Blackburn Rovers blog: Bad atmosphere killed Swansea City win (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Blackburn Rovers blog: Bad atmosphere killed Swansea City win
10:10am Tuesday 6th December 2011 in Blackburn Rovers blogs
By Dan Clough, Reporter
HOW good does it feel to get three points? It’s something I have not been accustomed to in recent weeks, but it certainly boosted my weekend.
It’s about time things went our way, and long may it continue.
One thing is certain, however. It will take a heck of a lot more for the fans to accept Steve Kean as manager.
To be fair, he has a point when he questions the protests. Having won, quite emphatically, we should have just gone on our merry way and enjoyed a successful Saturday.
And it is clear that, for all his failings, Kean has one major achievement, and that was bringing in Yakubu – a real goal machine. Everton fans, and David Moyes, must be sick.
But the win, which lifted us off the bottom of the league but still leaves us looking precarious, just papers over a few cracks.
The manager may have been surprised to be booed after ‘guiding’ his team to the victory, but realistically we have to beat Swansea at home. Anything less would not be acceptable.
I’m not going to condone booing during the game when we are winning. But that’s just me. I’ve criticised just about everyone at this football club in recent weeks, and I’ve taken my fair share of stick for it. But I stand by my opinions, and my right to hold them.
I may disagree with the booing, but I do understand it.
There’s still a long way to go before we are safe, and many fans, myself included, would question whether, with Kean in charge, we will keep picking up enough points.
The fact of the matter is that the atmosphere at the club right now is horrible. The fans are not happy. And it’s the fans that matter. Without fans, there’s no club. Simple.
I am certain that a new manager would have a huge impact, both on the pitch and off it.
The club needs a lift. The sort of lift that came from Sam Allardyce’s appointment as successor to Paul Ince.
That 3-0 win against Stoke provided such relief for the fans who had watched the Rovers slide into the mire.
We have been a laughing stock, but there is apparent nationwide sympathy towards us as supporters.
Nobody likes to see proud football clubs being systematically destroyed by new owners. But that is what is happening at Ewood.
Comments are closed on this article.

Comments (48)
10:20am Tue 6 Dec 11
PaulRK says...
10:31am Tue 6 Dec 11
NickH1982 says...
11:03am Tue 6 Dec 11
Rover Pete says...
We won against a team who were about as good/bad as us, we should have got something from that game. How many times do we have to tell Kean and the Venky's that he is simple not good enough. His record is absolutely appaling. When he can show us he has any technical ability to change a match. He still persisted with bringing on Roberts, why? when he has the present Scotland striker that he bought sitting on the bench. How can he ever improve.
11:09am Tue 6 Dec 11
downinthedumps says...
11:14am Tue 6 Dec 11
mr smooth says...
11:16am Tue 6 Dec 11
J.C - Rishton says...
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Just think - our "footballing decisions" are ultemately made by a middle aged woman, living 6000 miles away in a "non footballing country", who by her own admision dosent like football, knows NOTHING about it and has (reluctantly) watched 1 live game in her entire life - you couldnt make it up !!!!
11:21am Tue 6 Dec 11
matt00 says...
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Don’t be silly Dan this is your typical fickle fan reaction. If fans left everyone would have said these fans are so fickle one win at home vs. a promoted side and they are all happy. Protesting emphasises the fact we will not be won round by one win and are still far from happy. Statistically we will win every now and again but LONG TERM Kean WILL take us down.
One swallow does not make a summer. Well not for everyone.
The atmos isn’t pleasant at the moment but that can all be changed with one phone call from the Venkys saying “Steve clear out your desk we are going to see how things go with an actual manager”
11:22am Tue 6 Dec 11
RobbyRover says...
I'm getting sick of people blaming the fans. We're down there because we haven't got enough points and we've conceeded too many goals. Fact. As 5 Live said at the Cardiff game, we don't look fit enough. We're disorganised at the back. It's not good enough and it's the same issues game after game and our 'brilliant' 'manager' doesn't have the ability to correct it. No clean sheet since April speaks louder than any protester can, sadly the people in power don't want to listen.
Blame the fans. We really are scraping the excuses barrel.
12:06pm Tue 6 Dec 11
OnePostThenTheOther says...
One has to question the mental fortitude of someone who can't understand why fans find him so abhorrent that they boo his image whenever it appears on the Jumbotron.
Just an observtion, don't celebrate like you've won the FA Cup after going 1 up at home against the weakest away side in the league after they have dominated possession for the first20 minutes. It just reinforces the peception of you as a complete dick when the opposition continue to dominate possession and equalise 15 minutes later.
12:18pm Tue 6 Dec 11
kevh69 says...
12:23pm Tue 6 Dec 11
kevh69 says...
Ooops
12:24pm Tue 6 Dec 11
ossyrover1 says...
12:53pm Tue 6 Dec 11
owd nick says...
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The sad fact of life is that if Rovers won the next 10 games the boo boys would still want Kean out, because they hate him with a vengeance and they are blinded by that hate.
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In nearly 40 years of supporting Rovers I have never, ever been as angry with any group of fans than I was on Saturday with our boo boys, in fact were it not for my daughter and two real supporters preventing me I would have brained one of the snotty little clowns.
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And this is what it is coming to.
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We have so called owners who really don't give any indication as to knowing what they are doing.
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We have a "manager" who appears to have the best of intentions but puts his foot in it every time he opens his mouth.
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And worse of all we have fans with differing views who are now at each others throats.
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Personally I have nothing against the protesters, I know they care about my club as much as I do and are deeply concerned about the direction it appears to be going, as I am.
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But I go to Ewood to watch my team play football, not to watch pointless demonstrations, listen to negative chants, and certainly not to listen to our own players being abused because they support our "manager".
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There is a time and place for demonstrations, that is not before or during the game because that gives our opponents a lift, something we cannot afford to do.
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And to demonstrate when we are winning, I have to ask where is the sense in that?
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Rovers need our support whether Kean remains manager or not, the demonstrators albeit with the best intentions, have created this rift between the supporters, they have to look for ways to repair it.
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Otherwise the all pervading negative atmosphere will damage our teams fragile confidence and the protesters will have contributed to their self fulfilling prophecy.
12:55pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
1:21pm Tue 6 Dec 11
matt00 says...
I personally don’t like any booing but I think its one of very few ways people can vent their anger. It may not be constructive booing but it happened and we won anyway its not like we were doing well before these protests started. If every time Kean gets heckled we win happy days as Kean says himself it doesn‘t affect him or the players so what’s the problem?
Also, even if want Kean in do you agree that the atmosphere at club would improve overnight with his removal? I think it has come to the point for the benefit of the club and to unite the fans he has to go
1:22pm Tue 6 Dec 11
samblue says...
Before the game the Rovers fans were getting a reasonable amount of sympathy from the rest of the football world for their protests, but that evaporated as soon as the clowns started booing when we took the lead.
Okay, they've said the booing was aimed at Steve Kean for (God forbid) celebrating the fact we'd scored first and for 'high-fives' with the Yak, but to any outsider it must have appeared they were booing the goal itself, or even Yak.
That decision has probably done more harm to their cause than anything else.
I said several months ago that no matter how much fans protest about Kean it will have no bearing on Venkys' thinking. They're more likely to dig their heels in the (Indian) sand and say 'Stuff 'em'.
In my view, the only way Venkys will relieve Kean of his duties is if poor results continue, but by then it'll probably be too late.
1:51pm Tue 6 Dec 11
hasslem hasslem says...
2:15pm Tue 6 Dec 11
noddymcleod says...
The simple truth is the lack of sympathy is entirely due to Kean who firstly jumped at the chance to replace a manager who whilst not playing sparkling footie was delivering, and how deeply Kean was implicated in the plot to oust Sam remains a suspicion.
Kean has since then alienated many fans by his non-stop delusional blatherings about Top Ten, Europe, entertaining football. He has never said something concilatory, like " I can understand the fans disappointment" but says ludicrous immature things like "I see no aeroplane"
The fans would respect Kean if he just kept his mouth shut and let the results do the talking.
Despite the win which I thoroughly welcomed and cheered, we won against a team with a poor away record and we played hoof ball and not the flowing footie promised by Kean and given as an excuse for getting rid of Sam.
Rovers are on course for relegation and I shall continue cheering every goal and win and even draw under the cisrcumstances - but don't ask me to give Kean a "chance"
2:35pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
2:58pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:00pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:01pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:03pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:05pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:07pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:08pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:09pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:10pm Tue 6 Dec 11
Morst The 88th Min Heartbreaker of Dingles! says...
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Keeping Kean puts us at great risk of relegation whilst bringing in a new man would untie everyone and give the place a lift.
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We have to be honest - the "Kean Out" chant was sung by a lot of fans on Saturday - enough to know unless Kean wins 6 on the bounce (no chance!) the bad atmosphere will damage our club.
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That is why the Venkys have only one realistic solution - a new manager.
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33rd.....
3:11pm Tue 6 Dec 11
makaveli96 says...
3:38pm Tue 6 Dec 11
RoversLoyal says...
I wanted Rovers to lose - if they had losit 'm covinced Kean would have been sacked. Yet again, he scrapes a victory and hangs on to his job.
Roberts is Kean's lickspittle; the Venkies are useless and this very tiny minority of happy-clappers along with Kean, the Venky's and Roberts are going to take this club into a spiral of decline that it might take DECADES to recover from.
3:47pm Tue 6 Dec 11
RoversLoyal says...
Short term pain for long term gain. I am convinced that if Rovers had lost on Saturday, Kean would have been sacked and it would be great to have Hughes back at BRFC - whilst he is still available.
I am not 100% for the players - Roberts is a despicable opportunist and most footballers are multi-millionaire parasites; i am not 100% Kean nor am i 100% Venky's - i am 100% Blackburn Rovers Football Club - and if losing our next couple of games means Kean will be out and even possibly hasten the exit of the clueless clowns the Venky's, then i will take those losses for longer term gains.
3:51pm Tue 6 Dec 11
RoversLoyal says...
3:57pm Tue 6 Dec 11
RoversLoyal says...
It is only a very tiny minority that feel otherwise.
...and let's stop giving a **** what the national media presstitutes think - they are whores - we are not.
4:25pm Tue 6 Dec 11
Rod of the Rovers says...
One win against 10 man Swansea does not paper over the cracks. We have an idiot in charge who embarrasses the club and its fans every time he opens his mouth. The only people from outside the club who are questioning the fans protests are either part of the football old boys network or Burnley fans...
4:42pm Tue 6 Dec 11
stick to football says...
I think not - that says everything about what is wrong at Ewood Park and whilst Kean will never get the majority of supporters on his side - everyone knows it is Venkys that is the major problem. They should switch to Ostrich farming - because theey are experts at sticking their hand in the sand - hear nothing see nothing and certainly do nothing. We have been shafted.
I in 60 years ot watching football never experienced anything like what is happening at Ewood - I dont like it but do not blame the fans they are merely reacting to a situation over which they have no influence.
It will end in tears - whose? I hope not the fans
6:23pm Tue 6 Dec 11
SteveinNYC says...
9:40pm Tue 6 Dec 11
roverinmanchstr says...
re's no chance of getting a 'reliable Premiership manager touching Rovers while they ( VENKY'S)are screwing the club...
11:17pm Tue 6 Dec 11
owd nick says...
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His results record is appalling by any standard you care to mention, but Venky's are not going to sack him because they simply don't have a clue what they are doing.
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For some reason none of us understand Kean is capable of getting the players to play, even when half the squad is injured or suspended, there must be something we are missing.
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The atmosphere would change at the club if Kean was sacked, but for how long?, Venky's would still be in charge, bumbling along behind the scenes like blind men in a bonfire.
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And ask yourself, what experienced PL manager would work for Venky's?
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I would bet even Steve MacLaren would tell them to bugger off, actually I would pray he would tell them to bugger off, he makes Kean look like a member of Mensa.
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Kean is an unlucky manager to a certain extent, Take Saturdays game against Sunderland for instance, if by some miracle we manage to get something out of that I will start looking for faeries at the bottom of my garden.
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I would rather we were playing Man City away than Sunderland at this point in time.
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I was initially willing to give Venky's a chance but no longer, that is where the protests should be aimed, AFTER THE GAMES, Kean is just their scapegoat, the easy target.
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Venky's have been given every opportunity to sort things out, in reality all they have to do is talk but for some reason they can't, perhaps it's a cultural thing?
4:12am Wed 7 Dec 11
Roverthere says...
11:06am Wed 7 Dec 11
bypass06 says...
11:31pm Wed 7 Dec 11
owd nick says...
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Thought about that one yet?, the "protest" that you can't even remember taking place?, some "organiser" you are. lol. good job Kean isn't as crap as you we would have been relegated last season.
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But thats all you are about isn't it?, scoring cheap points against people who cant fight back, destroying the atmosphere at games, booing your own players, creating friction between our own fans.
2:49am Thu 8 Dec 11
Burnley59/60 says...
2:25pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Livesey rover says...
3:33pm Thu 8 Dec 11
lancs1985 says...
The club doesnt give a monkeys about fans anymore, simple as that, if they did they would come out and make a statement,
these protests will never ened to the club do what we want to hear and no about the scummy venky and the idiot in blackburn gets the boot, cause 1 win simple aint good enough 4 wins in 35 games aint good enough,
enough is enough,
and id love to see all these moaners what winj about booing and protests cope with being a gordie, jesus wet best thing is to stop at home and listen to paul merson slate us or radio lancs,
Its time people relised the club is screwed big time, we need answers,
we are the next pompey and if your all there happy to put up with it then your a joke and wouldnt call your self a supporter of the club, if your happy to watch it go down and down, sad sad people, fight for your club, be proud to aswell!!!
if you went out for a meal and it was rubbish im sure you would tell the resturant or pub that it was rubbish thats all whats happening at ewood!!!
Venky stick to india selling chicken even those sales are down by 35% Ha ha
8:40pm Thu 8 Dec 11
ChrisSutton says...
With us that day on bottom of the league, and Stevie boy just been given a new improved contract after a terrible run of results... it's no wonder fans expressed their disgust either.
-D.K.O
9:30pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Burnley59/60 says...
12:42am Fri 9 Dec 11
ChrisSutton says...
I did think there was a very real chance they were looking to asset strip us. But what makes me unsure on that is that they rejected the bid from the Quataris. If they wanted to make a nice dirty profit for a years work they could have quite easily sold to them and left with their reputation (mostly) intact. The fact that they didn't, and that they continue with their Indian promotion over there suggests to me they do have some kind of long term interest in Rovers.
I think Venkys are just hopelessly naive and for whatever reason are infatuated with Steve Kean. A personal relationship that they place above our clubs future. They also do not understand football. They may know the game as a distant spectacle but I don't think they know how much our clubs mean to us as fans. How we live for the result from week to week and how much we hurt when our clubs are in trouble.
Props to see a Burnley fan concerned though. As football fans noone wants to see our beloved clubs carelessly bandied about and destroyed as a rich foreigners plaything.
-D.K.O
9:06am Fri 9 Dec 11
owdman says...