[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[martonrover]

christmas???

how can someone be judged so soon,even window wont have opened.

I'm hoping they let him enter the loan market which is still open until late November.

[LeChuck]

We apparently saw the opposite at Selhurst Park. This is either due to a lack of immediate 'presence' from Berg, or a tinkering with the system or personnel which the team was not comfortable with. Either way, not the perfect start.

Woah, hang on! You can only think of 2 possible reasons why we didn't play well yesterday? That's ludicrous, there are loads.

How about the fact that we played a team who had previously taken 17 points from 21, a period during which we hadn't put in a single good performance?

[RevidgeBlue]

To me this shows that the players might not respect Berg for his managerial ability. After all he is not a household name as a manager as say a Holloway or McCarthy is. The players too are perhaps a little underwhelmed by the appointment. I have no doubt Berg will weed out the ones who genuinely want to play for this club form the ones who don't rightly give a toss. He will earn their respect I am sure of that.

+1

Good post. I was wondering about that as well before Berg was appointedand after we'd been linked with the likes of Redknapp.

I was actually thinking Dunn might have an important role to play in convincing the other players Henning was a top bloke etc. etc. Hope they got on together when Berg was a player.

[tomphil]

It was a standard performance from us this season really, just the usual of most players going through the motions. Palace were very good you have to say, the best they've played in ages according to some of their fans but for us it didn't look like anyone was really out to impress a new manager or stake a claim to keep their place. Most of the players may get on but there is no evidence of any real team spirit or desire to go for promotion. Time for some big decisions from Henning and to drop a few of the one's coasting even if it is a risk. Also tell Singh to keep his beak out of it from the word go !

[den]

+1

Good post. I was wondering about that as well before Berg was appointedand after we'd been linked with the likes of Redknapp.

I was actually thinking Dunn might have an important role to play in convincing the other players Henning was a top bloke etc. etc. Hope they got on together when Berg was a player.

Eh - the lack of "bounce" is because the players don't respect Berg?

[Al]

Yes like Paul Ince and Roy Keane you mean

Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore...

Whereas Alex Ferguson's trophy cabinet as a jobbing striker with the like of St Johnstone was almost tipping over with the weight eh?

And there was me thinking that Ferguson was a goalkeeper.

[RevidgeBlue]

Eh - the lack of "bounce" is because the players don't respect Berg?

Quite possibly.

Not playing well is one thing. Looking unmotivated and disinterested is another entirely.

Both teams had new managers yesterday. It appears one reacted positively and the other didn't react at all.

[RevidgeBlue]

Hardly encouraging in the regard of keeping Shebby's beak out when he has clearly dropped ORr - whether that was right or wrong - at Singh's behest. Kean's resignation followed Shebby's incessant demands to play more of the Portuguese signings - Henning's resistance to those may give us some inkling as to how much "hs own man" he is

Given his remarkable "I was wrong about Venkys they are marvellous owners" tripe on Friday I don't hold much hope on that.

Sorry, how do we know this? Was it also Shebby's insistence that "the pensioner" be in the line up?

Orr's s****. End of. Hopefully Berg will quickly reach the same view on MGP and one or two others.

[den]

Quite possibly.

Not playing well is one thing. Looking unmotivated and disinterested is another entirely.

Both teams had new managers yesterday. It appears one reacted positively and the other didn't react at all.

It's been like that for two years Rev.

If your starting point wasn't that we have the best squad in this league, the real problem would become apparent.

[ABBEY]

Get rid of those that don't want it.

[broadsword]

I wonder how it's going to work ...

Berg says: "I don't fancy Orr at all, put him on the transfer list"

and Singh turns round and says:

"No, sorry, can't do that, I think he's worth keeping as cover."

I have no idea whether Berg will be good or bad, no-one can say for sure on the evidence available. I get the feeling he does have a sharp brain though, I mean his post-match comments are a god-send after having to listen to 2 years of that fat useless keaner bag of kean useless kean total Kean-stick prick Steve keaning Kean. But I think Berg is only one piece of a winning jigsaw for Blackburn rovers. Until Singh and the owners go, he will always have one hand tied behind his back.

[broadsword]

Would imagine MGP's nationality might buy him a few weeks.

would hope that Berg is better than to indulge in pointless nepotism.

[broadsword]

Why do you think he's lost all his hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RevidgeBlue]

If your starting point wasn't that we have the best squad in this league, the real problem would become apparent.

We're in 6th and have yet to perform well over 90 minutes this season.

Is that really the sign of a poor squad or a decent squad (at this level) that is poorly prepared, demotivated and lacking confidence and organisation?

You say the former, I think the latter. Guess we'll find out over the next month or two

[gumboots]

Isn't it actually both? An OK squad that could be reasonably good if it were fitter, better trained, better organised etc etc?

[DE.]

Isn't it actually both? An OK squad that could be reasonably good if it were fitter, better trained, better organised etc etc?

Would say this is probably closer to the truth. Looking at our first 11 yesterday:

Robbo - we all know his flaws. Telling that no other prem club came in for him when we went down.

Henley - young, unproven. looks decent enough but not exactly a superstar.

Hanley - jury still out on the fat scot. championship seems his level.

Dann - at times shows glimpes of why he was once considered decent, usually awful

Martin Olsson - disinterested, does not care. overrated based on a decent half-season and because he's fast.

Pedersen - good at set-pieces, offers little else.

Etuhu - workhorse, but passing leaves a lot to be desired.

Murphy - looks completely past it. legs gone, appears disinterested.

Marcus Olsson - Martin Olsson, but worse.

CKR - glimpses of talent, massive attitude problem.

Rhodes - great player but starved of service and needs somebody up there to help him.

Other notables:

Givet - decent, but can't be relied upon due to heart condition & internal club issues.

Formica - slow, lacks technical ability. works hard but never achieves anything.

Vukcevic - *shrug*

Orr - awful

Lowe - another that works hard, lacks skill.

Best - injured so impossible to assess at the moment.

Nuno Gomes - very talented, but is 36 and will only play a limited role.

Fabio Nunes - another youngster who has shown glimpses of talent, but far from the finished article.

Best team in the league? Not by a mile. But in the top ten if the players were fitter.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Quite possibly.

Not playing well is one thing. Looking unmotivated and disinterested is another entirely.

Both teams had new managers yesterday. It appears one reacted positively and the other didn't react at all.

But Palace were the form team in the division, on something like an 11 game unbeaten run, who have been consistently motivated all season.....a manager leaving isn't going to undo all of that.

Whereas we haven't been motivated since 2010.

You could argue that trying to impress a new manager should have been enough motivation for our players I suppose......but they are still unfit and still aren't following a proper game-plan......it will take a while before we are set-up well enough to deservedly beat teams like Palace and Cardiff, particularly away from home where we have only won 1 game in all competitions this season.

I think we have better than an 'ok' squad gumboots......I wouldn't swap it for Wolves, Cardiff or Leicester's.

[den]

We're in 6th and have yet to perform well over 90 minutes this season.

Is that really the sign of a poor squad or a decent squad (at this level) that is poorly prepared, demotivated and lacking confidence and organisation?

You say the former, I think the latter. Guess we'll find out over the next month or two

I would say that in early November, league tables lie. You said it yourself, we've been poor. That's because we've been second best to our opponents. We'll have to disagree. You think it's a decent squad who don't respect Berg, while I agree with DE4LIFE below.

In fact, I could tell you what I really think, but that might upset a few people!

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Know that "I told you so" sounds childish but...

[Fife Rover]

Yes like Paul Ince and Roy Keane you mean

Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore...

Whereas Alex Ferguson's trophy cabinet as a jobbing striker with the like of St Johnstone was almost tipping over with the weight eh?

SAF played for Dunfermline then Rangers, and he was a top class striker at both.

[Parsonblue]

Quite possibly.

Not playing well is one thing. Looking unmotivated and disinterested is another entirely.

Both teams had new managers yesterday. It appears one reacted positively and the other didn't react at all.

The difference Rev was the quality of the players not the new managers. Ours are not good enough and it's that simple. We have been poor so often this season and have gained points because the opposition have been weak in front of goal. Yesterday we came up against a team that were better in every department. Berg is going to need time to improve a fairly indifferent squad of players and will need to add some quality in the January window.

[Stand & Deliver]

Would imagine MGP's nationality might buy him a few weeks.

Have a look at the Nixon article on Orr's Twitter feed which accurately predicted his axeing in yesterday morning's paper.

Haven't seen that. A link would be much appreciated :-)

[roverandout]

how much time will people afford berg? 6 months? 2 years? if we fail each season will it be the usual crap that we went through with kean when people kept backing him on here? if by the end of the season, we are nowhere near the play-off positions then to hell with sentimentality, he would have to go and he can take curly with him.

[roversfan99]

But Palace were the form team in the division, on something like an 11 game unbeaten run, who have been consistently motivated all season.....a manager leaving isn't going to undo all of that.

Whereas we haven't been motivated since 2010.

You could argue that trying to impress a new manager should have been enough motivation for our players I suppose......but they are still unfit and still aren't following a proper game-plan......it will take a while before we are set-up well enough to deservedly beat teams like Palace and Cardiff, particularly away from home where we have only won 1 game in all competitions this season.

I think we have better than an 'ok' squad gumboots......I wouldn't swap it for Wolves, Cardiff or Leicester's.

I don't think our squad is as good as we think. The teams you mentioned have a team of Championship level players below their first eleven. Due to the Kean era we have an unbalanced squad packed with lightweight playmakers and no-mark Portugese players.

Defensively, we have Givet and Dann(who was woeful last year) who are competent Championship defender, Hanley is a raw liability most of the time, then below that there's nothing. At full back we have player's like Bruno and Orr who are below the standards we need, Martin Olsson who doesn't want to be here, and Henley who looks a good prospect but not much more.

In midfield, the centre looks particularly weak, we have Etuhu who can do a job, Murphy who has been very poor and we cannot afford to rest, and Lowe who is technically bereft. It's beyond this where we are really short, we have Jorge who is useless at this level, after that you would need to stick Pedersen(wide man) or Dunn(attacking midfielder) in a position that isn't natural.

Out wide we have Nunes on the left who is not someone we can rely on yet but he is an asset at this level. Beyond that we have Pedersen and Markus Olsson who aren't good enough. On the right we have Simon who has barely ever played and the lazy, arrogant liability that is Kazim.

We have loads of players that play in 'the hole.' Dunny is the one that makes a real difference, Rochina has a spark about him that we could also use, Formica is light-weight and ineffective and Rosado again is another player we didn't really need.

Then we look up front, we have Rhodes who does have class but he needs a partner to perform. Nuno Gomes can do that, as can Best but he is a long term absentee. We can right off Edinho and Goodwillie.

Overall, I don't think we have a good squad, we have an unbalanced one with a few individuals standing out, and many holes. And that's before considering fitness and motivation.

Robinson, Givet, Dann, Etuhu, Rhodes, Gomes, Best, Rochina and Dunn are good individuals, you can maybe add Nunes and if he can be arsed Martin Olsson.

We have a lack of depth every where really, very poor at full back, no depth at centre back, no depth in the centre of midfield, quantity rather than quality out wide and a problem for numbers up top whilst Best is out.

[Kelbo]

This is a good read regarding fitness and pre season, its a bit old but Roden is rated by Majiball and it does underline the importance of good fitness work pre season!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6919549.stm