[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[Pedro]

It might sound like sour grapes but in a lot of ways, Berg is a more sensible option that 'Arry. Not just having youth on his side but also the sense that realistic expectations are set.

I don't expect any talk of Beckhams or Ronaldinho's with a numpty talking about the ambition it shows.

Cautious optimism is the phrase that comes to mind.

Totally agree Stuart. I really wanted Harry but must admit, after someone posted about what happened after he left Portsmouth, Southampton and another club I realised that maybe he is a bit too free with the chequebook. I also like Holloway, always have, but he failed to guide Blackpool straight back up and is struggling at the moment. It goes to show that not many managers are perfect and that in the big scheme of things, what went on before has little relevance to the future.

[Kelbo]

I loved Henning Berg as a player and person, he spoke well at the press conference and said the right things, now comes the hard bit, much as things look very positive at the moment, lets not get too carried away, there is lots of hard work and bridges still to cross and whilst I have confidence in Henning and think his appointment could be an inspired one, as I have kept saying, there are no gaurantees, so lets support him and the team all we can without putting undue pressure on the guy.

Good Luck Henning Berg

[Clitherover]

Anybody calling for boycotts etc. on radio talkshows or otherwise is likely a Turd Moor attendee. Look at the LET comments section,it's full of them. They are getting desperate methinks. I am wholly in favour of the Berg appointment and rather forget recent goings on and any backroom shenanegans. I just want to have a bit of hope,enjoy supporting win or lose,hopefully watch improved performances and maybe see the attendance and fan base increase. SK has gone thank god and Henning Berg seems a breath of fresh air to me. Obviously, the jury will be out on his managerial ability for a while and he may fail. So what. We've failed before and come back. Whilst I believe all the protests and boycotts were necessary (I was one), they have served their central purpose i.e. KEANE OUT. I get the feeling the vast majority of roverites are at least reasonably happy if not moreso, that this sad chapter is now behind us and we can go forward,gain momentum and maybe have some success. Ignore the naysayers,the Berg is back. Resistance is futile.

good post +1

[yoda's brother]

Well it looks like the basic PR tactics worked anyway. Shabby wanted someone he could control but couldn't risk another candidate as unpopular with the fans as Kean. Solution? Get an ex-player in (popularity) and give him an opportunity he couldn't have had with any other club at a similar level (control). Then Berg says some decent sounding stuff to the media and everythings rosy again.

All well and good but the trouble with this type of easily bought optimism is it can disintegrate just as quickly. Its not been the best manager we could have got from a results perspective and if Berg starts taking us in the wrong direction in the table, this thread will be the exact opposite by christmas.

ever the optjmist

[Clitherover]

It might sound like sour grapes but in a lot of ways, Berg is a more sensible option that 'Arry. Not just having youth on his side but also the sense that realistic expectations are set.

Not just that, 'Arry would have only been here for one thing, a massive pay cheque.

Call me over sentimental but Berg genuinely holds this club very close to his heart, If he becomes a big success here I don't think he'd ditch us as quickly as past managers have done unless of course it was for a really big job, ie United.

[den]

Singh's just been asked about whether Berg will keep his job if we don't go up this season. He says we'll have to look at that at the time.

Nowt like full backing eh?

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

ever the optjmist

Funny how realism always gets classed as negativity when the mob mentality swings into gear.

[Madon]

Singh's just been asked about whether Berg will keep his job if we don't go up this season. He says we'll have to look at that at the time.

Nowt like full backing eh?

What did you expect him to say? Every manager has targets to meet, if they don't meet them then your position will be reviewed. That's life.

[DeadlyDirk]

Singh's just been asked about whether Berg will keep his job if we don't go up this season. He says we'll have to look at that at the time.

Nowt like full backing eh?

To be fair I think that's a sensible answer.

I wouldn't really have wanted him to say, 'He'll stay as manager regardless of what happens'.

It's about time we start judging our managers on results, if Berg does get full control of transfers and team affairs like they have suggested then it's only fair that he should be the one to take the fall if things fail.

[Clitherover]

Singh's just been asked about whether Berg will keep his job if we don't go up this season. He says we'll have to look at that at the time.

Nowt like full backing eh?

What a knob, he's now put massive unnecessary pressure on Berg's shoulders. Once again his mouth has got him into trouble, the sooner this clown goes the better imo.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Singh's just been asked about whether Berg will keep his job if we don't go up this season. He says we'll have to look at that at the time.

Nowt like full backing eh?

To be fair to Singh, he had made the point that the no.1 priority was promotion before the question was asked.

What happens if the task you are employed to do does not happen?

[martonrover]

Funny how realism always gets classed as negativity when the mob mentality swings into gear.

Correct.

[Clitherover]

I wouldn't really have wanted him to say, 'He'll stay as manager regardless of what happens'.

No, what he really should have said was ''no comment''.

[Puffsan]

Berg has already set this pressure on himself. He knew promotion is our goal this season, everything else is a failure. Think he will handle that pressure well

[dingles staying down 4ever]

What a knob, he's now put massive unnecessary pressure on Berg's shoulders. Once again his mouth has got him into trouble, the sooner this clown goes the better imo.

I think Berg knew before that question and answer what his first mission is at Rovers! He already knows the pressure.

[tonygreenbank]

I was so pleased that Henning referred to the fans this morning as being fantastic! Hes not forgotten the scenes at Ewood on prem Night in May 1995. I can tell him there is a swell of support just waiting to be unleashed to help him and the team get back to the Premiership. I wish him well as do all Rovers fans. I am feeling very optimistic with this appointment.

[DeadlyDirk]

No, what he really should have said was ''no comment''.

How would that be any better?

People would just read into it that it means he's a goner if he doesn't get promotion.

The way I interpret his reply is that it would depend upon how close we get and the circumstances behind it.

E.g If we get to the playoff final and lose out on pens it might be enough for him to survive, if we finish 20th and just avoid relegation then it almost certainly wouldn't be.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I was so pleased that Henning referred to the fans this morning as being fantastic! Hes not forgotten the scenes at Ewood on prem Night in May 1995. I can tell him there is a swell of support just waiting to be unleashed to help him and the team get back to the Premiership. I wish him well as do all Rovers fans. I am feeling very optimistic with this appointment.

What pleased me most - in the interview I heard, straight away he referred to the club as "us". I actually think he cares about the club - and is one of the few managers who we could have attracted that you could say that about.

[Blue n White Rover]

As a multitude of photographers called for the ubiquitous shot of manager holding aloft a shirt with his name emblazoned on the back, Berg spun the famous blue and white shirt around. He pointed to the badge and said simply: "This is the most important thing, not a name on the back."

He knows this club like no previous few managers.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I was so pleased that Henning referred to the fans this morning as being fantastic! Hes not forgotten the scenes at Ewood on prem Night in May 1995. I can tell him there is a swell of support just waiting to be unleashed to help him and the team get back to the Premiership. I wish him well as do all Rovers fans. I am feeling very optimistic with this appointment.

I wish there had been a cutaway to Agnew's mush when he was saying that.

I too am very much liking the cut of his jib

[Hasta]

ok i just read some interesting news regarding the manager saga in one of norways biggest papers.

Apperantly Ole Gunnar Solskjær was both in talks with Bolton and Blackburn. He said NO to Bolton, but to blackburn he said the timing wasn't right and he wanted to wait until december. When rovers said yes to these terms OGS changed his mind and said he wanted to wait untill the summer due to family reasons. This was too long for rovers and they went on.

If this is correct maybe that is one of the reason it has taken 5 weeks to get someone in. Maybe they talked to OGS very early in the process and thought ok we can keep on doing some searches and interviews and if we dont find one we know solskjær will take it in december. Lets say they spent 2 or 3 weeks searching other options, couldnt find one satisfying and then contacted solskjær again saying they would wait for him till december. When he then changed his mind they had to keep searching other options again.

or maybe the media is wrong

Can't believe that's true. If Solskjaer came in the summer he's on a lose/lose scenario. If Rovers haven't gone up then I would imagine there would be little expenditure and numerous departures to try and cut the wage bill. This squad that is supposed to be 'good enough to achieve promotion' would be seriously weakened. If we got promoted and Solkjaer then came in he's on a hiding to nothing as a newly promoted team that in the Premier League is going to probably lose more games than it wins.

If you believe the squad is good enough then the only good time to take over is now. Shearer knew that hence why he more or less publically declared interest despite the fact he had previously snubbed the post. Redknapp knew that hence his interest.

[Black Burn]

Funny how realism always gets classed as negativity when the mob mentality swings into gear.

Forgive me for saying so, but your comments are way too negative to be realistic. Particularly the comments that constantly refer to Berg as a yes man. That alone throws any of your remarks out of any category belonging to realism.

That said, I still see your point and respect your opinion that Berg might not be the success we're longing for. However, he is not Steve Kean, he is a true Rovers man through and through, he bleeds blue and white and like David Dunn has two spells in Rovers during his playing career - which goes to show how much he loves the club......that alone is enough for me to support him, regardless of results. But your comments about him turning into a yes man was uncalled for.

Additionally, I kind of find the logic silly (this isn't directed at Steve Kean's Hypotoad now) that people are claiming that for Berg to have accepted the job, he must have become a yes man, saying yes to Shebby Singh and Venkys, etc just to accept the job. If that's the case, any manager who accepts the job is a yes man, whether he is Ian Holloway or Harry Rednapp. Funny how those people apply it to Berg and not the managers they are rooting for.

[Ossydave]

As a multitude of photographers called for the ubiquitous shot of manager holding aloft a shirt with his name emblazoned on the back, Berg spun the famous blue and white shirt around. He pointed to the badge and said simply: "This is the most important thing, not a name on the back."

He knows this club like no previous few managers.

Brilliant

[Dunnfc]

Great to see almost everyone 100% behing berg. Forget other teams fans slagging us of we are some of the most passionate around.

[Ossydave]

ok i just read some interesting news regarding the manager saga in one of norways biggest papers.

Apperantly Ole Gunnar Solskjær was both in talks with Bolton and Blackburn. He said NO to Bolton, but to blackburn he said the timing wasn't right and he wanted to wait until december. When rovers said yes to these terms OGS changed his mind and said he wanted to wait untill the summer due to family reasons. This was too long for rovers and they went on.

If this is correct maybe that is one of the reason it has taken 5 weeks to get someone in. Maybe they talked to OGS very early in the process and thought ok we can keep on doing some searches and interviews and if we dont find one we know solskjær will take it in december. Lets say they spent 2 or 3 weeks searching other options, couldnt find one satisfying and then contacted solskjær again saying they would wait for him till december. When he then changed his mind they had to keep searching other options again.

or maybe the media is wrong

Someone will start a rumour Berg is just taking care of things till the summer and then OGS will take over now.

Mercerman will put loads of money on it too like he always does because he's dead crazy and loaded.