[Archived] New Manager Part 3

[alexanders]

It really is a positive that Berg knows post Venkys and have been very crucial of how the club has been running under them.

Puffsan. Thanks for a great post!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Played two games with Keith in the B team, he was a centre half then, I got the dreaded, 'dont call us we'll call you' message but it was tough as the lads coming through were England, Pickering, Newton etc, a number of years later, Keith and I worked together along with Ian Lawther, another ex Rover, we shared fags and memories together, yes Keith was a great player, great lad and is deeply missed!!

Thanks for that Kelbo, Billy Eckersley was before my time but Keith was the best full back I ever saw at Ewood. Any doubters, ask any Burnley fan what they think.

[davulsukur]

Cheers for the post Puffsan. Some good info on Bergs managerial career.

Not a fan of zonal marking myself but if it works then fair do's.

[Ricky]

To be fair Paul that was June and it was referring to us going back up with Kean in charge, that's one major change that has happened. It probably also assumed, as did most of us, that we'd lose a lot of players and spend nothing. Nobody saw us spending £11m on 2 strikers at that stage.

I'd say quite a bit has changed to be fair.

[Black Burn]

I'm genuinely appalled by the endorsement of that statement by the three responses to my pointing out an offensive post.

I'm fully aware of the avant-grade nature of comedy and the necessity of manipulating perceived taboos for effect and to denigrate the genuinely medieval viewpoints held by some people through comedy.

What I can't agree with is someone brushing off a challenge against something they said which is wholly out of line with the playground excuse of, "I was only having a laugh." Spare me. You're all old enough and ugly enough to know better. I am for political correctness on the grounds that people shouldn't have to be labelled against their wishes with arcane terms by ignorant folk. Literal or no, perpetuating the myths about any demographic by using careless generalisations and inaccuracies associated with them is just plain wrong.

I genuinely believe that there's enough words in the English language to avoid resorting to calling people things like "retard." In the same spirit, the irony of my last word wasn't lost on me, of course not.

Interesting that you all jump to his defence with comedy as his excuse, when he said it was to do with context. Which is it?

Still, I'm bored of this and people that endorse it, lets just talk about football and be a little more considerate with our words.

I'm not endorsing it, just saying that you're over-reacting to it and making a mountain out of a molehill. Additionally, being a hypocrite while at it. If you really want to be politically correct, you shouldn't be using words like D!ckhead and whatever because you're also making a generalization about male genitalia and perpetuating the inaccuracy of it being related to the intelligence of a person. You go all out on someone using words like retard or manic depression, but in the end you hypocritically use swear words relating to the genitalia anyway. How are you morally better then?

And allow me to enlighten you on the context that you've overlooked. He was making the comment in the context of people going crazy on the messageboard, and not in a medical context or a context where he is making the speech in a mental institution or hospital. That is the context.

By the way, I don't insult people or use swear words, so I see your point, just thinking that you're over-reacting and being hypocritical.

[Athlete]

To be fair Paul that was June and it was referring to us going back up with Kean in charge, that's one major change that has happened. It probably also assumed, as did most of us, that we'd lose a lot of players and spend nothing. Nobody saw us spending £11m on 2 strikers at that stage.

I'd say quite a bit has changed to be fair.

2 things which needs to change is singh needs to go + so do venkys....I'll give Berg my support as he gave 100% as a player and with his press comments I can't see him being a yes man my doubts though are he hasn't managed for a couple of years and England is much harder than Norway also I can see at the 1st signs of interference Berg having a blazing row with shabby....

at the end of the daya bit underwhelming to wait 5 weeks to appoint an out of work ex player who got turned down for the Bury job a few weeks ago but as stated we will get behind Berg...Shebby OUT....

VENKYS OUT IDIOT SHEBBY OUT

[chaddyrovers]

I think Berg appointment (if it is) is decent/good choice. he is passionate about rovers and has experience as manager for 5 years. he will sort the fitness side of the club.

also think rovers fans need to realistic aswell, we were never going to get a Redknapp or a Schuster in tbh. Curbs were never going to move North past Luton.

So if the new man is Berg lets get behind him and give him our total support 100%!!!

[Rover_Shaun]

Going on 5wks to appoint an out of work Manager?? I'm surprised they didn't just give it to Black, then again maybe Bergs even cheaper than Black!

Pathetic Singh if true, I'll support the appointment because that's what we do as fans, but Singh is a joke, people will now be clear on that point I hope.

Don't hold you breath. There are still many Shebbettes out there

[Jordan]

Anyone know why Blacks odds have shortened from 33/1 to 11/2?

[Black Burn]

Sorry Stuart

But if it makes you feel better I have plenty more, that one was just the tip of the iceberg

Hey, I call dibs on that one. I was the first one to post about the iceberg joke. Plus the Carlsberg, Steven Spielberg, etc.

[Rover_Shaun]

Are we supposed to believe that on a planet full of managers Berg is the best who is available and interested?

[laughatthedingles]

Only question in my mind if Henning Berg is appointed would be this:

"Given your remarks in June that Rovers would find it very difficult to win promotion what changes have you seen at the club to suggest these issues have been addressed?"

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn-rovers-will-struggle-under-venkys-894597

For me nothing has changed but clearly we have undergone a transformation.

I think if you look at the article most of the points Berg made have now been sorted.

Anyone know why Blacks odds have shortened from 33/1 to 11/2?

Unless it's OGS? Black would therefore have been in charge for 10 games before he took over and it would be him you'd claim your winnings on.

However, it's Berg.

[xtp]

I know people may think I'm a lunatic for saying this, but I'm actually quite excited about the potential Henning Berg appointment. It would just be such a change to have a manager in place who understands the values of the club, who's intelligent tactically and who isn't likely to screw over the fans for a quick buck.

My only concern is whether he has the 'glamour' or the force of personality to stamp his authority on our players. Of course, this is a player who's won three Premier League titles and the Champions League, so that should certainly buy him something.

[alexanders]

One thing is sure. He wont let Colin Kazim continue with his bad attitude.

[old darwen blue]

In hennings bergs first season at lyn they finished 3rd. his team got a wrong penalty against them in their second last game of the season. If that had not happened they would probably have won the league that season. To put that achievement in perspective. Lyn to finish third in tippeligaen is equivalent to finish third with a club like Sunderland budget wise. No one really expected him to top that table position with the economy they had. The gap up to the big spenders was just too big. The following season they finished 7th, 9th and 7th, which were decent, the season after he left lyn got relegated and then they went bankrupt.

He was signed to take over lillestrøm after the 2008 season but due to them being only 3 points over relegation zone he started his jobs two games before the season ended. In his first game in charge they beat Rosenborg (which won the league by clear margin that season) and secured top flight football.

When he took over Lillestrøm they had the oldest squad in the league, and alot of high earners. He had to clean up their entire squad and in his first season everyone expected them to struggle which they did. The other seasons they were predicted to be higher up, and he had lillestrøm around 5th 6th place until the summer window which due to economic recession in the Norwegian league between 2008-2011 he had to sell his most talented youngsters.

So to sum up he has managed a midget budget wise and had decent success with them, then he managed a sleeping giant from the 80s which were and are in complete in turmoil.

In terms of formation he usually sets his teams up either in 4-4-2 or in 4-4-1-1. He likes to have players with a lot of pace, especially on the wings and the wingers he has used tend to be good to challenge 1on1 (so I guess he has some shopping to do in January). His teams have been rather solid and organized defensively. He is a die hard fan of zonal marking. He plays an attractive possession oriented style with a lot of short passes and mostly passes on the ground. He has also liked to play with two holding midfielders. I think he is very inspired by arsenal and arsene wenger when it comes to playing style and transfers.

In my opinion he was very unfairly treated at Lillestrøm. He did all their dirty laundry, brought in young players and got rid of high earners and when they finally got stable economy they sacked him. The sacking was also a farce. Basically he had the boards support, but then an extern investor contacted the board and said “I will invest xx millions but only if you sack Henning”. So they went for the fast option. Lillestrøm is now a Norwegian QPR version. They have signed 18 new players this season (many of them Norwegian internationals who didn’t play for their foreign clubs) but this has not materialized and they are basically at status quo in terms of league position and their attendance are plummeting.

His ex assistant managers will probably not join him. His first assistant manager is assistant manager at Aalesund and the other one just got relegated as manager for Stabæk after failing to get the job at Lillestrøm. I think he would want to bring his own staff in, and then he will bring people who share the same football philosophy as himself and people he can work with. Maybe he can work with black and Hendry, but if not I think he will get other people in.

I’m obviously a big fan of Henning Berg as I suggested him over 5 weeks ago when he wasn’t even remotely linked with us. I don’t agree with someone saying “5 weeks and we end up with henning berg, what a disaster.” The reason for this is if this had been a quick appointment I don’t think he would even be considered by Shebby and Shaw. If he gets the job I think he will have impressed them with what he has presented to them and they think he is the right choice. I hope shabby and shaw have done a thorough job in talking with potential managers but of course I don’t know if this is correct.

I will now list up a couple of points why I think henning Berg would be a good choice. Someone on here has also said "he can't even get a job in norway, why would we want to sign him". im pretty sure he has been offered different jobs in norway during the past year but he has made a choice not to take any job. Instead he has worked as a pundit for tippeligaen and premier league, and he has also made a couple of trips to manchester to talk to fergie and fill up on his knowledge.

1. he plays attractive and entertaining football and his teams seem to be well organized.

2. He is very transparent when it comes to fans. When in charge at lyn (during a period they did very well) he invited the fans to a discussion on playing style and what he was going to do. he also have met angry Lillestrøm fans to hear what they say, what their opinions were and he also answered their questions.

3. He will not let himself be pushed around. He will demand alot from his players, and will not accept that they sign any player without him giving the thumbs up.

4. He has openly said that he thinks venky should try to get John Willams back, which he highly regards. We can only hope.... He also knows this club, its history etc

5. Theoreticly he is very bright. He knows his football.

6. He has showed a keen eye when it comes to signing talents and unshaped diamonds and turning them into great players. Of course this will be harder to do at a higher level but at least he has shown it at a lower level. A small club like Blackburn need to have someone who can spot talents as we cant compete with the bigger clubs on transfers and wages.

7. He knows british football. Won the league with two different clubs, promoted with rovers aswell. Worked under managers like Kenny, sir alex and souness. He surely must have picked up alot.

8. Arte et labore. That is henning berg's career summed up. He was never a child star with immense talent, but due to his hard work he managed to play at the top level with blackburn rovers and manchester united. Also his manager career shows this. He has done immense work with very little resources in both his club.

9. As a pundit he has done very good analyzis, and when analyzing rovers problems in their defense last season he was spot on.

10. I want him to succeed and i think he would succeed.

on the negative side:

1. we dont know if he will succeed here.

2. He has been critized by fans and board in norway for being to negative in the media (blaming referee decisions, weather, performance etc). I think this would actually be a nice change from alwayspositive lying steve kean.

3. he has had some players openly critizing him in the media, complaining about not playing in their favourite position etc. This have mostly been from african players so maybe its a cultural thing.

edit: added some open spaces to make it more easy to read. wrote it in word while offline and copied it over so didnt see it was comprimied

Thanks for that pal. I may be wrong but I get a good feeling over Henning returning. Lots of people expecting better managers but he's one of ours and if he gets the job I hope he does well..

Onward and upward..

[alexanders]

I know people may think I'm a lunatic for saying this, but I'm actually quite excited about the potential Henning Berg appointment. It would just be such a change to have a manager in place who understands the values of the club, who's intelligent tactically and who isn't likely to screw over the fans for a quick buck.

My only concern is whether he has the 'glamour' or the force of personality to stamp his authority on our players. Of course, this is a player who's won three Premier League titles and the Champions League, so that should certainly buy him something.

He has also lifted the trophy with Rovers both PL and Worthington cup. He was instrumental in bringing them back to Premier League last time around.

[bob fleming]

Sorry for the rant, but somebody just out the idea in my head that the other name might be Hoddle, how I despise as a person more than I did Kean as a manager

I have to say I totally agree Glenn with this and your Twitter comments regarding Hoddle. As we make our way through life you realise that there are some things that you just can't accept. It might be called "getting old" and therefore you become less tolerant. However, as far as I'm concerned you have to question the judgement and rational thinking of someone who thought it a good idea to unleash the aberration that is Diamond Lights on the world - they shouldn't be alllowed within a million miles of the Ewood Park hot seat (that's the managers chair - not the seat on trap 2 after Shelf Bloke has been in there for 20 minutes - he's welcome to that).

[Rover_Shaun]

I think if you look at the article most of the points Berg made have now been sorted.

Are you sure? The team is crap and the clubs adminstrators don't know their arse from their elbow whilst the fans are still staying away in their thousands

[john-rover]

I don't understand the negativity towards Berg, Holloway has more negatives on his CV yet most of those slating Berg would be happy with him...

[neophox]

http://fotball.bt.no/england/article255735.ece?xtor=RSS-2

Berg has been offered the job.

[Rover_Shaun]

Berg looks a bit like Kean. I'm wary of bald puppet managers..... :-/

[Stand & Deliver]

Looks like Henning Berg is the chosen one! A number of Journos from Norway telling me that he has been offered the job,

8:12am - 31 Oct 12

Kamy on twitter

[Mercer]

As for Mercerman not wanting to read Puffsans excellent post, it's a sad indication of how the Internet as a whole and this forums specifically have changed over the years. It seems people now lack the mental strength to read and digest long articles and prefer instead 140 character chunks, much like max head rooms blipverts. Well I for one don't like it, which is why I want to use the blog to promote better posts.

Many moons ago, went on one of the best courses I have ever attended - it was about effective writing.

By adopting some basic principles and encouraging others who have worked with me to adopt them, the course over the years has saved me, and no doubt others, hours and hours of toil, thereby improving the quality of my personal life.

Mental strength and ability to digest long articles have nothing to do with it.

[yoda]

Sven is the only manager to put up with this nuthouse...but he'd get us up now and good contacts when we go up. He's due a bit of luck. Id be happy.

Sven & Shebby Show.

More like the Sven Goran and Jerome Anderson's son show

[G Somerset Rover]

'Offered'..is there still a chance that even Berg may shun us?