Souness must go ?

[Tris]

Regardless of whether Souness is the right man for the job, I feel everyone is making a huge mistake in assuming he has any particular loyalty to Blackburn Rovers. Unlike us he is not a fan, it is just a job. If Spurs or anyone else for that matter come in for him with a "double your salary" offer and a decent transfer budget I'd imagine he'd be off like a shot. As would most people.

So who's it to be then ?  The Yorkshireman Tony Parkes ?  The experienced Ronnie Clayton ?  Simon Garner - he must be a fan, he's got an LET column ?  Not sure if his motivational skills will improve on what's there now though !

[Eddie]

I think managers in general become extremely attached to their jobs and do become supporters. I think it would take a lot for Souey to leave, and I'm not even really sure what that would have to be, but it certainly wouldnt be some increased monetary sum. Quite frankly I'm not surprised if this crop of players doesn't really want to "die for" and work their socks of for this team, because it seems like there's a large crop of supporters who don't want to do the opposite for the players. To me at least this is a two way system, we have to show our support for the club and the players, of course not blindly, but not cynically. If you see it another way though then that is up to you.

[RevidgeBlue]

Regardless of whether Souness is the right man for the job, I feel everyone is making a huge mistake in assuming he has any particular loyalty to Blackburn Rovers. Unlike us he is not a fan, it is just a job. If Spurs or anyone else for that matter come in for him with a "double your salary" offer and a decent transfer budget I'd imagine he'd be off like a shot. As would most people.

So who's it to be then ?  The Yorkshireman Tony Parkes ?  The experienced Ronnie Clayton ?  Simon Garner - he must be a fan, he's got an LET column ?  Not sure if his motivational skills will improve on what's there now though !

If our results stay the same as they have been it's unlikely anyone would come in for him, making my point a hypothetical one.

If he did ever leave in the long term the combination to get the place buzzing would be Shearer under the guidance of a more experienced hand.

If it was in the more immediate future Hughes or Coleman would be my current choices.

[Eddie]

Why on earth would you want Shearer to be the manager of Blackburn Rovers?

[RevidgeBlue]

Why on earth would you want Shearer to be the manager of Blackburn Rovers?

Just a personal view but I feel he'd be good management material, a view apparently shared by Jack Walker who offered him a long term player manager role before he left for Newcastle.

You're probably too young to remember but 25 years ago we once gave a completely untried player manager his first real break and he turned out to be one of the most successful Club managers this country has ever seen (before sadly succumbing to the bottle)

Name was Kendall or something.

[92er]

Graham Taylor, in the Daily Telegraph said that for the first time since he has been at Ewood, Souness has "hit the wall". He said you can go over it, go round it,or go through it. He said it would be interesting to see which route Souness would take.

[S15]

Graham Taylor, in the Daily Telegraph said that for the first time since he has been at Ewood, Souness has "hit the wall". He said you can go over it, go round it,or go through it. He said it would be interesting to see which route Souness would take.

The sensible option would be to get on around three of the players shoulders and gleefully effortlessly climb over.

[broadsword]

Why on earth would you want Shearer to be the manager of Blackburn Rovers?

Just a personal view but I feel he'd be good management material, a view apparently shared by Jack Walker who offered him a long term player manager role before he left for Newcastle.

Hell's bells, are you serious?!

Have you observed his managerial attributes at close hand?

We gave Howard Kendall a job because we were skint. What we need now is not a new manager but a new benefactor.

[Gav]

Why on earth would you want Shearer to be the manager of Blackburn Rovers?

Just a personal view but I feel he'd be good management material, a view apparently shared by Jack Walker who offered him a long term player manager role before he left for Newcastle.

How many times did Jack actually get it wrong Rev?

Shearer first of all would not leave Newcastle and second he's a greedy so and so and would probably want 10% of ever transfer in and out of the club plus 2million and year!

Sod that, as always stick with Souness he's doing ok for now.

[Cheeky Sidders]

I think past history tells us changing manager when we're near the bottom of the table for some largely untested in the management role has been a disaster.  Lest we forget, we did that when Woy of the Wovers had lost the plot and Uncle Jack saw it in his wisdom to offer the job to Kidd.

In any case, I think Shearer is hanging on for May 2005 when he will take over from old Robby Bobson.

However, if GS was to go (and I sincerely hope he doesn't), I would be very happy to see that nice Mr Hughes take over.

[Dr Rich]

If the worst came to the worst I'd be very happy to see Claudio Ranieri take over once Roman loses patience, still don't want Souness to leave though.

Speaking of Jack getting it wrong, Kevin Davies anyone?

[FourLaneBlue]

Why on earth would you want Shearer to be the manager of Blackburn Rovers?

Just a personal view but I feel he'd be good management material, a view apparently shared by Jack Walker who offered him a long term player manager role before he left for Newcastle.

You're probably too young to remember but 25 years ago we once gave a completely untried player manager his first real break and he turned out to be one of the most successful Club managers this country has ever seen (before sadly succumbing to the bottle)

Name was Kendall or something.

Wow! That is so insightful!

We had a decent player-manager 25 years ago so let's sack Souness and get Shearer in?!?!

Is this definitely you Rev or has some new poster logged in under your name to spout stupid comments for a short while before leaving?

Whichever... surely you can't be serious? You had been drinking when you posted that hadn't you?

[RevidgeBlue]

Errr......... no that was me.

If you read what I said properly I didn't say "sack Souness and get X Y or Z in." I gave my preferred options in the event he were to leave/retire.

What I said was it's unrealistic to expect him to hang around if anyone came in with a "Double your money" offer.

[RevidgeBlue]

If the worst came to the worst I'd be very happy to see Claudio Ranieri take over once Roman loses patience, still don't want Souness to leave though.

Speaking of Jack getting it wrong, Kevin Davies anyone?

Isn't it the manager's decision who to sign and a good Board's job to back him up?

[Tris]

Just a personal view but I feel he'd be good management material, a view apparently shared by Jack Walker who offered him a long term player manager role before he left for Newcastle.

hmm, but possibly only in the 10 minutes before he left for Newcastle, when all else had failed.

I don't actually disagree that Shearer will end up in management and make a decent go of it.  He's obviously very single minded (eg England decision) and his pedigree as a player is also without question (and almost without equal).

But not at Ewood please.  Why not ?  Because as soon as Newcastle came calling he'd be off again.  He'd be wise not to start at his beloved club, but I don't want him having his teething problems at Ewood thanks.

Will be interesting to watch if he does go into management (as Tony Adams is also proving).  Shearer has a history of personality clashes - Sutton v Newell as strike partner, the Gillespie fight, Ruud Gullit.  As a manager, he'd need to make that trait an enabler rather than a hindrance.

[broadsword]

Just a personal view but I feel he'd be good management material, a view apparently shared by Jack Walker who offered him a long term player manager role before he left for Newcastle.

hmm, but possibly only in the 10 minutes before he left for Newcastle, when all else had failed.

I don't have Charles Lambert's book to hand, but I think it was the night before, at either Shearer or Walker's house.

And Jack did (allegedly) persuade him. But KK came calling the day after and his mind was made up.

If I was in his shoes, I would've left as well, to be honest.

[Ste B]

Speaking of Jack getting it wrong, Kevin Davies anyone?

Grrrrr.... So we should have paid him 5 years of wages before he bothered to put even a half season of reasonable football.

INMO, Easily Rovers WORST ever signing, at least Grabbi put some effort in and had an excuse for being homesick.  Davies had played 300 miles away without complaining until he moved an hours drive from Ewood.

[FourLaneBlue]

If the worst came to the worst I'd be very happy to see Claudio Ranieri take over once Roman loses patience, still don't want Souness to leave though.

Speaking of Jack getting it wrong, Kevin Davies anyone?

Isn't it the manager's decision who to sign and a good Board's job to back him up?

Apparently not in that case. A number of sources (including Chalres Lambert the author of 'The Club that Jack built' and Mike Jackman author of the Rovers history) have found that the transfer of Kvin Davies happened mainly because Jack Walker wanted it to. There isn't any evidence at all to suggest this wasn't the case. This goes along with the account of Roy Hodgson and also what Tony Parkes told the press not so long ago. To be honest it's generally accepted the Davies transfer went through because of Jack. Not wonderful to hear I admit because Jack Walker was the greatest thing that has happened to this club for a long long time but what can you do?

Rev- my comments were because I thought you were suggesting sacking Souness to bring in Shearer so my apologies.  

[Ste B]

And Jack did (allegedly) persuade him. But KK came calling the day after and his mind was made up.

If I was in his shoes, I would've left as well, to be honest.

I've also heard many other rumours about that day, including one where everything was almost signed, sealed and delivered until one of the parties got a @#/? up phone call saying "do you know how much you have cost me you c***"

None of us will ever know the truth, but as Bryan said - if I was Shearer then I would have made the same decision. Move on, it was 7 and a half years ago and consigned to Rovers history.

Who knows what will make a good manager - personally I think its 95% luck... Tony Adams is struggling, Chris Coleman is flying, people such as McMahon will have to wait forever to get even half a chance.

[RevidgeBlue]

Isn't it the manager's decision who to sign and a good Board's job to back him up?

Apparently not in that case. A number of sources (including Chalres Lambert the author of 'The Club that Jack built' and Mike Jackman author of the Rovers history) have found that the transfer of Kvin Davies happened mainly because Jack Walker wanted it to. There isn't any evidence at all to suggest this wasn't the case. This goes along with the account of Roy Hodgson and also what Tony Parkes told the press not so long ago. To be honest it's generally accepted the Davies transfer went through because of Jack. Not wonderful to hear I admit because Jack Walker was the greatest thing that has happened to this club for a long long time but what can you do?

Rev- my comments were because I thought you were suggesting sacking Souness to bring in Shearer so my apologies.  

Have just dug out Lambert's book which simply says:

"Roy Hodgson now says that Jack was a major influence on that signing."

Hmmm........ he would now wouldn't he!  

Not necessarily saying it isn't the case but if Jack did make a mistake he was in good company as we pipped Arsenal to the signing as I recall.

Did Jack then also "force" Woy to spend £4m on Blake and £5m on Dailly?  

[Gav]

Blake was a snip at that price  

I'll get my coat......

[FourLaneBlue]

Actually I was drunk when I posted that so I'll delete it while I still can!

[thenodrog]

Easily Rovers WORST ever signing, at least Grabbi put some effort in

Just remind me again of that moment Ste cos it must have slipped my mind.

[RevidgeBlue]

I'll delete as well then!  

Beer's a bitch isn't it.

[robert 15]

if souness goes then rovers wil go down, he choses the team but it is up 2 the 11 players to win the game. i think this season the problem is that rovers were a very goods side and coz the team  were doing so well at home the fans were not having to sing. but this season the players need the fans to sing some games this season at ewood rovers hav sounded like away fans. also it is heard settling in to the preminership and instead of rovers getting on emertons and amersos back we should surrport them no one had ago at barry fergson and he is startin to look like a good player so if we help amo and bret they might be able to become good players 2. come on rovers get behined your team