[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[Puffsan]

The obi mikel thing was really bizarre.

from what i can remember from all the newstories from that time i think Chelsea wanted to sign him but the couldn't due to some age restrictions on foreigners in the uk at that time. so i think they made some sort of deal with the DOF at lyn to get him there first and then they would sign him when he turned 18.

a week after he turned 18 he signed for united. a couple of weeks after that he claimed he had gotten death threats. then he went missing, lyn claimed he was kidnapped, suddenly turns up with his agent john shittu, claims he was lured into signing for united, and wants to play for chelsea. Ferguson books plane to oslo, claims mikel wants to play for united, lyn and united press charges against chelsea and his agent.

It all ended up with chelsea paying united 12 million for him to avoid investigation by FIFA and FA.

The whole thing was really bizzare, two agents claiming they was his agent (daniel fletcher and john shittu, dont know if anyone of them are SEM). The whole thing went on for over a year and Lyns DOF later got conviced for conterfeiting signatures.

[J*B]

So, after lots of googling and many websites, so far i've learnt.

Daniel Fletcher and John Shittu are both/where both SEM agents at the time of the Mikel transfer.

and

John Shittu directly paid for the transfer of Obi Mikel from Plateau United -> Ajax Cape Town, and also directly paid for Mikels transfer from Ajax Cape Town -> Lyn.

Probably nothing in it, SEM seem to have some involvement in some form with everybody.

[sparky12]

Nobody is ecstatic over the appointment but people are trying (grief I'm going to sound like the former pretend manager) to see the positives. We have mainly asked why, if the list was so long, Berg has got the job (although we suspect we know some of the answers to that) We have asked why it took so long to appoint someone who could probably have been appointed weeks ago. None of that takes away from the fact that we need to get behind the new manager because we have had 2 years of hating the guy in charge so much that what was one of the more pleasurable parts of our lives, going to rovers, had become a chore to go through and in many cases to avoid. If we are to survive as a team we need to give Berg every bit of support and encouragement we can. If everyone is going to whinge because they didn't get their dream management team, then the club will remain fractured and end up sliding even further down the pile. Not only that but we will look stupid to everyone outside the club who was prepared to give us the benefit of the doubt and assume that for us to so take against a manager there must have been something very wrong with Kean. We can't afford to behave like spoilt brats who want it our way or none. berg may not work out, but we need to make sure that, if he doesn't, nobody can say that it was because of us.

Absolutely.... what a fantastic post, it sums up mine and no doubt most peoples feelings perfectly... +1000

[BrisRover]

The supporters should get right behind Berg from the Start.

A major difference between Kean and Berg - Kean was 'one of them', Berg is well and truly one of us.

[Tugay-is-God]

The obi mikel thing was really bizarre.

from what i can remember from all the newstories from that time i think Chelsea wanted to sign him but the couldn't due to some age restrictions on foreigners in the uk at that time. so i think they made some sort of deal with the DOF at lyn to get him there first and then they would sign him when he turned 18.

a week after he turned 18 he signed for united. a couple of weeks after that he claimed he had gotten death threats. then he went missing, lyn claimed he was kidnapped, suddenly turns up with his agent john shittu, claims he was lured into signing for united, and wants to play for chelsea. Ferguson books plane to oslo, claims mikel wants to play for united, lyn and united press charges against chelsea and his agent.

It all ended up with chelsea paying united 12 million for him to avoid investigation by FIFA and FA.

The whole thing was really bizzare, two agents claiming they was his agent (daniel fletcher and john shittu, dont know if anyone of them are SEM). The whole thing went on for over a year and Lyns DOF later got conviced for conterfeiting signatures.

Yup, Jerome Anerson was almost certainly involved in getting Mikel to Chelsea.

One of the main reasons Fergie has very little time for him.

[CrazyIvan]

It's nice to see a legend back at the club in a managerial role. Henning Berg was one of the best defenders in the Premier League and fantastic for us. He and Craig Short were two of my favourite defenders playing for Rovers (I'm not old enough to remember some of the names mentioned on here). His affinity with Rovers is a good thing and to see him in charge should be a lift. I was underwhelmed with the list of potential managers and could see both the positive and negative sides to both but would have got behind whoever was chosen. I did with Souness, Hughes, Kean, Ince and Allardyce when they were appointed and I'll do so again with Berg.

Is this a risk? Of course it is. Anybody being appointed is a risk. Now the fans need to play as big a part as they did when Hughes took over. That appointment really lifted the club. This one should too. It may not be to the same extent but give him a chance and back him from the start.

Welcome back Henning Berg.

[dwayne cage]

Although True to say if given the choice of any realistic managers Berg wouldn't have been the choice I think he will be met with a postive reaction.

Henning was always a favourite of mine as a player and he always gave his all and seemed to play with a real honesty about him.

The process has been terrible and I don't believe it's the appointment anyone particular at the club wanted to make but it's one they could all agree on as a compromise.

He will have my full backing and I think the vast majority and there's nothing to say he can't be a success.

First call of duty, getting them fit!

Great post couldn't agree more

[USABlue]

I'm one of the many members who doesn't really post on here. I just come here to read. But now I'm posting because I absolutely can't believe some of the tripe the doom mongers are putting. Do you really think Redknapp, Schuster or Holloway were ever going to come here? Fair enough the 'ITK'ers had you fooled. They made you believe we were capable of pulling off such an appoinment but let's take a real look at it. Schuster, ex Real Madrid manager? No bloody chance! Redknapp? He was only in this to make noise, keep himself relevant and hopefully push QPR or Southampton into making a sack. Sure his reps came along and talked but this is Redknapp we're talking about. He'd have probably asked for a huge signing on a fee and a huge promotion bonus. Holloway? He made his feelings clear about Venky's years ago.

I agree with everyone about Shebby. He has well and truly messed this all up by letting it go on for so long. He should have appointed Berg weeks ago to avoid people getting their hopes up over other potential managers. But at the same time if Shebby is really the one who pushed Kean out then we have alot to thank him for as we wouldn't have even been in a position to appoint a new manager if it wasn't for him.

As for Berg, I like many others am going to give him a chance. I believe he could be as good for us as Hughes was when he first took over. His record isn't the worst and look on the bright side, he actually has a record to speak of unlike McKinlay, Shearer and Sherwood. This is the best possible appointment we could have had. McCarthy, Curbishley and the other journey men are journey men for a reason. They've been sacked for being mediocre or less than mediocre. Berg will get the players motivated, he had plenty of practice as captain. In this league with our squad, motivation could be all they need. But of course if he has some tactical nous to throw in as well, then we're in for a nice ride back up to the Premiership.

Didn't Berg also, but more recently, was there not some comments about crazy or something, with regards to any manager coming here? Anyway he's got my suport for what it's worth and he just may turn out to be that diamond.

I've got an idea for a future headline.

Berg's tactics leave critics cold as Rovers sink their way back to the Premiership.

I wager it was Shebby Singh. Nah, just kidding. That's not possible......right?

Or Berg sinks Titanic, as we knock City or United out of the Cup

[Steve Moss]

Tugay as assistant? ;-)

What is Berg's relationship with Tugay?

How about with Hendry?

All in all, I'm happy with Berg. A vast improvement over Kean.

That said, I have very little time for Shebby/Shaw. 33 days, really?

[steverovers]

What is Berg's relationship with Tugay?

How about with Hendry?

All in all, I'm happy with Berg. A vast improvement over Kean.

That said, I have very little time for Shebby/Shaw. 33 days, really?

My Mum would be a vast improvement!

Did Berg & Tugay overlap or are they different eras?

[bluebruce]

I've got an idea for a future headline.

Berg's tactics leave critics cold as Rovers sink their way back to the Premiership.

You don't really 'sink' upwards. More like:

Critics left cold as cool as ice Berg crashes into Premiership

The Titanic being a premier ship, after all.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Did Berg & Tugay overlap or are they different eras?

Tugay joined in 2001. Berg left in 2003.

[USABlue]

I'm a Rovers supporter from Norway, however I do follow Lillestrøm (LSK) much closer than I follow Rovers. As an LSK and Rovers supporter I have obviously followed Berg for quite some time, since before he joined Rovers as a player.

The reports that Berg did not do too well with LSK are not very insightful in my opinion. Of course the club has higher ambitoins than being in the bottom half and fighting to avoid relegation. LSK is a club with long traditions in Norway, but when Berg came in the club was in big trouble. Berg saved us from relegation by winning a fantastic home game vs Rosenborg in 2008 when he replaced the interim manager for the last two games following a sacking mid-season.

The state of the club was dramatically poor. The squad was among the oldest, highest paid in the league. Consisting of over the top players and never had beens and football invalids. The former management had been on a spending spree resulting in this miserable squad as well as being mismanaged by the previous manager. The club was running with deficits and could almost not afford to pay the daily invoices.

Berg and the new director of sports were to rebuild the squad without any finances. They did this through selling off the old ones, letting contracts expire and sign promising youth players from Norway and Africa. The team was transformed from an old and poor team to a young and promising team in the summer of 2011.

Among the fans Berg gets high credit for keeping us in the top flight despite the odds, keeping our Norwegian record continously improving, last relegation in 1966, top flight since 1975.

In the start of the 2011 season we played fantastic football and were outsiders to the title. The squad was still small and we were dependent on key star players. Berg had not been allowed to sign the players he wanted during the last pre-season. When half way through our two offensive stars were sold and the third one was injured for the season we were left with a squad of very few players. The club once again slumped down to the relegation battle. The team now consisted of teenagers and 34 year olds, because we couldnt afford any other players those years. Before 2012 new players had to be signed, or relegation would be unavoidable.

It became public then that Berg and the investor were no longer on the same page. Berg was critisised for being too negative in the media. At the end of the season the investor demanded that the board sacked Berg if he was to again invest in players. They did. Reports also say that several people in the club had fallen out with Henning.

Fans were - and still are - divided on that decision. It had been three though years and I think the relation had grown sour and that we needed a change. But most that would fire him still agree that he did a very good job given the resources and his mandate. He left the club in a much better shape economically and saved us for three years almost without any quality players.

This season, after Berg, we have signed 18 new players, 17 of them being Bosman. A lot of quality players. The team is still fighting to avoid relegation. A massive disappointment. Several fans wonder what Henning could have achieved with these resources.

His failure was to make enemies with the investor and people in the club. Football wise he did well.

I am excited to see him take on the position as manager at Rovers and hope and think he will succeed. He's definitely not a yes man.

The best of luck to Henning!

That bit could prove very interesting.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Lol !

Thanks for the thought !

Who knows, MB's, one day, might be limited to 100 words / post - bring it on !

Pity this bloke's course hadn't been around earlier, then folk wouldn't have had to plod through the American Declaration of Independence, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Chuchill's speeches, Martin Luther King's "I have a dream", The Book of Genesis, Luther's 96 theses (96 ffs!), the collected works of Shakespeare, Dickens etc. What a drag!

I hope Berg can do his team talk briefly, perhaps something like "Shoot!"

[lukey]

Hopefully people get to Ewood for our next home gave vs birmingham, although I know it probably won't happen, itd be fantastic to see and be great to welcome Henning back home!

[Stuart]

Really? Well was I right or was I wrong?

Irrelevant your honour.

[Kelbo]

Jeg onsker du Theno......Tusen tak

I wish you Theno....many roofs?? is that a Norwegian saying?

[alexanders]

No. It is supposed to be tusen takk which is thousand thanks, but translated is many thanks.

[Laurence]

Happy Bergday everyone

[tonyoz]

Well , he certainly seems to know what he's got himself into:

From http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1208575?cc=3436

However, in an interview conducted five months ago, the Norwegian said that "no manager with real credibility" would consider working for the club's controversial Indian owners Venky's.

Berg, who works for Norwegian TV2, is quoted in the Telegraph as saying: "To work for a Premier League club would be fun, and even a Championship club as well. However, to work as a manager for a club you need the right owners and to take over as a manager in a club (Blackburn) with owners like that is madness.

"There are no real managers with credibility who would accept a job like that. You might end up shooting yourself in the foot. You might end up being there a few months with nothing really working and being unable to do what you want.

"The owner situation needs resolving and I hope that Jack Walkers' family, as they still have some money, will buy the club back and start running it again under the same principles as Jack Walker did when he was alive."

Furthermore, speaking to talkSPORT earlier this year, Berg said: "I think the biggest problem was when Venky's came in and let Sam Allardyce go. They wanted to play more attractive football, and therefore thought that Sam wasn't good enough and got Steve Kean to replace him.

"All the decisions after that, considering how they were talking about buying the best players but ended up selling the best ones without replacing them, resulted in the team not being good enough."

[alexanders]

Well that article is misquoting me (Gibbon on Roverstalk) for a start, as you can see from the actual post. I've actually been defending Berg's appointment all day.

What I actually said was "Messageboards suddenly seem to be full of 'fans' saying that they'll be 100% behind Berg if he's appointed, but that it's a disgrace that we've appointed such a weak candidate.

I'm not sure they understand the concept of being 100% behind something, or how inflamatory and damaging such statements can be to some of our more impressionable fans."

I've emailed them to demand a retraction of that part of the article, but as I don't speak Norwegian, don't hold your breath.

Just sent him an email critizising the article. Well see what he says.

Lookig forward to the press conference now..

Regarding the questions last night from different posters about whether Berg could bring any norwegians and if there was any good candidates.

Here is a list of the 20 most promising norwegian talents.

http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/article3499421.ece

[Kelbo]

Well, just heard Henning is taking the press conference seriously, he awoke at six, showered and is now blow drying his hair

Hope all goes well for you Henning,

From 99% of Rovers fans

[alexanders]

That is not a credible source - blow drying his hair ?

[matt83]

Another thing that may already have been said that I thinks worth mentioning is I wouldn't expect an instant impact. Taking fitness alone it will take months just to get them to the level of fitness required after 20 months of no exercise, beer and haggis presumably.

Also we have a huge squad but we've got nothing like a team. No hight, no pace, no skill, just a group of players who play football in the most general sense without a purpose. Our current league position is more a reflection on how bad the league is rather than anything we've done.

In the short term he can only polish the turd he's been given he'll need to buy in players so to paraphrase a moron once had round these parts "judge him after the transfer window."

[Kelbo]

Another thing that may already have been said that I thinks worth mentioning is I wouldn't expect an instant impact. Taking fitness alone it will take months just to get them to the level of fitness required after 20 months of no exercise, beer and haggis presumably.

Also we have a huge squad but we've got nothing like a team. No hight, no pace, no skill, just a group of players who play football in the most general sense without a purpose. Our current league position is more a reflection on how bad the league is rather than anything we've done.

In the short term he can only polish the turd he's been given he'll need to buy in players so to paraphrase a moron once had round these parts "judge him after the transfer window."

I think you are mostly correct there but organisation is the key as the fitness levels increase, I feel sure he will be looking at a good blend of youth and experience to see us through the season, my guess, is he will already have a couple of loan options up his sleeve and maybe a new backroom team!!