[Archived] Next manager

[Mercer]

I'd go for José María Olazábal Manterola.

And a very good European night to you all.

[67splitscreen]

Got to say, this article by Shearer after we went down really shows what we still mean to him:

http://www.thesun.co...rns-plight.html

Very emotive stuff.

Surprised he's even considering working for Venkys after that article, backtracking is never nice.

[my_name_is_Earl]

When you put it like that, the idea is hard to resist!

I should be his PR man Seriously though, sometimes things are just meant to be. In 10 years time we may all be remembering the day when club legend Alan Shearer got us promoted as manager. Epic scenes of Shearers grin as the pitch invasion takes place and fans hoist him into the air, reminding us of those scenes at Anfield in '95. It really could be magic.

What do people make of Dowie and Newell as his backroom team? Wouldn't suffer fools? Shearer command respect?

Surprised he's even considering working for Venkys after that article, backtracking is never nice.

Perhaps he sees it as a chance to sort the mess out himself? Obviously really passionate about the club still, would obviously seek assurances as well.

[CrazyIvan]

Shearer and Newell would be a good team and one that, like Hughes, would be a lot more popular than someone with no previous links to the club. Like Hughes, it would give a sense of loyalty and promise. The Hughes situation is never likely to happen again with all the players wanting him and prepared to play for him from day one.

[RevidgeBlue]

Shearer might work if he had an experienced older head or top class coach alongside him and I'd certainly be prepared to buy into the romance of it initially.

I'd be worried though if his support staff consisted of Newell and Dowie as I wouldn't consider either to be top notch material. Newell hasn't exactly covered himself in glory recently and if you listen to Dowie on Sky Sports he sounds so thick he struggles to get a sentence out.

[SydneyRover]

Hello everyone,

First post under this username, used to be a regular on here under a different one though.

Anyway I have to say I do despair immensely at people on here wanting Shearer or Sherwood - but especially Shearer. I just can't believe that after our two biggest recent disasters - Ince and Kean - that people would be wanting to take a massive gamble with an unproven manager when so many recent massive gambles have been taken with our club recently and resulted in disaster.

Sherwood - most likely has a good footballing brain. Is clearly rated in coaching circles. But remember Steve Kean was too, he was even approached to be in the Chelsea set up under Scolari. Kean was also doing a role one rung above Sherwood's role currently. I was dead against Kean being appointed as we were promoting someone with no managerial experience. But Sherwood doesn't even have the experience Kean had. Yes he was a great captain and player, but so was Paul Ince. Why then are we for appointing him? Being an assistant first team coach and being a manager are two hugely different roles.

Shearer - are people actually serious?! He is probably one of the worst pundits I've ever seen, his sheer lack of insight into the game he played at such a high level is shockingly poor. He hadn't even heard of Ben Arfa when Newcastle signed him when arguably the average fan with a basic following of continental football had. His only stint as manager at Newcastle ended in abject failure.

We desperately need to go up this season. We have signed Jordan Rhodes for big money and big wages. Sure some crowds will come back now Kean has left, but if we stagnate in the Championship we will be back down to gates of 12,000 sure enough. Financially we would take a huge hit.

We need a manager who we know can MANAGE, not someone who will get a "good feeling" about the place.

If a manager comes in and is successful, this will in itself get a buzz about the place.

Conversely if a former player comes in and we start slipping down the league (a very likely outcome - the Championship is a hard league to manage in), any good feeling would be extinguished.

I know the likes of Redknapp and Benitez are ridiculous suggestions, but even Mick McCarthy would be fine for me. He's a safe pair of hands who would have a great chance of getting us promoted, and then we can cross the next bridge when we get to it. Failing him, even poaching someone from League One who has done a good job to date would still be infinitely preferable to Shearer or Sherwood for me. Especially Shearer.

Remember those who make the decisions are taking fan opinion into account when deciding a new manager (largely because theyre clueless themselves). I worry all this talk of hiring people with no experience (yet again) will send our club backwards - yet again.

[Blueboy Downunder]

pep guardiola aint doing a great deal right now!!

[my_name_is_Earl]

All valid points SydneyRover. I would prefer McCarthy as a realistic first choice but I know he ain't got a sniff in regardless of what the odds say.

Also, not sure that this board will provide any food for thought to be honest, tempted to think it would do but a decision will be made after consultations with the football community. If we have any role to play, which I doubt, it will be to rubber stamp any pending final decision and that's also unlikely.

[SydneyRover]

All valid points SydneyRover. I would prefer McCarthy as a realistic first choice but I know he ain't got a sniff in regardless of what the odds say.

Also, not sure that this board will provide any food for thought to be honest, tempted to think it would do but a decision will be made after consultations with the football community. If we have any role to play, which I doubt, it will be to rubber stamp any pending final decision and that's also unlikely.

Right now with all this talk of Shearer I am hugely tempted to think this board won't influence things. However I think your scenario of Venky's taking such a measured and logical approach to appointing the next manager is wishful thinking given past form. I think they're more likely to appoint a famous name rather than make a measured assessment of their managerial abilities. Sadly it seems a lot of the fans are also going down this route.

[iBL4cKBuRn]

Maradona anyone?

[67splitscreen]

I should be his PR man Seriously though, sometimes things are just meant to be. In 10 years time we may all be remembering the day when club legend Alan Shearer got us promoted as manager. Epic scenes of Shearers grin as the pitch invasion takes place and fans hoist him into the air, reminding us of those scenes at Anfield in '95. It really could be magic.

What do people make of Dowie and Newell as his backroom team? Wouldn't suffer fools? Shearer command respect?

Perhaps he sees it as a chance to sort the mess out himself? Obviously really passionate about the club still, would obviously seek assurances as well.

Our lot are not that reliable when it comes to assurances, offer to the shareholders ring any bells, unless your name is SK that is.

[my_name_is_Earl]

Right now with all this talk of Shearer I am hugely tempted to think this board won't influence things. However I think your scenario of Venky's taking such a measured and logical approach to appointing the next manager is wishful thinking given past form. I think they're more likely to appoint a famous name rather than make a measured assessment of their managerial abilities. Sadly it seems a lot of the fans are also going down this route.

Honestly, they may bring in a recognised name but it will be because it's what they've been advised to do/think is best with fans thoughts only an afterthought. They have to do it right this time and I think they will because it's all or nothing for them now. Don't forget they've just forked out 8m on one player to get them promoted - a record in this division.

Our lot are not that reliable when it comes to assurances, offer to the shareholders ring any bells, unless your name is SK that is.

I hear you but they simply have to get it right this time. There is no room for error and the authority at the club is changing as you can see that Bala, Venky and Shebby have got their wish, with Mrs.D conceding. This lot want to succeed and although there is every chance they can mess it up, I think they will try their best.

[SydneyRover]

Honestly, they may bring in a recognised name but it will be because it's what they've been advised to do/think is best with fans thoughts only an afterthought. They have to do it right this time and I think they will because it's all or nothing for them now. Don't forget they've just forked out 8m on one player to get them promoted - a record in this division.

It was 5 million on Jordan Rhodes with an extra 3m if we get promoted etc (which will come from projected Sky money). And they didn't fork that money out - we got a ton of money for Samba in January, plus money for N'Zonzi and Hoilett this summer.

Apart from the odd decent signing, Venky's haven't done anything right. Even the Kean situation was bungled right up until the last moment. It seems there's too much chatter around Sherwood for there not to be any truth there, and if so then I very much doubt they are taking advice from the right people. As the right people would tell them that the Championship is a very tough league (our points total does not match our performances), promotion is vital and experience is paramount.

[my_name_is_Earl]

It was 5 million on Jordan Rhodes with an extra 3m if we get promoted etc (which will come from projected Sky money). And they didn't fork that money out - we got a ton of money for Samba in January, plus money for N'Zonzi and Hoilett this summer.

Apart from the odd decent signing, Venky's haven't done anything right. Even the Kean situation was bungled right up until the last moment. It seems there's too much chatter around Sherwood for there not to be any truth there, and if so then I very much doubt they are taking advice from the right people. As the right people would tell them that the Championship is a very tough league (our points total does not match our performances), promotion is vital and experience is paramount.

You're missing the point though, if they weren't interested in making things right, they wouldn't have put that money back into the club. Believe me, i'm as big a cynic as every other Rovers fan but there is potential for a start here with control of the club moving into the hands of those who want to make it a success. We have to start again from somewhere and it may as well be here.

Also, you forgot to mention the huge wages that are being paid out by the club. For example, even if Murphy was free, he's costing a fortune in wages. That all adds up and represents an investment.

Just out of interest, who's your first choice realistic preference?

[SydneyRover]

You're missing the point though, if they weren't interested in making things right, they wouldn't have put that money back into the club. Believe me, i'm as big a cynic as every other Rovers fan but there is potential for a start here with control of the club moving into the hands of those who want to make it a success. We have to start again from somewhere and it may as well be here.

Also, you forgot to mention the huge wages that are being paid out by the club. For example, even if Murphy was free, he's costing a fortune in wages. That all adds up and represents an investment.

Just out of interest, who's your first choice realistic preference?

One can say the same about the huge wages being paid out by Portsmouth too. The balance sheets of Venky's don't indicate they have huge amounts of funds when compared to some other football owners. I would see the huge amounts paid to the likes of Murphy as being very ominous in terms if we stay in the Championship more than anything else. I think Venky's do too - and I think it's telling that it appears financial concerns from the boycott were what forced their hand to consider firing Kean rather than any decision made by what happened on the pitch.

If they were remotely competent, an 11th hour call from Steve Kean's wife last weekend wouldn't have kept him in the job. This was just last weekend, yet Steve Kean resigns and suddenly they might know what they're doing again? I'm sure they would like to see the club do well, but for reasons that haven't come to light yet, they won't take the sensible steps needed to make this happen. They couldn't even be trusted to do so last weekend!

Curbishley would be first choice, but he hasn't worked for ages so probably wouldn't take the Ewood job. One of Mick McCarthy, Dave Jones, Simon Grayson, hell even Chris Powell who got Charlton to 101 points in League One last year would be much preferable to Sherwood and Shearer who haven't managed before.

[iBL4cKBuRn]

A lot of news Keith Hill could be approached.

[GoneSouth]

Shearer would be a huge risk but can't help but think I'd get carried away in the romance of it

Just to go on Saturday and see Alan Shearer on the touch line rather than Steve Kean would be uplifting but maybe not best in the long haul

I agree. It's hard to dispute the rational objections, but the idea of 20,000+ rovers fans singing Big Al's name on Saturday is an incredible thing to imagine in contrast to the last 2 years. Usually I'd oppose romantic reasons behind managerial appointments, but I think our current predicament calls for a little romance. The heart has been ripped from the club, and having our greatest ever player on the touchline is a way to restore that heart.

Plus I think this is a decent opportunity for Al - we have a good shot at promotion and will often be playing sides we should be turning over convincingly. It beats a relegation scrap as a proving ground for a young manager.

Having said all this, I will only believe we are capable of making a good appointment when I actually see it.

[Steve Moss]

A lot of news Keith Hill could be approached.

Why? His record at Barnsley is a mere 29% with about 58 games. Hardly an improvement on Kean.

[iBL4cKBuRn]

I don't know haha. Just what couple articles say.

[Puffsan]

Hello everyone,

First post under this username, used to be a regular on here under a different one though.

Anyway I have to say I do despair immensely at people on here wanting Shearer or Sherwood - but especially Shearer. I just can't believe that after our two biggest recent disasters - Ince and Kean - that people would be wanting to take a massive gamble with an unproven manager when so many recent massive gambles have been taken with our club recently and resulted in disaster.

Sherwood - most likely has a good footballing brain. Is clearly rated in coaching circles. But remember Steve Kean was too, he was even approached to be in the Chelsea set up under Scolari. Kean was also doing a role one rung above Sherwood's role currently. I was dead against Kean being appointed as we were promoting someone with no managerial experience. But Sherwood doesn't even have the experience Kean had. Yes he was a great captain and player, but so was Paul Ince. Why then are we for appointing him? Being an assistant first team coach and being a manager are two hugely different roles.

Shearer - are people actually serious?! He is probably one of the worst pundits I've ever seen, his sheer lack of insight into the game he played at such a high level is shockingly poor. He hadn't even heard of Ben Arfa when Newcastle signed him when arguably the average fan with a basic following of continental football had. His only stint as manager at Newcastle ended in abject failure.

We desperately need to go up this season. We have signed Jordan Rhodes for big money and big wages. Sure some crowds will come back now Kean has left, but if we stagnate in the Championship we will be back down to gates of 12,000 sure enough. Financially we would take a huge hit.

We need a manager who we know can MANAGE, not someone who will get a "good feeling" about the place.

If a manager comes in and is successful, this will in itself get a buzz about the place.

Conversely if a former player comes in and we start slipping down the league (a very likely outcome - the Championship is a hard league to manage in), any good feeling would be extinguished.

I know the likes of Redknapp and Benitez are ridiculous suggestions, but even Mick McCarthy would be fine for me. He's a safe pair of hands who would have a great chance of getting us promoted, and then we can cross the next bridge when we get to it. Failing him, even poaching someone from League One who has done a good job to date would still be infinitely preferable to Shearer or Sherwood for me. Especially Shearer.

Remember those who make the decisions are taking fan opinion into account when deciding a new manager (largely because theyre clueless themselves). I worry all this talk of hiring people with no experience (yet again) will send our club backwards - yet again.

Ok you have a couple of fair points and maybe someone inexperienced in managing is not the risk we should take now, but players like shearer, Sherwood, Salgado etc has something you can't teach. They are winners, have played at the highest level and know what it takes to be a top player, what it takes to succeed. There is a reason why many ex players go into managing and does it well. They have played at the top level, under good and bad managers for a decade. Surely you pick up stuff.

One of the problems with Steve kean (among many) is that he never had a sucessful playing career, never played at the top level. Not only do you get experience, but you also get some authority for being a top player and a legend of the game. Very few top managers have not played football at the top level, mourinho and AVB have made it, but they had great mentors.

I think one of the problems AVB had in Chelsea was the lack of authority. The players in that squad had won the premiership, some had won the world cup, euro, champions league etc, and then a young manager comes in and start making lots of changes which doesn't work, dropping experienced guys etc. you need to have a strong personality to do that and get away with it.

Ye sure we can go for mick mcCarthy, or warnock or someone else who have experience promoting teams but when they don't cut it in the premiership we are back to square one. It's less than 8 months since wolves fans were almost rioting to have mcCarthy sacked, is that what rovers need now with owners who are ridiculously loyal to their manager?

And it is basically the same thing with players. Some players circulate in the bottom premiership teams/top championship teams. Teams buy players who are maybe slightly better than the ones they already have after panicking due to a bad start or in January window, because they are afraid to gamble on a player from a foreign division.They may end up with surviving relegation battle, but the next year they are stuck with these players on 3 year contracts, got no money to invest on new players and end up in the same situation year after year. Thats how you end up being a yo-yo club.

I'll rather have someone inexperienced or someone up and coming from league 1 or a foreign division than going for mick McCarthy and all the other championship nomad managers

[glen9mullan]

Rovers need to do the right thing here, take their time, explore all avenues and get the best man for the job. This club has been on the road to ruin for the last 2 years and now its a long road back. We need an experienced Manager, no sentimental choices, no one looking for their first big break, no-one who has never managed before, and no-one with less than a few hundred games under their belts. The next appointment will define Blackburns Long term future and after Ince/Kean/Kidd we can ill afford another inexperienced Manager. Scout the globe, find someone who has the appetite, can speak many languages. Who can adapt their style of play around any squad of players. If its a manager who just plays long ball, then thats no good as we dont have the players in our squad to adapt to that style of play anymore. We need someone who has a Plan A Plan B, Plan C and so on. Supporters were liberated this weekend from one bad manager, lets not make the mistake of appointing another. Top Players don't always make good Managers, in fact many of the games top Managers in the past have been average players or bad players but great Managers.

[CrazyIvan]

Mick McCarthy is not the long-term solution to the manager role at Rovers. Venky's most make sure they get a manager and managerial team that has a future not a one season deal. Who could do that?

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Why? His record at Barnsley is a mere 29% with about 58 games. Hardly an improvement on Kean.

That's with Barnsley though.....so there's a bit of perspective needed......if Kean managed Barnsley he wouldn't have got a 21% win ratio....it would be about 5%.

A lot of talk seems to be concerning whether we should go with the tried and tested but then what?, approach with the likes of McCarthy or if not a completely unproven manager.

After Curbishley, then the unlikely ones of Redknapp, Holloway etc.....I don't think we should go with either.....I'd prefer managers of lesser teams who would probably be willing to come here, like Keith Hill, Derek McInnes, Simon Grayson, Chris Powell, Dougie Freedman or Karl Robinson.....I can't see Poyet leaving Brighton and Di Canio has too much baggage.

Any manager appointment just like any signing is a gamble but with what's at stake, I'm really not up for someone like Shearer taking charge.

[glen9mullan]

A good Manager out of work, who has been a a world class player, played under some of the best managers, natural leader on the pitch. Won trophies as a Manager and has been about a bit, including international management

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothar_Matth%C3%A4us

[SydneyRover]

Ok you have a couple of fair points and maybe someone inexperienced in managing is not the risk we should take now, but players like shearer, Sherwood, Salgado etc has something you can't teach. They are winners, have played at the highest level and know what it takes to be a top player, what it takes to succeed. There is a reason why many ex players go into managing and does it well. They have played at the top level, under good and bad managers for a decade. Surely you pick up stuff.

One of the problems with Steve kean (among many) is that he never had a sucessful playing career, never played at the top level. Not only do you get experience, but you also get some authority for being a top player and a legend of the game. Very few top managers have not played football at the top level, mourinho and AVB have made it, but they had great mentors.

I think one of the problems AVB had in Chelsea was the lack of authority. The players in that squad had won the premiership, some had won the world cup, euro, champions league etc, and then a young manager comes in and start making lots of changes which doesn't work, dropping experienced guys etc. you need to have a strong personality to do that and get away with it.

Ye sure we can go for mick mcCarthy, or warnock or someone else who have experience promoting teams but when they don't cut it in the premiership we are back to square one. It's less than 8 months since wolves fans were almost rioting to have mcCarthy sacked, is that what rovers need now with owners who are ridiculously loyal to their manager?

And it is basically the same thing with players. Some players circulate in the bottom premiership teams/top championship teams. Teams buy players who are maybe slightly better than the ones they already have after panicking due to a bad start or in January window, because they are afraid to gamble on a player from a foreign division.They may end up with surviving relegation battle, but the next year they are stuck with these players on 3 year contracts, got no money to invest on new players and end up in the same situation year after year. Thats how you end up being a yo-yo club.

I'll rather have someone inexperienced or someone up and coming from league 1 or a foreign division than going for mick McCarthy and all the other championship nomad managers

Sorry but this couldn't be more wrong.

People like you were saying the same when we appointed Paul Ince! I was saying the exact opposite - so many of the great managers have not been great players and vice versa.

Was AVBs lack of a playing career a problem when he led Porto to all those titles?

How about these names: Alex Ferguson - how many caps did he win for Scotland then? You even cite Jose Mourinho as an example. How about Arsene Wenger? Bill Shankly was a good player but hardly one of the greats. Ditto Matt Busby. How many caps did Lippi get for Italy? Jock Stein? Trapattoni only got 17 caps for Italy. The current England manager only ever played non-league. The current Liverpool manager hardly had a playing career to speak of.

On the other hand - how about Maradona? Roy Keane? Paul Ince? Stuart Pearce? Steve Bruce? Ferenc Puskas? Michel Platini? Did their football playing careers help them to be great managers?

Granted you can name a few who have been great managers and great players but most have excelled in either one field or the other.

I wouldn't be 100% crazy about McCarthy coming but I would much sooner have a guy who has won this league twice over Alan Shearer whose only managerial experience is helping to get Newcastle relegated. I find it absolutely mad someone would prefer Shearer. Additionally, if I recall correctly when McCarthy got sacked, Wolves were still very much in with a chance of fighting the drop. Once his successor came in, they dropped like a stone.