When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
10:06am Friday 2nd December 2011 in Blackburn Rovers blogs
By Andy Cryer, Blackburn Rovers reporter
STEVE Kean was right when he said the Premier League had to be his priority but that doesn’t excuse Tuesday night’s toothless Carling Cup exit.
Fair enough, the Rovers boss opted to rest some of his key players for the trip to Cardiff with a crunch home against Swansea on Saturday.
After all this could be make or break for his own managerial future.
That doesn’t explain why Rovers allowed themselves to be dumped out of the Carling Cup by a fairly ordinary Championship outfit. These are Kean’s players, so he obviously thought they were good enough.
The Rovers boss was the one who said Rovers had a balanced squad after the transfer window with ‘two players vying for each position’, so surely his fringe players should still have had enough to see off a hard-working but average Cardiff City?
They actually came up desperately short and the performance just asked more questions of what exactly Kean and Venky’s were doing during the summer transfer window.
Aside from Yakubu, and Scott Dann to an extent, Kean’s signings have ranged from below average to awful and have done little to strengthen Rovers’ strength in depth.
In fact, with El-Hadji Diouf, Keith Andrews, Nikola Kalinic and Brett Emerton all inexplicably being allowed to leave the club, it would be hard to argue against the squad being a lot weaker than it was when it ended last season.
We were told David Goodwillie was like ‘a young Wayne Rooney’ when Kean spent about £2million on him from Dundee United. He has yet to show any of that potential.
I’m not knocking the striker. He is only young and needs time to adapt to the Premier League but you can’t help questioning why players for the future were being signed without the players for now being delivered.
The same can be said of Radosav Petrovic. A replacement for Jermaine Jones? Not on the form we have seen from him so far this season.
Rovers were crying out for an established Premier League midfielder this summer rather than a young Serbian who would not make any impact this season.
Still at least we have seen these two. Montegrin international Simon Vukcevic was again left kicking his heels on the substitutes bench. Not the best use of £2m.
Then you get on to Brazilian right back Bruno Ribeiro. What on earth was that all about?
Kean said the players all call him Dennis Irwin, Lord Lucan would be more apt because we simply haven’t seen him. Ribeiro seems to be nowhere the squad, and is unlikely to ever be so, so why on earth bring him to Ewood?
Tuesday night’s Carling Cup exit just showed how little competition for places there really is at the club at the moment.
The first 11 is good enough to compete in the Premier League but, as has been shown so far this season, a couple of injuries and you fear the worst.
Kean clearly wasn’t backed with sufficient funds in the summer. He needs Venky’s to deliver the goods in January.
A win against Swansea on Saturday and Tuesday night’s defeat is forgiven although another defeat and you can’t help but wonder how long Kean can survive.
Comments(32)
tpreece01
says...
10:24am Fri 2 Dec 11
OnePostThenTheOther wrote:It's one thing to have an opinion, but if you want it to end up on the back page rather than in a courtroom you need evidence to back it up.
You're about three months too late with this critique Mr. Cryer. When are you actually going to say that Kean has been the worst managerial failure to ever have been inflicted on the club?
Racing Rover
says...
10:30am Fri 2 Dec 11
OnePostThenTheOther
says...
10:34am Fri 2 Dec 11
Livesey rover
says...
10:35am Fri 2 Dec 11
PJA79
says...
10:52am Fri 2 Dec 11
reiko082
says...
10:56am Fri 2 Dec 11
Road Runner Road Runner
says...
11:28am Fri 2 Dec 11
davemal
says...
11:33am Fri 2 Dec 11
Final word
says...
11:39am Fri 2 Dec 11
chorleyrovers
says...
11:44am Fri 2 Dec 11
madrover
says...
11:49am Fri 2 Dec 11
madrover
says...
11:49am Fri 2 Dec 11
wind2170
says...
11:56am Fri 2 Dec 11
YarkshahRover
says...
11:58am Fri 2 Dec 11
Rover Pete
says...
12:10pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Arthur Labore
says...
12:33pm Fri 2 Dec 11
juanbbien
says...
12:57pm Fri 2 Dec 11
roverfor60years
says...
12:58pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Arthur Labore wrote:Don't forget, Kean did not know some of the players who were bought.
Well said Mr cryer,its just what most fans have been saying all season,this manager is clueless,now they talking about targets in January! It beggars belief,get him out of our club NOW.
KEAN OUT/Venkys out
roverfor60years
says...
1:02pm Fri 2 Dec 11
saint.george
says...
1:34pm Fri 2 Dec 11
saint.george
says...
1:36pm Fri 2 Dec 11
MxMave
says...
1:39pm Fri 2 Dec 11
smithsblue
says...
2:58pm Fri 2 Dec 11
mdb2311
says...
3:13pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Ronaldpetercooper
says...
3:15pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Shear_Brilliance
says...
3:35pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Ronaldpetercooper wrote:Yeah I've seen him a few times he is a cracking player in Portugal he was top class
I would love someone to explain about Vucevic and why he has not started since Leyton Orient game when he put himself about quite well and could have been sent off but he did look useful. Goodwillie has not been given a chance in fairnee playing along side Yakuba. You cant judge a player stuck out of position on the wing without any service at all. Lose or drawer Sat and Kean must definitely go even thogh it will probably be too late.
juanbbien
says...
3:58pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Sherwoodforest
says...
5:07pm Fri 2 Dec 11
roverfor60years wrote:They are the same place they were when they stood by and watched Pompey implode, burying their heads in the sand!
In an earlier comment “Sherwoodforest” said:
Anderson’s a slick operator, there is no way he would of left any sort of trail, its gonna be difficult to nail him. I bet he didnt envisage being sussed.We just need some evidence and it aint gonna be easy, cos hes a crafty so and so.
What I cant understand is why? He has built a impressive sports and media empire, why put that in danger to own a club?
---------------
It certainly seems to me he is RUNNING the club.
As their adviser he had a plan – for himself. He quickly talked Venky’s into getting rid of Allardyce and John Williams, manoeuvred Kean in as manager and left JW’s seat empty. All was now in place to control transfers and agents’ fees.
He’s probably manipulated Venky’s into giving Kean a new contract to ‘quieten’ the fans’ protests. Hence Venky’s saying they will not come back until the protests have died down.
The disclosure of agents’ fees gives us a pretty good idea of what is going on and what we need now is a breakdown of those fees and information on who else was involved. But no doubt Anderson will have covered his tracks there, too.
Now Glen Mullan discloses that all the accounts have been moved to India. If that is true, why? So that no-one at Ewood has access to them?
You say he is not around Ewood anymore, Steve. He doesn’t have to be at Ewood to run the show. He can do it with occasional visits to India. He probably doesn’t have to do much of that, either, with his henchman Kean making regular trips to Pune. Venky’s don’t have a clue, so he has complete control over transfer dealings and is free to get on with syphoning money out of the club.
How has it gone so spectacularly wrong for the club so quickly? Anderson and Kean thought the squad they took over would keep them in a healthy position in the Premier League, so they bought players for the future, expecting to develop them and sell them on for bigger money and therefore more and bigger agents’ fees. Whoops….
What now? The club has to get a new manager NOW, like Mark Hughes, who knows the club and the players and would get them playing successfully, and a ‘John Williams’ with total authority and control at this end – and fire off Anderson immediately.
Alas, that won’t happen because Venky’s don’t have a clue. Where are the Premier League/FA authorities?
Road Runner Road Runner
says...
5:29pm Fri 2 Dec 11
roverfor60years wrote:Certainly a credible view, but one, should it have an iota of truth spells disaster.
In an earlier comment “Sherwoodforest” said:
Anderson’s a slick operator, there is no way he would of left any sort of trail, its gonna be difficult to nail him. I bet he didnt envisage being sussed.We just need some evidence and it aint gonna be easy, cos hes a crafty so and so.
What I cant understand is why? He has built a impressive sports and media empire, why put that in danger to own a club?
---------------
It certainly seems to me he is RUNNING the club.
As their adviser he had a plan – for himself. He quickly talked Venky’s into getting rid of Allardyce and John Williams, manoeuvred Kean in as manager and left JW’s seat empty. All was now in place to control transfers and agents’ fees.
He’s probably manipulated Venky’s into giving Kean a new contract to ‘quieten’ the fans’ protests. Hence Venky’s saying they will not come back until the protests have died down.
The disclosure of agents’ fees gives us a pretty good idea of what is going on and what we need now is a breakdown of those fees and information on who else was involved. But no doubt Anderson will have covered his tracks there, too.
Now Glen Mullan discloses that all the accounts have been moved to India. If that is true, why? So that no-one at Ewood has access to them?
You say he is not around Ewood anymore, Steve. He doesn’t have to be at Ewood to run the show. He can do it with occasional visits to India. He probably doesn’t have to do much of that, either, with his henchman Kean making regular trips to Pune. Venky’s don’t have a clue, so he has complete control over transfer dealings and is free to get on with syphoning money out of the club.
How has it gone so spectacularly wrong for the club so quickly? Anderson and Kean thought the squad they took over would keep them in a healthy position in the Premier League, so they bought players for the future, expecting to develop them and sell them on for bigger money and therefore more and bigger agents’ fees. Whoops….
What now? The club has to get a new manager NOW, like Mark Hughes, who knows the club and the players and would get them playing successfully, and a ‘John Williams’ with total authority and control at this end – and fire off Anderson immediately.
Alas, that won’t happen because Venky’s don’t have a clue. Where are the Premier League/FA authorities?
baldie
says...
6:43pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Shear_Brilliance wrote:Was saying today,the best most balanced performance for ages was against Tottenham when Vukcevic played on the right in front of Lowe.
Ronaldpetercooper wrote: I would love someone to explain about Vucevic and why he has not started since Leyton Orient game when he put himself about quite well and could have been sent off but he did look useful. Goodwillie has not been given a chance in fairnee playing along side Yakuba. You cant judge a player stuck out of position on the wing without any service at all. Lose or drawer Sat and Kean must definitely go even thogh it will probably be too late.Yeah I've seen him a few times he is a cracking player in Portugal he was top class
roverfor60years
says...
9:47pm Fri 2 Dec 11
Road Runner Road Runner wrote:We ARE heading for disaster. Why do you think Venkys are not answering questions or requests for information? They CAN'T. We are a runaway train hurtling towards the buffers.
roverfor60years wrote:Certainly a credible view, but one, should it have an iota of truth spells disaster.
In an earlier comment “Sherwoodforest” said:
Anderson’s a slick operator, there is no way he would of left any sort of trail, its gonna be difficult to nail him. I bet he didnt envisage being sussed.We just need some evidence and it aint gonna be easy, cos hes a crafty so and so.
What I cant understand is why? He has built a impressive sports and media empire, why put that in danger to own a club?
---------------
It certainly seems to me he is RUNNING the club.
As their adviser he had a plan – for himself. He quickly talked Venky’s into getting rid of Allardyce and John Williams, manoeuvred Kean in as manager and left JW’s seat empty. All was now in place to control transfers and agents’ fees.
He’s probably manipulated Venky’s into giving Kean a new contract to ‘quieten’ the fans’ protests. Hence Venky’s saying they will not come back until the protests have died down.
The disclosure of agents’ fees gives us a pretty good idea of what is going on and what we need now is a breakdown of those fees and information on who else was involved. But no doubt Anderson will have covered his tracks there, too.
Now Glen Mullan discloses that all the accounts have been moved to India. If that is true, why? So that no-one at Ewood has access to them?
You say he is not around Ewood anymore, Steve. He doesn’t have to be at Ewood to run the show. He can do it with occasional visits to India. He probably doesn’t have to do much of that, either, with his henchman Kean making regular trips to Pune. Venky’s don’t have a clue, so he has complete control over transfer dealings and is free to get on with syphoning money out of the club.
How has it gone so spectacularly wrong for the club so quickly? Anderson and Kean thought the squad they took over would keep them in a healthy position in the Premier League, so they bought players for the future, expecting to develop them and sell them on for bigger money and therefore more and bigger agents’ fees. Whoops….
What now? The club has to get a new manager NOW, like Mark Hughes, who knows the club and the players and would get them playing successfully, and a ‘John Williams’ with total authority and control at this end – and fire off Anderson immediately.
Alas, that won’t happen because Venky’s don’t have a clue. Where are the Premier League/FA authorities?
Is it inconceivable that the bodies running our game know nothing of this or are doing a form of checking & turning up with nothing untoward ?
Or do they really not give a good F@ck in the bigger scheme of things ?
Had the results gone for Kean, which looking at it retrospectively, were never going to happen, all this would not be banging around.
I don't believe for a moment Kean wishes to fail but, his greedy eye's have tarnished his view & is slowly unravelling.
His record of records speak for itself !
Get the weasel out.
Search jobs in and around Lancashire
Search Now »
Find the right person for you
Search Now »
Search houses, flats, and all properties
Search Now »
Search new & used cars in and around Lancashire
Search Now »
OnePostThenTheOther says...
10:14am Fri 2 Dec 11