[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[True Blue & White]

Cant believe that a "good presser" is being used against him.

It's not. I was making a flippant remark.

I'm fully behind Henning and am quietly confident he will do well here, hence why I have him as my avatar. Something I would never do with Kean.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Decent press conference I thought.

It was inevitable that he was going to be asked about the comments he made as a pundit from the outside looking in. I thought he dealt with those questions pretty well by stressing he had spoken to the owners and believe they really want to change.

When talking about promotion it's clear he knows that promotion is the only acceptable outcome. I liked the fact he stressed the difference between automatic promotion and the playoffs and that it is harder to get promoted through the playoffs. This I guess will motivate him even more to try and get Rovers one of the top two places come the end of the season.

On the subject of the backroom staff I think he came out with the most logical stance at this moment in time. He hasn't spent much time with them yet but if he feels there needs to be changes I get the impression he will do so. Let's hope he gets full autonomy when it comes to backroom staff appointments.

I get the impression he is going to shake this place up a bit, if players aren't pulling their weight (which I think is obvious looking at the fitness levels) I think he will set them straight. He has that cool but at the same time authoritative aura about him, when Kean was appointed I never got the impression from him that he was a disciplinarian at all.

[AJW]

Our Norwegian friends will have to forgive my ignorance on this but , of the players Berg developed and sold at his previous clubs are any regular 1st teamers at their new clubs ? would any be targets for him in January?

[arbitro]

Uh oh - I'm still a bit sceptical of managers who give good "pressers"!

The Nixon effect eh? Was Maradona there today at the 'presser' too?

I think Henning Berg is an intelligent man who will not insult our intellegence with any of the crap spouted by the previous manager.

Why doesn't everybody just give him the chance and respect he deserves and stop the negative nonsense.

[Waggy76]

If anyone has any negativity towards berg then maybe it is best they stay away for a while. I for one hope to god he can turn it around. He is a rovers great and every rovers fan should get behind him

I agree , he deserves a chance ....

My only worry is the squad good enough ? We will find out ,soon enough I guess !

Some of the players have been on a jolly , lets get them fit to compete for 90 minutes and see what happens ...

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Give the guy a chance eh? Is that too much to ask? You don't know that.

I will give him a chance at games. I'm not the type of fan who slates a manager at the ground unless he's proven to be extremely damaging to the club. Of course there were a lot of fans under Allardyce who didn't take that approach, and no doubt some are now hypocritically trying to outlaw criticism of Berg.

But this is a message board to voice opinions. In my opinion its a bad appointment, and there's nothing wrong in speculating why Venkys made it when Berg has neither the record nor the experience required to ensure promotion. Its a risk, obviously it might work out, but I don't see why we've taken it in the first place.

[bob fleming]

"Good luck to Henning Berg. He'll need it with Venky's. If they let him shape squad, Berg has a chance. He's bright, hungry & cares for#brfc"

Henry Winter. Wise words.

[martonrover]

If anyone has any negativity towards berg then maybe it is best they stay away for a while. I for one hope to god he can turn it around. He is a rovers great and every rovers fan should get behind him

I wasn't happy with the appointment but have no negativity towards Henning.

Who can blame him for taking the job?

I want him to succeed and will be at Palace giving full support.

[LeChuck]

If anyone has any negativity towards berg then maybe it is best they stay away for a while.

Totally agree. I don't think there has been this much unity behind a manager since Mark Hughes. It's like a weight has been lifted!

[spencey7]

Uh oh - I'm still a bit sceptical of managers who give good "pressers"!

The most bizarre thing was that K**n DIDN'T give "good pressers" - they were abysmal without exception.

ANYWAY, that's all in the long-forgotten past - welcome back Henning! The more I think about this appointment the more optimistic I feel. Can't wait for Saturday.

[booth]

Who's Steve Kean?

[thenodrog]

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

From http://soccernet.esp...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."

One can only assume that Singh has persuaded him that he is the one running the show and that the Venkys are taking more of a back seat and there will be no 3rd party involvement.

[EgyptianPete]

The entire shortlist that Shabby compiled seemed to be designed with the specific aim that none of the managers be the type that would demand full control. Venkys are doing Berg a favour giving him this job, his record far from indicates he warrants the position. In my eyes this is a very similar situation to Kean's appointment, and Venkys will be expecting a similar type of yes-man.

Please go and sit in the corner with the pointy hat hat on, incredible, you need to go to specsavers.

[Steve Moss]

Shebby said it took 5 weeks as they wanted to speak to all candidates and be absolutely sure they got the right man and didn't make any more mistakes.

I appreciate his thinking but 33 days is nuts. What were they doing, interviewing people every other day?

I have no problem with Berg. Thinking about it, I suspect they got the appointment right. But they should have had the process done and dusted in 2-3 weeks, which means he'd be 2-3 weeks into getting fitness and other problems sorted, as opposed to a belated start now.

I know I sound like an armchair general (and I am, I admit) but 33 days indicates a bunch of amateurs handling the selection process (even though they got the appointment right).

In my eyes this is a very similar situation to Kean's appointment, and Venkys will be expecting a similar type of yes-man.

SKH you are dead wrong. There is absolutely nothing similar between Berg and Kean, other than 4 letters for the last name and the lack of hair. Berg's a manager, Kean is not. Berg had success as a manager, Kean did not. Berg was a successful player at the highest levels, Kean was not. Berg has presence, Kean does not. The list goes on, especially as to character issues.

[LeChuck]

I will give him a chance at games. I'm not the type of fan who slates a manager at the ground unless he's proven to be extremely damaging to the club. Of course there were a lot of fans under Allardyce who didn't take that approach, and no doubt some are now hypocritically trying to outlaw criticism of Berg.

The difference is you're outright making things up by saying Venky's have appointed a 'yes man'. The people who criticised Allardyce at least had some substance because they talked about his style of football.

They could have just kept Black if they wanted a 'yes man'. There is absolutely no logic in spending five weeks looking for a manager, then selecting someone who has been very critical of Venky's in the past if that's all they were looking for.

That's even before you consider Berg's POV. Why would he take the job? If he was just going to be used as another Kean then that would instantly kill his managerial career like it has Kean's. Kean was trying to scab every quid he could out of the club because he was a nobody. Berg has had an illustrious playing career and doesn't need to do that. Plus he genuinely cares for the club.

Just think a second before you post this rubbish.

[Rover down South]

One can only assume that Singh has persuaded him that he is the one running the show and that the Venkys are taking more of a back seat and there will be no 3rd party involvement.

I very much hope you are correct.

From watching the press conference, I have a very good feeling about us going forward now. I haven't felt such confidence for a long while. At last we have someone in charge who will not be Venkys puppet and will not be spouting bullsh!t every time they are in front of the camera.

Hope not anyway!!!

Good luck Henning, you have my full support, starting at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

[CapeTownRover]

Cant believe that a "good presser" is being used against him. It would be better if he was nervous and stuttering like PI ?

I remember somebody mention something about relegation, and Ince said NOT YET lol... that day, i knew that the self proclaimed Guvnor would not last very long

not sure how it went, but i think John Williams was sat next to him.

[alexanders]

Our Norwegian friends will have to forgive my ignorance on this but , of the players Berg developed and sold at his previous clubs are any regular 1st teamers at their new clubs ? would any be targets for him in January?

http://en.wikipedia....i/Chinedu_Obasi

Maybe this one. Was good at Hoffenheim, but havent fullfilled his potential at Schalke.

Demba Ba stats at Hoffenheim: 97 / 37

Ogbuke : 91 / 25

[Amo]

Feeling more and more optimistic about Berg. Is this a good thing?

[Steve Moss]

Feeling more and more optimistic about Berg. Is this a good thing?

Yes. He'll get us promoted.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Please go and sit in the corner with the pointy hat hat on, incredible, you need to go to specsavers.

Please go **** yourself.

[Puffsan]

Berg in norwegian interview

interviewer: Venkys are a bit contreversial owner at blackburn who also has been getting involved on the footballing side. how do you think that cooperation will be?

Berg: looking from the outside it may seem that way, but i think venkys has made many good steps in this summer, they have given the manager good money to buy players, paying 8 million for rhodes, bringin murphy here from fulham and several other good players, they have done their part to improve this team. in addition they have changed manager, to be best suited for promotion to premier league, and thats positive.

Interviewer: So the controversial period is now over?

Berg: Well we will see, but i hope to run the footballing side the best way possible and in a proffesional way and make sure the team and players gets better. That is my job.

[SydneyRover]

The difference is you're outright making things up by saying Venky's have appointed a 'yes man'. The people who criticised Allardyce at least had some substance because they talked about his style of football.

They really, really didn't.

[Rover_Shaun]

4:55 Saturday afternoon just after a draw at Palace after being 2 up. Berg fronts up to take questions, licks his lips and says......

"We got into the Palace penalty area 57 times. The fans can see what we are trying to do here"

[AJW]

Defensively we're so much better since Kean left , and the whole team look a lot more organized i dont know who to credit with that i'd like to think it was Black but i suppose it could be Hendry , but we do lack pace , in all area's i would say hopefully Berg will continue to work the defensive side as well as coming up with an attacking threat , Rhodes needs some quality service