New Manager is Mark Hughes

[Hasta]

Hughes very coy in his post-match interview.

I reckon if an approach is made he will come.

I was thinking the same. As soon as the question came he just started talking about his Welsh players and picking them up again. No comment one way or the other. Contary to earlier press reports I certainly don't feel he's ruled himself out.

[John]

Maybe I was reading too deep into it but he seemed to stutter when asked and think.

His answer hardly suggests he is denying any link. If there was nothing in it he would come out and say so.

[Ninjathunder]

Hughes very coy in his post-match interview.

I reckon if an approach is made he will come.

I was thinking the same. As soon as the question came he just started talking about his Welsh players and picking them up again. No comment one way or the other. Contary to earlier press reports I certainly don't feel he's ruled himself out.

From earlier comments he hasn't ruled himself out either. Stuff like being flattered to be linked with the job but doesn't expect to get a call from Rovers....he wants the job!

[92er]

I think Harrison has recently resigned due to ill health.

[Ninjathunder]

How's this for a quote from Mark Hughes (from BBC website) regarding who he's learnt his management skills from (note the omission);

"I've been lucky enough to play under many great managers. People like Sir Alex Ferguson, Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit. I'd like to think I've taken something from each of them."

[USABlue]

I think the names touted with us are far better than ones bandied around for the Newcastle job.

Again my picks are; Dowie, Hughes, Shearer + coach, Moyes + Irvine. All would be good for our club.

Different circumstances: Newcastle approached the managers they wanted, Rovers invited applications for the job.

See my earlier post on Dowie; I don't see the point of us grooming Shearer for the next time the Newcastle job becomes available; Moyes would be OK though I don't see why he would want to leave Everton; Hughes would be preferable but is inexperienced and would need good back-up staff.

who do you want then? and why?

I asked him that too, for years now and he will not answer. See jim is a criticizer not the type to stick his neck out and take a chance. Waits to see what others do then bad mouths them for it. It's what he does it's why he's jim.

[samtheozzy]

FACT: Every manager is low-profile when they start football management - apart from those who were famous players.

I agree Rover6 (wow i never though i'd hear myself say that) but there is a difference to starting in the Premiership and starting with a Div 2 side. We are not in a position that will allow a novice manager to come in and spend a couple of months finding his feet. We need a manager to come in and help us start winning games *immediately* and it is far more likely that an experienced manager with good credentials and good premiership experience can help us achieve this. It's early days but we are already knee-deep in the relegation zone.

[Exiled_Rover]

Read your Dowie post. What about his heroics at Oldham? I haven't heard that much about Dowie's training methods. But I do know he is clever and takes what some would view as a US approach to the game.....(etc )

Good post mate, totally agree

[Legion]

Whatever we think of Shearer as a player/person/ex-rover we know bugger all about him as a manager.

Why we would want him as our manager is beyond me, and as Jim said the best we could hope for if he did turn out to be good is for him to naff off back to Newcastle as soon as they tire of Souness.

If the barcodes want Shearer to learn his trade somewhere, send him to Scunthorpe, or Grimbsy, but we (I) don't want him.

At least Sparky has managerial experience albeit at international level which is different to week in week out prem managering. Of all the names mentioned though I DO NOT WANT ex -England managers who were truely hopeless/a laughing stock at club level. With the exception of El Tel in his prime what has the others really acheived?

I would rather see a manager with the ability but who has not been given the chance to gain the experience, but who would grab the chance and give 110% ( note I said Manager NOT coach so no Kidd comparisons) than journeyman show ponies who have been around but have little or nothing to show for it except a long CV and a large bank balance.

I would not even consider some of the older names being considered. If as has been suggested Souness was a couple of games from the chop anyway, we've saved money, got rid of coaches we've been complaining about for years and now have an opportunity to get a manager to drag us out of the doldrums that Souness gleefully led us into over the past 18 months.

Souness was past his use by date and the Barcodes are welcome to him.

But 'Note to the Board' Please no has-beens, journeymen, or anyone who has been given the elbow by more that two clubs.

[Tris]

Bums on seats is what counts and the paying public started to turn away from Souness. When you can't sell out against Manchester United..........?????

Very accurate assessment of what would never be publicly admitted by the club.

Paul - bums on seats are extremely important.

Souness (at Rovers) is the most successful manager in the Premier League over the last four years, bar the managers of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

And still the Blackburn "paying public" deserted in their droves.

Whoever the new manager is, that person has almost no chance of bettering Souness' record at Rovers in the same timescale, if at all.

So what will you be saying 4 years from now ? Will it still be Souey's fault ??????????

Edited September 9, 2004 by Tris

[philipl]

It was interesting reading the panel discussion with John Williams from last summer seeing he was expecting the club would push on towards 30,000 average gates. The short fall of 5,000 against what was hoped for (budgetteed?) must have hit the Rovers very hard.

Then reading that in the context of the Chairman of the Walker Trust talking about new external funding to further develop Ewood Park and there must have been a palpable feeling of enormous let down around Ewood twelve months ago.

Perhaps not surprising we went on to have the third worst season at home in the club's history.

In this case, the blame has to go on the general public not responding to a remarkable achievement in Rovers finishing sixth in the League aided and abetted by the press campaign to transfer Duff.

Back to our new manager- looks like self-destruct buttons are being pressed at Villa Park and Goodison if today's press stories are to be believed.

If the Rovers want to consider them, it could be that both O'Leary and Moyes would be serious candidates.

Elsewhere, interesting to read that neither Hughes nor Strachan have actually sent in applications for the Ewood vacancy.

[Alan75]

Bearing in mind the only direct quotes attributed to John Williams are.

John Williams  on the club's official website yesterday: "There has been a big response to the vacancy, as expected.

"A number of high quality candidates have thrown their hats into the ring and we are now in a position to draw up a shortlist with a view to making an early appointment if possible."

The interesting part being. we are now in a position to draw up a shortlist yet reading back through the post here and through the media, there are a number of speculative remarks and comments being written and posted.

Unless there is insider leaks, I would suggest a lot of media comments are just opportunities to fill back pages or to influence betting prices.

Yesterday Moyes, Dowie and Macarthy were the names in the frame and last night there was a big debate regarding Peter Reid, could this be a ploy to divert betting to allow the bookies to lay off losses should the heavily backed Hughes gets the job.

Interestingly from somewhere the story has risen that Strachan hasnt applied, has John Williams released a list of applicants or is there a mole in his office.

Whilst it's exciting to speculate, and thats what a fans message board is all about I dont think people should pannick when the names of people like Reid, Glenda etc are bandied about. None of us will know who the new manager is untill JWcalls a press conference to announce that Rovers once again are to be front runners in the Football World. When team selections and transfers are to be agreed by a brfcs.com members who will submit poll each week.

[salothsar]

For a town club like ours who finished where we did last season we should be proud of the general quantity and quality of managers who (if you take a reasonably balanced view) have actually applied for the job. If the figure 30 is correct and only 50% are decent I find it quite incredible. I don't want Hoddle, Advocaat or Houlier either but whether you like it or not they are big names.

Having said that the 2 of the favourites (Hughes and Strachen) don't seem to have actually applied. Whereas this doesn't mean they won't come it would please me if we employed someone who openly wanted the job, rather than someone who we had to chase and persuade.

[Blackburn Ender]

Presumably Hughes can't apply for the job, since he's already contracted to Wales. Doesn't mean he doesn't want it. He would need to be approached (via the Welsh FA, presumably).

[Hughesy]

A manager already in post can still apply, however if rovers wanted to chat with the manager then they would have to approach the club and agree a settlement in order to possibly taking the manager on.

[salothsar]

Haven't 3 current permiership managers applied ? (or are reported to have applied) I find it hard to believe they have done this without their club finding out, and whoever they are I presume the club will be well hacked off that their manager is applying for a new job, especially this early in the season

[Hughesy]

Yes apparently there are 3 current prem managers.

Im sure the chairman wont be too suprised at some of the clubs as some of the possibilities have had recent problems.

Dowie isnt happy in the south and doesnt want to move his family from oldham.

Redknapp nearly left earlier on in the year because of that madaric fella.

Moyes always said that if Rooney was sold, then he would go.

Allardyce is pi$$ed off with the bolton board because in summer they failed to sign their main targets due to a very strict wage structure.

[T4E]

Hughesy, why do you continually state your opinions as if they are fact? In the past you have countless times shown that you know just as much as anybody else on this website, and if truth be told you probably know less than most.

Why do it to yourself??

[Hughesy]

Hughesy, why do you continually state your opinions as if they are fact? In the past you have countless times shown that you know just as much as anybody else on this website, and if truth be told you probably know less than most.

Why do it to yourself??

Of what i just said, what isnt a fact??

[T4E]

How the hell do you know whether or not Allardyce is ###### off with his board? How do you know what Iain Dowie thinks about his family life? You havent got a clue, like the rest of us.

[philipl]

Can you back up Allrdyce being unhappy at Bolton with hard evidence? He didn't exactly go skipping to St James's Park did he?

The rest of your assertions can be backed up by quotes and snippets though.

[salothsar]

Surprised or not I'm sure the chairmen won't be happy about their lack of commitment. There were quite a few on here complaining about GS's disloyalty. Only one person can get the job and it quite possibly won't ba any current EPL manager. As all these people know each other how much unofficial tapping up goes on. Its got to be a bit different and less well regulated than players ?

[T4E]

Hughes is even money on Skybet now, and the whole market has been suspended. Looks like today could be an interesting day.

[Hughesy]

How the hell do you know whether or not Allardyce is ###### off with his board? How do you know what Iain Dowie thinks about his family life? You havent got a clue, like the rest of us.

Very good friends of my grandad is the Warburton family.

His two daughters also get therapy treatments at my Step Mums sister's shop in Bolton.

They have spoke of his discontent more than once. Especially when he didnt get Unsworth

[T4E]

How the hell do you know whether or not Allardyce is ###### off with his board? How do you know what Iain Dowie thinks about his family life? You havent got a clue, like the rest of us.

Very good friends of my grandad is the Warburton family.

His two daughters also get therapy treatments at my Step Mums sister's shop in Bolton.

Oh Hughesy, what would we do without you?