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The Lancashire Telegraph
News, sport and entertainment from all over East Lancashire
Atkins: Berg needs unity at Blackburn Rovers (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Atkins: Berg needs unity at Blackburn Rovers
1:10pm Friday 9th November 2012 in Football By Lewis Deakin
MANAGER Berg
FORMER Blackburn Rovers midfielder Mark Atkins has urged the fans and owners to get fully behind new manager Henning Berg. Berg, who was appointed on a three-year contract to replace former manager Steve Kean, picked up his first point as Rovers boss in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw at Huddersfield Town.
Now the man who openly criticised owners the Venky’s just a few months ago will be bidding for maximum points against Birmingham City tomorrow as he makes his Ewood Park return.
Both Atkins and Berg were influential in Blackburn’s 1995 Premier League triumph.
Former midfielder Atkins, who made 569 professional appear-ances in his career, has heaped praise on his former team-mate but admits he needs help from his bosses to be a success.
He said: “Henning is a very intelligent man, and he knows what he wants from the club. “The owners have obviously changed his opinion and they have given him a fantastic opportunity to manage a club where he played and will always be remembered.”
Rovers fans have stayed away from Ewood Park this season with attendances falling to just 14,000, which is 8,000 less than last season.
A bumper crowd is expected for the visit of the Blues tomorrow to welcome in Berg’s era with Atkins, who spent seven years at Rovers, admitting it has been sad to see the fans so “despondent” in recent times because of their dissatisfaction with Venky’s and now departed boss Kean.
“Everyone must get behind the manager and get the club promoted,” said Atkins. “By achieving success the fans will then get behind the owners and come together.”
Owners Venky’s have proved controversial since they bought the club back in 2010. They declared soon after buying the club that they wanted Rovers to become the “Arsenal” of the north.
Experienced manager Sam Allardyce was then sacked for not producing ‘entertaining football’ as the owners appointed Kean as boss. Atkins, who made 34 appearances out of 42 in 1994/95, believes sacking Allardyce was a mistake.
He said: “Sam was sacked far too early. His know-how and experience would have been vital in keeping Blackburn in the Premier League.
“Teams move forward and if you don’t do the same you get left behind, which happened a lot last season.”
Rovers’ 11-year stay in the top flight ended in May. The club’s global advisor Shebby Singh applied the pressure before the start of the new campaign, telling supporters if Kean lost three straight matches he would be sacked.
“With statements like that coming out the pressure intensifies towards the manager and players,” said Atkins, who is now manager of Evo-Stik Premier Division outfit Matlock Town.
“Steve will have had his own targets, but when targets are made public everyone feels under pressure to achieve them. “The squad is good enough.”
Comments are closed on this article.

Comments (46)
1:38pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Road Runner Road Runner says...
Great effort and unstinting belief is going to be required in putting the good ship Ewood back into calm waters.
Henning Berg is that man for let us be honest here their are not many other managers out there who would care to take a risk with present circumstances presiding down at Ewood.
A few bad results/performances should not distract Rovers fans from the bigger but ugly picture that Berg inherited.
I'm backing the 'iceberg' in getting it right.
Arte et labore
2:02pm Fri 9 Nov 12
blueblooded says...
Far too many cries of "Kean Out - Fans In" but truth is that was ever going to be less than 3k or so supporters. The fans who have returned though, are 100% behind the new manager - amd we make enough noise for the lack of fairweather fans to hardly be an issue!
COYB!
2:05pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Accy Phil says...
2:48pm Fri 9 Nov 12
thairover says...
3:06pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Only1Garner says...
Rovers need to do more to attract the crowds back, currently they have made no effort at all.
3:55pm Fri 9 Nov 12
baz58 says...
4:06pm Fri 9 Nov 12
unclejacklegend says...
4:13pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Abu dabi says...
4:31pm Fri 9 Nov 12
realisticrovers says...
4:37pm Fri 9 Nov 12
givet82 says...
4:38pm Fri 9 Nov 12
givet82 says...
5:35pm Fri 9 Nov 12
willhelmrover98 says...
6:10pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
And neither have they made any effort to interact with the fans.......Talk about "all pull together" How about the Venkeys lead the way and make the effort to return the club to the "Family club" we were once were... Yes, they want our money so I 'd like to see THEM make the effort.
6:13pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
6:19pm Fri 9 Nov 12
merlinrabbit says...
6:25pm Fri 9 Nov 12
merlinrabbit says...
6:34pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Captain Dreckley says...
6:49pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
Come on lads if you don't agree with me just say so. No offence will be taken.
6:51pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
6:59pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Accy Phil says...
7:04pm Fri 9 Nov 12
burnleyglentoran says...
ICE BERGS PUNE AND WHITE ARMY
G
O
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N
G
D
O
W
N
7:17pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
Come on lads if you don't agree with me just say so. No offence will be taken.
The above was my earlier comment.
THOUGHT NOT...PR ( DIRTY TRICKS )DEPT IT IS THEN. YOU FOOLS.
7:17pm Fri 9 Nov 12
blueblooded says...
RHODES buying a house near Blackburn as Austin already rumoured to be in talks with better clubs.. Woop! :D
7:21pm Fri 9 Nov 12
burnleyglentoran says...
That wont be your shower then will it!!!
BRKFC - JUST AN INTERNATIONAL LAUGHING STOCK NEAR SHADSWORTH
7:22pm Fri 9 Nov 12
blueblooded says...
Don't you start turning into another smelly lol!
One is DEFINITELY more than enough!
7:27pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
No, I'm not another STC.
7:30pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
*ite.
7:33pm Fri 9 Nov 12
blueblooded says...
Actually Shadsworth is on but a small reflection of Turdley.. It reminds us we could all be worse off.. We could live in Turdley.. Cheapest boarded up housing in Britain I believe.
Average terraced house less than 20k?
Of course it is.. Once the pride of the BNP?
Yup that's the one. Turdley will Always be second best to the mighty Blackburn and Rovers.
Btw, Shadsworth is IN Blackburn. The laughing stock near it is the third rate dump no-one wants to visit called Burnley. A little but of geography for you since your inbreeding obvious affects your basic motor skills.
7:35pm Fri 9 Nov 12
blueblooded says...
7:52pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
8:55pm Fri 9 Nov 12
vicn1956 says...
Can you tell the thug stewards in the Darwen End whose behaviour led to many not returning?
8:57pm Fri 9 Nov 12
vicn1956 says...
Can you tell the thug stewards in the Darwen End whose behaviour led to many not returning?
9:29pm Fri 9 Nov 12
whappen says...
Hardly narrows it down much does it?
Bournemouth perhaps?
9:44pm Fri 9 Nov 12
whappen says...
And do you really think someone at the club trawls through these comments and just puts a tick or a cross after each one? Never mind eleven - that would be a right faff. And as if it means anything anyway.
Calm down gents, you're getting paranoid.
Yours sincerely,
S Singh
10:11pm Fri 9 Nov 12
merlinrabbit says...
10:14pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Iiii1111 says...
....a 50 year old cougar..poor lad;-)
11:42pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Gaz M says...
3:12am Sat 10 Nov 12
Stone Island: says...
O
I
N
G
D
O
W
N
O
N
Y
O
U
R
S
I
S
T
E
R
You FILTHY SWINE!
5:41am Sat 10 Nov 12
Phil Simpson says...
As for Super Atko, I'm glad he's still in football.
Regarding Tim Sherwood, If his playing days are anything to go by, I'm glad he isn't manager as I found Mark Atkins' partnership with David Batty far more effective than Tim's.
8:50am Sat 10 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
After the goings on at the club over the last two years, alleged dodgy agents, lies and broken promises from the owners, the comical and amateurish way the club has been run and the continuing absence and silence of the owners (almost two years now...Why?) I'm keeping an open mind.
Personally, I wouldn't put anything past them. I wouldn't trust them one iota.
9:13am Sat 10 Nov 12
smellthecoffee says...
10:03am Sat 10 Nov 12
blueblooded says...
Kid for a quid day today..Im expecting an amazing atmosphere at the game!
COYB!
10:15am Sat 10 Nov 12
Harwoodstblue says...
ully a great atmosphere, a good crowd and three points will keep us right in there.
We need the home wins and should get them in this league.
Hope Berg is the man but suspect it might take a little time.....
COYB.
11:37am Sat 10 Nov 12
Reg Rover says...
Henning Berg’s match comments following the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, were music to my ears. At last a manager who tells it as it is.
“We played badly and did not deserve anything from the game” said Berg. “Our possession was poor and we did not keep the ball enough” Berg continued. “Our defensive play was disappointing, we allowed their attackers to much space and time”. “We have to work harder”.
Berg’s comments after the Huddersfield game were of a similar nature. Even the disappointment of Huddersfield’s late late equaliser in Tuesday’s draw brought a withering response from Berg. “We need to learn to keep possession of the ball to see a game out, if you give it away easily the opposition always have the opportunity to score”.
These are just a selection from new manager Henning Berg after his first two games in charge.
I believe anyone who watched the games will identify with Berg’s assessments.
If Steve Kean had still been in charge however the manager’s comments would have been much different. Kean would have gone into ‘spin’ mode. His summing up at Crystal Palace would have gone as follows. “we hit the woodwork twice and we were unlucky”. “Palace was awarded 2 dubious penalties”. “We did not get the luck our players deserved; we deserved something from the game”.
So on and so on – you can make up your own ‘ Keanism’s’.
The tragedy of Kean is that that eventually every player began to believe his unrealistic assessment of Rovers performance’s and began to think the world was against them.
Henning Berg will bring them back to reality, of that you can be certain.
Reg
Footnote:
It would be nice if a few hundred more Rovers fans could turn up on Saturday v Birmingham, to welcome Henning Berg back home. A crowd of 15,000 would be nice and in the right direction. But it will take time, wounds run deep for Rovers fans. They were ignored for too long over Kean by the clubs owners, and now stay away, simple as.
www.regoftherovers.c
o.uk
11:39am Sat 10 Nov 12
Reg Rover says...
Since that glorious September day when Steve Kean, under pressure from Shebby Singh, walked out on Blackburn Rovers, quite a few manager positions have become vacant.
Amonsgst them – Bolton, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Blackpool, Ipswich, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe, and even the Scotland National team. And one or two others that escape me.
Countless names have been attached and mentioned fro all these vacancies, running into dozens and dozens of names. As the media and supporters speculated.
But the one name that has been noticeable by it’s absence is the now unemployable and discredited Steve Kean.
Not a peep, not a squeak, not a ‘dicky’ bird, not a whisper of Kean’s name by anyone. Not even his agent Jerome (the man who ruined Blackburn Rovers) Anderson.
I hope Mrs Anuradha Desai (pic above) will take note that she (allegedly on the advice of Jerome Anderson) was the only person in the world stupid enough to employ him.
Reg.
www.regoftherovers.c
o.uk
12:09pm Sat 10 Nov 12
Bazzer says...