[Archived] Yakubu

[Savory]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/yakubu-shocking-fan-abuse-is-hurting-us-6281110.html

Ayegbeni Yakubu has admitted that the toxic atmosphere at Ewood Park is affecting the Blackburn players.

The situation at Ewood Park has become so grim that many fans now fear that any victory will only extend manager Steve Kean's time in charge. It's a mood which is unsettling for the players, says their striker.

"I don't know if they don't want us to win or [they want us to] lose, but when we concede goals it's like they keep calling out against the manager. They want him to go, but what can [the players] do?

"For me, it's hard," he told The Independent. "It's not good for us as players. We are all feeling it. There's always pressure when you are not winning. I've never, never been in a situation like this before in my life. Not since I've been playing football. Calling for the manager to leave, I don't know what to say. It's shocking, but what can you do? The players aren't talking about bringing in a new manager. We'll just stick together and see how it goes."

With just two Premier League wins this season, Rovers fans have been waging a long-running campaign to oust Kean, and successive home losses to West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers have put the Scot in an almost untenable position.

The 29-year-old Yakubu says the players are very conscious of the "Kean Out" chants from supporters. "We arrive at the game and say, 'What is it going to be? Are the fans against us?' We just plead that they stick with the team. The situation is not good for the players, it's not good for the club. They are our 12th man. We need them to help us achieve something for the club; to help move up from our position. We are not in a good situation, bottom of the League. We need them to be with us and fight together."

However, he stops short of saying that the players actually prefer the away games. "No, at the moment, not really. We will see at Liverpool [on Boxing Day] if it's going to be the same. The situation is not good when you're not winning."

Much of the ill feeling stems from the frustrations of Rovers supporters, who feel unable to voice their concerns to the Indian owners. Kean is the only visible target for the growing number of fans who have serious questions about how their club is being run. But the form of the Nigerian forward has been the only bright note for the Lancashire club.

Having been signed by Kean in August, Yakubu has hit 11 goals in 12 starts including all four against Swansea City, a club record for a Premier League game. Surprising when you think this was a club where Shearer, Sutton, Cole and Yorke all plied their trade. Kean believes the striker will get 20 goals this season, a target which Yakubu predicts he can reach. "I always believe I can score goals. Twenty goals this season is possible for me."

If Kean is looking for credit, perhaps he can take it from getting goals from the talented Nigerian where others have struggled. Much of that is down to an understanding between player and manager. "There are strikers who can chase the ball for fun, but they aren't going to give you 15 or 20 goals a season," Yakubu adds. "Sometimes I chase the ball, but not for 90 minutes. I'm not that sort of player. I'm very good in the box and very intelligent in the box. The players know when I get the ball what I can do. They have confidence in me."

Despite his wish to repay the faith shown to him by Kean, Yakubu insists his own personal relationship with the Blackburn supporters is strong. "I don't have any problem with the fans. They've been great with me since I've arrived and I always want to go out on to the pitch and perform for them." Though he says he would rather hear the "Feed The Yak And He Will Score" song than the abuse which is currently being directed towards the club.

During Tuesday night's defeat to Bolton, the abuse Kean suffered reached such proportions that questions of his personal safety began to arise, but Yakubu played down such worries. "I don't think something bad will happen to him. I don't think anyone will attack him. In Middlesbrough I remember it was bad. We were losing and a lot of the fans didn't like Steve McClaren. They were throwing their season tickets at him. Telling him, 'You don't know what you are doing. You have to go.' In the end we played in the Uefa Cup final. We couldn't believe it, everyone was so happy, and in the end he left to go and manage the England national team. Things can change."

With Liverpool and Manchester United to play away, the festive season looks anything but charitable for Rovers, but Yakubu insists that they are not disheartened. "Yes, it's going to get harder but look at Wigan, you'd never think they'd get a point against Chelsea. You'd never think they'd get a point against Liverpool. In football anything can happen. If we play well we can get a draw or a win. That's the Premiership. If you don't play well you won't get anything. We are ready for this, we are ready to fight to the end."

For Blackburn fans there seems to be only one solution. Removing Kean may get the fans back behind the team but Blackburn's problems appear to start further up the food chain. At least they've got a goalscorer, and one hungry to scrap until the end.

The Yak

[sijoco]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/yakubu-shocking-fan-abuse-is-hurting-us-6281110.html

The Yak

Kean has lost the supporters and vilified us as hooligans and bullies - Princess Diana could come back and speak in favour of him and it wouldn't make the slightest difference, he's a dead man walking (metaphorically)

[youandwhosearmy]

Yes its all our fault... We made the team lose all those games...

Ps yak I still want you to pay your wages back for the disgraceful performance against Sunderland. Don't care how many you get, worst performance of any striker I have ever Seen in any league ever...

[ABBEY]

Remember a dogs for life

The yaks just til Christmas

[Stevo]

Well, he seem's to be coping quite well considering looking at his record.

[Penster]

A plea to the Yak:

The players must realize that their ultimate loyalty is to the true custodians of Blackburn Rovers-the fans.Yes; Kean is your gaffer but he has failed on every level as far as we fans are concerned.

We appreciate that you have a conflict of interest but please step back and look at the whole picture in the cold light of day and can you, hand heart, pretend you don't understand why we protest as we do?

Time and time again we have explained that we are NOT criticizing the team -why do you choose to ignore our sentiments-false sense of loyalty again?

Rovers have never been darlings of the media; we can live with that. What we cant live with is the wholly gratuitous criticism of our club's fans by the cosy , cosseted sanctimonious self appointed football elite who Know nothing of the truth of the unfolding Greek tragedy that has become Blackburn Rovers.

We do have members of the Blackburn squad who know exactly the depth of the tragedy and fully understand how we react as we do-as I witnessed today as they drove past at the Brockhall protest..But for obvious reasons they have to keep their council-but we know who they are and they will always be remembered and respected for it.

Rovers Till I Die.

[booth]

Well said Yak because we were brilliant before the Kean Out chants weren't we

Also make your mind up

I've never, never been in a situation like this before in my life. Not since I've been playing football. Calling for the manager to leave, I don't know what to say. It's shocking, but what can you do? The players aren't talking about bringing in a new manager. We'll just stick together and see how it goes."

[edit]

During Tuesday night's defeat to Bolton, the abuse Kean suffered reached such proportions that questions of his personal safety began to arise, but Yakubu played down such worries. "I don't think something bad will happen to him. I don't think anyone will attack him. In Middlesbrough I remember it was bad. We were losing and a lot of the fans didn't like Steve McClaren. They were throwing their season tickets at him. Telling him, 'You don't know what you are doing. You have to go.' In the end we played in the Uefa Cup final. We couldn't believe it, everyone was so happy, and in the end he left to go and manage the England national team. Things can change."

[arbitro]

Ah now I understand why you have been caught off-side so many times Yak. Of course it's the supporters fault that you can't move your big lazy arse enough to stay on side and actually help the team. Perhaps if the current regime was professional enough they would have you on a diet which might just help you become a better and fitter player.

[Torgeir]

Ah now I understand why you have been caught off-side so many times Yak. Of course it's the supporters fault that you can't move your big lazy arse enough to stay on side and actually help the team. Perhaps if the current regime was professional enough they would have you on a diet which might just help you become a better and fitter player.

Yak has been excellent for us this season.

[Tom]

Can't believe people are actually criticising Yakubu, I suppose as soon as he showed Kean support he made himself the next Potential target.

Tell you what id rather someone with his ability to score than another workhorse.

Ps worst performance by any striker ever? Jeez hyperbole much he had an off day but had nothing to work with and then he created a couple of chances and should have had a penalty.

[arbitro]

Yak has been excellent for us this season.

His goalscoring would back up your point however his overall play is average at best. At Sunderland when we needed him to put in a real shift he went missing and against West Brom we conceded possession lots of times because he was caught off side. There have been many other examples of his work shy approach. He would improve immeasurably if he lost some weight and worked harder for the team.

[Stuart]

The Yak: "I've never, never been in a situation like this before".

Neither have we Yak.

[Beta Ray Bill]

Noone would be seriously criticizing Yak if he wasn't "Kean's Man".

It is perfectly understandable that he is defending the Delusional One, considering he was rescued from a career cul-de-sac.

We've seen plenty of hard working strikers who never get double figures in a season, and we're disappointed that he's scoring but not got the energy of a Dickov?

[Ricky]

11 in 12 starts and people are questioning him lol.... I'd rather have him than Roberts. Roberts would have chased everything at Sunderland and would still probably not have scored.

Yak is currently one of the highest scorers in the league playing for the team bottom. Says something surely, he's not getting as many chances as the forwards at the top teams but he's putting them away.

[arbitro]

11 in 12 starts and people are questioning him lol.... I'd rather have him than Roberts. Roberts would have chased everything at Sunderland and would still probably not have scored.

Yak is currently one of the highest scorers in the league playing for the team bottom. Says something surely, he's not getting as many chances as the forwards at the top teams but he's putting them away.

I'm not questioning his goal scoring, far from it. His goals per chances ratio must be the best in the PL. If he had put a shift in at Sunderland (as Roberts would probably have done) we would have defended further up the field and helped to prevent the wave of attacks which were generally started by Sunderland defenders. My frustration with him is the apparant lack of action at times.

Perhaps a hybrid of Roberts and Yak could be the answer.

[Ozz]

Perhaps a hybrid of Roberts and Yak could be the answer.

A sort of half Yak/Half donkey then?

[MarkBRFC71]

Yes its all our fault... We made the team lose all those games...

Ps yak I still want you to pay your wages back for the disgraceful performance against Sunderland. Don't care how many you get, worst performance of any striker I have ever Seen in any league ever...

You obviously never saw Ashley Ward ....

[Boner]

Kean mustn't have many cards left to play if Yak's being wheeled out like this. There's only one present I want this Christmas, fingers crossed.

[hi-jaq]

I'm not questioning his goal scoring, far from it. His goals per chances ratio must be the best in the PL. If he had put a shift in at Sunderland (as Roberts would probably have done) we would have defended further up the field and helped to prevent the wave of attacks which were generally started by Sunderland defenders. My frustration with him is the apparant lack of action at times.

Perhaps a hybrid of Roberts and Yak could be the answer.

Or perhaps the manager should play them both up top together, especially for home games... Yak would have a field day feeding off Roberts, as much as I don't rate Roberts, he chases the ball & can hold it up.

We need to question our manager yet again as to why he plays Yak up top on his own when he's not really cut out for that role. He needs to be feeding off a target man, in and around the box, if you look at the goals he's scored for us so far, the majority have been cheeky finishes from a little bit of clever movement or good positioning, he's an opportunist poacher, not the kind of player that fashions chances for himself.

[sam_rovers]

Yak: Shocking eating habits are hurting me would be a more apt headline

[den]

'Shocking' fan abuse is hurting us.

No Yak, - Venky's and Kean are killing us. For ever and a day rovers fans have been behind the owners - until, 12 months ago, something changed. Was it the fans, or was it the owners?

[Andy]

All this grief for the fans' reaction, it's crazy.

Our reaction is due to horrific results and performances, not the other way round (fans reaction causing poor performance).

[USABlue]

Perhaps he should say it was his high five that saved Kean's job.

[K-Hod]

Bore off Yak, you'll still get paid whoever the manager is.

[RibbleValleyRover]

11 in 12 starts and people are questioning him lol.... I'd rather have him than Roberts. Roberts would have chased everything at Sunderland and would still probably not have scored.

Yak is currently one of the highest scorers in the league playing for the team bottom. Says something surely, he's not getting as many chances as the forwards at the top teams but he's putting them away.

You can't question his goal scoring record so far this season, but you can question his stance towards Kean and the fans.

I haven't seen anything to suggest that he is correct on this subject, Rovers were really poor before the protests against the manager and are just as bad now.