[Archived] News Article -> Manager Search Continues

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Blackburn Rovers' search for a new manager enters its third week with the club still not close to naming Steve Kean's successor.

It has become clear over the last few days that the preferred choice of Venky's global advisor Shebby Singh is former Rovers player and Tottenham coach Tim Sherwood. However, trying to land him as manager has proved to be a difficult task. The first problem is that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is unwilling to let Sherwood leave the club and would hold out for compensation. Secondly, sources close to Sherwood have indicated that he would like to have direct talks with the owners in order to seek reassurances before he would even consider joining Rovers.

The club drew up a shortlist last week and BRFCS understand that, in addition to Sherwood, the likes of Karl Robinson, Dougie Freedman, Paulo Di Canio and Ian Holloway are on the list among others. Reports in the local and national press are indicating that Rovers are mulling over making an official approach for Blackpool's Ian Holloway, who is believed to be the preferred choice of Rovers managing director Derek Shaw. Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston will fight tooth and nail to keep hold of Holloway, however, and it is also not clear whether Holloway would want to leave Blackpool for Rovers.

It is a complicated situation with different people in the process pulling for different managers and there is a real danger that the whole process could become a confused mess. What is now required is clear and calm thinking. Fan frustration is starting to rise, and Rovers need to start making decisions on which candidates are going to be approached. At present it is looking unlikely that the new manager will be in place for the weekend match at Derby County, while reports in last week's Lancashire Telegraph indicated that staff, including players, felt that the club was in a state of limbo.

If the process does go into a fourth week, then the situation would be further complicated by Rovers having three games in a week — Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford. Rovers can ill afford to fall further behind in the race for promotion. It is right that the club is taking its time in making this decision, and it is imperative that Rovers bring in the right man. However, three weeks in and surely the period of consultation/evaluation has now got to end. Rovers need to start making approaches to the managerial candidates who they feel are capable of taking the club forward so that they can enter the decision-making process and make one of the most crucial appointments in recent times.

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