DAN CLOUGH FAN COLUMN: Kean departure was a false dawn (From Lancashire Telegraph)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
DAN CLOUGH FAN COLUMN: Kean departure was a false dawn
10:27am Tuesday 18th December 2012 in Football
STEVE Kean’s Ewood Park departure really was a false dawn for fans of Blackburn Rovers.
For a new even darker era began on the day a certain Malaysian nobody had ever heard of turned up in town.
Shebby Singh’s appointment at first seemed a good thing.
He talked the talk and, at last, it seemed there was a movement towards some sort of decision-making process that didn’t require a return ticket to India.
Alas, things are even worse, and if things do not change drastically and quickly, we are heading towards even greater disaster.
The end of a miserable two years under Kean was the perfect opportunity to get our ailing club back on track.
Proven managers like Mick McCarthy and Ian Holloway were mentioned for the job, but it was the inexperienced Henning Berg who was given the unenviable task.
It all makes sense really. Those managers would not be able to work in the bizarre Rovers regime.
But Henning Berg, a man who has no proven managerial ability outside of Norway, can act as the figurehead and take all the blame when things go wrong.
I would like to know, for instance, the decision making process behind dropping Paul Robinson on Saturday. Who decided to start with Simon Vukcevic and who decided to stick Diogo Rosado (who? Exactly) on the bench?
Similarly, who is behind the recent rumours that a major shake-up of Berg’s backroom staff is imminent?
I am no conspiracy theorist, honest. But despite the manager coming out and telling the world he makes the decisions in this paper last week, I am not convinced things are as simple as they are being made out.
Somebody needs to go to India and convince Venky’s that major changes are required.
The first thing that needs to be done is Shebby Singh needs to go. After that, somebody who actually knows what is needed to run a successful football club must be brought back and allowed to run the club.
Mrs Desai can keep her final say on policy if she wants, but it needs to be a lot smoother and quicker process than it currently is.
If they are not prepared to do this, they must sell up now and cut their losses. Otherwise this downward slide will continue.
The asking price for a League One club will be a great deal lower than that of a Championship club, but if Venky’s don’t act fast, that is exactly where we will end up.
Comments are closed on this article.

Comments (47)
10:51am Tue 18 Dec 12
roverfor60years says...
We are truly in a black place, a long dark tunnel with not a glimmer of hope as things stand.
I said at the time John Williams had his contract terminated - to satisfy the avarice of Agent Anderson who wanted him out of the way to fulfil his sinister plan - that Venky's would live to rue the day. That day is here.
My thoughts on what is wrong at Ewood are well documented and I have no reason to go through them all again. Suffice to say EVERYTHING is wrong from top to bottom. It is pointless calling for Venky’s to go, or for a new manager to be appointed. Where will we be then?
It appears Venky’s are here to stay – for the foreseeable future, anyway. Mrs Desai and the Rao brothers have that future, perhaps our very existence as we know it, in the palm of their hands and in my view they can make only one decision that will save us – reappoint John Williams and Tom Finn, whatever it takes to do it.
I know many will say ‘not a chance’. But they have GOT to make it happen. John knows this club inside out. He knows a lot of what has happened and what he doesn’t know he will quickly find out from past and present members of staff. And Venky’s will need to lay bare their souls, be open with him and fully explain why they have acted with such folly for so long.
If they cannot do it themselves, get someone to do it for them. Someone with heart and soul in the club who could sit down and tempt John and Tom back - on their terms. Maybe Robert Coar, ex-directors or chairmen, Ian Battersby, Wayne Wild, anyone who could broker it. Anyone.
John will know immediately what needs to be done. Venky’s must put their trust in him, back his decisions and give him complete authority to rebuild our once-proud club and restore the stability we once enjoyed.
That one decision – which would be their only correct one in two years of carnage – would set us on the road to recovery. I doubt anyone else could do it.
If Venky’s cannot pull it off, heaven help us.
11:06am Tue 18 Dec 12
Dukes says...
I agree what your saying but will their listen no chance in hell
VENKYS AND BERG OUT.
11:12am Tue 18 Dec 12
RoverPool says...
11:20am Tue 18 Dec 12
Grey Rover says...
What is true that it's foolish to believe a word that comes out of Ewood. The clowns there can only be judged by what they do and so far that's not too good.
11:28am Tue 18 Dec 12
Riverside 7 says...
In Robinson's case, there are issues with is weight as well as his recent form in goal.
Vukcevic has deserved his chance for quite a while after impressing in a substitute appearance against Birmingham a few weeks ago.
However, I do agree with him that all the rumours coming out of Ewood with regard to new Backroom staff is a major concern.
Who is leaking this information? Is it Shebby?
It is very unprofessional and matters such as this should be all sorted behind closed doors if possible.
If you were Eric Black, Ian Brunskill or Bobby Mimms how would you feel?
Unmotivated at best.
With regard to the first post, I very much doubt whether John Williams, Tom Finn etc would ever return to work for Venkys.
I sincerely hope they will but why would they after being treated so badly two years ago.
1:04pm Tue 18 Dec 12
srvp28 says...
1:11pm Tue 18 Dec 12
garydavies2304 says...
isors
alot comes from this guy
1:14pm Tue 18 Dec 12
brfcrule1 says...
1:30pm Tue 18 Dec 12
roverfor60years says...
1:32pm Tue 18 Dec 12
moh says...
1:34pm Tue 18 Dec 12
nearly sane says...
I don't think he has proven managerial ability inside Norway either, just a very modest record there. He was a complete gamble, presumably a cheap one, and one that does not appear to be paying off.
1:35pm Tue 18 Dec 12
cruzy_cruz says...
1:41pm Tue 18 Dec 12
brfcrule1 says...
o.uk
shebby@rovers.co.uk
ssingh@rovers.co.uk
these are the 3 I was given I hope other people have more success with Shebby as whenever I have emailed him I have never received a reply from him even when I wrote to him via snail mail not received a reply if anyone can get something out of this man it would be a miracle I have also recently made my feelings known to him regarding John Williams but please if any of you email him if you shout and scream he will not likely reply please be diplomatic like I have and someone else might have more joy.
1:47pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Norman T Wangler says...
Colin hendry has proved so ineffective as a defensive coach he has been demoted to assistant reserve team coach. he is also reportedly being paid £8000 per week and has only been retained at the club until such time as he has paid off his debt to one of the talentless Walker offspring.
Why though, if the walkers are nothing to do with us anymore, is this being allowed to happen? Surely the going rate in our division for an assistant youth team coach is more in the £600 per week bracket. Why are we paying Hendry £8000 per week so he can pay off an 'ex owner' who (apparently) sold us down the river to these cave dwellers.
Could it be that the invisible/ uncontactable/ ridiculously inactive Venkeys are really just a front for our old owners to recoup money their uncle (the true and only walker businessman) spent on the club? were we actually ever sold? the walkers could be behind all this (the fire sale of all assets worth anything) and merely be paying the venkeys / anderson / kean et all to look like they are in charge. and if thats not the case then why are we paying a drunken granny robber £8000 a week to put cones out on a pitch for 2 hours a day? Out of some loyalty to the previous owner??? i think not.
and maybe this is a bit fantastic. but who knows where we are concerned eh? the truth will out in time i suppose. Sadly it will be when its way too late.
1:47pm Tue 18 Dec 12
roverfor60years says...
1:50pm Tue 18 Dec 12
hasslem hasslem says...
don't get me wrong i was happy to see the back of kean - but he was merely just the head of the serpent. BRAG seem content that they have a dialogue with the club, but what needs to be realised is that the issues run far deeper than the manager of the team - it remains the chronic mis-management of the club...witness the leaked letters by hunt and williams/finn.
i don't see how six months into singh's arrival that anything has changed at our club....and if anything it may be worse as shebby talks a good story and some seem to be taken in with his banter and smile.
a pal of mine was at a mayoral reception in the autumn and i believe shebby made a brief speech which started along the lines "it is customary to open with a joke, but i won't mention steve kean...." truth is the whole club resembles a sick joke, trouble is - no supporters are laughing.
1:58pm Tue 18 Dec 12
nearly sane says...
2:09pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Norman T Wangler says...
And if Hendry reads this maybe he should read this article attached and give it a little contemplation:
http://www.lancashir
etelegraph.co.uk/new
s/crime/10095647.Thr
ee_preyed_on_vulnera
ble_elderly_people_i
n_Blackburn/
2:28pm Tue 18 Dec 12
whittleblue says...
IMO A start for Simon was long overdue this was his first start for twelve months since Sunderland away where he scored and by all accounts against Blackpool he was one of Rovers brighter players all be it in the first half and some of those who attended were puzzled by his substitution. Should be starting again in my book against Brighton but then in Venkys world we'llprobably not see hiom now for another twelve months.
2:54pm Tue 18 Dec 12
merlinrabbit says...
2:54pm Tue 18 Dec 12
fanny_tickler. says...
2:59pm Tue 18 Dec 12
merlinrabbit says...
3:04pm Tue 18 Dec 12
noddy57 says...
3:10pm Tue 18 Dec 12
MxMave says...
3:27pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Norman T Wangler says...
And despite everything, i am glad kean is gone. I would seriously struggle restraining myself in the right situation with him - in fact i doubt id try to be honest. its just a shame that now he has gone there as still question marks over the running of the club and who actually owns us and is profitting from us.
3:43pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Return of the Magnificent se7en says...
You should be more concerned about Garlick breath saying Austin isn't for sale just like rodriguez wasn't. Last time I looked England international Rodriguez was plying his trade at Southampton, where, the next Alan Shearer and England number 9 has managed a cool 1 goal in fourteen appearances. With that kind of form I'm suprised Messi isn't looking over his shoulder.
As you can tell by my post, You Burnley folk sure are deluded about how good one of your players is, thats why Flash in the pan Austin will be sold in Jan, but will suffer the same fate as Chaplow and Rodriguez, two England international regulars just as you were talking about Austin playing for England only last week. Maybe they were talking about hockey???
4:21pm Tue 18 Dec 12
danclough says...
4:37pm Tue 18 Dec 12
moh says...
4:39pm Tue 18 Dec 12
owd nick says...
Have a look at the transcript of Shebby's forum last week.
When talking about resolving financial issues it was WE, WE, WE, were working to do this.
When talking about team matters, new signings etc it was I, I, I am looking at this the majority of the time.
Freudian slip anyone.
If there is anyone remaining at Blackburn Rovers who has the balls to speak out against this horrendous creature? If so I would like to ask him (or her)
"What is a so called "Global advisor (sic)" and failed TV pundit, someone who has less knowledge about football than a dead frog, taking control of player signings.
YCMIU.
4:40pm Tue 18 Dec 12
handyamBRFC says...
Just to let you guys my friend whos an accountant has informed me that many business do this on paper to
1) save money on tax and
2) to ensure the money can be provided to the actual person without them paying any tax.
He actually does not get £8K
although, it shows on his payroll the amount goes to the Walker clan.
They absorb that into their other business or spend it as they wish.
Its just tax efficient and Hendry don't mind as its the only job hes gonna get..!!.
hence......Yes....
so he can pay off an 'ex owner' who (apparently) sold us down the river to these cave dwellers.
actually would any sane person ever sell BRFC to people who havn't got a clue.
would you sell your crown jewels..?
BRFC is precious for all of us fans.
Walker family did.....!!!!! SOLD out
where was the loyalty..???
6:08pm Tue 18 Dec 12
penrithrover says...
Great for Howard WALKER ,but what about all the other people Hendry stole from, the old age pensioners that he borrowed and in fact told a compendium of lies he told them ,for they nice old folk to loan him their 91,000 pounds life savings, and this loan was only a few short months before Hendry .
Hendry went bankrupt owing lots of people , but now we know through the illegal actions of Rovers, Hendry can illegally pay rich people back like Walker , but he cannot pay back the pensioners and the scores of tradesmen and working class people Hendry went bankrupt owing ! it stinks !
But yet again who gives Hendry all this advice ?
Who is Colin HENDRY`S financial advisor ?
Surprise ,surprise it is IAN BATTERSBY the guy that got Hendry to invest in all the shady film / tax avoidance schemes and all Hnedry`s shoddy investments all designed to avoid paying any tax on Hendry`s massive wages he was getting at the time , a cashier at Tesco would have been paying more income tax than Hendry ,thanks to Battesby.
So, all the time Hendry was raking in Jack`s money he was denying paying his share of hte taxes into the public purse ,no tax came from Hendry to pay for the NHS/schools/police etc..
Robert Coar our chairman the man who years ago tried unsuccesfully to get on the board at Burnley is the instigator behind most of this , Coar was the person that made sure Hnedry got the three (3) year contract at Rovers for 8,000 pounds a week so he could pay back H.Walker the money Hendry owed him.
6:40pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Return of the Magnificent se7en says...
Tell me? You are always on here saying which hand Hendry wipes his behind with so tell me this.
Are your friends going to turn up for their next court appearance as reported in todays daily mirror as you said they wanted their day in court. Yet when the opportunity arose they failed o show up???
Oh hang on a minute, sorry I forgot, they are charged with common assualt. One count for Hendry and one count for Hendrys daughter, and you were on here saying how funny it was when it happened. I hope the telegraph forum is used as evidence, I may even contact the prosecutor and let him know.
So all this sheite peddling you have been doing has been ever since they were charged. Hendry to my knowledge hasn't been charged with anything, on the other hand your chums have been. First step assualt charge and then restraining order.. Then what??
The thing is, if the prosecution thinks there is no grounds it usually doesn't even get to court so there must be grounds for the case to continue.
So dependant on the outcome, we will reserve judgement on your muck spreading.
So got anything to say about their behaviour then??? Have you any more nails to put in your accusations lid??
Bless
6:54pm Tue 18 Dec 12
merlinrabbit says...
6:58pm Tue 18 Dec 12
merlinrabbit says...
7:34pm Tue 18 Dec 12
lancs1985 says...
Shebby the clown right out
Reports today of big bust up berg n shebby at brockhall today
9:38pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Stone Island: says...
9:41pm Tue 18 Dec 12
ossyrover1 says...
10:05pm Tue 18 Dec 12
kenbro says...
11:09pm Tue 18 Dec 12
kfc yummy says...
3:38am Wed 19 Dec 12
penrithrover says...
IF YOU ever bothered to read the whole story , the old guy walked over to Hendry to ask him about the 91,000 pounds Hendry stole from him, Hendry seeing him coming and heading in his direction ,then Hendry done a Norman Wisdom ,trip, and tumbled over his own feet ,and then pulled his daughter down and Hendry screamed "he hit a woman" Hendry was again lying and manipulating an incident again to try and make the old people appear bad , THE FACTS ARE HENDY HAS GOT AWAY WITH STEALING THE LIFE SAVINGS OF THESE OLD PEOPLE AND IT`S CLOWNS LIKE YOU THAT THINK IT IS ALL O.K AND COLIN HENDRY CAN DO THAT , SO BOG OFF ,AND TELL YOUR MATE HENDRY TO GET BACK TO HIS JOB AS ASSISTANT/ASSISTANT TO THE RESERVE TEAM MANAGER !
9:28am Wed 19 Dec 12
moh says...
9:50am Wed 19 Dec 12
carpetbagger says...
venkys out
venkys out
venkys out
venkys out
venkys out
venkys out
venkys out
venkys out
10:41am Wed 19 Dec 12
maltese blue n white says...
2:23pm Wed 19 Dec 12
noddy57 says...
3:50pm Wed 19 Dec 12
Return of the Magnificent se7en says...
I don't know, these career criminal types know all the loopholes.
6:32pm Tue 25 Dec 12
handyamBRFC says...
I have tried to look at the 1st team squad and analyzed what players are ok and what potential we have and those that should be moved on.
I would like to hear what other fans views are?
List those who you want out?
What players would you like to see playing at BRFC ?
Have you seen any players you think could do the business for Rovers?
Let’s hear your views?
Paul Robinson - OK: Keep if motivated
Grzegorz Sandomierski - Untried
Jake Kean –YOUNG Ok: Potential
Martin Olsson- OK Keep if motivated
Nuno Henrique- Untried Potential
Gael Givet- Ok Keep if motivated
Scott Dann- Ok Keep; sell if money is right
Josh Morris- YOUNG Ok Potential
Adam Henley- YOUNG Ok Potential
Grant Hanley- ok for squad not 1st team
Bruno Ribeiro- ok for squad; Potential
Jason Lowe- YOUNG Ok as squad member
David Dunn- past it; let go
Mauro Formica- Not good enough, sell if possible
Morten Gamst Pedersen- past it; let go
Danny Murphy- past it; let go
Marcus Olsson- ok for squad
Paulo Jorge- YOUNG Untried Potential
Dickson Etuhu- past it; let go
Simon Vukcevic- Ok Potential
Diogo Rosado- YOUNG OK Potential
Fabio Nunes- YOUNG OK Potential
Leon Best- ??? Hopefully ok
Jordan Rhodes- Keep of course
Joshua King- OK Buy Potential
Nuno Gomes- Ok Keep
Ruben Rochina- OK keep if motivated
Colin Kazim-Richards- OK Keep
Bradley Orr – Crap; sell
David Goodwillie ok But sell if money refunded.
MERRY XMAS
2:10pm Wed 26 Dec 12
handyamBRFC says...
I care about my club....BRFC.
Maybe we cant do what 'Our Jack' did but at least we should not give up hope and get together rather then be divided amongst ourselves.
Do you know what will hurt 'Our Jack' the most ...the fact that his own family sold the crown jewels....BRFC.
irrespective to who they sold to...!
the very fact they sold out....!!
Evrything 'Our Jack' did for the club to build it up into a premiership club.
only for them walker trustees to sell for the sake of some petty cash. this was just greed because 'Our jack had carefully planned everything for them all even for the walker family and they were not meant to sell the crown jewels.
Anyway, now I believe we fans should do everything possible especially in difficult times to bring the fans & BRFC together.
We need to be stronger, we need to show the world we can come together in times of need and this period is that occasion.
I believe in BRFC and Blackburn and would ask every fan and resident of the Lancashire area to get together and be positive. We shall not be allowed to be dragged to the bottom of everything.
We are a proud people of Lancashire a proud club and we should raise ourselves to where we belong to the upper echelons of English society and the the premiership again one day soon.
to the football......!!
I think we should raid clubs who are thinking of bringing in new players themselves.
e.g. QPR as it seems are a club waiting to make changes to their staff hence a good time to get some of their players.
I can think of some at QPR who could fit the bill.
what do you guys think..?
Givet is going in January.
Defenders needed and a midfielder.
Arte et Labore