[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[Blue blood]

Oh not this again.

So McCarthy has improved results at Ipswich and Freedman has at Bolton .......... and so what? Maybe McCarthy had options at Ipswich, maybe they had simply been underperorming for whatever reason. Whatever happens at other clubs happens there, it's nothing to do with the situation at rovers.

Tell you what RandO. You pick me a defence that can dominate the oppositions strikers. Give 'em nothing in the air, nothing on the ground, is physically stronger than the other side and can match 'em for pace as well. In fact pick me a defence that offers just one of those qualities. Then pick me a midfield that can dominate the other team, outpass them and control the game. Give me the midfield that can make runs from back to front and give me the wide men that can go past a full back and get quality service into Rhodes. This Championship is a poor, poor league and we're currently 15th. You mention Bolton improving under Freedman - well when I saw the game between these two sides recently, Bolton were man for man, individually better than rovers all over the pitch.

So what do you expect Berg to do - I guess you think his tactics are wrong. Well, take a step away from the keyboard. In fact take a step outside your front door and walk back 100 yards to get a full view of what's happened to our club over the last two seasons. Where we are now as a club, and where we are in this league has very little to do with Berg or his tactics. Berg might, or might not make a manager at Ewood, but at the moment he has no chance.

Well I'm certain there are more resources at Berg's disposal than a lot of other teams in this division! Unbalanced yes, dwindling resources under Venkeys systematic destruction of the club certainly, but still he's got more than enough quality in this squad to be doing better than we are doing.

As others have said it's about getting tactics and a formation going with what he has - that's what managers do - manage with what they have got.

Personally I wonder about a 4-2-3-1 formation to make us hard to beat again. Let's start making opposition teams work for the points. We've got the players (bar a striker) to undertake this system. In fact even with a striker not suited to that system (Kalanic sp) it worked well under Allardyce. Granted the quality of the team was better then but you get the point.

Also a couple of decent loan signings COULD have been made. A passing midfielder or one with a decent engine and a target man and I think we'd have a much more balanced team. Again it's not happened.

[dr who true blue]

Will berg be trusted with a transfer budget in jan to improve the squad (cant say team has we haven''t got one).

[koi]

Will berg be trusted with a transfer budget in jan to improve the squad (cant say team has we haven''t got one).

Will be an interesting one and could be quite telling, that's presuming there's a couple of quid available.

[den]

Well I'm certain there are more resources at Berg's disposal than a lot of other teams in this division! Unbalanced yes, dwindling resources under Venkeys systematic destruction of the club certainly, but still he's got more than enough quality in this squad to be doing better than we are doing.

I'll ask you this then. I asked RandO the same question and didn't get an answer. If we have the quality, then:

"You pick me a defence that can dominate the oppositions strikers. Give 'em nothing in the air, nothing on the ground, is physically stronger than the other side and can match 'em for pace as well. In fact pick me a defence that offers just one of those qualities. Then pick me a midfield that can dominate the other team, outpass them and control the game. Give me the midfield that can make runs from back to front and give me the wide men that can go past a full back and get quality service into Rhodes?"

[dr who true blue]

I'll ask you this then. I asked RandO the same question and didn't get an answer. If we have the quality, then:

"You pick me a defence that can dominate the oppositions strikers. Give 'em nothing in the air, nothing on the ground, is physically stronger than the other side and can match 'em for pace as well. In fact pick me a defence that offers just one of those qualities. Then pick me a midfield that can dominate the other team, outpass them and control the game. Give me the midfield that can make runs from back to front and give me the wide men that can go pasdidt a full back and get quality service into Rhodes?"

I would have milwalls defence cardif's midfield and brighton;s forward

[thenodrog]

Well I'm certain there are more resources at Berg's disposal than a lot of other teams in this division! Unbalanced yes, dwindling resources under Venkeys systematic destruction of the club certainly, but still he's got more than enough quality in this squad to be doing better than we are doing.

As others have said it's about getting tactics and a formation going with what he has - that's what managers do - manage with what they have got.

Personally I wonder about a 4-2-3-1 formation to make us hard to beat again. Let's start making opposition teams work for the points. We've got the players (bar a striker) to undertake this system. In fact even with a striker not suited to that system (Kalanic sp) it worked well under Allardyce. Granted the quality of the team was better then but you get the point.

Also a couple of decent loan signings COULD have been made. A passing midfielder or one with a decent engine and a target man and I think we'd have a much more balanced team. Again it's not happened.

It's not passing midfielders we want it's tough tackling, physically dominant, never say die types. We've got a bunch of tippy tappy pansies and we are getting beaten cos they have been sussed. This is one tough and physical division and our massed ranks of pussy footers have become push overs for the opposition.

[John]

It's not passing midfielders we want it's tough tackling, physically dominant, never say die types. We've got a bunch of tippy tappy pansies and we are getting beaten cos they have been sussed. This is one tough and physical division and our massed ranks of pussy footers have become push overs for the opposition.

Indeed - squad is far too top heavy with average flair players. Need players who can get stuck in and graft.

Even some of our defenders are not physical enough.

[Gav]

Bloody nonsense being spouted on here. The Rovers squad has flaws but then so does every team, even ManU and Chelsea. Any decent manager would have improved this current team through better coaching, tactics, man-management and motivation but the plain fact is Berg has failed dismally on every count. Ipswich looked no-hopers 2 months ago but McCarthy has turned them round and to say he or any other reasonably competent manager would not have made an impact at Ewood because of the players is plain daft.

Bunkum.

This is the worst side we've had in years, don't delude yourself jimbo, awful players in most key positions, its not Bergs fault.

[martonrover]

Berg arrived well before the close of the loan market.

He said on several occasions that his priority was working with the players already at the club.

It was glaringly obvious we needed a midfielder in yet we signed a winger/ striker and tried to sign a goalkeeper.

If Berg thought the squad was so bad he surely would never have accepted the job.

I remember people saying how marvelously we'd played in some of his early games, and that only bad luck / individual lapses had cost us.

The situation has clearly degenerated further since Berg's arrival. That isn't all his fault and clearly the politics at the club are a handicap to him.

However, Berg seems to have no clear plan in

the short term to get the best out of the players.

We had no new manager bounce in terms of results and whatever he says at half time is obviously not Churchillian in terms of motivation.

The procrastination in bringing in his own backroom staff is an indicator of someone only too happy to settle for the status quo.

No, we can't blame everything on Berg but I felt when he was appointed it just wasn't right ( funny how Palace, Bolton & Ipswich weren't interested ), and my fears have been confirmed.

The fact that Berg was the clown Singh's pick says it all.

[jim mk2]

Bunkum.

This is the worst side we've had in years, don't delude yourself jimbo, awful players in most key positions, its not Bergs fault.

Doesn't matter that they are "awful" players (which most of them aren't) - a good manager would be able to improve any set of players no matter how poor they appear to be. Fact is at the moment Berg has made the team considerably worse.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

First thing to motice is that you didn't name me that defence or midfield that I asked for.

It doesn't make Berg look anything, it merely confirms that whatever team he picks it makes no difference. Took us down to 15th? Well if you saw the early games under Kean you'll have seen that was coming - unless you now think Kean was a master tactician?

Forget tactics fella, this has very little to do with us losing games like we are. The players to a man are being outplayed by their opponents. Tactics can't work if the players aren't good enough to carry them out - and it's been like that since we sold our best players. We've been crap for two years now, it's not all suddenly gone wrong since Berg came in.

Tell you what. I reckon all, or most of those that think our problems must be tactical, are the fans who thought it wise to get rid of people like Nzonzi, Samba, EHD, Nelsen, Jones etc, etc. Fan who didn't have any appreciation of how difficult it would be to replace them.

It's certainly not all fans.......who thought it would be a good idea to get rid of Jones? Was it just because of all the money we would get?

I myself noticed that you didn't answer my question the other day asking to explain the 2nd half of the season when Kean nearly relegated us.....lost Diouf, added Jermaine Jones and Santa Cruz....we had a better squad than under Allardyce yet became a much worse team......how would you explain that?

We came 19th last season so some would probably argue we had the 19th worst squad in the league......a better one than Wolves but they were much worse under Connor than McCarthy....despite having exactly the same squad.

If Kean/Black/Berg hasn't made the squad underperform ...as opposed to them not being good enough.......then what would happen if I was manager......we would finish bottom of the league is what would happen.

Because the players would be guaranteed to underperform......so why can't managers make players look worse?

[Andy]

Singh mentioned something about the club losing it's 'footballing philosophy' throughout the tenures of different managers.

What footballing philosophy?!

We're Blackburn Rovers, not Barcelona, or even Liverpool.

We play games to win, through graft and skill.

It's not as though we've ever been reknown for a specific style of play.

[joey_big_nose]

Bunkum.

This is the worst side we've had in years, don't delude yourself jimbo, awful players in most key positions, its not Bergs fault.

Nope. Don't agree. Player for player it is a very decent squad. If you want to argue with that, let's just say we will give it till they leave the club and we will see where the players end up. I guarantee Formica, Dann, Vukcevic, Rhodes, Kazim, Rochina, Givet, Olsson, Henley will all be playing good football for good Championship standard clubs or better. Murphy was excellent last season so it is hard to see why he has suddenly turn into a bad player overnight.

We don't have grafters or leaders, nor a stable tactical system, nor a team ethic. That's the issue. Not talent. I find it utterly bemusing that anyone can think that it is a 'bad squad'. An unbalanced one certainly, but the quality is there.

[martonrover]

Singh mentioned something about the club losing it's 'footballing philosophy' throughout the tenures of different managers.

What footballing philosophy?!

We're Blackburn Rovers, not Barcelona, or even Liverpool.

We play games to win, through graft and skill.

It's not as though we've ever been reknown for a specific style of play.

Singh's in la la land.

Hard to think of a more appropriate person to represent such horrific owners.

" Henning, you and me will make Blackburn Rovers the next Barcelona ".

[Amo]

Winning percentages from this season's managers:

Kean: 57.14%

Black: 33.33%

Berg: 11.11%

So is our downward curve due to the shortcomings of the team or the new manager? There's no way this side should be in the position it is.

[Rover_Shaun]

Seems Berg has re-opened the big book of fan excuses. He's out of his depth whatever team he has.

[Stuart]

Winning percentages from this season's managers:

Kean: 57.14% - dreadful, dreadful manager who had a significant amount of luck in his opening matches this season. Some of the opposition misses were incredible.

Black: 33.33% - the night watchman. One of Kean's men; tried to change our style to make us more defensive. Didn't really succeed if we're honest.

Berg: 11.11% - very odd appointment. No-one would have picked Henning from the list - worst still probably not even the players. Not what we needed but maybe what we could afford.

So is our downward curve due to the shortcomings of the team or the new manager? There's no way this side should be in the position it is.

Everything that has happened since Kean took the reigns has taken us on this downward curve. You don't undo two years of mismanagement, lack of organisation/tactics, lack of fitness (particularly) in a couple of months.

We fans need to be patient and give Berg the January transfer window. However, it is vital that he is backed in the transfer market to bring in his own men. If Singh interferes he should walk.

Because of the number of changes we've had in recent times (ironically despite Kean being a virtual every present throughout Venkys tenure), we seem to be in a perpetual state of "we just need more time" or "the next few weeks will be telling/important/make-or-break". The only real consistent is the need to keep things cheap - except for the oddity that was the Rhodes transfer.

[JAL]

Seems Berg has re-opened the big book of fan excuses. He's out of his depth whatever team he has.

Cant disagree with that at all, as the results along with performances have been atrocious.

[wazzarover]

I find it bizarre and concerning that Henning hasn't brought any of his own staff in, worries me for some reason.

[dr who true blue]

I find it bizarre and concerning that Henning hasn't brought any of his own staff in, worries me for some reason.

Was he allowed too.

[martonrover]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="dr who true blue" data-cid="1349447" data-time="1355698128"><p>

Was he allowed too.</p></blockquote>

Berg must surely have known this when accepting the job.

[RoyRover]

Seems Berg has re-opened the big book of fan excuses. He's out of his depth whatever team he has.

We all had enough of this under Kean. We hoped that this would change under Berg, but the 'ifs, buts and maybes' are being used with remarkable regularity.

[Ewoodbhappy]

Stuart.

If Singh interferes he should walk?

Think that's a given - the tw@t should go now.

It's incomprehensible the shower of @#/? we have in charge at Rovers. Global F-in Advisor!!!!

Why?

[Stuart]

I meant if Singh interferes Berg should walk...

[dr who true blue]

I meant if Singh interferes Berg should walk...

Berg wont walk it would be his third fail as manager needs help cant get it from ss .he dosen''t know his ass from his elow.