points us to why it doesn't feel like our Rovers any more, rather a side experiment for some business owners and their mates.

What have we done to deserve this!?

[1864roverite]

I urge that post to be forwarded to Paul Hunt.

Great effort mate and sunms the situation up perfectly. It should also be sent to the forum of muppets on soccer saturday, even then they can come to grasp the reality of the situation at Ewood.

[Mike Graham]

DE4life: will you please send your letter to the LET?

[Paul Mellelieu]

Guardian article confirms that in the calendar year 2010 we were sixth in the PL and in 2011, second bottom.

The facts speak for themselves.

[DE.]

Firstly, thanks to all of you... I honestly didn't think my post would strike a chord with so many people. I'm kind of humbled by the response.

Secondly, in regards to submitting my post in any kind of publication, it would require some retouching. If I was to submit it to anywhere professionally I would make a few changes - particularly the first paragraph, as I wouldn't want any personal insults towards Kean to detract from the point of my post, which is that on the field his management has been an absolute shambles.

If it has a chance of being published in the LET or anywhere else I'd be happy to make the modifications and submit accordingly. Do you guys think there is a chance of it being included?

[ewoodeagle]

99.19% for sacking him

0.81% for keeping him

says it all really...

[vyeo]

The saddest thing is that as it stands, we actually STILL do have a chance of getting out of this if the owners act now. Sack Steve Kean, bring in a proper manager, and let the new guy bring in three players (1 each in defence, midfield and attack) of his choice in the January window. We'll have a fighting chance - we're currenlty four points off safety, and Sam got us out when we were five off the pace.

But what drives me mad is that we know the Venky's will not act, and Steve Kean will be allowed to relegate us. Absolutely depressing.

[Mattyblue]

Guardian article confirms that in the calendar year 2010 we were sixth in the PL and in 2011, second bottom.

The facts speak for themselves.

That can't be right because Ive read numerous times on here that our style of play had become 'less effective' and we were 'stagnating' under the previous manager.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The saddest thing is that as it stands, we actually STILL do have a chance of getting out of this if the owners act now. Sack Steve Kean, bring in a proper manager, and let the new guy bring in three players (1 each in defence, midfield and attack) of his choice in the January window. We'll have a fighting chance - we're currenlty four points off safety, and Sam got us out when we were five off the pace.

But what drives me mad is that we know the Venky's will not act, and Steve Kean will be allowed to relegate us. Absolutely depressing.

Very correct but we have owners who dont know their Arse from their Elbow.

Look at how swiftly Sunderland's board acted and appointed O'Neil when the danger signs were there for all to see.....we have Venky's.

OH LORDY!

[jannerman]

That can't be right because Ive read numerous times on here that our style of play had become 'less effective' and we were 'stagnating' under the previous manager.

Wasn't the main frustration that we were playing ugly Football but getting points?

Depending on who you believe these days it's the polar opposite of what we have now - until recent games where we've reverted to similar tactics without the points return.

Galvanises my belief that a Manager, even a less effective one, is a million miles away from a coach.

[roverandout]

yes de4, would definately have a chance of being published, encaptulates the way everyone is feeling.

[K-Hod]

That can't be right because Ive read numerous times on here that our style of play had become 'less effective' and we were 'stagnating' under the previous manager.

In fairness, even the people that wanted Allardyce couldn't have forseen that his departure would have resulted in us having to going through all the events of the past year!

[ABBEY]

We sat in the print works on Sunday before Crüe and watched the game , I was amazed it was full of rovers fans ! I was randomly sat with a Blackpool fan who was returning from Southampton . He couldn't get his round thT kean hasn't been sacked and he reckoned holloway is ewood bound ! Probly just Stella talk!

[47er]

In fairness, even the people that wanted Allardyce couldn't have forseen that his departure would have resulted in us having to going through all the events of the past year!

Off the field "No", you couldn't make it up. On the field definitely-------relegation was always on the cards.

[Amo]

He couldn't get his round thT kean hasn't been sacked and he reckoned holloway is ewood bound ! Probly just Stella talk!

Since they're two conflicting statements, I'd say more than probably.

[K-Hod]

Off the field "No", you couldn't make it up. On the field definitely-------relegation was always on the cards.

True, though when Venky's started talking big about bringing in an experienced manager, fans eyes lit up and started thinking of likely ex prem managers.

As we all know, we've been punching above our weight for years, thanks to good management on and off the field.

The result of having neither has been clear as day over the past 12 months.

[Kelbo]

Firstly, thanks to all of you... I honestly didn't think my post would strike a chord with so many people. I'm kind of humbled by the response.

Secondly, in regards to submitting my post in any kind of publication, it would require some retouching. If I was to submit it to anywhere professionally I would make a few changes - particularly the first paragraph, as I wouldn't want any personal insults towards Kean to detract from the point of my post, which is that on the field his management has been an absolute shambles.

If it has a chance of being published in the LET or anywhere else I'd be happy to make the modifications and submit accordingly. Do you guys think there is a chance of it being included?

I would have a damn good try, it echos the thoughs of so many of us and covers all the issues, great post!

[Mattyblue]

In fairness, even the people that wanted Allardyce couldn't have forseen that his departure would have resulted in us having to going through all the events of the past year!

I've read posts well in to Kean's reign saying that we were 'stagnating', the 2010 record says different.