HENNING Berg has expressed his “surprise” and “concern” at Blackburn Rovers ’ recruitment policy after manager Steve Kean admitted he had not seen any of his deadline day signings play ‘live’.

Portuguese duo Nuno Henrique and Diogo Rosado arrived with Polish international goalkeeper Grzegorz Sandomierski at Ewood Park on Friday, but Kean yesterday revealed the trio were not his targets.

The Rovers boss admitted all three had been strongly recommended by global adviser Shebby Singh and that he would work closely with them in the next few weeks in an attempt to get them ready for Championship football.

Kean also suggested the majority of Rovers’ other five Portuguese signings were Singh’s idea, after saying he brought the likes of Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu and Jordan Rhodes in to hit the ground running.

Former Rovers defender Berg, who won the Premier League title with them in 1995, has worked with ‘sporting directors’ during his management career in Norway but insisted the boss should always have the final say.

Berg said: “I have worked with sporting directors before but it was always the coach who would have the final say on signings. Every player who comes into the club should be the coach’s decision.

“I am very, very surprised that Steve Kean is not in charge of bringing all the signings in. It is very strange and not advisable. You have to question why he has said it now, at the end of the window.

“Maybe he wanted players that he wasn’t allowed to sign? I don’t know. A manager would never want to be in the position he has described though, because you wonder about how much control they have.

“If it has been like this for a long time, then he should have said it earlier. “The problem is if they are not his signings and they don’t play then they are a waste of money. Clubs can’t afford to waste money.”

Rovers fans have questioned the signing of six Portuguese players this summer, with Nuno Gomes, Paulo Jorge, Fabio Nunes and Edinho also brought to the club this summer.

Only Gomes has been a regular so far this campaign with Kean suggesting the others will need time to adapt to the pace of the league.

Kean said: “We would like to think they are in the club just now and we can take a real look at them. “I have not seen them play live. Shebby was very excited about them coming and was telling me how good they were.

“So we have now got them in the club and we would like to think we can improve any player who comes to the club and also integrate them as quickly as possible.

“I have not seen them. Shebby went to see Nuno Henrique play for Academica the Friday before we played Leicester and told me he played very well.

“The reports we do have for Greg are good but I have not seen him myself. “We like to think that any player who comes we can improve, with the technical training . “Bobby Mimms was impressed with Greg while Nuno is meant to have good pace, good defending ability and be good on the ball, so let’s see.

“Shebby Singh has identified these players. These players have been identified by Shebby, he has been very excited about the technical ability of these players. You can’t have too many good players.

“We have got them at the club and I would like to work with them intensely over the next couple of weeks to try and integrate them as quickly as possible, because we know how difficult it is.

“The other foreign lads that have come in, we just need to try and push them as quickly as possible. “I know the intensity is very different to how it is abroad. I know it will hit them right between the eyes.

“If they show they can compete they will get thrown in but if it looks as though it is going to be too much for them, we will protect them.”