The Wild Blackburn Rover

Losing the moral high ground

2012-01-27T11:09:00.001Z

Getting a bit nasty isn't it?

We're having enough verbal jousting this season to fill up a UFC under card but this latest stand off could take things to a new level. It was at first the fans vs Steve Kean, then the media vs the fans, then the Rovers support vs Venky's and now it's Chris Samba vs Venky's.

For those who have been living under a rock for a few weeks the basic story is this - Chris Samba signed a new five year deal back in January on the back of several glowing promises made by Venky's of wonderful financial backing, fancy signings and a bright future at Ewood Park. Twelve months down the line he realises these promises were made on a bed of quick sand (like pretty much everything else the owners say), he's angry, he's rather large and he wants to leave.

After all, he's in his late twenties and in his prime, the big defender probably wants to win some silverware/earn more money. Samba feels slightly betrayed and you can't blame him we all would, we've all been lied to by those rather arrogant, pompous we know best brigade over in Pune so we can feel the pain that he undoubtedly feels.

On one hand we should say fair play to Chris "Kong" Samba. He has come out and backed up precisely what the fans have been screaming from the rooftops for a while and this time the media have to take notice as it's someone from the inside... not a "neanderthal" fan.

But that is where the Samba loving could and should end.

At around 11 o'clock last night when his Sun newspaper article hit the world wide web the man who could have been a huge boon to the real problems at Ewood Park went right ahead and completely lost the moral high ground with one of the most selfish, unprofessional acts in recent memory.

To go to a major national newspaper reiterate his desire for a transfer a short while after officially asking for one and being denied not only reeks of desperation but it showcases a certain lack of respect for those who do still care about him. It gives the controversy hungry media another reason to try and stick the knife into a club that's ripe for stabbing at present.

Yes he's been sold down the river by Venky's like the rest of us and yes he's got every right to feel aggrieved that he bought it like everyone else but he's paid a ridiculous amount of money to play for a club he professes to love AND he's the captain of the side. What sort of example does this set to the players he is charged with leading?

And a full two weeks after claiming "he's always been professional" he does this? Oh dear Chris you've had a shocker.

He's joined William Gallas, Ashley Cole and Carlos Tevez in proving how detached footballers are from modern life.

If we really have to let's dive into the age old footballer related complaints - Samba is a man who is paid £60,000 a week to kick a bag of air around a pitch and live the dream, something that us mere mortal fans could only dream of doing in front of *thousands of people who adore you (*hundreds if you play for Wigan Athletic).

To say things like he can't promise he'll ever give 100% to the Rovers cause again is disgraceful even if the fans themselves were an indirect target of his comments.

Samba did the right thing by asking the club for a transfer but by crying off the a newspaper when he didn't get his way he's not only caused problems for the club but for himself. When he's made to stay, which Venky's will make him do, what sort of reaction will the Rovers fans afford a man who's already told all and sundry he doesn't want to be at Ewood Park?

Lacking in intelligence, common sense and class.

The only good that can come from this is that Chris' outburst further highlights the problems that have been caused at Blackburn by Venky's, the real bad guys in this ever widening drama that lost it's charm a while back.

But aside from that we get another nail in the coffin from captain Samba, we're just waiting for the latest batch of "stomach cramps" to kick in the day before we play Newcastle.

A peek into a life without a Samba beat...

2012-01-23T11:09:00.001Z

A few weeks ago if you had asked me about the potential departure of one Chris Samba you'd have seen the odd bead of sweat appearing across my disturbingly large forehead as the thought of losing the biggest presence that Blackburn Rovers have and the captain slowly became a potential reality.

In a team short of genuine class and in the position in the league table that we begrudgingly occupy to sell one of our finest players would be the equivalent of throwing all the essentials off a sinking ship, jumping in after them and feverishly trying to scramble to shore. All whilst trying to furiously wave a white flag.

We'll not know until February 1st who will win the fast developing Chris Samba/Venky's battle (and to be fair there is blame on both sides) but yesterday we got our first look at what would happen without the King Kong of the Congo anywhere near the Blackburn Rovers first team.

And do you know what... It's not as scary as most of us would have thought.

This is not a suggestion that we should part with the captain, far from it, we should retain his service as long as humanly possible as he is still the club's premier centre back but for the fifth game in a row our boys actually showed that there is a chance of survival and even more incredibly against all the odds.

Once again the players turned in a collective performance full of endeavour, passion and fight that they'll need to sustain long past the January sales period and I don't think it's a stretch to say that on the balance of play the full three points were merited at GoodisonPark by the team wearing those rather ugly yellow and black halved shirts.

All the willing participants for Rovers were pulling their weight and for reasons unknown they again busted a full Yakubu-sized gut for the boss Steve Kean (boo hiss).

Is it down to the manager? Many would suggest not but if we're all going to give him a size thirteen when things are going fruit shaped is it not only fair that he runs off with some of the plaudits when the sun comes out for a fleeting moment?

Most of the running was made by the Rovers midfield who took charge thanks to the industry of Steven "The Zonz" N'Zonzi and the vastly improving Radosav Petrovic who IS showing signs of finding his rather massive looking feet. Even Junior Hoilett turned up with a dazzling display of Michael Flatley like feet and at times he was just too much for the Toffee men - maybe someone told him that *insert name of scout from a big club here" was watching?

Even David Dunn was reminding us that he is an asset to the team with some body fat defying movement and creative flair. Just don't stick him on the post when defending corners and we'll be laughing.

And where would we be without a mention for the central defence who in Samba's absence put in a very comfortable display against a strong if limited Everton attack. The returning Scott Dann and Gael Givet looked like an old married couple back there at times, some niggles were evident but the well oiled machine with an understanding shone through in the end.

To cap it all off we even found solid proof that David Cracking Shaft is lethal. From a yard out. With his upper body.

So another week and another reason to be hopeful on the pitch. BIG problems remain off it and by now we all know what they are unless you've been stuck on a remote island with no wifi to hand. But ignore them for a second and think of this...

Eight points from the last five games, the fans doing the (absolutely necessary) demonstrations at the right times, the players responding to the first class backing they've been getting of late and everyone not in Pune, India seems to be pulling in the same direction.

Momentum, how we've missed you.

The day that Venky's finally became the real problem

2012-01-16T10:48:00.006Z

Kean Out.

Those are the words that have been spoken more than any other by anyone within spitting distance of Blackburn in the last few months.

For as long as the recent memory will abide the focus of the protest movement that bravely battles the ignorant establishment at the club has had a reasonably clear message - Venky's, get the manager out and appoint someone with pedigree to lift us out of trouble. You're the owners and you have the power to change this.

But it was only a matter of time before the real problem came into focus and for my money Saturday against Fulham was the day it all came to a head.

Because on the face of it the facts are this... Kean is a below average manager and far from the whiter than white person the Daily Mail and Sky Sports News try to paint him as but who employs him? Who has the ultimate control of the club? Where does the buck stop for all the financial ills and broken promises at Blackburn Rovers?

It took us a while and frankly it took a lot of us (including myself) a lot longer to realise it than it ever should of.

The focus of all the anger should have always been on Venky's, more than Kean. Easy to say in hindsight but Kean has always been the Indian's mouthpiece and an easier target.

Kean himself must be smiling as for all his shortcomings one thing has never changed for him, as much as the fans don't like him the players REALLY do and Saturday was the most impressive effort by far at Ewood Park under his tenure as leader.

Bottom of the table, down to ten men and against a very capable Fulham side you could be forgiven for thinking that another day was again not to be ours but for once the setback galvanised the boys in blue and white and what followed was deeply impressive on pretty much every level you could imagine.

No arguing with the red card that put us a man down with Yak having to go via the letter of the law but the ten that did remain for the full duration showed that there is fight left in the old dog yet. With the main goal supply taking an early shower and potentially nipping across to the McDonalds across from the ground it was up to others to step up to the plate... and boy did they.

Normally at this juncture I engage full sarcasm mode and start taking jibes at anyone remotely worth it but I've got nothing. Even the deeply frustrating Morten Gamst Pedersen who couldn't retain possession if there was a prize fund at stake gets away with it for the sheer balls and effort he showed on the day.

The defence was colossal (without the cry away Samba), the midfield was dovetailed, dynamic and full of crunching tackles and Cracking Shaft ploughing a lone furrow up front finally stepped up to the mark by busting a gut and turning in a high energy display.

Individual praise should perhaps be reserved for the once again brilliant Grant Hanley who has startled us all by so far being Blackburn Rovers best player of a young 2012 and David Dunn who after berating a fan during the first half turned in a lung busting effort to remind us he's not quite done yet.

A 3-1 win with 10 men for just under 70 minutes was a magnificent effort from all concerned and praise indeed for the maligned Kean who got his tactics, motivation and substitutes (gasp!) absolutely spot on.

So Steve Kean is actually a master tactician who has been ill judged by all concerned? Well no. Let's not get carried away, the statistics and the general consensus still lean heavily against him but in recent games he has bought himself something he has never enjoyed... time and a respite of sorts.

We're out of the relegation zone for now, we've got seven points from the last four games and the match day experience is actually improving no end.

In England things are actually finally taking a turn for the better but over in India things just get worse. We're knee deep in debt, we're being run like an insane asylum, the owners don't want to listen and they don't really care despite their protests to the contrary.

The problems don't just go away but at least everyone now knows what the main one is. Kean will always be a problem but he's a shoot not the root.

Venky's - invest or at the very least run the club how it deserves to be run... or sell up to someone who will.

Venky's Out.

Get your acceptance speech ready Jerome

2012-01-10T14:40:00.001Z

Well that was quite a good show wasn't it?

Full of bright story telling, passing the buck to other people, verbally attacking others and ignoring the real problems.

No, not a lunch time edition of Loose Women... Jerome Anderson's Sky Sports News interview.

For those had the great fortune to miss it, a man with a vested interest in Kentaro/SEM Sports Agency sat there for twenty minutes or so and "informed" us all about the situation at Blackburn Rovers and even went to lengths to "clarify" (sorry for all the quotation marks) his own dealings with the boys running things into the ground down at Ewood Park.

In a nutshell, Jerome is a lovely man with not a bad bone in his body who only wanted to help people start up their football business venture. Furthermore he even popped along in a bright suit and matching shoes to assist the club in their January transfer activities for free. And for all this help he has been barracked along with his son, current Rovers player Myles "The Next Chris Smalling" Anderson by Rovers fans.

This of course is on top of the Steve Kean abuse from the same fans who never gave the bright, positive and wonderful manager a chance.

The fans you see are dragging the club down. If only we would be quiet and let Venky's and Kean continue their brave quest to turn us into Lancashire's equivalent of Barcelona.

Which is all well and good except for one thing Mr Anderson... you're talking complete and utter bollocks.

Trying to question and blame the fans for the current problems on the pitch is akin to an ostrich burying it's head in the sand. The big issues don't go away just because you pretend they don't exist.

In their tenure in England the new owners have racked up mountains of debt, caused problems with their credit lender, appointed a manager who has around a 20% win record and stuck by him against all common sense. They've also hidden half way across the globe to avoid any fan communication since the faithful noticed what they're doing to their "baby".

Oh and we're bottom of the table. But yeah, it's definitely the fans fault.

The situation at Rovers in Jerome Anderson's eyes if he was a fan is as follows -

* For a fan to take a lodger into their house.
* For the lodger to trash the place and rob the fan blind
* Expect the fan to be content with that state of affairs.
* All this after promising the fan nothing but parties, laughs and good times ahead whilst he/she was there upon first moving in.

It doesn't work like that no matter how much you sit there, smile, speak in that deep intelligent voice and answer questions that a six year old child could have thought to ask you.

Whilst we are covering all the bases it might be worth mentioning Sky Sports News' part in this - they had a golden opportunity to interrogate Jerome Anderson about a very serious footballing matter and yet they took the time they had to basically perform a glorified PR stunt for the SEM agency and all the Kean cheerleaders who know about 25% of the full story.

For all we know some of the points that the clean as a whistle agent Anderson was making could have been perfectly correct and valid but when he is coming out with incomprehensible garbage like "I helped Rovers in January and didn't make any money for myself" and "Manchester City fans were appreciative of the work he did during his time there (he almost sent them into administration prior to the Abu Dhabi takeover)" it calls into question everything else he is carting out as gospel.

Even the highly successful January window he is so keen to highlight in which we got hold of Jermaine Jones, Mauro Formica and Ruben Rochina is tainted. It is during that period that we racked up a record high in outgoing agent fees and negotiated various existing player contracts successfully as well.

Who was involved in pretty much all of these deals? Take a wild stab in the dark. Go on, I bet you'll never get it.

Oh and we signed the aforementioned Myles Anderson who has played zero minutes of Premier League football so far in a year at Ewood Park, has never suggested he's got the potential to make it at the level he's playing at and is about as much use as a fart in an elevator.

Agents don't work for free and certainly not during a profitable time of year like the January transfer window so please if you are going to try and worm your way out of any of this nightmare you helped create for us do it by at least telling a plausible account of events.

The protesting fans are by no means blameless as there are some side effects to the current demonstrations during the match days but to absolve Kean, Venky's and himself of any blame takes an unbelievable amount of cheek, arrogance and contempt.

If I had to use my gut I'd say that Anderson knows Blackburn Rovers are in a lot of trouble that he helped to create and today was a smashing time to get on TV and pass the buck onto everybody but himself. No proof of that just a hunch.

Anderson you've already admitted that you were asked to find the Walker Trust a buyer and one of the options you put forward was Venky's. Whether you ended up selecting them or not is neither here nor there or even near your smug face - you found them and they are a dud, even if we are using your version of the story.

I think Alex Ferguson said it best. He once remarked that he wouldn't trust Anderson to "pick his nose"... And that's one thing I actually agree with old whisky nose on.

Now take a deep breath.

A United Statement By Blackburn Rovers Fans

2012-01-05T14:09:00.002Z

Recently, Blackburn Rovers fans have been the subject of attention in the national media and we as a body feel that our situation has been misrepresented and that our stance has been grossly misunderstood. The major representative websites of Blackburn Rovers fans have combined to clarify our stance with regard to our current plight in the statement below.

Blackburn Rovers fans are not an unrealistically ambitious, over-expecting group of supporters and are not noted by any means for their militance. The large majority would generally be content with a mid-table finish and a good cup run and would be delighted with European qualification, as we have been fortunate enough to experience on a number of occasions in our recent history. We understand that the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, and more recently Manchester City, have budgets that are quite beyond us, and we do not expect to be able to compete with them financially. What we do expect, however, is for our club to live up to its motto, 'Arte et Labore', and by skill and labour do justice to its 136 years of history while respecting its fan base, which has always been the heartbeat of the club.

The vast majority of fans are desperately disappointed by the direction that has been shown by the club since the change in ownership a little over twelve months ago when Venky's bought the club from the Walker Trust, who provided stability and modest success for a club of our stature. On the field, we believe Steve Kean has had sufficient time to prove himself capable of managing a Premier League club. During his tenure as manager of Blackburn Rovers, Kean has been in charge of 42 Premier League fixtures and has presided over a record of 8 wins, 13 draws and 21 losses. Over the course of a season, this equates to a dismal 33.5 points. Having taken the club to the brink of relegation last season, a continuation of his record thus far this season will guarantee relegation in May. His predecessor Sam Allardyce, an experienced and highly competent Premier League manager, was dismissed with a far superior points per game ratio, which makes it difficult to understand why the former team coach Steve Kean is still in his position as manager and continues to enjoy the backing of the owners, no matter how ignorant they are of footballing matters. Only one team in Premier League history has survived relegation having been bottom at Christmas and there is no sign that we look like becoming the second to do so.

Off the field, Blackburn Rovers supporters are also frustrated by the pitiful lack of communication between club and fans. We feel that it is essential for owners Venky's to build a stronger relationship with the stakeholders, the fans. The club's public relations are sadly lacking. Steve Kean regularly appears in the media, representing the owners' plans, detailing how much funding Rovers have and expounding the current goals of the club. Many fans feel this is beyond the remit of a team manager and believe that a chief executive or chairman should be charged with such a brief and that such information should be conveyed with a degree of discretion that is absent under the current ownership. Regrettably the owners see fit not to employ people capable of discharging such duties quintessential to the running of a modern football club, having dispensed with the services of John Williams and Tom Finn, who were widely regarded as most able administrators among the Premier League fraternity. The fact that they have not been replaced is of considerable concern to Blackburn Rovers fans and should be of concern, we believe, to all football fans who have the welfare of the game at the heart of their thinking. We believe that the owners' apparent attempt to run the club from India while using Steve Kean as their mouthpiece is unacceptable.

Bigger clubs than ours have been relegated from the Premier League before and indeed we have suffered that particular fate before, but that is not our issue here. Our club is not only in jeopardy of losing its Premier League status, it is in danger of disappearing into oblivion under the stewardship of an absent and reckless owner whose public front is a manager who shows little sign of possessing the acumen to manage a team at the highest level and who has singlehandedly managed to drive a wedge between club and fans that has never before been witnessed at our football club, where a perfectly well-functioning community is being systematically dismantled before our very eyes.

As the first steps in the restitution of our football club, we, as concerned fans of Blackburn Rovers, seek the appointment of a respected manager who has the requisite experience to preside over our proud club and who can rebuild the bonds between club and fans and we further seek the establishment of an administrative structure that is becoming of a modern institution such as a Premier League football club.

The Editors of

- BRFCS

- Vital Blackburn

- RoversTalk

- RoversFans

- RoversMad

- BRFC Fans

- The Blackburn Rovers Supporters Trust

- The Norwegian Blackburn Rovers Supporters Club

- NYC Rovers

- The Wild Blackburn Rover

- Rovers Revisited

What is that loud thudding sound?

2012-01-03T13:39:00.004Z

Sadly it's the depressing noise of us coming back down to earth with a mighty wallop.

After the heroic win at Old Trafford there was always that niggling feeling of "I've followed Blackburn Rovers all my life, I know what comes next" and so it proved with a deflating defeat to Stoke giving everyone the ability to use that after the Lord Mayor's show expression.

The problem for our boys was that during the Manchester United game on Saturday we didn't have to take the initiative too much. Rovers were allowed to sit back, soak up the pressure and then go romping forward in anticipation of landing a Wladimir Klitschko style sucker punch. The onus was on the lads representing Manchester/London/Malaysia/sofas across the world to take the game to us.

Yesterday at home to a very capable Stoke side the lads wearing the blue and white were the ones who had to up the ante and bring the party to the team from the Potteries and that is where things fell flat.

Nothing wrong with the state of general play as far as Ewood's finest were concerned just a complete lack of creativity and guile in the advanced areas of the pitch which you are always going to need playing a team that is as well organised and drilled as Tony Pulis' Stoke City are.

In the central areas of the pitch the three musketeers of David Dunn, Radosav Petrovic and Steve N'Zonzi kept the ball beautifully but when it came to passing it forward there was absolutely NOTHING to aim for. Just a crowded out Yakubu and the gangly sight of fairy legs in Mauro Formica, who's certainly playing like he's booked his flight home to Buenos Aires and Morten Gamst Pedersen who's sole contribution was the absolutely epic flattening of Steve Kean in the second half.

N'Zonzi in particular had a very tidy game with ice cold, calm composure on the ball and he keeping things ticking over nicely.

* Chip on shoulder moment - Quite how the very talented, yet lanky Zonz is singled out for his "inability" to pass forward whilst the others who's job it is to actually do that (namely the others in midfield) escape without the same examination is beyond belief. * End of chip on shoulder moment.

There was loads of effort and certainly a willingness to put the yards in but without the bite of a terrier central midfield Rovers failed to exceed any dominance in the game.

All the damage was done in the first half with plenty of the aforementioned puff but a lack of actual craft meaning we headed into the dressing room at half time without a goal to our name and at the other end we continued to press the self destruct button with concentration again an issue for both the goals of the human pushing machine Peter "I love scoring against Blackburn" Crouch.

In fact the parallels between yesterday's offerings and the Bolton match are so scary that Fox Mulder would be a tad perplexed at what unfolded.

One of the reasons Kean gets a bumpy ride is because half the time we don't get beaten by the opposition we seem to have this uncanny ability to beat ourselves. Until we cure that we'll always struggle and the only way to seemingly arrest that is to add at least three new members to the playing staff.

That is something that Venky's at this juncture will not sanction which is even more crippling than keeping faith with the aforementioned Scottish bullshit conveyor belt...

Yesterday we did beat ourselves and the powers that be can't even blame this one on the Steve Kean backlash.

Protesting or no protesting, "abuse" or no "abuse", the club needs to look at itself rather than at the fans.

A Moment To Savour

2012-01-01T17:30:00.004Z

Let's not kid ourselves, 2011 was a shocking year for Blackburn Rovers football club.

Whatever could conceivably go wrong on or off the pitch went wrong and in some style.

We have owners who seem intent on showcasing they don't understand football or how it works. They make no attempt to build a rapport with the fans and are racking up debt which is attached to the club that defies any form of good business sense. Meanwhile manager Steve Kean has alienated everybody who pays to watch Rovers with his delusional ramblings, poor win/loss record and general behaviour whilst on the field we have gone from a side enjoying relative mid table comfort to one that is scrapping tooth and nail to stay at English football's top table.

Fans are revolting and taking on the regime whilst being lambasted verbally from all corners in the press.

And yet on the last day of a dreadful footballing year finally came a moment of joy so explosive that even 24 hours later the smile is still as wide as it has been for a long time. A feeling of unbridled happiness that hasn't been felt for so long that you forgot that it existed.

What made it even sweeter was that NOBODY saw it coming... a win against the champions on their own ground, with none of the usual "go to" excuses for the Red Devils other than just to rather apologetically hold their hands up, admit that Rovers wanted it more and deserved the three points on the merits of the away display.

It went against the grain of everything we've come to expect from the modern day Blackburn Rovers.

From back to front there was a level of commitment and fight that has long been absent from the Rovers play. Steve Kean (yes the same one) sent out our boys with a plan to frustrate United, to hit on the counter and to work enough of the players testicles off that they would risk joining Scott Dann in the scrotum rehabilitation centre.

Sure he had no choice with the line up but the whole team played for him and there was a cohesion to the side which was either a wild fluke or a well worked plan.

Kean got it absolutely bang on. Does it make him a successful long term manager? Does it buggery. But there is no harm in admitting he nailed this one as he is bad enough even with his successes so why pretend they don't exist just because you/we didn't like they guy?

For once, it worked. And the reason it worked was because we didn't just sit, sit and sit some more. We actually kept our discipline and instead combined that with some clever possession play and a willingness to get forward when it was sensible to do so. There is a big difference between that and just sitting there like lemmings waiting to be picked off ala Sunderland away a few weeks ago.

The players themselves were a joy to watch with the whole of the back five being the first in line for special praise.

Mark Bunn proved his Liverpool heroics were no fluke with another all action display in between the white stuff. If I was Paul Robinson I'd be getting more concerned by the day as absence isn't really making the heart grow fonder.

The man with the short name was ably backed up by full backs Jason Lowe and Adam Henley who played with a lack of respect for the illustrious opposition that you would expect from someone in their 30's not two wet behind the ears teenagers from Blackburn.

Chris Samba was colossal and Grant Hanley equally so. In Grant's case he has come a long way from the nervous wreck who looked so feeble in early season games, the concrete block headed Scot was there that many times to make crucial blocks and interceptions that I half expected him to come out for the second half and reveal that he is in fact the real Bruce Wayne and saves Gotham City from street crime with minimal effort.

It wasn't all sweetness and new year candy of course, it wouldn't be Blackburn Rovers as we know it if there wasn't something to moan like a spoilt school girl at - Morten Pedersen seemed intent on continuing his love affair with gifting the opposition possession with alarming regularity and it also seems that Mauro Formica has been studying the Norwegian with a notepad and pen in recent times as he got in on the act too.

And of course Radosav Petrovic was continuing his now infamous Dominic Matteo tribute act with some amazingly slow reactions and an even slower turning circle.

Having said that all three of them put in enough industry to cover for their technical failings. We weren't going to match Ferguson's troops for skill but we more than matched them for effort.

Despite the nit picking it was a glorious day and no-one can ever take that away from us. Yakubu bagged himself goals number 11 and 12 of the Premier League season to carry on his quest to dethrone Demba Ba as the "bargain of the season" and a first senior goal for youth team product Hanley capped off a memorable day that most of us will likely never forget.

Of course, one swallow does not a summer make and a heroic victory at the most unlikely of venues does not rid the club of all the crippling problems that plague us but just for once it allowed us to forget them and realise that there is still some fight in the old dog yet.

Forget Kean. Forget Venky's. Just enjoy the fact we got one over the biggest dog in the yard with a spirit and a passion that for 90 minutes at least made you proud to be a Rover again.

Because only a select group of psychics and God himself knows when it will happen again.

* A happy new year to everybody who takes time out to read through this rabble on a periodic basis. Let's hope 2012 is a much better year for our football club. We definitely deserve it!

A defence of the Rovers fans

2011-12-28T14:48:00.011Z

As a conversational topic I had no idea that Blackburn Rovers football club could be so in vogue?

Normally we're a team that nobody except our next opponents, local media outlets and Burnley seem to bother with but since the whole Steve Kean/Venky's/fan protests/bottom of the league without a hope or prayer dynamic kicked in around September time it seems EVERYBODY has got an opinion on Blackburn Rovers.

Take the last few weeks for example - Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Alan Pardew, Gary Lineker, Mark Lawrenson, Paul Merson, Phil Thompson and Jim White of Sky Sports News have all fired a cheap shot (of varying degrees of harshness) at Blackburn Rovers fans for their "disgraceful abuse" of Blackburn boss Steve Kean. Heck even England cricketers Michael Vaughan and Kevin "South African hair dye enthusiast" Pietersen have put their oar in to uncharted waters by having their say.

It's as if all and sundry are now experts on the situation developing at Ewood Park. Which is all well and good as everyone's entitled to an opinion and if you're not called Alan Shearer you've normally got one.

Over a period of time the fans of Rovers have been called idiots by the "experts" and painted as the enemy in this particular soap plot. If you listen to the usual sources we're detrimental to the teams progress and we're trying to break a manager who has been cast as the victim and is a hard working, friendly, affable character who would not wish harm upon a fly.

The only problem which pretty much all of the above have missed is that if you don't normally follow Blackburn Rovers like the hardcore fans do (and let's face it, 99% of the time most of the outside world don't give two hoots about our boys) then you're basing your conclusion on only a small portion of the full story.

It's a bit like those annoying tennis fans who watch Wimbledon for one and a half weeks every year and think they fully understand the sport. You can formulate opinions on the stuff that the television coverage feels kind enough or even wants to tell you but without a full background knowledge and at the risk of sounding a shade obnoxious... your opinion doesn't carry much weight.

A point of soreness is the constant variation of this comment I seem to be hearing a lot of in recent times - "The Rovers fans are hurling abuse at Steve Kean is based on his managerial record and is disgusting."

Where to start.

Of course some of the abuse being thrown at Kean is bang out of order. People chucking jumpers at him and making threats are taking things way too far and should be reprimanded. But most of the abuse is nothing short of what every other football fan in the land would or should do in this predicament. It's voicing your thoughts and we don't like what we're seeing at the moment.

And why are people under the assumption that the effort to remove Kean from his post is based purely on his manager record?

Sure his managerial record makes Howard Wilkinson look vaguely competent but there's more...

Kean himself has been on a tour of the media over the last year making promises to fans over transfer budgets, player performances, making meetings with the fans and Junior Hoilett's contract renewal that by and large have turned out to be a severe form of poppycock. You might argue it's not his fault and that the owners are responsible for this to which I would respond with "fair enough but if he doesn't want the flak why make the statements in the first place, it brings into question his integrity."

Furthermore once the current series of protests kicked in he even tried to turn the non-protesting fans against the ones that do. Trying to stir up infighting and verbal abuse... not funny, not the behaviour of a man in his position and not especially clever.

He's generally smug, delusional and treats the fans like we're all toddlers.

There are even reports that he was involved in the whole takeover of Blackburn process alongside Jerome Anderson and the Kentaro Sports Agency from the very beginning. True or not? I say no smoke without fire.

If you really want me to be petty let's look at the fact he has been charged with drink driving in the last year whilst in his position at Ewood Park, even going as far as to changing his plea once he realised he was a bit knackered on that front.

Just his managerial record? Having a laugh?

We've even had to endure stories of Rovers fans "booing one of the goals our own team has scored." This is the most ludicrous thing spouted since Katie Price last opened her mouth! When did this happen?

Let's journey back... Yakubu scored his a very slick opening goal against Swansea, we cheered, we rejoiced and high fives were exchanged. He then ran over to Steve Kean in what looked like a very staged show of support and some fans booed.

At what point in all of this did we boo the goal? The faithful were showing their displeasure at the Scottish manager of our club and nothing more. But hey, why let the evidence ruin a good story?

In pedants corner we could even point out Rovers fans were mocked at Wigan a few weeks earlier for being fickle and only chanting "#KeanOut" at points in the game when we were losing. Yet when the fans stick to their guns by keeping the message clear in spite of the scoreline we're idiots. Can't have it both ways chaps, make your minds up.

Add into the mix that Rovers fans are told that we "don't even back the players and are helping the team lose." Would this be the same team that got a standing ovation after the horrendous loss to Bolton? That still gets all the same player dedicated chants the crowd have always sung? My mistake must have been another team in blue and white halves.

It even goes beyond that (yes this rant is over yet - apologies). Look at the current owners in Venky's.

They bought the club on the promise of taking it forward and investing steadily and sustainably. It sounded good in principle but since that heady day of positivity we've actually recouped more in transfers fees than we have spent, we've had the perfectly efficient club infrastructure ripped up to the point where nobody really knows who is in charge and we've been patronised in the form of one dimensional, jargon filled non-statements on the club website.

There have even been stories of the bank trying to grab us by the balls whilst the owners use every credit facility available to them that doesn't involve actually investing any of their own cash.

We've been told that the owners have the best interests at heart and yet every piece of action we've seen has suggested quite the opposite.

The whole Rao family have even hid in India for long parts of their reign and left the helpless to cop it back in England.

Our club is run from halfway across the world by people who know as much about football as... well... Kevin Pietersen does about Blackburn Rovers.

And despite all this we are supposed to sit here and do nothing. Not a murmur not a sound. Just accept our fate and clap like the good little, obedient, dead inside plastic fans that we are.

You may laugh but I'd rather be dead than see our club, something we've all loved for years go down the toilet without a fight.

If that makes us idiots in the eyes of the under informed then so be it.

Reckon this footballing supporting business is easy?

2011-12-20T10:44:00.000Z

Over the length and breadth of the globe football fans have an allegiance to a chosen team that is unbreakable. Whoever your team of choice is be it Manchester United, Carlisle United or Gravesend and Northfleet there is that unshakable loyalty that comes with your choice of club, one that in many ways that matches the loyalty shown to a partner or a friend.

But for all the teams on Planet Earth I would imagine there are very few that are testing that very fabric of allegiance than Blackburn Rovers.

Here is a club with owners that in the space of a year has actually made it possible for this question to be asked - "Would you accept a loss if it meant your manager being fired?".

Or in another words, root for your team to lose if it ends up being for the greater good.

In a year our Indian owners Venky's have taken a club that is at the very heart of it's community and ripped the soul and common sense out of it. They've made it a much less efficient organisation over that time span, appointed a manager who has become universally disliked during his embarrassing reign and as a manager/owner duo made a ridiculous amount of verbal promises to fans whilst only keeping a handful of them.

They've ignored the fans by and large, they've made decisions that suggest the jokes about them preferring cricket to football aren't funny quips and

The owners and the delusional Rovers boss Steve Kean have together turned something that is loved by thousands into an us against them situation. Something to loath and treat as a chore rather than something you cherish and love with all your being.

A stand off that makes you contemplate inflicting mental anguish on yourself if it means it hurts Venky's and Steve Kean too.

And herein lies the heartbreaking conundrum that faces every Blackburn Rovers fan on an almost match by match basis.

Take tonight...

The first step on the path back to normality could be taken tonight with a defeat against fellow crisis club Bolton that would almost certainly end Steve Kean's interminable manager career. It does however mean losing a heavily hyped basement battle which would consign our own Rovers to the bottom of table and a step closer to the trapdoor of relegation.

Whereas a much needed win would give everyone a boost but keep the Scottish bullshit machine in a job he's just not good enough at. This in turn would heighten the chances of us heading to the Championship anyway.

So what's it to be?

Well I for one can't do it. I cannot sit there and root for 90 minutes against a side that I have loved and backed unwaveringly for all my life. I've laughed, I've cried, I've gone absolutely bat crazy mental with joy and I've even become more emotional than I would ever care to freely admit as I've followed the ups and the downs of my Blackburn Rovers over the years,

I just can't bring myself to want Rovers not to win as it goes against everything I've ever asked for and wanted in my football following life.

Granted it's not the same football club now that I fell in love with all those years back but it's still my football club and it crushes me that it's come to this.

Damn you Venky's and Steve Kean for making me choose and breaking my heart. You should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves but for all the money in India I bet you don't care an inch.

Maybe we didn't sit deep enough?

2011-12-12T19:56:00.007Z

You would think that after months of it we would get used to this crushing feeling of deflation after every single Blackburn Rovers game but you would be very wrong. Each week it seems to get harder as we foolishly allow ourselves that beacon of hope only to see us kicked in the area that god never intended forceful contact to be inflicted.

The frustrating part of our trip to Sunderland wasn't that we lost to the now standard "new manager's first game" curse or that we played to a standard expected of an under nine side. It was that we had the Wearsiders right where we wanted them.

At half time the home side were proverbially handcuffed to a fence, blindfolded and left for dead where as we had a more than sufficient supply of bullets and were armed with the latest military weaponry with no law enforcement in sight. A bit like Grand Theft Auto San Andreas but instead of your rather hip character you're controlling Steve Kean.

Rovers were one nil up and despite Sunderland looking lively through Stephane Sessegnon we'd largely contained the initial burst of red and white enthusiasm and had slowly started to control the game having taken the lead through the Zorro masked Simon Vukcevic and his first ever Premier League goal.

Nobody is saying we had to come out of the traps at the start of the second half like a deer surrounded by a plethora of headlights but all Rovers had to do to take the sting out of the game was to keep the initiative. Keep hold of the ball, get the crowd on the backs of the opposition players and worry Sunderland on the counter attack with the pace that had done the trick in the first part of the game.

Sure we had some shocking luck with four random injuries which left us with the equivalent of eight men on the pitch by the time the final whistle blew but all we did during the crucial period of the match was sit. And sit. And SIT. If we did any more sitting in our own half we'd have been eventually asked by the local council to fill out a squatters rights agreement!!

Steve Kean sent the Blackburn side out to soak up building pressure, which is absolutely fine when you are hanging on for dear life in the final ten minutes but not for three quarters of a flaming hour!

In the end we got exactly what we deserved which was nothing. That's not to say the players didn't deserve more of course because they fought like lions but Rovers got what the tactics and the negative approach in the second half merited.

I know it is easy and convenient in this day and age to blame Steve Kean for all the ills at the club but I have always given him a reasonably fair ride with these things so it is only right I say it straight now - the reason we lost at Sunderland and didn't pick up at least a point is... you've guessed it, the short fat bloke with the bald head who's not called Danny Devito.

Keano asked players like the absolutely phenomenal Chris Samba, the lively Mauro Formica and the improving David Dunn to cover distances that should only be covered in competitive long distance running at an impossible intensity that even Paula Radcliffe would need to have a break for something other than a slash whilst doing it.

Samba in particular was 721 different types of colossal and keeping Sunderland goalless for such a long period of time was mainly down to him and Paul Robinson, who off the back of a couple of shaky performances in previous games turned in an wonder show of the highest order in between the paint.

As bad as the pain may feel today though the scary truth is that the players and the fans need to get over the heartbreak quicker than ever for the simple reason that these are our next four fixtures...

- WBA (Home)

- Bolton (Home)
- Liverpool (Away)
- Manchester United (Away)

Fancy going into the last of those two games having picked up very little from the first two?

No me neither...

* Thanks to the lovely people over at Vision Sports Publishing we can now offer the perfect Christmas gift. Bag yourself a signed copy of Mick Rathbone's "The Smell of Football" and have it delivered to you all for a discounted price. For details I'd probably click here.

If he's wanting to go, just let him go

2011-12-08T20:46:00.009Z

Sometimes life isn't fair.

These little situations crop up from time to time where there are a few choices as to which direction you want to take but it seems the selfish and preferred option isn't available.

This can certainly be said of the now interminable Junior Hoilett contract situation which is unfolding at Rovers.

We should all know the back story by now. Back in brighter days, Hoilett was happy having a run in the Blackburn side having made his big breakthrough under Steve Kean around Christmas last season, a new deal was mooted and all parties seemed to indicate that life was sweet, terms would be agreed and mince pies were to be shared all around.

The club then duly stepped in to say that they'd wait until the summer to commence contract talks with Junior to avoid any distractions and dips in the Canadian's blistering form which would leave 12 months on his existing contract. We were risking our brightest star's future for the sake of time.

When the summer finally arrived we faffed around more than Grant Hanley handling a routine defensive header and made Junior wait whilst we scoured the transfer market for new additions instead of looking after our own first.

The fans waited and waited to hear some good news about a new deal for the new goal machine but none was forthcoming apart from the fortnightly message of "he'll be signing in the next 48 hours" from the master of positive spin and microphone snogging Steve Kean. As a result the new deal now looks like it won't be signed in the next 48 years let alone in the next 2 days.

You see, word is that Hoilett somewhere along the line has got it into his head that he can play for a top six team. Whether he has the potential/ability to or not is open to debate but his advisers and maybe even his father (the lad's agent) have backed this notion up.

If the pocket rocket does really want to leave then that's his right and his decision to make but the further conundrum that Rovers are faced with at this juncture is how much they can get for Junior... with neither option looking particularly attractive when weighed up against his market value.

He can either be auctioned off in January to the highest bidder or we can put a ridiculous value on his head like, oh I don't know, £18 million to ward the vultures off and sit tight to the summer to let the tribunal decide what compensation we're getting for him. Yes, the same tribunal that shafted Man City out of a lot of money for Daniel Sturridge a few years back.

In an ideal world we would be able to change Hoilett's mind and get some loyalty out of the young man but barring a change of heart or even (cough cough) a change of manager that looks unlikely to say the least. In fact if you watch his last 3 or 4 games he may be trying to tell us something - his heart doesn't look in it any more.

For what it's worth if Junior is adamant he'd like to relocate to a position in the league table that doesn't bring with it the prospect of trips to Derby and Ipswich next season then the best advice I could give Venky's and Kean (they won't listen but what the hey) is to move him on in January. No player is bigger than the club as the old saying goes and if we are destined to lose him then we should be recouping as much of the queens heads as possible for a player we have nurtured since he was squeezing spots and asking questions about puberty to his parents?

The added bonus from our side of the fence is that we do have a fair bit of back up for the position that our boy normally plays. Out wide we have Ruben Rochina, Mauro Formica, the lesser spotted Simon Vukcevic who it would be nice to see more of and Martin Olsson. All of whom play in the spots that Hoilett does and are all damn fine players to boot.

Hoilett is a big talent but if he does leave then it's not quite the end of the world scenario that some may forecast.

We just need to look at the wider picture, accept there are bigger fish than us in the ocean we operate in and try to do what's best for ourselves... Besides it would be nice to see a winger
play who actually tracks back once in a while!

* Thanks to the lovely people over at Vision Sports Publishing we can now offer the perfect Christmas gift. Bag yourself a signed copy of Mick Rathbone's "The Smell of Football" and have it delivered to you all for a discounted price. For details I'd probably click here.

A win that comes at a perceived cost

2011-12-05T10:07:00.001Z

Ageing is one of those elements of life that has people across the globe scared stiff. Scientists everywhere have scramble for years to find a way to slow the process of ageing down and for youth to remain in our faces for as long as mother nature/cosmetic surgery allows.

It is a puzzle that has baffled even the smartest of medical technicians for years and a conundrum that we will probably never find a solution to.

Over the last few months though it has become crystal clear that one place scientists should not look for possible solutions is at a Blackburn Rovers match. (Yes, I know they wouldn't in a million years in the first place but don't you dare ruin my intro).

Every single Saturday the Rovers faithful watch for 90 minutes some of the most roller coaster like, gruelling, up and down action you are ever likely to see. As a result of this heart stopping stuff, it feels like in that short space of time it feels like most of us have actually aged about 40 years. Not much of it actually works in our favour when all is said and done but still... it's anything but boring.

Saturday at home to Swansea was a joy to watch. Both teams wanted goals and it was clear from the first minute we wouldn't be watching what Alan Hansen would lazily describe as a "bore draw".

The problem from a Rovers point of view though came in the form of a catch 22 situation that nobody knew the right answer to - Win and we'd finally pick up our second win of the campaign and make our way up the table on our way to "heroic" safety. Lose and we'd be cut adrift at the bottom of the league but with the compensation of knowing that the universally hated, smug faced, chrome domed Steve Kean would have one foot out of that exit door that most of us have been coaxing him towards for a long while now.

The crowd was split, the atmosphere was tense and there were some bright colours in the crowd with the addition of spots of yellow and black scattered about amongst the usual glow of the home shirts.

Luckily for the Rovers boss big Chris Samba was back in the fold after injury and in place of scapegoat Grant Hanley the Blue and White back line looked roughly 756% more assured in defence. No hesitations and no uncertainty that has plagued recent performances, just a more settled looking line up.

Sure, we still shipped two goals as is now our established, contractual bare minimum but both were more down to Swansea design than Rovers error.

Sadly if you are of a strong anti-Kean persuasion, the Rovers players weren't quite showing the same level of discontent with Kean as the dissenting fans and played as such. Our opponents who are slick, fluid and extremely clever on the ball were harried, hassled and closed down on the ball with an organisation and commitment that we really should see, you know, a lot more of from the Rovers players.

The display wasn't without it's faults of course (let's not get carried away). As is now normal under the leadership of Kean, Rovers looked lightweight in central midfield and didn't offer any proper screening to the back four outside of an occasional Gamst Pedersen lunge. Add into this that when ahead in the game Rovers rather annoying decided to sit deeper than a diver in the Red Sea and encourage the rather fetchingly bright away side back into a game that should have been seen out with comfort.

But then this is Steve Kean's Blackburn we are talking about.

The good news is that despite the usual frailties we did come good at the other end of the field or should I say one man came more than good in front of goal.

Step forward Yakubu who now faces the rather comforting notion that if he picks up a Vince Grella like injury plague first thing tomorrow morning and never plays another game for us he will still have been worth the price we paid for him.

We at Ewood Park sit and we moan about Jason Roberts doing everything but score and here we have the opposite in front of our very eyes. Yakubu was slow, plodding and at times frustrating but he was dynamite in the one place you want your strikers to be and four goals is a terrific achievement.

The first was sublime, the second was instinctive, the third was about being in the right place at the right time and the fourth was just pure confidence.

Obviously it was the Nigerian's day but he was ably assisted by the marauding and classy Mauro Formica who played his best game in Rovers colours and late on by the lesser spotted Simon Vukcevic who looked like he had just escaped from a local surgical hospital in time for a substitutes appearance.

Some will slag off the booing from the fans during the celebrations for the first goal and some will even moan that we won due to the product of such an outcome... Steve Kean keeps his job and delivers a stomach churning victory speech.

The one thing that cannot be disputed though was that we needed a win and thankfully we got it. Thanks to an often mocked striker with a hunger for more than just the next takeaway.

Feed the Yak and he will score indeed.

* Thanks to the lovely people over at Vision Sports Publishing we can now offer the perfect Christmas gift. Bag yourself a signed copy of Mick Rathbone's "The Smell of Football" and have it delivered to you all for a discounted price. For details I'd probably click here.

Mick Rathbone's 'The Smell of Football' - signed, sealed, delivered

2011-12-01T11:47:00.007Z

With it being the first day of December the time is now for everybody to get their Christmas shopping nailed and out of the way (unless of course you are male like myself in which case the panic shoppers conference will be held usual place, usual time on the 23rd of December).

An ideal present for those football fanatics out there would be, without a shadow of a doubt, what many consider in football circles to be the Book of the Year.

It's "The Smell of Football" by Mick Rathbone... critically acclaimed by all and one of the funniest books you'll likely ever read.

Baz's publishing team have been in touch and for readers of this blog we have a special offer for you just before Christmas. Consider this compensation for having to put up with my ramblings all year...

If you want to bag yourself a signed copy of the book and have it delivered to your door at a special offer price then here's how you go about it -

"Special Offer for readers of 'Wild Blackburn Rover.'

Signed copies of ‘The Smell of Football’ by Rovers hero Mick 'Baz' Rathbone can be yours for just £9.99 (plus P+P)

To take advantage of this offer you need to order the book from the publisher’s website at www.visionsp.co.uk. Navigate to Baz's book from the homepage, click 'buy signed copies' and type the promotion code 'Wild' into the Promotion Code Box on the Shopping Basket & Checkout page. "

Nice, easy and an amazing gift for yourself or a relative who hasn't had the joy of one of the best football books EVER.

Enjoy :)

Deluded Steve fooling only himself

2011-11-28T15:26:00.001Z

Sorry to state the obvious but the planet we live on is rather big. And with Earth being as big as it is and with such a large number of inhabitants strutting their stuff on it you would think it is reasonable to expect that different people will have different mindsets and mentalities.

For example, some of the folk on planet Earth are very laid back, nothing particularly bothers them and most of life's stresses going flying way over their head like a Jason Roberts shot on the turn.

Others are quite negative and see things from a glass half empty perspective. They always see the bad in any given situation and expect the worst to happen. They are often referred to as "pessimists" or "mothers".

And then there are the optimists.

No matter what happens they will always point out what went right and where the potential moments of joy can be gleamed even when the whole scenario looks bleak.

Over at Ewood Park our manager quite comfortably fits into the last of these types of people. So much so that a major national newspaper has finally picked up on what the fans of Blackburn Rovers have been saying for months now... Steve Kean is delusional.

Week after week, game after game what we see unfolding on the pitch seems to be a million light years from what the bald assassin is witnessing. His post match interviews have now turned into a regular exercise in spin that a Conservative MP would be proud of, everything has an upside you see and our Scottish manager can see it every single time. Even when it's not there.

In Kean's eyes the formula seems pretty straight forward - When Rovers have played badly we've actually played well, when Rovers play well and lose we've actually been unlucky.

Nothing wrong with a bit of a bright smile and keeping the faith of course but when it happens EVERY. SODDING. WEEK. it tends to get a bit tiresome to the point where nobodies buying what the manager is shovelling.

I am actually convinced that if he was told this afternoon that a comet was heading towards Brockhall and it was certain that this massive rock would wipe out all forms of life in the Blackburn area he would turn round to Sam Matterface in the Sky Sports studio and respond with something along the lines of... "Well, this should test the lad's temperament and footwork".

Take Stoke City away on Saturday for example. Not one player on the pitch could walk off the pitch at the full time whistle and be proud of the input they had into the game. Outside of the (rather excellent) goal that Ruben Rochina bagged we managed to force one decent save out of Thomas Sorenson in the Potters goal in 90 minutes and the back four like the week before defended as if they had only just been introduced to each other at 10am that same day.

In midfield, Pedersen tried but was wasteful, N'Zonzi seemed more bothered about bagging himself a lucrative UFC career and Mauro Formica was auditioning rather successfully for the role of the Invisible Man in the next Fantastic Four summer blockbuster.. Over on the wings Junior Hoilett and goalscorer Rochina seemed to think football is in fact tennis and that you should try and win the whole match yourself which worked about as well as it sounds and up front Yakubu waddled around like a bloated duck showing the composure of, well, a bloated duck.

Rovers even managed the dubious feat of having less than half the possession in the match... against Stoke. A team notorious for their direct style of play and hit/hope/throw in football.

So all in all it's as safe as a maximum security wing to say that it wasn't the best day at the office. Probably best just for the manager to come out, apologise to the fans, say it wasn't our day and move on. Problems to sort but we're on it like a car bonnet chaps.

But oh no, not in this warped life time. Instead we have the one man smug machine telling us all that we actually "had enough shots to win two games (of crossbar challenge perhaps?), that the spirit in the team was there for all to see and that in the second half we dominated."

A bit of advice for you Keano - When the chips are down by all means keep a brave face but don't insult the intelligence of your fan base Mr Kean when you've already called in the bodyguards to protect yourself such is the current success in your job. Pretending problems don't exist doesn't make them go away.

I am led to believe I have a reputation as a balanced sort of a guy who will give even the most trying of people a fair crack of the whip but there is only so much even the most tolerant of fans can take and when you have pent up frustration inside you why not let a bit go?

Venky's have been very keen to trawl the Internet in recent weeks looking for people spreading false information about the club and potentially issuing legal summons against offending individuals who may be talking bullshit.

Can I dare to suggest they pay a quick trip to the official Rovers site to read the manager's post match interview and find a shining example of nonsense there?

* On a different and very serious note I would just like to send out my condolences to the family of Gary Speed. Gary had nothing to do with Blackburn Rovers but football in general has very few nice guys in this day and age but Gary was one of them. You'll be a big loss to us all and I am so sad you are no longer with us. Watching you on Football Focus on Saturday and seeing you as happy as you were makes this all the more devastating and confusing.

RIP.

A new deal brings with it old problems

2011-11-23T21:51:00.007Z

I must admit after the whirlwind of rumours over the course of the last week it is difficult to know who or what to believe any more in the Blackburn Rovers bubble.

One minute Steve Kean could be getting sacked, the next minute he's being lined up as UN peace ambassador and then finally he's being rewarded with a new contract for his brave efforts in sending us down the league table like a brick being thrown off a building... with another brick strapped to it.

For obvious reasons it would be foolish to go into what is or is not involved in the terms of Steve Kean's new deal, I don't know and I don't think anyone does other than a select few.

But the main problem in all of this that I can for see from today's very brief club statement is the same problem that has always existed throughout the year of Venky's reign. And it isn't even the awarding of the new contract itself.

It was one bought up at last night's BBC Radio Lancashire Fans Forum (shamless plug alert) - it's the art of COMMUNICATION.

In any area of business be it football, cosmetics, telecommunications or travel the number one rule in establishing a clear link between the directors/owners and the customer base is communication. If you talk in a clear, concise and sensitive way then you will create loyalty and trust. Even if the customer doesn't always agree with decision if it is explained well enough and with the customer in mind then at the very least you're being clear and honest which not a right thinking person in the world would hold against you.

Today's Steve Kean contract announcement was a prime example of the problems that Venky's have created for themselves by not establishing a proper communication structure at the club and it is driving fans away.

Let's break it down. This afternoon's announcement itself showed that the universally disliked Rovers boss is getting fresh terms yet they don't want to tell us what the terms are and the owners then mention it's a private matter - that's fair enough, perfectly understandable as no-one is going to outline contract clauses in public. But why not come out and explain WHY it's been awarded to him?

Clearly he is not getting an extension which patently the shiny headed one doesn't deserve but then why give him a new deal? What's the aim?

They've not really publicly backed the manager with this move on the big Blackburn Rovers chessboard and they've certainly not given the fans a boost so at the risk of sounding like a grumpy old, stuck in his ways grouch... Why bother?

It's the latest in a long line of nonsensical PR disasters that have plagued their reign at the club and it's indicative of the root problems that they are burying their heads in the sands like a bunch of scared ostriches and ignoring.

There is still no Chief Executive at the club, there is no English based chairperson and certainly no spoke person to answer questions from fans on club matters. In fact a lot of the club officials are lost in half-arsed job titles to the point where I am not sure even the officials themselves know what they are supposed to be doing... Cynical I know but show me proof to the contrary?

We've heard talk of marquee signings, fast rises up the league to preposterous league positions and

There seems to be a genuine lack of understanding of what makes fans tick and it's matters like today's contract decision that will only widen the gulf between the Rovers fans and the owners of the club. it's not the decision itself that is the main problem it's the way it is communicated.

The Rao's and Mrs Desai seem to want hide over in their home country whilst talking only to themselves and giving stale breadcrumbs out to the other stakeholders in the club.

Yes, the fans of football teams are a demanding beast at the best of times and we often demand to know things that we don't really need to but it's only because we care. And there is a difference between not knowing the "need to know" information and just being left out of the loop entirely.

As a result the message to Venky's should be clear - By all means run the club how you see fit, the buck will always stop with you but it's the lack of communication that's costing you dear.

We hear phrases like "we'll listen to the fans" and "this club is like our baby" but those are just throw away phrases until we hear/see some reason to go with the rhyme. If parents treat their babies the way you've been treating yours then social services would be racking up one heck of a phone bill.

You lose the fans and you're chopping out the foundations of a once proud building.

If ever a draw felt like a win and a defeat...

2011-11-21T11:03:00.001Z

For all our problems this season and there are many, one thing has to be said - for a neutral we must be an absolute dream to watch.

In fact for pure entertainment there hasn't been a better team in the Premier League this season than Blackburn Rovers. Our 3-3 draw against Wigan was our second such scoreline of the season adding to a list of extraordinary results this campaign that provide anarchy on the pitch that has only been matched by the, er, anarchy off of it.

Some would call it entertainment I guess. Others would call it shocking defending. Either way it's been anything but a dull ride despite our horrific league form.

Our 3-3 draw against Wigan however was in direct contrast to our 3-3 stalemate against Norwich. In Norfolk Rovers were brilliant and worthy winners on the day with only the likes Delia Smith and Mark Lawrenson thinking the Canaries deserved anything out of the game that day.

At the DW however we were abysmal and somehow contrived to get a point where we really shouldn't through a combination of fight, good fortune and not being able to take corners properly.

As much as the Steve Kean excuse machine will be charging it's batteries up this morning there are no plausible straws to clutch - we got a lucky hand in front of 4,000 travelling away fans and any attempt to deflect away from that is either brave or stupid.

Even with 11 men we were clearly second best to a Wigan side who took one look at our makeshift back four and said to themselves "yes please, me thinks we'll be having some of that".... and why not hey?

Despite taking an early lead we looked ragged and our less than punctual team bus seemed to have dropped off four Rovers defenders who looked like they had never even bothered to get acquainted in the unexpected traffic!

Scott Dann was less than commanding on his return to the side and looked lost with square headed, dive in first, think later specialist Grant Hanley alongside him. To make matters worse to the side of the comedy duo were flanked by Gael Givet who was quickly showing why he is a great centre back but a slightly suspect left back and Michel Salgado who once again showed that age can be a killer in football as Wigan winger Victor Moses cantered around him at will.

There was too much space in our midfield, nobody closed down, everybody's reaction times to the loose balls were slower than Salgado's sprinting pace and nobody talked to each other. In short a game we should have been looking to in was thrown into chaos by a complete lack of instruction and organisation. If only there was someone bald and in a managerial role we could blame?

But through all the moaning and mediocrity there were two saving graces.

First off, a massive salute and to Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal. He "enjoyed" a mixed day in between the sticks with some brilliant reflexes proving he's one of the best keepers in the league and some sloppy work reminding us he's a portly lad who used to play for Spurs.

But when it mattered most Robbo atoned for his howler for the Wigan third by going through the pain barrier and putting his head where many a foot would dare to tread. His penalty winning excursion in the 6th minute of injury time was pure guts and bravery that should be commended.

And the scorer of the crucial late penalty should also merit a mention. Yes, the walking weight joke that is Yakubu has plenty of downsides to his game and he will never release his own fitness DVD but to take such a crucial penalty in the 98th minute of a game with such pressure on his shoulders is a big ask.

It speaks volumes that he never looked like missing. Yes he's fat but he has so far scored 5 goals in 8 Premier League games - anyone care to make a joke about that?

The big question coming out of the weekend though is will that late scrape save Steve Kean's job? The owners were at Wigan but were that enthused they left at half time.

When you draw so late it often feels like a win but is it can't be just me who had mixed emotions about a game we really should have won on paper?

Euro 2012 shop window to rob Rovers?

2011-11-16T12:23:00.000Z

Surely I am not the only one who is a bit tired of talking takeovers and club ownership or having a bicker with the pro-/anti- protesters?

Ever since it came to pass that a Qatar based firm with connections to their royal family were interested in acquiring Blackburn Rovers it has been a constant battle amongst the fans of our great club over who's right and who's talking out of areas that are normally reserved to be sat on.

Well for those who would like to continue that little debate you may be disappointed as I am shifting topic for a little bit to something completely different.

Outside of the whole political situation at Rovers this season a lot of the talk has been centred around the soon to be out of contract, flying Canadian Junior Hoilett - the clock is ticking for Rovers to be able to hang onto our prized asset and it currently stands at 8 months. There is a real risk Rovers will lose him at the end of his current deal for a fraction of what we should be getting.

It's been a contentious and sore issue amongst fans and rightly so. Junior Hoilett is probably Blackburn Rovers best player and having developed the little man since he was barely a Metal Gear Solid playing teenager a tribunal decided remuneration for his transfer seems scant consolation for the clubs efforts in his upbringing.

With Hoilett on his way heartache will probably follow and after the Phil Jones sucker punch of the summer you could be forgiven for thinking that Rovers might as well just chuck their youth academy in and hand over all their promising youngsters to the big boys now... but it could get worse.

There is the potential danger of a third promising youngster leaving to chase glory whilst we sit swan around the relegation zone and advertise chicken on an annual basis.

Step forward Sweden's brightly burning bundle of gas Martin Olsson.

Olsson has quietly been for my money, just as good as Junior Hoilett this year and he comes with the added benefit of actually doing that tracking back thingy ma jig that the contract rebel doesn't seem to have in his repetoire. He's fresh, exciting and quite frankly a bundle of joy.

Now before anyone hits the panic button, gets their finger over the 9 button on their phones and prepares for a triple press Olsson has not asked to leave and has never given any indication that he would want to but the big problem for Blackburn Rovers where he is concerned is the big tournament of next summer - Euro 2012.

Martin's yellow brigade qualified for the showcase last month and with every major tournament masquerading as some sort of condensed transfer market for the entire world it is not too far fetched to suggest a few hyper active showings by our boy in the spotlight could set tongues wagging.

I imagine it'll go something like this -

(The scene is Euro 2012 and Sweden are playing)

Random non-descript ITV commentator No.1 - "Oooh lovely turn and run from that short lad over on the Swedish left?"

Random non-descript ITV commentator No.2 - "Who is that? Jolsan? Olsone? Oh! Olsson, who does he play for?"

RNDITV commentator No.1 - "That's Martin Olsson, he plays for Blackburn Rovers, you know... the team with the chicken people and the tactically inept Scottish manager?"

RNDITV commentator No.2 - "Ah yes he looks handy, maybe a move to a bigger club could be on the cards with more darting runs like that one?"

(The following day)

BBC Gossip Column - "Blackburn Rovers Martin Olsson is set to move from Ewood Park after Arsene Wenger put in a disgracefully low bid that wouldn't buy him a pack of top trumps"

The Sun newspaper - "Liverpool are after young Rovers player Martin Olsson who are willing to triple his current wages"

Sky Sports News - "Martin Olsson is having a medical at Old Trafford. As soon he has completed his move we shall forget he ever played at Ewood Park and just pretend he came from the Old Trafford youth academy (Phil Jones based cheap shot).

Horribly overblown I know but you get the picture.

The Lewis Hamilton look-a-like has in the past indicated he would turn down a move elsewhere in favour of remaining at Rovers but with the uncertainty surrounding the club and the problems that lie within it wouldn't be a massive shock if the brighter lights of our side headed for... well, brighter lights.

Euro 2012 could be a huge Martin Olsson sized shop window and a window that we as a club don't particularly need.

A new lease of life for an old favourite

2011-11-07T20:51:00.002Z

There comes a time in every footballers career when they start to stagnate and a fresh challenge is needed to reinvigorate the mind, the body and yes of course, the pay packet.

For Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen that particular analogy has been far too true for far too long - some more eagle eyed observers would even suggest it's been true for many years.

He's made us want to rip our hair out at the best of times over these last few seasons but the last couple of games suggest that a new dawn could be on that cold horizon for the hair gel enthusiast.

After bursting on the scene as a fresh faced, young boy band impersonator back in 2004 Pedersen quickly got himself a reputation for eye catching goals and being something of a highlight reel player. Every edition of Match of the Day included a Morten volley from outside the box otherwise something felt missing.

From the left wing he provided goals and quality set pieces which as result painted the impression that he was the next big thing in English football. In truth at the time Morten was good... in fact very good but not the brilliant player that many casual observers has him down as.

The 90 minute Morten Gamst Pedersen was nowhere near as much of a joy as the 2 minute version and that early success to this day still gets him a free meal ticket with most non-Blackburn fans.

But after a blinding to life in blue and white halves and being the first name on the team sheet in the eyes of former managers Mark Hughes and Graeme Souness, things began to fade for the man that can sell bananas to fellow Norwegian internationals at the drop of a Scandinavian hat.

When he lost that "unknown" factor he became apparent for what he actually was when all the hype was stripped away - a very hard working, effective footballer but with limited pace and a lightweight-ness about him that makes Carlos Villanueva look muscular.

The years passed and we went from various guises of MGP that struggled to get even close to the early heights he'd enjoyed in England or for that matter come close to impressing.

We had orthodox left wing Morten, we had an attacking midfielder in a midfield three Morten, we even had most scarily of all central midfielder in a standard 4-4-2 Morten. All the reshuffles and repositioning were met with limited success to the point where our now longest serving player was often mocked and criticised by Rovers supporters. He was wasteful, seemed stroppy and didn't have the redeeming feature of goals to appease these downfalls.

It didn't help that he was such a boy wonder when he first came to East Lancashire as that gave fans a yard stick by which to judge him as we all knew he was capable of more than he was showing and at times willing to give.

For a few years it has been remarked that if in football you could do what you can in hockey and employ a penalty corner taker and the bring off that specialist for general play then our man could have been a key player. But as we all know in football, you can't so he hasn't been.

But after the slump has come something of a rise. Yes, he has for a while stayed in the side for his ability to take long throws and he does still shoot from EVERY. FRICKING. CORNER. but a recent position switch has opened up something of interest for the walking peroxide counter.

After another annoying start to the present season littered with misplaced passes a shift to a slot alongside Steve "I really should have an afro" N'Zonzi in a deeper lying central midfield role has some serious potential.

As things stand it has become patently obvious that Radosav Petrovic and Steve N'Zonzi are too similar a player to play in the same side in the current formation. With two defensive midfielders and three floating attackers ahead of the sitters the big Serbian and the Zonz get in each others way... but the fit and the dovetail between our boy Gamst and the lanky Frenchman by contrast is perfect.

N'Zonzi does the bulk of the graft and the leg work in the middle and that buys Pedersen an extra second on the ball to create and spread the play to the quicker players. It is a shape and use of personnel that suits the side and suits Pedersen's attributes more than any other position on the park.

As a result of this new found spot he's looked fresh, rejuvenated and a class apart in the short time he's occupied that central berth. His productivity has increased, his passes are finding their mark and his high work rate is being highlighted by being involved in the game more. Him and Zonz may look like Del Boy and Rodney (in size if not looks thank god) but their partnership works and if Kean has any common sense, which isn't a given granted, then he should allow this new found bromance to blossom,

Morten has a long way to go to make himself a regular addition to the starting XI but his recent performances at Norwich and against Chelsea suggest he's back in the groove and more importantly playing himself back into form.

He'll never go back to the all singing, all dancing highlight player he was back in the day but he's developed a mental toughness over time, he is 100 % Blackburn Rovers and through quite a sustained tricky spell has maintained his loyalty and let his passion for this club grow.

Pedersen is the sort of player we should want to do well due to his vocal backing of Rovers and a passion for "Arte et Labore" that Junior Hoilett would do well to have half of.

This new opportunity has come as something of a saving grace for him.

A special notice to pundits and journalists

2011-11-06T18:39:00.004Z

We're getting the hang of this plucky performance with nothing to show for it lark aren't we?

For the third weekend in a row the Rovers put in another spirited display with shed loads of endeavour but emerged with less from the game in terms of an outcome than the exploits on the pitch merited.

Some may call it bad man management, some would call it not having a match winning striker on the field and some dare I say would just call it an unlucky hand.

Whatever the why and wont's of the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea the simple fact is that the Russians were there for the taking and we didn't take advantage of that.

But as annoying as the defeat was there was an annoyance of perhaps even greater size coming out of this weekend's game in the form of a discussion. This pain in the rear rather unsurprisingly has come from the modern day pundits and journalists who inhabit the studios, newspapers and websites of the current football world.

It has come to light over the last few weeks that a large majority of the aforementioned figures are backing the Steve Kean reign at Blackburn Rovers and are calling for fans to give the bald headed version of Sir Alf Ramsey himself more time.

All well and good, nothing wrong here so far.... But.

This weekend has seen Rovers fans and protesters called a "disgrace" for their recent antics in trying to make their feelings clear and we've even being told that our expectations are too high and to get real. One comprehension apparently outside of the pundit and journalist bubble which seems to have escaped all but a few of them is that it is they who are so far wide of the mark that they've actually spotted one of Jason Roberts' recent long range goal attempts.

NB - For regular readers of this blog things may now take a slightly different tone than you're normally used to but something's got me riled up and I'll go back to normal once I've got it off my chest I promise!

Here are a few quips I've heard about Rovers fans over the last few days from the experts -

Sky Sports Interviewer - "I don't know what they're moaning about. Every time I've seen Rovers play recently they've been very decent." Yeah sure, people have watched us the last few games as we are near the foot of the table and the extra media attention is on us due to the protests. But have you tried watching us in the first 8 games of the season? Decent isn't a word I'd use.

Alan Shearer - "You don't become a bad manager in the space of seven or eight games!" You're absolutely right Alan, but you can do in the space of say 30. Which is how long Kean has been in charge.

Mark Lawrenson - "Why are all these numpties chanting Kean out?" Ah yes, the thatched cottaged haired ex-Prestoner. Where to start. We've slipped from a respectable mid table position to general relegation cannon fodder in the space of a year, we're lying second from bottom in the table and more than one game away from the safety zone. The manager has been charged with drink driving, there are allegations about his involvement in transfer dealings and he has established a relationship with fans that amounts to a "me vs them" mentality. Want any more Lawro?

Now don't get me wrong, the fans are not blameless in all of this. Over the last last few months we've all (myself included) been involved in sniping/fighting with each other when it hasn't been merited due to the hostile and passion inducing situation unfolding at Ewood Park.

We've had an adverse affect on the match day atmosphere, some wouldn't admit it but nerves and unrest transmit themselves just as well as a smile down the phone does.

We've blamed things on Steve Kean that haven't really been his burden to bare and we sure as the flaming afterlife haven't been rational with our thoughts at times but what do you expect when something is going to pot and worse, it's happening to something that you have loved all your life?

Having said all that however, this whole Kean Out campaign is not just about results it's about the way the club communicates with us and the removal of respected figureheads such as John Williams and Tom Finn with no obvious replacements. There is no leadership in the back as well as out in the front. It's developed into addressing more than just the problems that Kean brings to the table, it's gone above and beyond that.

And the so called experts make a mockery of their status by using such a small sample of football matches to pass judgement on such a wider issue.

Sure, football fans can act like spoilt brats and we've been no different but there is something the pundits and the journalists are missing and it's easily spelt out with the following statement which I aim in their direction -

Just because it's become fashionable in the last few weeks to pass comment on Blackburn Rovers, don't ever assume you can come into the situation and lecture us or even patronise us. We've been living this nightmare for a lot longer than just the last three games and for you to all of a sudden have a great grasp on a club that you normally don't bother with in the slightest doesn't wash.

There's a bigger picture you don't see.

I think most people would say the phrase rant over.

Protest Or Not - Stand Together As One

2011-11-04T12:44:00.002Z

Heading into our clash with Chelsea tomorrow it is not difficult to admit that feelings as Rover are mixed.

On the one hand the side has shown some improved performances over the course of the last three games and everyone that you talk to remotely close to the club seems to infer that spirits amongst the players are high, the team are ready to push up the league table and the possibility of world peace is increasing by the day.

On the other side of the coin the same old problems seems to exist. The owners and the manager continue to distance themselves from the fans, the club are still carting out some "smart" PR to cover up the underlying problems at Blackburn and of course, everyone's favourite Steve Kean is still the boss.

And lest we forget that the latest round of protests are upon us.

These protests from start to the present day have been very divisive amongst fans of Rovers and the owners themselves have not helped (despite claiming they have) by playing loud music that makes most Cheryl Cole songs seems catchy to drown out the protesters and banning flags and banners on "health and safety grounds".

Now it's no secret that I personally know the fans involved in the organisation of the protests. I back their work and the amount of effort, time and even money they have poured into their quests to pressure the manager out and create fan links with the club would make your eyes water more than any onion could ever dream of.

Some see the protests as a way to attention seek and as a disruptive influence - I respect that opinion but I disagree with it. The root problems behind the scenes at the club won't go away if we sit and do nothing and with the excellent idea of balloons and fly over planes on the cards to send a message tomorrow this could be the most creative protest yet.

But regardless of your stance on the protests the one thing that should not divide is the support shown during the match. For all the criticism the protesters have received I have never once heard or seen anyone involved in the demonstrations having a detrimental effect on the match itself.

The backing and the passionate support which has been shown in the past should remain TOTAL. 100%. Without falter.

Whatever your feelings on Kean and the Venky's regime we're not going to beat a thirsty for revenge, off the back of a five goal defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea without the backing of a lively Ewood... We did it in victory against the aforementioned Arsenal and the backing against Spurs was excellent even in defeat.

Whether you like the protests or not, this is your Blackburn Rovers and if we stick together we can put our personal feelings about the protests behind us to stand as one when it matters most.

Ignore the sucker punch... That's much more like it

2011-10-31T18:44:00.003Z

I think it is safe to say it's never a dull moment at Rovers is it?

Heading into the game the majority of the Norwich fans had a home game against the League's bottom side down as a near certain 3 points and why wouldn't they? Our performances on the road this season have (up to Saturday) ranged from downright shocking to borderline mediocre and we are still managed by a man who's most interesting match day feature is that he wears a long, black coat that makes him look like a follicly challenged funeral parlour employee.

So a straightforward win for the home side you'd have thought with their plucky, headteacher look a like manager against a Rovers side with fans still bickering and at war with club officials?

As it happens, not so much.

In fact quite the opposite as the yellow canaries ended the match with a point that the on pitch action suggested they didn't deserve in the slightest with our boys, in the second half in particular, completely out passing their more celebrated opponents.

It appears it hasn't been lost on our fans that this is the second game in a row where we have thrown away a two goal lead from a seemingly unassailable position but unlike the Newcastle game where the collapse was bought about by poor substitutions and a disruptive change in formation the two goal surrender against Norwich was for different reasonings.

In short, lady luck.

There is a saying that when you are down at the bottom "these things happen to you" and never was that more true than at Carrow Road as a double deflection that should have be sponsored immediately by Hartley's Jam and one of the more ludicrous penalties that you'll see awarded made sure the wolves (the metaphorical animals not the Premier League team) were still out looking for a Scottish manager with a drink driving charge to his name.

In Kean's defence though this was the first defeat of the season where he can genuinely not be held to blame. Yes, for all his failings he was just a wounded bystander like the rest of us for a change.

I'd even go as far to say that apart from the last ten minutes of the match that is as good as we have played this season.

Still a bit shaky when not in possession of the ball but with it at our feet we looked composed, assured and dare I say exciting.

I am sure this is no coincidence that in the centre of the park we finally managed to find a central midfield partnership that dovetails in the Ren and Stimpy like duo of Morten Gamst Pedersen and Steven N'Zonzi. Norway's finest banana advertiser did the longer range passing playing the creative influence surprisingly well and the lanky Frenchman kept things ticking over with effortless composure and link play.

N'Zonzi in particular was absolutely superb and man of the match based on 90 minutes.

Not far behind him though in the quality stakes was the hero of midweek, Gael Givet - his positional play looked a bit suspect at times but his last ditch tackling, his commitment and his interceptions were a joy to behold. After a tough few games at the start of the season at left back the "Power of the Beard" is back.

Ahead of the fighters was the flair and we looked dangerous when releasing Junior Hoilett and Ruben Rochina down the flanks. The Spaniard bought the party tricks with him and Hoilett had both full backs running scared when given license to roam, for the first time in ages we looked like a side with direction and purpose.

Scoring the 3 goals was no fluke and if we were even half as proficient at keeping them out as we are at producing the moments at the right end of the pitch then we'd be laughing all the way up the league table.

Across the board Rovers finally had some proper passion and fire in their play. Even Yakubu who is to work rate what Alexandra Burke is to being humble had something to show for his afternoon efforts. The ultimate difference between him and the other maligned front man Jason Roberts is that for all the hustle and bustle Jason has very little to show for his efforts when all is said and done where as the Nigerian does next to nothing but still pops up with a goal.

Which one would you prefer?

Now before we get carried away with all this unfamiliar praise let's clarify matters - this one encouraging performance does not get Steve Kean off the hook. Far from it. One swallow does not a summer make and the core problems are still very much alive and sadly thriving.

But just as we needed a lift we got one - even if it came in the format of a crushing draw that feels like a defeat.

The players DO care and you only need to take one glance at the players at the final whistle to see how devastated they were.

The manager may have a long, long way to go but if the players didn't play themselves into our hearts again with such a spirited display then there is no hope for them or indeed for us.

A waste of time or a perfect tonic?

2011-10-28T17:36:00.003+01:00

For all the bad press and verbal diatribes that Blackburn Rovers seem to generate at the moment it has to be said that if you didn't get a little warm feeling inside you after the 4-3 victory over Newcastle in midweek then your senses can't be working properly.

There has been lots of debate about this year's Carling Cup with some writing it off as an unnecessary distraction whilst others view the sidetrack as a way to kick start your league form.

With Rovers bottom of the league in the current state of play, led by a manager that only his mum, Paul Clement and his wife knowingly like and badly in need of some good news it could be easy to argue that the Beer That Tastes Like Stale Urine Trophy is not exactly welcome as the club needs to concentrate on the bread and butter of the league.

I mean if we lost our Premier League status then it is difficult to imagine our boys bouncing straight back ala a West Brom or a Sunderland, if at all.

Of course Mr Positivity who could pretty much sell sand to desert inhabitants at this point views the cup as a welcome addition to the football calender and with three wins from three games and goals a plenty in this year's competition it is actually not that hard to see why from his warped point of view.

But is it actually a detriment to the primary concern that is league form, or are there benefits of an extended cup run?

Well in games directly after Carling Cup ties so far this season we've played two and lost two (Everton at home, Newcastle away) which makes the argument for the Carling Cup run look as dim as a girl from Essex but taking the cup as a Robin to the league's Batman there are some added benefits that staying in the competition does provide.

For starters the competition has truly given Ruben Rochina the chance to introduce himself to English football and ease himself into proceedings in a more low profile environment. His return of 4 goals in 3 games and his current stance at this year's Carling Cup top scorer means the competition has played a pivotal role in his development to this date.

Kean doesn't seem to deem Ruben worthy of a regular start in the Premier League for one reason or another* so the handsome Spaniard is the main beneficiary of a League Cup berth. *Maybe that's down to the Scottish Steve policy of "if you score you're benched" but then I am trying to keep the cheap shots down to a minimum here.

The appearances of Radosav Petrovic and David Goodwillie against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Leyton Orient and Newcastle should also pay dividends with regards to fitness and adapting to the English game. We've not seen any positive results out of this theory yet but it can only help.

The other key positive of some extra-curricular football is that we, you know, have actually won some games. Winning games breeds confidence... Even in ones where Rovers nearly throw away an unassailable position at the death. A win is a win and it can only do good things to a team that seem to be shot of confidence from only having won a solitary time in the main focus.

Having said all that, it is games like tomorrow's trip to Norwich that will truly gauge whether the Carling Cup adventure, which ironically hasn't left East Lancashire yet, will have an adverse effect on the league form. Norwich basically threw their entry into this year's more maligned knockout competition where as we have embraced it.

Some will say the league form can't get much worse and others will point to survival as the main goal at the cost of anything else. But I say winning is never a bad habit to have and it is something we have barely been able to enjoy much of lately.

The Carling Cup has it's pitfalls for sure but it's not the complete waste of time it's painted as.

How long before the cannons turn on Venky's?

2011-10-25T13:44:00.001+01:00

I think you have had to be hiding underneath a rock in the last few months to not realise that the situation at Rovers is pretty bleak. Even for a pretty positive thinker (that I do like to think of myself as contrary to recent comments) it is pretty hard to get psyched up for all things Blackburn as the pleasure of watching and supporting them has been sucked away in recent times.

Don't get me wrong I'll ALWAYS be 100% behind them but if you can tell me you don't feel a bit more strained now as opposed to this time last year you're either a very strong willed son of a gun or a flat out liar. I wouldn't like to speculate which.

Having said all that there was some rare good news on Sunday as Rovers actually turned up for a game. The vital ingredient of the points to go with the performance was not to be forthcoming but if you couldn't see a more committed, passionate and lively Blackburn Rovers taking to the pitch against Tottenham on Sunday then you either have your Steve Kean blinkers on or you weren't watching.

It was the sort of performance that if it had been present regularly from the off in the 2011/12 Premier League season then Steve Kean wouldn't find himself in such a bad state of affairs.

He's lost the crowd, the respect and he's even got every home game ending in some sort of protest.

But with news/rumours leaking in the last 24 hours that the most despised manager the club has ever had could, for all his ineptness and damning statistics against his reign, be in line for a new contract. Yes, that's a new contract AKA a reward for his past performance.

This little dongle of news has not got past the stage of "rumour" yet but if it is true the question has to be asked - How long before the Rovers fans turn away from Steve Kean momentarily and take aim with their (proverbial) cannons at the people running the whole show... Venky's?

Here are a faction lest we forget who for all Steve Kean's shortcomings and failings are in a position where they can remove him his post and start a fresh. Yet they haven't. If I was to play devil's advocate for a second it could even be suggested that the owners leave old Dome Head with far too much work to do on the English side of the clubs' operations and get him to answer questions in interviews that a club executive should be handling.

Not defending the man, just calling it how it is.

Scottish Steve is a marked man and rightly so. But it seems to be forgotten from time to time that he is merely a puppet in the whole Rovers play and for as many accusations that crop up about the level of power Kean has at the club he is still answerable to the Rao family.

They can get rid if they had the guts and the money. But yet they choose not to and if they think backing their man with a new contract will instil some confidence in the fans then they have read the situation eye patches on.

This could be the one move that takes the attention off the manager and a little bit higher up the pecking order to the owners.

The Wild Blackburn Rover Android App

2011-10-22T13:58:00.005+01:00

The Wild Blackburn Rover is now proud to launch in conjunction with "Football Fan App" its own Android Application which is now available to download from the Android Market.

The app features the latest TWBR blog entries and news from a variety of sources such as News Now, Sky Sports and the BBC.

We also have Facebook and Twitter built into the app to follow the latest Rovers gossip including some well informed Blackburn twitter accounts so that you can keep updated with inside musing from the club. (Don't worry Rovers Insider isn't one of them).

The aim is to bring together all the Rovers information into one giant melting pot which you'll always have the latest Blackburn news at your fingertips, furthermore it helps this very blog out... Yes, you do love me really.

Our iPhone/iPad app is also available soon!

To check it out please follow this download link.

Guest Article

2011-10-19T08:50:00.005+01:00

No Coaching Change for Last Place Blackburn

Even though the Blackburn Rovers are in last place in the Premier League, don’t expect a coaching change. The Wild Blackburn Rovers have just one win in eight games this season and a total of five points. They are stuck in last place in the league and in their previous game they managed just a 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers. The poor performance so far this year doesn’t seem to be affecting manager Steve Kean though as Blackburn’s owners are totally committed to him.

Fans Don’t Back Kean

Even though Blackburn’s owners, the Venky’s are totally in support of Kean, the fans are not. Many fans are already calling for Kean’s head after losses to Manchester City and Newcastle and the draw against Queens Park Rangers. It doesn’t seem to matter that fans are not in support of Kean as the owners are in his corner. Fans have been seen recently holding up “Kean Out” posters in Blackburn’s last few games. Regardless of what fans of Wild Blackburn Rover may want, Kean is not going anywhere.

Rovers Hire Paul Clement

There is some help on the way for Kean as Blackburn has hired former Chelsea coach Paul Clement as an assistant coach. Some people might think that the hiring of Clement is a sign that Kean is in trouble but in reality it is just the opposite.

Kean wanted Clement to be brought on and the Venky’s agreed. "I'm delighted that Paul has agreed to join us. He is someone I know well and respect as a coach and will be on the bench with me at QPR.” Kean said, “I go back to 2000 when I first met him at Fulham and saw him progress through the age groups before he was head-hunted to go back to Chelsea. He worked closely with Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti, with whom he managed to win the double. We've got someone who has a habit of winning games and working at a very detailed and high level and that can only help the whole club."

Sunday’s Game

Kean will get a big chance to impress ownership as Tottenham visits Ewood Park on Sunday. Even though Blackburn are at home they are underdogs in the sports betting odds for Sunday’s match against Tottenham.

Well it was an improvement, but that's not saying much

2011-10-17T21:35:00.000+01:00

It's almost come to the stage now where I dread us actually playing well as we all know what's coming after the match. The Rovers players are normally described as "excellent" by our illustrious manager after a crushing defeat so the praise lavished on them when we don't pick up the dreaded "L" next to our name would take a bucket on standby to properly digest under the normal Steve Kean post match interview house rules.

Saturday against QPR however was neither great nor dreadful - it was improvement on recent showings that is for sure but then that is like saying I've stopped my same sex relationship with the Elephant Man to have a casual fling with Ann Widdecombe.

The team as a whole did OK, the shape looked reasonable and the tactics were mediocre. Basically, you know, meh.

Under fire manager Steve Kean looked relatively pleased with himself in the touch line and wouldn't you if the footballing equivalent of Lurch from the Addams Family had been hired as your assistant as some sort of part-time man servant/part-time bodyguard?

The team line up the bald grin merchant selected however caused further alarm when the lone striker spot was filled with a "J.Roberts" and his constant, baffling use of Radosav Petrovic and Steve N'Zonzi to fill the two midfield slots when both are EXACTLY the same type of player is massive head scratcher.

Petrovic himself has massive potential but is constantly nullified by his midfield partner. It's like one of those relationships between two insecure divorcees... Either one could be vibrant assets if they gave each other room to breathe but due to their similarities they hamper each other and both suffer as a result to the benefit of neither.

Furthermore, the steady decline of a genuine legend at right back is heart breaking to watch. This surely has to be Michel Salgado's last season as a professional footballer. Don't get me wrong I love myself a bit of the King of Spain but despite his bravery, his fight and the full on commitment that others should learn from the legs just won't do what they use to.

It's sad but it's coming to an end for Tugay in disguise as much as we hate to admit it.

And whilst we're ranting can someone please tell the coach come manager that you are allowed to make more than one substitute during a game? In fact with such quality on the bench in the form of Simon Vukcevic, Yakubu, Ruben Rochina and Mauro Formica I'd say it was close to a legal requirement to make a full three changes!

Having said all that, Venky's will probably view a point on the road at Loftus Road as more of positive than a negative but the point was gained purely through the rise above the average from three players who stopped us from turning in another shabby away day display under our unloved boss.

For starters, Martin Olsson was absolutely epic.

Back after his Newcastle enforced suspension he was like lightning when given room to roam, the Rangers defenders were visibly scared of him and his work rate was a joy to behold. In short, he was man of the match by the length of the M6.

On the other flank Junior "contract rebel" Hoilett showed why someone needs to pass him the nearest biro with some darting runs, dangerous crossing and some lovely dovetailing with the aforementioned Swede on the opposite side. Both the young wingers gave Rovers an edge that we would otherwise lack and as bad as we were at the back at times Rovers looked cutting egde on the counter.

And finally where would we be without a little mention for man mountain Chris Samba. I questioned his captaincy and his focus a few blogs ago and many called me crazy. I still have those doubts and one game won't change my mind as quickly as a Manchester United fan from south of Watford gap but there is no denying that he was back to his beasty best in London last Saturday afternoon.

Kong Samba was aggressive and in charge throughout and his goal was well deserved and a quality finish to boot.

In the end the players saved Steve Kean for another week and a decent point should not hide the fact that this point was won in spite of the beleaguered manager.

We could learn a thing or two from QPR

2011-10-14T15:11:00.002+01:00

Normally I would burst onto the scene after an international week by proclaiming that the Premier League has been missed, you can't beat the ferociously paced combat of the top tier of English football and rejoice at the unpredictability of the "best league in the world" which shares the same ups and downs as when you play bingo online for money.

But if we're being honest and maybe a little cynical it's been nice to have a break from a difficult period for our club which over the last few weeks has been difficult to witness and to digest.

Tomorrow however we head back into the combat with a trip down south to take on QPR at Loftus Road.

Now we up north may not realise but the ownership situation at the Hoops over the last 24 months throw up some interesting talking points and having a look at how Rangers have come out of their particular circus in the ascendency could even be a lesson for our lot down at Blackburn Rovers.

Taking you back to about 18 months ago and the Hoops were owned by two all conquering behemoths in Felavio Briatore and smurf sized Bernie Ecclestone who have big connections with Formula One and certainly aren't short of a few bob... they are/were however not exactly flush with footballing knowledge and it showed.

The pleas of the fans were ignored in favour of looking after their own interests, in the case of QPR it was to do with ticket prices and the F1 duo looking after their own interests before that of anyone else.

Various managers came in and out of the club at a speed that Usain Bolt would have considered respectable (yes, I know we can't get rid of ours), players were bought in a suspicious manner and the club didn't have a proper footballing brain pulling the strings behind closed doors.

Obviously not all these circumstances are identical to Rovers in fact very few of them are - but the principle is the same. The owners were not listening to fans and thinking they knew better.

QPR turned the corner when Briatore as director had made more mistakes in his tenure than I have consumed hot evening meals in my life. It came to the point where he eventually stepped down and appointed a man who understood the club and knew how to pull the strings from a chairman/chief executive type role. He in turn appointed a manager who would command respect and got everything connected to QPR back on it's feet.

If you can't see where I am going with this where have you been?

In the end tomorrow's opponents had to change owners back in the summer to push on and that is where the similarities with Rovers SHOULD end. Venky's don't have to sell up because they have at least tried to talk with the fans such as with their openness to a Rovers Trust and the trip to Pune for 9 supporters to meet them. The Indians have at least made the effort to come out and explain their actions even if we don't agree with them most of the time.

Furthermore we have seen enough about them to know that the Rao family do actually care about Blackburn Rovers even if their naivety has had more of negative impact on proceedings than they would care to admit.

The next step is to listen. We aren't appointed officials or even qualified in a legal capacity to run the rule over our club... But we are the heartbeat of the Rovers, we've seen enough over the years to know what's what and in Blackburn the football club is a cornerstone of the community.

QPR, Briatore and Ecclestone learned the hard way that if you ignore the consensus of the fans and look after your own interests then you hurt a football club.

In my opinion that's an important lesson that Venky's and Blackburn Rovers would do well to learn from.

Junior is making us pay the price for our own sloppiness

2011-10-11T19:17:00.000+01:00

In the modern era of football it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell what a player or a club's real intentions are. A nifty bout of smiley public relations or a few well placed comments in a pre-match interview often hides what is really going on in the background.

No more true is that comment true than at the circus that is Blackburn Rovers. Accusations are flying around that our owners are disorganised, have their fingers off the pulse and light in the boardroom areas that often need the most attention

All of these accusations have been met with a smile and a "we know what we're doing, chill your beans and keep the faith" mentality from a big office in Pune somewhere.

That of course would be fine if these little instances didn't come along every so often and blow that mentality that Venky's have shown out of the water... Sadly and to our cost one of these instances is the never ending Junior Hoilett contract saga which has dragged on for roughly the same amount of time as the economic downturn.

Rewind about 9 months and things were looking rosy as far as the Rovers/Hoilett dynamic was concerned - Junior was getting a good run in the team and making himself the undisputed first name on the team sheet in the eyes of anybody with, well, eyes. He was happy with the new lease of life having been marginalised under Big Sam and more importantly the Canadian looked settled.

It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to state that Junior Hoilett is now Blackburn Rovers best player and one of the main reasons the Blue and White Army are still a Premier League side.

At the start of the summer Hoilett still had twelve months left on his current deal - Steve Kean and the Rovers back room had announced he was ripe for fresh/improved terms and Junior confirmed he had a ball point pen and his John Hancock ready.

Straightforward really you would surely anticipate? Straight forward at Blackburn Rovers 2011?! Have you been paying attention recently?

Rovers as they did in all their summer transfer business bar the last day of the window let things drag and drag and drag and (you guessed it) drag. Seemingly putting the long term future of one of their brightest players on the back burner as we chased the signings of the likes of Bruno Ribeiro who were going to improve what was already at the club.

But Venky's and Steve Kean forgot the age old saying which is a classic... "always look after your own" and right now we look set to pay for it.

Over the course of the summer and every "Hoilett set to sign in the next few days" headline that passed by the wayside the club went from a position of relative strength and command over the future of the speed demon to being down on our knees begging him please to come home.

It could have been much easier but the club has let things drift on to the detriment of pretty much everybody not called David Hoilett.

You see, the Rovers number 23 wants a minimum fee release clause like the one Phil Jones had in his contract which would be kicking around the £15 million mark that would allow him to end his Rovers career if the bright lights of somewhere else came calling and with only eight months left on his contract Rovers will have very little chance to accept this if the worst case scenario isn't to rear it's ugly head.

Because failure to bow to the young man and his dad's (agents) demand means we risk losing him for less than half his value in January or running the gauntlet that is the tribunal in the summer when his contract expires and he's free to speak to the salivating likes of Spurs, Newcastle and sigh, Manchester United.

At the start of the summer we could stand there in a position of equality at the bargaining table but due to a complete level of faffing that makes Homer Simpson look hugely proactive we are now left in the proverbial bent over stance with our trousers firmly round our ankles.

Hoilett will get his way because we have no choice, £15 million is still a lot for his talents and having said all this I am sure it is a price very few will pay for him. As a club Blackburn will still come out of this in good shape IF we can get our golden boy to sign up.

But this is a prime example of the lack of organisation that is crippling Blackburn Rovers... and to think we haven't noticed is to treat the fans like idiots.

The Captaincy Question

2011-10-07T11:30:00.000+01:00

With relative certainty I think we can all say that talking about Steve Kean and Venky's has become something of a chore. I have never tried actually banging my head against a brick wall in my 27 years of existence but like many fans out there getting the Indians to listen a fan perspective is like trying to get Jonathan Ross to give two hoots about anybody not called Jonathan Ross.

So in a novel twist I am moving on to a different matter today - a look at a pressing on-pitch issue.

The last few games for me have thrown up some real questions about the captaincy at Ewood Park - more specifically about the suitability of Chris Samba to remain in the role of Rovers captain.

Now don't get me wrong, the man from the Congo is a colossal figure, a beast of a personality and one of the best defenders in the Premier League when on form but the role of a leader requires a different set of qualities than just being the best.

It's about inspiring when the chips are down, setting an example through your own actions and being able to organise through strong yet respected communication.

Colin Hendry had the leadership skills, Ryan Nelsen has them and Chris Samba up to some way through the previous campaign had them also... but he seems to have lost his way and it's mainly because of talk of a move away from East Lancashire.

The Congolese monster you see, despite his protests to the contrary, actually quite fancied a move to Arsenal or Spurs in the summer. Not enough to actually force one through but enough that his head was turned and if the opportunity came up, introduced itself and asked him to say good morning he wouldn't have been shy.

As a result our Chris has had a suspect start to the campaign with his "highlights" including hugging our North East destroyer Demba Ba after his hat-trick demolition and casually jogging back from corners he has gone forward for - most notably for Man City's 3rd goal last weekend. Add into this that the defence is shipping goals like they're going out fashion imminently and it's been hardly inspiring stuff.

If the captain looks like he only cares a marginal amount then what are the others going to think? Especially with Rovers having such a young side out at the present time.

But the question has to be asked if the armband is to be relocated who's fit for purpose?

Paul Robinson is certainly a prime candidate as an ever present and a now respected/consistent goalkeeper but does the captaincy lend itself well to a goalkeeper? He's done it before though so is a great shout. The more senior players such a Ryan Nelsen and David Dunn are certainly stellar calls but do they play enough to take the responsibility on full time? There injury records suggest it is difficult to pin much on them in their current guise.

Believe it or not I think the best idea could be to present it to one of the younger lads who may not be everyone's first port of call when talk of team leaders rears it's head but it's a man we briefly discussed during our inaugural Vital Blackburn Podcast.

Step forward Martin Olsson.

Fast, inspiring, passionate and a true fighter for the cause, Martin may be considered a younger member of the squad and hardly in the Indian Summer of his career but he is a Swedish international with a fire on the pitch that so very few sadly seem to have at present.

Lest we forget as well that the Olssonator has been at Rovers for nearly half a decade now and despite being a hit and miss left back he is the club's premier left winger and rightly so.

The fans love him, he celebrates goals like he an injection of adrenaline and provides moments of attacking inspiration that the likes of Steve N'Zonzi and Rad Petrovic can only dream of at present. Martin talks more than most on the pitch and he isn't a quitter when the boys are up against it.

Granted he has been out of the side for a couple games this term but his attitude when recalled was that of a man and not a dummy spitting child.

Age is irrelevant, in football if you are good enough then you're old enough. If "Unsackable Steve" does have some balls about him then he'll take the armband of Samba until his head is properly sorted and give our Swedish boy some major consideration as his replacement.

It's bold but it's a step in the right direction in my eyes.

One major problem that Kean isn't to blame for

2011-10-05T13:21:00.001+01:00

I think it is all getting to the stage where we feel like we're banging our head against a brick wall.

For all the shouting, dancing, #KeanOut twitter hash tags and protesting that has been done it seems that Venky's are standing strong. Jolly Positive Steve will have his chat with the Rao Family over the next few days whilst in India, he'll get a slapped wrist and they'll find a new way to keep him in his job against pretty much all forms of better judgement.

I could be wrong but I doubt it.

But away from the Steve Kean battle there is another problem and it is one that has yet to be addressed despite the gaping hole that has been left since the departure of two key figures... To spell it out, the hole in question is a John Williams and Tom Finn shaped chasm.

Back in the moneyless days of the Jack Walker Trust era the club was a constant day to day fight to stay afloat. The board didn't want to pour resources into the club and what money did come in was earmarked for wages or fixed costs. But one thing that was apparent throughout this decade long struggle was that Rovers were respected.

Respected because they had the right men running the whole kit and caboodle - John Williams and Tom Finn knew how to administrate at a football club, they had good links with other clubs and when people dealt with Rovers on a business level they knew they were two blokes who'd been around the block and knew how to play the game.

The former Rovers chairman and managing director ran things with military precision but they were the best and they were untouchable by a fair distance.

Oh how times have changed.

For once in our lives the club actually has some money but it is run like an insane asylum without the burly, no nonsense security guards. Anarchy rules and without Williams and Finn there isn't a figurehead to grab the bull by the horns and sort it it all out.

Sure we have figures on the board like Paul Agnew and Simon Hunt as well as Vineeth Rao but the evidence presented so far suggests that they are at best adequate in their roles and most of the major decisions are being rung in via phone (yes Steve you can use the phone/skype to ring India instead of flying) from halfway across the world.

We as a club are underpopulated at board level and it shows. No finer evidence is provided than on match days, where if you have a quick gander up at the directors box it is like the visiting side are playing at home such is the vacuum of seats available in the home section.

Confusion reigns over who is responsible for what and in defence of Steve Kean he is left fielding questions left, right and centre from the press about all aspects of the club. He's not very good at his main job is the Scot but he seems to be juggling about seven other roles in front of the media as well.

Without these respected football administrators that we haven't had since early this year we have lost our way and we are rudderless. A proper chairman and a visible presence at the club from the back room is a MORE pressing matter than the current inadequacies of a below par manager.

If Venky's truly want to show that they've got the best interests of the clubs at heart they will accept that they are still on that learning curve that they always seem to deny the existence of and shell out some proper cash for at least one senior figure who will be at the club every day and give him/them some proper control.

It may be a long way back to getting Blackburn Rovers back on the straight and narrow and it starts with a big name signing or two in the board room - without the direction that we haven't had for a while we'll carry on down this murky, common sense free path that we seem to be romping down without a look behind.

We've got 99 problems and Kean is one

2011-09-26T17:51:00.001+01:00

Oh dear. Talk about coming back down to earth with a huge crash hey?

After two wins in a week there was genuine reason for optimism heading into our clash with Newcastle at St James Park. Spirits were raised, goals had been scored and I was back from honeymoon feeling like the (slightly bloated) cat that got the cream... So it was game on against a very good Newcastle side.

It was as if the gods of fate had decided just to mess with Rovers fans once again as another false dawn came to fruition with sobering cruelty. In truth the Geordie/Barcode brigade barely had to leave second gear to easily sweep aside another tame, lifeless Rovers away performance.

The tactics were wrong, the selection of the anonymous Jason Lowe in midfield meat we were overran with embarrassing ease and the substitutions that were made were either twenty minutes too late or lacking in common sense (Grella for Yakubu, I'm looking at you).

And who's to blame for all this? Yes, it's the human archery board that is the Rovers manager Steve Kean. Every arrow is homing in on him at the moment and even for an optimist such as myself it is hard to disagree with the notion that the root problems at Rovers start and end with him.

It doesn't help his cause that after such a shocking display the bald bullshit machine is more keen on questioning a ref than having a look a little closer to home for where the true blame lies!

Kean looked so far out of his depth on Saturday that a group of mermaids would have been able to have an hour and a half chat with him at their leisure.

Even more alarming was the lack of fight on display from most of the Rovers players - they've shown fight a plenty in recent games against Everton and Arsenal so we know it's in there somewhere, but it was nowhere in sight in the North East.

Michel Salgado and Gael Givet were woeful, partly because they again weren't given proper protection and partly because they were second to everything. Steve N'Zonzi in midfield thought he'd replace the home crowd as the proverbial "12th man", the lanky Frenchman must have been daydreaming such was his propensity to pass at will to black and white shirts.

Further up field Yakubu was starved of any decent service which won't have helped his new diet, how's he going to lose any weight when we don't give him any running to do?

Nobody closed down, nobody drove forward when we had the ball and nobody reacted to any loose Newcastle passes with any speed apart from poor Junior Hoilett who was close to tears at the end of the game such was his frustration at the mess unfolding around him.

If only the other players cared half as much as he did. Canada's finest was the only one who gave a jot and was the sole spark of inspiration.

It says a lot that the closest Chris Samba got to hat-trick boy Demba Ba all afternoon was to give him a hug as he was heading off to be substituted... it's a football match Chris, save the bro-mance and the evening dinner plans for after the match!

It surely can only get better but the visit of free scoring Manchester City at the weekend presents a fresh challenge. You've got six days Stevie to get the boys properly drilled for the next game or we could be in for the hiding to end all hidings.

One more "performance" like Saturday and the next "my boys were excellent" post match interview could be your last.

Drop the boy wonder for Olsson for the Geordies away

2011-09-23T10:29:00.000+01:00

Flicking through various news sources this week it appears a lot of the talk has been centred around the new superstar at Rovers, young prodigy Ruben Rochina.

Quick feet, flash movement, more tricks than Pamela Anderson has had lovers and a stunning goal at Fulham has quickly marked him down at Ewood Park as THE one to watch given the supreme talent we have acquired at something of a bargain-basement price (in today's market anyway).

And for what it is worth I don't doubt the hype... the kid clearly has the world at his feet and will be the next big thing barring a miracle.

But, and there always is a but nowadays isn't there, as has been well documented he does have an obvious downside. It is even a downside I mentioned in a ramble of a blog on Wednesday no less.

It's his discipline or lack there of. For all the attacking riches he provides he leaves us wide open with his sometimes unintelligent decision making.

And as we head into a game tomorrow with a bit of actual momentum on our side for the first time in what seems like an age is it wise to expose ourselves to waves of counter attacks as Ruben loses the ball? Especially when said game is on the road against an in form Newcastle side?

Personally I'd say no. I'd let him sit this particular clash out.

The Spaniard's inclusion alongside the equally gung ho Junior Hoilett could cost us dear and for my money all it would take is a Swede on a mission to balance things out nicely.

Martin Olsson has been out of the starting X1 for the last few league games and dare I say it has benefited him tremendously as a result. Unlike some "pros" Martin hasn't chucked his new Thomas the Tank Engine set out of his baby carrier after his demotion, every time has been introduced as a sub he has looked like a man on mission.

I mean look at Arsenal last weekend - for that last half an hour he looked like a man possessed and with a point to prove. Up and down, up and down, backwards and forwards he went with the relentless hunger of a starved tiger.

Placing him on the left side of midfield and shifting Hoilett onto his natural right hand side would be a shrewd move as the Swedish international does actually fulfil the defensive side of his duties down the left hand side, which is imperative in away clashes.

In short Martin was dropped, unfairly in my eyes, to make way for the boy wonder and his reinstatement tomorrow should give Rovers a more balanced approach than the Keegan-esque we'll score 4 if you score 3 mentality.

Rochina's time will most certainly come but games like tomorrow's clash with the barcodes are exactly the type of games he should be on the bench for at this stage in his fledgling career.

The wingers to blame for leaky backline

2011-09-21T12:08:00.000+01:00

Hello all and welcome back. Whilst I've been away changing my marital status and sunning myself silly it seems I have missed a lot!

Epic wins, dour draws, fan protests by people I actually know and owners standing strong - should I stay away a bit longer just to keep things interesting?

One thing that has become readily apparent over the last few games despite the improved points tally from Steve Kean and the boys the main problem is the complete opposite to that of his predecessor Sam Allardyce - under Big Sam we were as tight as rabbit tunnel at the back, giving nothing away whilst not being the most adventurous of units.

The Mark Lawrenson cliche I believe is "difficult to beat".

Under the egg headed one however we have been much more expansive in our style of play. With Junior Hoilett, Martin Olsson, Ruben Rochina and now Simon Vukcevic having pace going spare to lend to others we are easier to watch and we certainly score more but the problem has flipped over to the goals conceded column.

Even in our heart stopping and thrilling win against Arsenal we looked wide open at times and without the bit of fortune that we certainly earned that day it could have been a different story.

Large gaps appeared and certainly in the first half on Saturday lunchtime against the Gunners and in the second half last night against League One's Leyton Orient the full backs in particular struggled massively.

Look at Gael Givet... at left back he has at times looked utterly lost and overrun.

The one thing I am sure of however is that it's not actually HIS fault - it's the chaps a bit further forward being asked to lead this new era of Steve Kean's swashbuckling football that make his job a thankless task.

The Hoilett's and the Rochina's are being asked to pour forward at will but in doing so the size of the space being left behind could be sold to land development firms for property building. It's left the bearded warrior Givet and the 87 year old Michel Salgado with two people's work loads as the more celebrated players fail to track back to assist.

It's a problem and if it isn't highlighted to Optimist Steve by our concession of two goals to the League One whipping boys last night then it will never dawn on him.

So what do we do? The likes of the sadly departed Brett Emerton and hair gel enthusiast Morten Gamst Pedersen certainly do their share of defensive work and cover the yards to help the full backs but hardly thrill going forward where as the current inhabitants of the wing roles leave space that the two Manchester clubs would treat as a field day.

It's a question that ranks up there with "how do I stop another protest from happening?" in the important questions of life that Steve Kean has to answer swiftly and more crucially correctly.

It's probably all in the tactics and it will probably result in a narrower formation when the form sides roll in to town with a swagger in their step.

Penalised for being a Rover in Fab-land

2011-09-06T23:22:00.001+01:00

There are times when you read an article and just think to yourself "wow this sounds like a massive dish of sour grapes with a side dollop of bitterness".

To many this little blog post will seem like that to many but if you walked in our neck of the woods and drank from the same cup as a Rover you would perhaps have a better handle on what I am saying.

Under former England national team bosses such as Sven Goran Eriksson the national team was always a closed shop, he had his favourite players and he stuck to them through thick and thin. The Beckhams, Gerrards and Lampards were his go to guys and it was no coincidence that they were players from the "big", fashionable clubs.

Basically if you didn't play for one of the Sky four or a Spurs, an Aston Villa or an Everton you were often left without a hope in hell of getting an international call up for the English national side.

Under the current guidance of Fabio Capello that closed shop has at least been left with the door slightly ajar - players such as Gary Cahill, Bobby Zamora and even captain lazy himself Jay Bothroyd have made the cut in England squad selection but the enigma throughout the years of Don Fabio's reign has been the relationship he holds with our boys over at Blackburn Rovers.

In short, it seems the bespectacled one with the demon eyes doesn't seem to pay much attention to us and in light of new boy Scott Dann's recent proclamation of England ambitions I can only hope that changes.

This all came to a noticeable head with the recent inclusion in the Italian's recent England squads of Manchester United's Phil Jones. Yes, the same Phil Jones formerly on the playing staff at Ewood Park.

Now nothing wrong with young master Jones in the slightest... he's always been a cracking player since he rocked up on the scene way back in 2009. But therein lies the problem - he's always been a cracking player. As in, you know, even when he played for Rovers.

It seemed that in the 18 months he was making his mark in East Lancashire Phil could have strapped a large bomb to his chest and Capello wouldn't have even blinked an eye or called for help but just TWO games (and I must stress friendly games) since signing for the all conquering marketing machine that is the Red Devils and he's straight in the squad and earmarked as a future star.

Now, I know what your thinking. Whine, whine, moan, moan. But this isn't even an isolated incident.

Paul Robinson in the run up to the last World Cup was roughly the 1st or 2nd best goalkeeper England had. If he was showing his Rovers form whilst still playing for Spurs he'd have been between those posts like a rat up a drain pipe. But instead he was told to consider a holiday in Newquay instead of South Africa as Rob Green and David James flapped at crosses unconvincingly during the summer show piece.

Stephen Warnock was as solid and as reliable a left back as you could possibly imagine during his spell at Blackburn. He attacked with gusto and he defended stoutly but without so much more than 7 minutes in a Three Lions shirt in a kick about with Trinidad and Tobago.

And to rub salt into the wounds as soon as Warny moved to Aston Villa the England boss made the call and even stated that Warnock "had improved since his move to Birmingham".

I hope Scotty Dann has a flair gun to fire out a signal as he may need to do that to get any attention from Fabio and the England management team whilst at Rovers.

The big question is what did we do Fabio?

* I'm away for a couple of weeks as I am taking the plunge and getting married on Friday followed by a much needed holiday. I shall be back feeling refreshed and a little happier in good time. See you all soon :)

Frustrating but ultimately successful

2011-09-01T17:52:00.002+01:00

These transfer windows are not meant for the faint hearted are they?

The window system itself creates a hive of activity that is agent led and rumour heavy and - despite the obvious benefits - leaves fans pulling whatever hair they have left, out of the head that they were intended for.

For Rovers it has been the most torturous transfer window in living memory. You see, with extra money does not always come extra enjoyment and at times it seems we have been on a hiding to nothing with every player on the radar being deemed unsuitable because of ability/price/profile/length of facial hair/German club fibbing about the player not wanting to leave when it was the club blocking it.

One thing that is for sure is that if Rovers do get relegated as has been suggested heavily in the media it will not be down to the standard of the player bought in over the course of the summer.

In short - Venky's and the club have bought soundly, intelligently and sensibly if at times far too slowly.

David Goodwillie was bought in to the sounds of moans and groans but has looked an exciting young prospect in the brief time he has been on the pitch so far. Assault charge or no assault charge there is potential there.

Radosav Petrovic is a lanky, clumsy sort of a figure but for £3 million we have bought a guy who has the attributes to contribute to the cause and adjust to the Premier League in double quick time (not 6 months like Gato).

"Simon" Vukcevic may have the reputation of a spoilt child who's been told there isn't a sweet shop within a 100 mile radius but if the strops can be harnessed and the talent given room to breathe then I wouldn't bank against him being one of the bargains of the summer - not just at Ewood Park but in the entire league.

Yakubu is a fairly hefty (overweight) character but where ever he has gone he generally scores goals at a rate of 2.5 games per onion bag rip and that has to be an improvement on old J-Rob who for comparison scores once per leap year. It may be a big greasy, carbohydrate style failure of a signing but let's give it a chance before the Benni McCarthy jokes fly.

Scott Dann could be the best buy of the lot. If you don't get a little excited thinking of him and Big Chris Samba teaming up then can I suggest an extra coffee to get you going? At £6 million for a strong, tall and experienced ENGLISH centre back that is good business, especially at 24 years of age.

Jordan Slew has some raw potential that is too early to call and Bruno Ribeiro I shall grant you will probably turn out to be the right hand sided Bruno Berner but on the whole that is a shopping list that my missus would even approve of (hi babe).

The cold hard facts remain that we haven't spent as much as Venky's promised we would (about £3 million short after agent and signing on fees), the time taken to complete medicals and sort out terms has been excruciatingly slow throughout and the obvious managerial problem does still exist.

But in isolation we have been one of the smartest buyers in the whole English transfer market.

As I said at the start of this little ramble, if we go down... it won't be because we didn't down to our transfer dealings.

It could only happen to us couldn't it?

2011-08-29T10:49:00.000+01:00

And there I was thinking that I was just paranoid? I often sit there and think, I am sure these afternoons of misfortune, frustration and wastefulness happens to everybody. I am no different from supporters of other clubs.

But Saturday showed me that Blackburn Rovers sure seem to endure them more than any other club I can think of.

Two penalty misses, two smacks of the woodwork, multiple excellent blocks, saves and scuffs of the turf is not a standard afternoon's work in anyone's book especially in a game where a draw would have been harsh. To then be handed defeat in the cruellest circumstances imaginable was just the icing on a very hard to swallow cake.

The comfort for under fire manager Steve Kean is that this was a hugely improved display from that offered in the opening two games... the team was motivated, they looked game for a battle and apart from a very even first twenty five minutes our boys were the vastly superior team from there on in.

There's no coincidence that Chris Samba being back in the team led to a much better defensive effort. He was a beast at the back and we looked as safe as houses until Everton spoiled the party with a penalty lesson at the death.

Everton were poor and Rovers were the better side to the point where EVEN Match of the Day and Sky Sports couldn't ignore it. But when you don't take your chances you get punished like a Victorian school child with their pants down.

The Rovers were organised and well drilled by the Scottish dynamo in the dugout, so you'd think despite defeat that a little respite awaits this week for old egg head then surely?

Well, no.

Scottish Steve is still the master of his downfall and in the main this week it was down to a quite baffling starting X1 selection that included human argument distribution centre Jason Roberts and throw in but not a lot else specialist Morten Gamst Pedersen. Meanwhile midweek goalscorers Ruben Rochina and David Goodwillie sat with a brew and scones on the bench.

Confused? You're not the only one.

The selection lacked common sense and it was highlighted by the blatant observation that we improved tremendously when Pedersen was withdrawn though injury and Roberts was hauled off through just being a bit crap.

The old guard is not the way forward and if Steve Kean doesn't realise that then the writing really will be on the wall of an office in Pune, India very soon.

Oh, and we still lost. Even if we didn't deserve to in the slightest we still did, the facts speak louder than any post match press conference. When you check the results page on any website it will say defeat... not heroic defeat but just defeat.

It became clear on Saturday that there's enough talent in this squad to get us out of trouble. In Rochina, Formica, Cracking Shaft, Olsson, Samba and Hoilett we have the talent to do a lot better than our current standing suggests but still huge question marks over the man pulling all the strings.

Rovers have three days left to bring in fresh blood and the pressure is on more than it ever has been before, can we finally get it right at the death in the transfer market? Let's hope so because we need to have something to smile about.

Oh and in the three layers of roasting hell... practice penalties in training.

Saluting a terrific servant

2011-08-25T11:06:00.001+01:00

In the modern world of football it is often said that footballers are a rule only unto themselves. Their number one purpose in the game is to please themselves and they don't care who they take down as long as they get what they want.

The badge on the team shirt means nothing to them it's all about the name on the back of it. They want money, they want trophies and they'll give up ideals such as respect and loyalty.

All of these things are often said for one reason... because they're true.

A footballer who sticks by a club and becomes part of their identity is hard to come by in the 21st Century, but Blackburn Rovers have one of them and it's only fair that he is given the send off he deserves.

You may well have guessed by now that I am referring to the soon to be departed Brett Emerton.

"Emo" has been at Ewood Park since 2003 and has spent 8 years at the club, he is a footballer who has managed to blend into the spirit and the ethic of the club in this time whilst in turn becoming a club man. A man who plays for the club before he plays for himself.

We're not talking about a guy who is the best or even a guy who has surpassed his potential, we're talking about a man with an attitude that puts others to shame and who never moaned, kicked and screamed like the little cry babies who inhabit the league in it's current state.

Let's not kid ourselves, Brett has frustrated us all over the years as he has never really reached his true potential. None of this is made any clearer than with the widely accepted opinion that his best game for Rovers was also his FIRST game for Rovers - Brett looked like a world beater in that 5-1 victory over Wolves.

But over time it became clear he wasn't to be the magic spark that helped us romp forward. Instead he moulded himself into the hard working, energetic powerhouse that Rovers fans now recognise as an integral part of the club as a whole, not just the team.

And how do we replace him? We're looking at a guy who can play anywhere on the field of play bar in goal and he would put in a 7/10 display!

Furthermore his attitude and personality meant he put the needs of the club at the top of the list. He first asked if he could move back to the Australian A-League last summer and he was told he was needed at Rovers. Did he throw his toys out of his pricey baby carrier? Did he buggery. He just got on with it in a style and manner that he always has done.

In a way it feels like his stay at the club has come to an end too quickly, many feel he could have stayed another two seasons to reach his testimonial but ultimately he just wants to return home to Australia. Can you blame him?

It's nothing to do with Venky's or Steve Kean... he just wants to go home.

We'll miss you Brett, you were never the best but you have always been 100% Rover and your years of service have certainly not gone unnoticed. I can only wish that there was more like you.

Not taking this seriously? Don't you dare

2011-08-24T11:01:00.000+01:00

After switching on Sky Sports News this morning one theme seems to be running through the first round of Carling Cup fixtures played last night - some of the Premier League sides aren't taking this thing seriously!

All the sides promoted to the Premier League last season took one little look at this year's knock out tournament and basically said "Not a chance mate, we've bigger fish to fry here". If I was a cynical man I'd say they threw their games, if I was looking to avoid legal action I'd say they weren't that bothered.

One side that should not be taking this approach is our very own Blackburn Rovers.

Pointless in the league and in need of a major boost, Rovers should view tonight's second round match with Sheffield Wednesday as something of a reprieve with an opportunity to restore such much needed confidence to the players and more importantly, to register a win for us suffering souls.

Any idea to take the more standardised approach of playing the youngsters and the reserves in order to save those precious footballers legs should be abandoned. That means putting out the likes of Formica, Hoilett, Olsson, Givet, Rochina and N'Zonzi when ideally you'd like to see the likes of Lowe, Henley and Bunn.

Surely (and we can only hope) one man who understands that more than anybody is our under fire, shiny headed leader Steve Kean. Yes, winning against League One Wednesday may be small fry and won't provide any solutions to the stains on the grander portrait of Blackburn Rovers life but the small boost of a win has got to be significantly better than the further pressure an upset exit would bring.

In short, tonight is a golden opportunity to restore some good will and to try and build some momentum.

If you don't like life now Mr Kean, I don't think you'll like it much more if we suffer a shock knockout tonight.

The only one suffering more than you would be yours truly, for who tonight's game takes on a bit of extra significance - I live 10 minutes walk from Hillsborough and the abuse from my Wednesday supporting friends and best man could be unbearable!

Sorry Steve. We're not buying it

2011-08-22T10:03:00.001+01:00

Two games in and two defeats. Not what we asked for and to a certain extent not what was expected.

You can often forgive a bad start if say for instance you are West Brom, playing two difficult opening games and showing real heart and passion in the process of succumbing to a brace of reverses.

But with Rovers it has been a different story. It's not as if we have been as terrible as some have liked to portray but we have certainly been way short of the level of performance needed to achieve this mystical "top ten" finish that Steve Kean has aimed for.

Speaking of Kean, the most worrying thing of all (ahead of any injury crisis' and lack of transfer activity) is that our Scottish leader took one look at the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa and proclaimed that "he was pleased with the performance and not the result".

The question has to be asked... "What match were you watching Steven?".

For 20 minutes in the second half I saw a very composed, forceful and exciting Rovers for sure, but apart from that I saw a team lost for ideas and nervously defending as if they had just been introduced to each other 25 minutes prior to kick off.

Of course, we kept possession well at times and dare I say we actually looked pretty good going forward when we put our mind to it with David Goodwillie showing sparks of real quality but it was fleeting more than it was consistent.

Where Villa stood strong and repelled our attacks, Rovers on the other hand gave the home side all the encouragement they needed by opening up like a tin being savaged by 6 or 7 tin openers.

At a time when we need a bit of leadership it is ironic that the worst performer of all was the ultra-experienced Michel Salgado. That's two games and two goals given away by the leaden footed Rovers right back. He's a trier but his lack of pace at his age is crippling to us.

Even young Grant Hanley, as competent as he stands sometimes, looks like a nervous wreck who is just not ready for this sort of pressure. Nelsen wasn't fit, Olsson was lively but sloppy.

It was if Steve Kean had sent us on the pitch without any instruction of how to play and the liveliness of the excellent David Dunn and the quick footed Hoilett didn't hide that. The amount of times Morten Gamst Pedersen gave the ball away in the first half was just startling.

It was like watching an extended episode of Chucklevision except it wasn't funny... and the joke was on us.

The cold hard, facts remain that we have ZERO points on the board. It's not good enough and as much eulogising as Venky's and Kean like to do the talk just doesn't wash any more.

We need new players, we need a focal point and we need to stop all this talking and ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING.

The balls in your court chaps... This is one of the most important weeks in Blackburn Rovers' recent history.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't

2011-08-18T10:09:00.001+01:00

It's quickly turned into one of the taboo words of the English language - Venky's.

A year ago the name and the term meant absolutely nothing to anyone outside of India or selected business circles. Right now it stands for confusion, outrageous promises, plenty of talk and limited action.

They've been a difficult group of owners to get along with since taking over at Blackburn Rovers back in November, I mean they seem like nice enough people but at times they have led us a merry dance with club happy PR but not enough transfer activity to back up their moralistic preachings.

At the start of the summer they had one major goal to keep the fans onside and that was to bring quality players and plenty of them to the club. They said they had the money, I'd even go as far to say that they DO have the money, but a lack of transfer market nous has led to one of the frustrating summers I can remember.

It's not helped that the transfer market is at something of a stand off and the footballing world (unless you're in the "elite") in general is feeling the pinch.

But for the battering they have taken from all angles, one thing has become apparent most noticeably from our recent failed bid for Spanish legend Raul... they can't win.

No matter what they do Venky's and to a lesser extent Steve Kean can't do any good in the eyes of those who've already made their mind up about them.

Rovers could bring in Luka Modric and Carlos Tevez on emergency loans and we'd still stand there and pick holes in it.

The club is linked with a move for Andy Wilkinson of Stoke, a Rovers fan moves in and comments that "he's hardly a player to excite the fans, come on Venky's this won't get bums in seats".

The club is rumoured to be moving for Craig Bellamy, the former Rover is apparently "too old now he is the wrong side of 30, why buy him Rao's?".

And of course, Rovers make a move for Raul and of course the general reaction is "Why waste your time you useless Indian Chicken Farmers? He'd never come here!".

So the question is - who is out there to buy that is acceptable? Those players that have proven Premier League records, are in their mid 20's and possess the right quality cost big £££. More than we could possibly afford.

There is no doubt in my mind that the owners have their faults - lord above there is no hiding from their fact but I get the feeling that a transfer window that has left us all close to tears of anguish at times has led some sections of the Rovers support to just lay all the blame at the Venky's door.

Let's keep our minds in check and our own egos at the door. It's not all their fault as much as we want it to be sometimes.

Gutted for sure but there is no need for panic (yet)

2011-08-14T20:10:00.001+01:00

Ah yes. I remember that feeling of crushing disappointment and deflation well.

It took a while to work it's way back into the system but as sure as grass is green and chavs will riot it entered into the blood stream, in full, in time for 5 pm Saturday afternoon.

Let's face facts, Rovers were not at the races as soon as Steven Fletcher's out jumped rampaging hobbit Michel Salgado to equalise so soon after we took the lead. From there on in we looked lost and our sole tactic was to retrieve the ball aggressively and lump it forward in the hope that Jason Roberts might flick/chest/barge it on to a more talented member of the Rovers team.

Wolves were worthy of their win, even if we did help them out by allowing them the freedom of East Lancashire, Greater Manchester and a few as yet undiscovered Moroccan colonies off the coast of Tanzania every time a Golden shirt entered our half.

After building up such a buzz that Rovers may be on to better things with a more cavalier line up it was a crash back down to earth when defeat was confirmed that left most feeling a shade gutted.

Having said all this, was it that easy to judge us with so many out injured?

Sure, we can blame Kean for not replacing Phil Jones properly in the summer transfer market but try taking THREE first choice centre backs out of any side and they'll struggle... No Samba, No Nelsen, No Hairy Monster.

Steve N'Zonzi has never been a centre back and he looked as helpless as a kipper that flops up on the deck of a boat from kick off to full time whistle. To even and try and pull off the charade he needed an experienced head next to him and as much of a trier as Grant Hanley is, he's not the man to do it.

But through all the sarcasm and proclamations of doom comes a bright light of hope... and it comes in the form of a silky Argentine with that touch of flair we have sadly lacked since the retirement of the masterful Tugay.

In short, Mauro Formica will become a fans favourite in no time. His movement is seamless, his touch is terrific and he runs his backside off to boot. He was the best player in a Rovers shirt by far and his goal was a splendid finish that no Premier League keeper would have kept out.

There may even be cause for some excitement (yes, remember that) when we do get some actual centre backs, er, back on the pitch. We could combine them with a base of Petrovic and lanky Zonz in central midfield and an attacking outlet of Martin Olsson, Junior Hoilett, Ruben Rochina, Gato himself and even David Goodwillie. It gives reason for real optimism.

Dare I say the defeat might even come as a blessing in disguise - if Venky's and Kean were paying attention to the defeat it shows that we need more. More numbers and more quality.

If having Nick Blackman as an emergency left winger doesn't show the men in charge that the squad is a bit thin then there is no hope for us.

With Samba and Givet expected back next week we have an ideal chance to get back on track. What many of the panic mongers don't realise is that we have a good starting XI on paper, it's the squad that's lacking.

Address it and we could still have a promising season...The choice is yours Rao family and if you care as much as you claim to then you'll stop talking and starting producing the cash. It really is that simple.

It's not an ideal start but the overreaction of some is quite comical, let's stick together on this one. We're one game into a thirty eight game league season.

Let's keep the faith.

Admit it, you've missed this!

2011-08-12T20:47:00.002+01:00

It's been three long months now since we last saw some proper footballing action, but tomorrow afternoon that all gets rectified as Rovers head back into Premier League action.

That we head into a new season by playing the same team as we ended the old season battling against is merely a coincidence and if anything it does add a little bit of spice to proceedings as Wolves will be out for a revenge.

We've been starved of full blooded combat, we've got new owners, new money and (just about) fancy new team kits.

It's enough to get even the most miserable little solider off his back side excited with anticipation you'd think?... Well no, actually.

I have read over the last few weeks that some fellow Roverites are not quite feeling the new season - a combination of only three new signings, the loss of six players out of the Blackburn squad in return and a frustrating, rumour driven, media bullshit heavy summer spent in the transfer market hardly seems like a positive equation to use heading into a brand new campaign.

We've still got everyone's favourite Scottish Steve in charge, we still don't have a proper goalscorer in the Darren Bent mould and all the major media outlets have Rovers down as serious contenders for the dreaded drop.

So why get excited when all you've got is a barrage of abuse, negativity and Ray Wilkins/Mark Lawrenson giving a verbal blow job to whoever Rovers are facing that day to look forward to?

Well, there are several things that the all conquering media have missed about the boys in blue and white which I believe could lead Rovers to doing much better than many predict in the 2011/12 EPL season...

- We may have lost Phil Jones to the London/Malaysian Reds which is a definite blow, but of the other players we have lost who is going to be a big miss?

Jermaine Jones was certainly a big figure in the second half of last season but with Radosav Petrovic filling that void we shouldn't find too big a chasm in that spot. Benjani, Mame Biram Diouf, Niko Kalinic and even Keith Andrews can all be fairly useful on their day but all of these figures garnered more groans than cheers during their time at the club so how there can be that big a drama now that they've gone is anyone's guess!

Oh and don't even get me started on Croque who was just embarrassing last term.

- The new players bought in so far all have bargain written all over them. Nothing to make you go moist so far but David Goodwillie (still a great name), the aforementioned Serbian Petrovic and even feisty Bruno Ribeiro all look good bang for the bucks. We'll need more reinforcements for sure but that doesn't cloud the fact that all of these can have a positive influence.

- Ruben Rochina and Mauro Formica both look ready for big seasons, they don't count as new players due to their January purchase date but they can certainly play as such given their limited impact last time out. Both the Argentine and the Spaniard have flair that we otherwise don't have, they will surprise a lot of the Sky Sports crew who laud players of a more hyped nature.

Kean himself said when they were bought in that he expected both to make an impact "next season". Well tomorrow is the start of "next season".

- So in short, we've lost more players than we've gained but we've bought in a trio of potentially shrewd buys to replace one young star, one useful midfielder, three non-scoring strikers and a midfielder everybody wanted shot of anyway.

- There are more players on their way into Ewood Park as well, of that we can be sure.

- The bigger priced, higher impact signings are still to come.

- Junior Hoilett. No elaboration needed, watch the boy fly this season.

I am not saying it's going to be a bed of roses this season by any means. It'll have it's ups and downs, it's twists and it's turns... but it'll be the same as any season following Blackburn Rovers - we'll have our hearts ripped out once or twice along the way and we'll be so happy at times that a 27 year old man will nearly be in tears like a little baby.

Bring it on I say, it will be a hell of a ride.

Not excited? Give over.

Where did everybody's sense of humour go?

2011-08-02T21:32:00.003+01:00

I must admit that if you had told me six months ago that I would be entering a blog about a Blackburn Rovers/Venky's TV advertisement that caused an internet sensation I would have suggested you seek professional help. Either that or for you to go and join Lindsay Lohan/Whitney Houston in whichever rehabilitation clinic they may be presiding in at present.

Ever since Thursday when the "Rovers players eat chicken in warm up" video hit You Tube, Sky Sports News and Twitter I have read blog after blog after article after moan that the whole shenanigan was degrading for the club and it shows how much of a joke the Venky's/Blackburn dynamic is.

What a load of nonsense.

Whilst I agree that we hardly witnessed a recreation of American Beauty what I saw was a very cheesy advert, made in good humour that showed a bit of team spirit. And it was pretty funny in a so bad it's good sort of a way.

Jason Roberts is hardly Kevin Spacey and Michel Salgado is hardly Tom Cruise, but for crying out loud - it's a 30 second advertisement for chicken. The players are no mugs - Venky's wanted to use their ownership of a famous sports team to sell their other stock and promote our boys in India.

They all took part willingly, with good intentions and I don't think anyone was surprised to see Dunny with twice as much chicken as anybody else.

The media in general were always going to have a field day with the clip... all the tabloids jumped on the "Venky's are crazy and have don't know anything about football" bandwagon a long time ago, heck they've spent half the summer making random rumours up about overdrafts and player mutinies to make the Rao's look a lot worse than they actually are.

Was it a good advert? Not really. Does it improve Venky's image in the UK after watching it? Far from it. But saying it was degrading and going against what the club stands for is as off the target as a Mame Biram Diouf half volley in my opinion. The advert was a bit of light hearted fun that hurt nobody.

If you watched that and didn't chuckle to yourself a little bit then it's time to restock the laughing barrel.

So he is still alive then...

2011-07-28T13:53:00.000+01:00

I can't be the only one who got that little butterfly of a feeling in his stomach yesterday morning. Not because of nerves as it was only pre-season and in a weeks time the result will mean about as much as the entire cast of Geordie Shore will this time next year.

But because it's football and there is no substitute for watching the Rovers on a weekly basis, call me a sad simpleton but it's a way of life!

And the Rovers side are exactly how we left them despite a few months off to charge their proverbial batteries and for Vince Grella to heal - they're just as frustrating to watch and Jason Roberts is still ploughing a lonely furrow up front.

But two aspects of the Rovers performance in the competitive 1-0 defeat to mandatory cup opponents Aston Villa gave reason for optimism and cheer -

1) There was some really crisp passing on display from our boys in blue and white. As in proper, on the deck stuff with dovetailed movement and barely a hoof towards a stranded target man in sight.

2) Mauro Formica is one silky player.

Now, we at Rovers could be forgiven for thinking the Argentine was actually purchased in January and then kidnapped from February onwards without a ransom being paid for his return - he did nothing at all to make an impact in the latter half of last season as Steve Kean, master of positive spin, labelled him "one for the future".

I am calling it prematurely I am sure but it looks like our follically challenged leader was right... he has a touch and eye for the creative that we haven't seen since Tugay retired. He certainly has a long, long way to go to emulate what the legendary Turk has done for Rovers but yesterday was his first chance to shine in a game against quality opposition and he managed to stand out a dream.

Slick passing, good spacial awareness and despite a slim frame the ability to withstand the rough stuff means the genuine John Bishop look-a-like was the stand out player wearing a Venky's logo on the front of his shirt in Hong Kong.

The only thing that seemed to be missing was the lack of anyone taking full advantage of this unexpected class being provided. Someone to run onto a ball, someone to read the man known as Gato's thoughts... if only there was a solution (cough Venky's cheque book cough).

A 1-0 reverse is not the end of the world in a meaningless kick about and I am sure Kean and his impressive entourage should have noticed the complete lack of organisation in the defensive half of the pitch, the fact Morten Gamst Pedersen shoots from EVERY BLEEDING CORNER and that Gael Givet looked off the pace but I am a man that likes my positives.

And the big positive to come out of yesterday was the emergence of Gato. If he can keep that up then £3 million will seem like something a snip.

A Communication Shambles From Start To Finish

2011-07-23T20:42:00.003+01:00

What a few months ago started as a joke is now rapidly becoming a serious problem.

Seeing such a proud club as Blackburn Rovers surrounded by uncertainty is not only uncharacteristic for an entity which used to pride itself on being well run but it's also worrying - and it's all down to a complete lack of clear communication.

I don't buy into the Daily Mirror and Mail's seemingly dual effort to belittle Rovers at every available opportunity... they both take a little bump in the ground and turn it into Ben Nevis's bigger brother, but what BADLY needs addressing is the complete lack of PR and communication know how from within high level positions at Blackburn Rovers.

What's missing is a figurehead. Someone who is just going to turn up one day and say "Wow, has a hurricane been through this place? What a mess?!". Someone who is going to be that strong voice and reliable source of steady information that fans can believe in.

Because at the moment all I can see is a lot of promise (and believe me Kean and Venky's do mean well) but a ton and a half of wasted energy.

Take our recent transfer attempts for example... I imagine things go a little bit like this -

We identify Target A. Kean asks Venky's if he can approach the club about the player. Venky's consult agents about what is the best approach to take and if Target A would consider coming. Venky's come back to the manager and tell him that Target B may be better. Meanwhile, Kean appears on Sky Sports proclaiming that "he'd like to sign Target A, he's what we're after". Steve then approaches for Target B and finds out the transfer fee is too high to pursue. Kean reports back to the owners. The owners come back to Kean with a Skype video message informing him they have 2 more players they would prefer - Kean duly enquires about Targets C and D. Both are off limits due to high wage demands. Venky's then tell the boss that he can now ask about Target A if he wants as they have changed their mind. Kean bids for Target A which is accepted. Kean tells the Rao's that we can negotiate wages with Target A's agents. Arunadha and Balaji make themselves a cup of tea before trying to trim £5,000 off the asking price.

Totally overblown and absurd I know but it just embodies the complete lack of organisation and the noises that are taking over the club this summer.

Two weeks ago we were on the verge of signing Cedric Mongongu and now we haven't heard anything for at least 7 days. Rovers could have been welcoming Pablo Piatti to the club earlier in the summer if senior figures at the club had stepped in with precise timing, but like one of Jermaine Jones's slide tackles it was about three weeks too late and the chance was lost.

At the time we were probably trying to negotiate for a shirt sponsor which we still don't have and we're less than a month away from the season beginning!

Don't get me wrong, I am still behind the cause and a couple of quality signings will steer this bad boy of a ship right back around, away from the iceberg and on to the correct course again - but if you haven't been a little bit frustrated at some point this summer then you must have the tolerance levels of Stacey Giggs.

To sum it all up, check out this quote from Rovers manager not less than 3 hours ago - 'It was a bit of a breakdown in communications, but I've spoken to him now and hopefully we'll have a new offer we can go forward with.'

The sooner this gets sorted the better as it is driving a wedge between club and fans.

Are we that bad as we are?

2011-07-18T17:34:00.003+01:00

Man, the last 24 hours have been nothing but doom and gloom hasn't it?

With tales of Venky's (alleged) financial mismanagement, the continuing failure to sign anybody who wasn't a bosman signing from the 2010/11 season and vicious rumours doing the rounds like a paper boy on a mission we have been short of cheer and laughs over in East Lancashire as of late.

We're only the news that we've re-signed Paul Dickov on a five year deal away from placing half the Lancashire Telegraph readers on suicide watch.

But on bad days you're imagination runs away with you and it got me asking myself - What would happen if we didn't sign anyone? Would it be the end of the world?

Luckily with the addition of the two young lads in January we actually have quite the dynamic little side on our hands, especially if Chris Samba can be retained by hook or by crook.

Setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that folds into a 4-3-3 in attack, we could pick players to suit the side. Robinson would inevitably be in goal, with a back four of the King of Spain Salgado, Chris Samba, Ryan Nelsen and Gael Givet providing experience across the back. In the holding spots in midfield we could have Steve "The Zonz" N'Zonzi sitting with Brett Emerton fluttering around him and providing a base for us to build attacks.

Further forward is where it looks exciting with Junior Hoilett (fresh contract in hand) operating out on the right wing and his young partner in crime Martin Olsson operating out on the left giving us genuine pace. Our outlet up front would probably be Jason Roberts, or Niko Kalinic heaven forbid Steve, giving a platform for the young Rochina or Formica to tuck in as a second striker/fifth midfield man.

That's a lot of industry in behind our big target man and harnessed correctly, we could be quite the threat if the current players are used correctly.

Of course this doesn't even include names such as Morten Gamst Pedersen, David Dunn, Amine Linganzi, Grant Hanley and Jason Lowe - all of whom should get more of a shot next season to give us options.

Now I am not suggesting for a second that leaving things as they are and not bringing new players to the club is in any way acceptable. It would top any daft criticism levelled at Venky's by quite a distance not to strengthen and I am still sure we will improve by the time August rings around... even if the Daily Mirror are suggesting we are close to joining Pompey and Sheffield Wednesday in the financial doghouse and Armageddon is one Venky's super statement away.

But the good news is that we do indeed have the base of a very good side already and with the right additions we could do better than some would think.

Bit of positive thinking? Why not? It seems to be a lost art nowadays.

As the boy band 'Take That' once said...

2011-07-13T16:12:00.003+01:00

Have a little patience.

With news filtering through that Rovers are on the cusp of finally signing a couple of new faces, you would have thought that the air of frustration and tension that surrounded Ewood Park at the lack of signings would be lifting?

Apparently not!

With the rather old sounding Hugo Pavone in talks to make a free transfer switch from Real Betis and the absolutely magnificently named Cedric Mongongu also set to switch from Monaco for somewhere in the region of £2.5 million we have at last, it seems, dipped our toes into the transfer market and both of these to yours truly look like smart signings.

Granted, I couldn't tell you a blind bit about either save for the odd You Tube video and Wikipedia visit, but with their reputations and pedigree we cannot argue with the value for money on offer on the face of it.

But the more cynical Rover has changed their Venky's and Kean bashing radar to a slightly different setting.

In short - it's not "Where are the signings?" it's now "Where is all the money we were promised?"...

To answer that question from my very humble and laid back seat in Sheffield - it's still in the bank where it belongs until the best opportunity to spend it comes along!

What's wrong with making a few shrewd, value signings before splashing the cash on something a little bit grander? Just because we have money now doesn't mean we have to go out slapping our wad all over the joint spending exorbitant amounts on big names just because we can. Especially in the crazy transfer market of 2011.

I think we all agree we have missed out on some very good names due to the lack of organisation at the club this summer but time is still our friend despite this short fall in Venky's planning. We've been made some very big promises by our Indian owners and if they fail then they'll be held accountable and rightly so.

But Rovers still have just under two months left in the transfer window to make their moves and the fact we have only spent (providing these two guys do come in) 15% of what we have have bought in is not the national emergency some are making out.

I could well be wrong but shouldn't judgement be passed on transfers when all is said and done and the window slams shut? Venky's may well be selling us down the river and using the Phil Jones cash for their own gain and not the clubs. I don't know, I don't think anyone does who isn't based in Pune.

If Rovers are still in the position we are in now, where money spent is far outweighed by money gained, when September rolls around then fine - we can all jump in and protest, scream, shout and kick all we want... heck I'll join in!

But until then, let keep our cool and hold our patience.

Parting with a shirt tradition

2011-07-11T08:41:00.000+01:00

After catching our first glimpse of the new home shirt for next season yesterday the early sings look promising.

It looks pretty smart in a retro sort of a way (think back to the Perspex shirt) and the re-introduction of the red trim round the outside always looks much better than just straight up blue/white as we have been wearing for the last couple of seasons.

But on closer inspection one thing does appear to have changed slightly and whilst to the untrained casual observer it would barely register on the radar for the fans of Rovers it means parting with roughly 130 years of tradition.

For as long as even the lady who threw that big necklace off the titanic can remember, Rovers have always had blue and white on the front of the shirt and white and blue on the back... in short, it's always been quarters.

But this new design means a change to proper halves.

Now to me whilst the shirts look very easy on the eye and fundamentally the best shirt design we've had for quite some time (this is of course until some great big, giant sponsor lands on the front and buggers the whole thing up) it is difficult not to see the change as a symbol.

In the last year we have had a change of ownership at the club - the first time we've been guided by an entity not from the British Isles. That means a new way of thinking and a moving on from some traditions that many longer term Rovers fans hold close to the heart.

I've seen many comments since yesterday of how this shirt is another kick in the testicles of the traditionalists who love Rovers the way they remember them.

But let's not forget that the standard colours of Blue and White remain intact and as long as they are present (and the sh*t will really hit the fan if they go) then the lifeblood of the club remains intact.

Times are a changing and some people don't like change, pure and simple. They'll use this new strip as another stick to beat you know who with.

But the big question as the shirt becomes more prominent is this - Will the new home shirt become a symbol of that change of guard and a move into a new era?

Where is the focal point?

2011-07-07T09:30:00.000+01:00

It's safe to say with over a month gone since the end of the season that things have hardly got off to a whirlwind start in the transfer market for our beloved Rovers.

With only 6 days officially gone of the transfer window that might be construed as something of a harsh statement and a gross overreaction but with Venky's, Steve Kean and of course, the now infamous Jerome Anderson having had plenty of time to plan for the long hard summer ahead are is it that tall an order to expect them to have made a bit of progress?

The noises coming out of the club (other than that ridiculous "Venky's want out" rumour that reared it's ugly head yesterday) are that we had a list of players that we were keen to sign, call that Plan A and a list of back up players that we could turn to if Plan A failed. That was Plan B and also a list of other up and coming players we are happy to buy as luxury players as something of a Plan C.

It all sounds very workable and sound in practice but somehow over the last few weeks it has become a muddled mess of linked players, failed approaches and a confusion over who is in charge? In short Rovers have a fair bit of cash for the first time since the dinosaurs freely roamed the earth but a distinct lack of organisation is starting to cost us dear.

We need a focal point, a strong man to organise the mess that knows what he is doing. So where he is?

Well, settling into his new role at Manchester City as it happens.

It is all fair enough and hunky dory to suggest that there is still two months of the transfer window left and that time is our friend but it has been proven over the years it is beneficial to get the bulk of your summer business done early.

A lot of our rivals are off and running with their summer buys and if we don;t follow suit there is a decent chance we could get left behind.

Shop smart, shop efficiently and give the team time to gel. Despite all the accusations levied at Kean and the Rao's, Rovers do still have a good base of players on which to build. We have a core of youth players like Martin Olsson and Junior Hoilett that are going to excite and a healthy batch of seasoned pro's like Michel Salgado and Ryan Nelsen that know the ropes like the back of their hand.

What we really need in this incredibly important summer of transition is someone to take the bull by the horns and steer our ship properly. Do we have someone capable?

Who knows, but that's what is missing.

There are a lot worse players than Robbie Keane

2011-06-29T10:06:00.001+01:00

First off, apologies for those of you that use News Now, I have been informed by the lovely Matt Holden on Twitter that apparently my feed to their site went crazy yesterday and all the old posts came up as new links. Heaven knows why, maybe they like me over there? Or maybe it was broke. Who knows?

Anyways... the most exciting bit of proper gossip over the last few days has been the reasonably strong link that Rovers have with the transfer of Robbie Keane. Spurs are wanting shot of him as he is surplus to requirements, our beloved Blackburn need some goals from a forward and plenty of him and the player himself blatantly needs a new challenge after flopping quicker than Cristiano Ronaldo at a electric shock convention.

So it all adds up right? Well potentially yes but there are two major obstacles to overcome before we start rolling out the Republic welcome mat -

1) Rovers want to pay less than Harry Redknapp and his merry band of Spurs followers would like to accept. Steve Kean and the gang want to pay around £3 million and in an ideal world the North Londoners want twice that.

Spurs won't get that of course, £6 million for a man the wrong side of 30 and someone "they are desperate to get rid of" is a preposterous suggestion. But then you can't blame them for driving a hard bargain, that's their right at the end of the day.

I'd have said when all is said and done a figure around the £4 million mark is about fair.

2) Does the player himself actually want to come? Barring a brief spell freezing his mid region off in Scotland The Republic of Ireland's top scorer of all time has spent the best part of six years over in London. We could count his previous failed spell in the North West as well but I am sure Robbie would rather we forget that.

Furthermore, Kean will have to get Keane to drop his wage demands a little.

The thing that surprises me however is that from a Rovers fans point of view a lot of the talk regarding the deal has been of a negative slant. Most don't seem to want Keane as they feel he is past it.

Why?

Robbie himself is hardly ready for the zimmer frame and throughout his career has shown that if he is given a bit of TLC and an ego rub then he can still go. He may have endured a staggeringly bad stint at West Ham since January but then apart from Scott Parker and Demba Ba who hasn't been staggeringly bad at West Ham?

Rovers as a team need some strikers that will pick up goals on a regular basis, none of the "hitmen" we have at present are a sure fire goal supplier and judging by the rumours/information coming out of Ewood Park the plan is to bring the former Inter Milan, Coventry and Leeds man in to supplement the "big" striker signing.

We as fans can pick holes in any deal the club may make - he's too expensive, he's not young enough, he hasn't got Premier League experience or I don't rate him.

You could levy at least one of those at the man in question but the short facts are these - he has a proven track record of scoring goals in the league we are in and we could do an awful lot worse.

One glaring miss against Rovers back in April won't change that. He'd be a good addition if we do welcome him aboard.

Enough of the talk - Let's see some action

2011-06-23T09:55:00.001+01:00

First off, welcome back. I have been in Orlando for a week so apologies if you have missed the updates. If you haven't then get ready to crawl back under that rock you came from because I'm back and ready to roll. Still a bit jet lagged but ready to roll.

Having been away for a week I was expecting to come back to the UK to find that we have at least added one new member to the Ewood ranks but alas this was just a pipe dream and we are still stuck with the underwhelming possibility that Benjani will be the first "new" name through the door.

But fear not, the transfers window doesn't officially open till July 1st so there is still plenty of time to see sacks of cash leave Ewood Park and for quality players to be sent back in our direction to improve the squad.

One thing that has got my goat a little bit however in the last 24 hours is this little pearl of wisdom from our very own Rovers boss Steve Kean -

"He (Phil Jones) wanted to play Champions League football now and we're not there yet. I'm sure we will be in the next three or four seasons."

So many, many things to throw at this statement, the main thing is the question.... WHY?!

If there was ever proof that actions are meant to speak louder than words then it is things like this that Steve Kean and Venky's cart out every so often.

We may well be a Champions League side by the time 2015 rolls around but what are the odds?
Certainly less than 50/50 that's for sure and with despite the improved financial situation at Rovers the top six certainly have a greater spending power than we do by a fair distance.

Now don't get me wrong, I am all up for a bit of positive thinking and there is nothing against having these ambitions privately but in the highly cynical world of football those comments are only going to end up filed alongside "We're going to sign David Beckham" in the comedy section of the Premier League library.

I am one of the Rovers fans who sits on the side of the fence that is willing to give Kean and his superiors a chance, this transfer window is a marvellous opportunity to inject some freshness into the team and with cash at our disposal we could be looking at a very exciting new campaign.

So why spoil it with comments like the quote above - it is very high risk and if it doesn't happen it will only make the Scot look stupid and give his detractors more ammunition.

Steve Kean may well be right and in a few years we could be playing on a much grander stage... but why set yourself up for a fall by over promising and under delivering?

He really doesn't help himself sometimes.

So What Now?

2011-06-14T14:30:00.001+01:00

After the completion of the Phil Jones transfer yesterday (which felt like it first started back in 1986) it has become clear that Rovers whole summer plan has changed.

Venky's and Steve Kean originally set out plans to spend smartly, slowly and sensibly and to supplement what they already have at the club with a few shrewd additions.

So that's smart, slow, sensibe, supplement and shrewd... or the 5 s's of Rovers transfers summer policy as I have literally just this second made up.

But with a huge bundle of notes heading our way in express style from Manchester the list of targets that had been drawn up in April/May is pretty useless now.

Blackburn now have the opportunity to shop at the Marks and Spencers of the transfer market as opposed to the Primark... we have roughly £25 million to rock and roll with now the young England man has packed his bags and maybe more if Chris Samba decides to swap hustle and bustle for ballet dancing down at the Emirates.

Top of the list remains a striker or two. With Ruben Rochina, Jason Roberts and Junior Hoilett all likely to be at the club come August it seems that two purchases in the forward category is the most likely occurrence. Looking at the list of (relatively goal free) strikers above I would say one large lumbering man in the form of a John Carew type figure would come in and (please I promise I'll be good) someone who can bag those all important goals in the form of a 20 goal a season man is an absolute must.

It's all about goals up front and we need a figure head very badly, this is where the £10-£15 million should be spent on one signing and it is up to Kean and his cronies to identify the man to take the bulk on his back.

Who? Well I don't know but then that it isn't my job. My job is to sit here and complain about it!

In midfield we are fairly well stacked. Steve N'Zonzi will be a big part of the 2011/12 Rovers midfield and with Jermaine Jones hopeful to join him for around £5 million then we should have a solid base in the centre of the park. With Keith "Pointer Double Face Palm Jogger" Andrews likely to hang around against the wishes of the boo boys and good old Emo and Morten able to hold their own in the central areas I don't think we'll be going too heavy on recruitment in midfield - especially with Mauro Formica likely to play a bigger part next season.

If I was being picky we could do with some more flair but with wingers Martin Olsson and the versatile Hoilett and Rochina all raring to go and full of pace we might get by without an addition there. If I was being greedy could I suggest a Charles N'Zogbia or a Sebastian Larsson as a bit of a luxury signing?

In defence it is a different matter however.

With the great white hope gone and Samba semi-likely to follow we could be on the prowl for two new centre backs, this would mean one of two new things -

A) Buying established centre backs who have a history of Premier League performances to slot in there.

Or (more likely)

B) Signing two lads from abroad who are massive, fairly cultured and we have never heard of before due to our English goldfish bowl mentality.

Either way, there is a gap to fill back there. The good news is of course that barring a huge turnaround in fortune, the clubs wishes and the players own personal stand point our goalkeeper for 38 games next time out will be Paul Robinson.

Our full backs are pretty "stalwartish" as well with Salgado defying the years and Givet defying the tax man to provide strength and composure on the flanks. With Brett and Olsson being able to swap in if either of the first choice pair get injured or P60'd then we should be laughing at full back barring an unforseen set of circumstances.

The Jones money has given us a license to perform some serious surgery and bring in players we could have only dreamt of a few weeks ago, we need to spend it wisely and the glaring areas are in attack and in central defence.

If Steve Kean defies the odds and spends it well then we could be looking at the exit of Superman as a one step back to take two steps forward scenario.

* Just a quick word of warning/good news depending on whether you like this column or not - I am away on business for a little while in areas that are deprived of internet connection but will be back and raring to go next week with more TWBR.

Dare I say that Venky's deserve some credit?

2011-06-13T10:03:00.001+01:00

OK. I admit. The Phil Jones transfers saga has got really boring now and I think we all want it to come to a head ASAP.

Judging by the latest batch of media reports it will be done today, Jones will be on his way to Old Trafford and Rovers will have a healthy stash of money heading back in our direction which will form the bulk of this summer's transfer kitty.

Rovers wanted close to £25 million for Jones as that pretty much represents his market value, Manchester United want him for his release clause figure of about £16.5 million as they say that is his clause and Rovers should deal with it.

But it hasn't been that simple. If the clause was just a standard release clause no matter how much kicking and screaming Rovers did Jones would have been a United player a long time ago and with allegations of the Red Devils tapping the former Superman up and that release clause being merely a trigger figure as opposed to a flat out sell fee it means that compromises have had to be made.

But this whole drawn out affair has perhaps shown us a good side to our new owners and I believe they should come out of this with a healthy dose of respect.

The papers have been quick to jump on the "look at Venky's, they don't know what they are doing" angle that everyone finds so popular nowadays and some of them have even been arrogant enough to report that Rovers have backed down in the whole argument as the owners just don't understand football contracts and need their advisers to explain to them like a child that they are three steps behind everyone else.

What utter tripe.

Venky's have just refused to be bullied by the footballing behemoth of Manchester United. Even if in parts they have been right or wrong they fought their corner and made sure they were getting the highest amount for one of their prized possessions.

As even the fans of United like to profess - "they do what they want" - but sadly this time they haven't and I say well played to our owners for having the guts to stand up to them and for getting the extra cash out of the Glazers overdraft.

There has even been talk of Rovers taking United to court to get the extra £4 million or so they believed they are owed, good one them I say.

Of course the final fee will be "undisclosed" (what a shambles that is) and many of the United loving media outlets will claim victory for their favourite side but I for one don't believe it.

Venky's and Rovers have scored something of a moral victory for the club and with an attitude like that it shows they aren't just the one big joke they are made out to be.

It's tough to take but life goes on

2011-06-09T17:44:00.001+01:00

It almost feels like the morning after the night before and it will take a few days to digest the news - Phil Jones, our prodigy and superstar in waiting is no longer a Blackburn Rovers player.

I can't be the only one who imagined that he would spend at least another year at the club to hone his skills before having a crack at the big time when he was good and ready. I always imagined he would move on at some point, he is too good to be loitering with intent round the lower reaches of the league, but with Rovers being the team he supported I at least expected more loyalty than he has shown.

With his early departure from Ewood Park he has forfeited his near certain right to be a legend at his home town team - Will he care in the grand scheme of things? Probably not, but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth that he was THAT KEEN to leave.

Because let's not kid ourselves here, Jones was the one that wanted out. The club offered more money to Jonesy than Manchester United put down on the table but he still upped sticks and headed for the bright lights regardless.

It shows he left for footballing reasons and not the cash, but it hurts like hell that he felt we couldn't at least try to match his ambition given the promise of new investment from the owners and promises of sunnier days in East Lancashire (not literally obviously, let's not get too carried way).

So, there'll be no more of this -

But looking past the initial pain there is an upside... The cold hard fact remains that £16.5 million remains a very handsome figure for Rovers to have at their disposal - we can buy 3 good players with that wad of dosh, 3 good players as well.

Rovers have been put into a stronger position in the transfer market than we have enjoyed for nearly a decade but it will take two massive questions to be answered in order for that position to be maximised -

1) Will Venky's reinvest the whole lot?
2) Is Steve Kean the right guy to spend it?

I have my doubts about both questions but this is the big audition for the new guys who hold the reigns at Ewood Park, if they flunk it then they'll be rightly scorned.

But if they Venky's and Kean both pass the test then it will go along way to soothing the hurt that June the 8th inflicted upon the fans of Blackburn Rovers.

What is it with Rovers and release clauses?

2011-06-07T11:14:00.001+01:00

I'll admit I am finding the news difficult to take.

News that Phil Jones is more than likely to be plying his trade somewhere other than Ewood Park is not the news to start the summer off with and it probably hurts a little more because he's a local and a Rovers fan.

If the player wants to move on and press on at the top end of the division then that is his own prerogative, I don't really think we can hold it against him and at the end of the day's it's his call. If he does go then I wish him well - Phil Jones is still a future England captain and he's a smashing defender regardless of his age and where he lays his football.

For what it is worth I think he would be better off developing at his home town club for a season or two but then maybe that is bitterness talking rather than sound advice?

One thing that does not sit well with me though is the news that Phil Jones has a £16 million release clause in his contract. It's as if we never learn!

Remember this guy?

Or this rather moody son of a gun?

Both left Rovers after having a "release clause" in their contracts which allowed them to leave for pastures new if someone bid that amount. In Duff's case it was a rather substantial £17 million but in Bellamy's it was a rather paltry (insert chicken joke here) £6 million.

Both departures left a bad taste in the mouths of Blackburn fans and the imminent departure of Jonesy will likely do similar.

It's not that £16 million is a undervaluation of a man who is yet to hit his 20's but with the potential of the stocky defender and the increase in value that comes with being English has in today's transfer market have we not missed a trick here?

Throw into the mix that Andy Carroll is worth £35 million, fellow defender Gary Cahill is allegedly worth £15 million, relegated Birmingham are asking £14 million for the reliable but hardly earth shattering Roger Johnson and you need just shy of £20 million to prize Jordan Henderson away from Sunderland then £16 million for our very own Jonesy seems to be some way shy of what we should be getting for him given his market value.

With all the "big names" queueing up to have a go at snagging Jones would it not have been wise to play them off against each other? We're talking at least 5 of the countries top sides each wanting a slice of the Jones pie and yet due to his clause we won't get the chance... we just missed out on the biggest auction to take place outside of David Dickinson's back garden.

If Phil made it clear he would look elsewhere when he re-negotiated his contract in January why did we agree to the figure being put in his new deal? He was injured in January and couldn't have shot off at the wink of an eye. In short, we agreed to pay more money to a player who wanted the chance to further his career elsewhere and tie our own hands in the process with no real bonus for ourselves as a club.

I am sure Phil Jones would have left at some point as he is THAT GOOD but the club has made a bed for us and now we have to lie in it. And it's all because of the release clause which has come back to haunt us for the third time in a decade.

Kalinic tale is just tragic

2011-06-06T20:43:00.000+01:00

If you look at Blackburn Rovers as a club there seems to be a few players kicking around who have reached the natural end to their stay at Ewood Park, El Hadji Diouf being one of the prime examples. He's done his bit, he doesn't fit into the "grand plan" at Rovers and the player himself is keen to move on to somewhere more exotic. Or London, either/or.

But another player who looks to be on his way out of Rovers faster than you can say "future of Croatian football" is striker Nikola Kalinic and I'll be honest his imminent exit is a difficult one to stomach for yours truly.

It's difficult to stomach because there appears to be no valid reason for his constant exclusion from first team affairs - he certainly has the talent needed to play in the Premier League as well as the fitness levels and build to put himself about.

So why is he being turfed out of the club without a care in the world for his well being?

Well one theory is that Steve Kean has identified an attitude problem in Mr Kalinic. In a world where Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez are prominent footballers I wouldn't say that even a slight attitude problem hinders your footballing skills.

He doesn't try in training apparently? Roque Santa Cruz didn't even try in the actual matches let alone the preparation and he seems to do OK under our Scottish leader!

There are even those at the club that feel he doesn't threaten the actual netty thing that we are supposed to hit from time to time to win games, they may have a point to a certain extent but then we have been relying on wingers and midfielders for goal all season anyway.

Furthermore it is not as if he is being held down under a glass ceiling of superb strikers with better goal/games ratios than him, in fact quite the opposite.

If you write the names down of our other strikers it reads as a who's who of journeyman forwards who would struggle to get in the starting X1's of most of the other clubs.

The sad thing is that the former Hadjuk Split front man is actually a highly underrated entity and I can actually see him rocking up to somewhere like Aston Villa, Spurs or Sunderland (who play a little more in the style of the Croatian national side than we do) and showing what he is all about.

The tale of Nikola Kalinic and Steve Kean is one of life's great mysteries, one I expect we'll never get to hear in full and I think we are worse off for losing the rather glum looking but really rather talented Niko.

Seb Larsson - Well worth a punt

2011-06-05T19:18:00.002+01:00

So we have officially had two weeks of the footballing summer and already the souped up, bullshit Premier League transfer speculation machine is threatening to blow up due to the potential moves being churned out at a rate that even Max Clifford would struggle to raise a furry eyebrow at.

Our beloved Rovers themselves have been linked very loosely to names such as Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe, Demba Ba and Shane Long. Basically any striker who can bag more goals than Mame Biram Diouf has been touted to Rovers in some way.

But one name has stood out in the midst of the Daily Star and Sun driven rumour mongering and that is the now former Birmingham and Arsenal midfielder Sebastian Larsson.

The name has stood out because he is an affordable and realistic target (he's just left Birmingham so wouldn't cost a transfer fee), he offers a genuine spark from time to time and more importantly because he can't half hit a tricky free kick.

This is an area that Rovers have struggled in recent seasons. We have always been a threat from corners due the size of Chris Samba and Steve N'Zonzi who are slightly larger than my house and even from free kicks out wide we have caused more problems than the norm for the same very reason.

But when was the last time you saw anyone wearing Blue and White Halves net a direct free kick? (Answers on a postcard by all means).

From my memory, which admittedly spans about 25 minutes, it was a long time ago.

Morten Gamst Pedersen's free kick goals dried up along with his hair gel/dye a few years back, David Dunn can be very hit and miss with his set piece delivery and Brett Emerton seems to think he is much handier from a dead ball situation than he actually is.

So what harm in signing Larsson?

Sunderland and their flat nosed, red faced preaching manager may be favourites to bag him due to past connections but it wasn't that long ago that the Swede himself was pushing for a move to Rovers only to have the switch blocked by the "Ginger Ninja" over at St Andrews.

Larsson would even add vital options on the wings with El Hadji Diouf all but packed up and ready to roll down to join Big Sam again at Upton Park.

So why not have a crack and make him an offer he can't refuse? He's one of the best Bosman signings out there for my money.

A lot like two new signings

2011-06-03T09:59:00.000+01:00

With the transfer scramble beginning to pick up pace and the rumour mill spawning more nuggets of info by the minute it will be interesting to see over the next few weeks how our own club reacts.

If we can get our summer business done nice and early (before that Asia Trophy malarkey preferably) then that would be a step in the right direction. Making the right calls, spending our cash wisely and create a buzz around Ewood Park in decisive fashion is the right tonic as far as I can see.

What has slipped under the radar though is that some of our best summer business may have taken place as far back as January.

When you sign two bright, young, overseas prospects with a decent bit of hype attached to them then you very rarely get results straight away. Young players from another country take time to bed in and adjust to life in other parts of the world (especially sunny Lancashire!) but eventually if they are good enough then the benefits can be seen.

I am of course referring to these two young stallions -

Even the best foreign talent takes time to adjust - Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo are testament to that. Looking closer to home, the super experienced and hall of famer at Real Madrid Michel Salgado took 3/4 months to truly acclimatise to life at Ewood Park.

So two young lads like Mauro Formica and Ruben Rochina were never going to hit the ground running.

Having said that, surely I can't be the only one who thinks that with a full pre-season and the that time they have spent at the club already that these two could be BIG next season?

Rochina has looked borderline amazing during his fleeting appearances for the first team whilst Formica although yet to be seen in full action and looking off the pace for the Reserves, has shown the touches of class that separate the best from the average.

Their introduction next term should be like a couple of players returning from a long term injury... they will feel like new signings. Without even buying a single player so far this summer Steve Kean could find himself having an attacking line up of Formica on the right, Olsson on the left with Junior Hoilett and Ruben Rochina up top.

That is very young, dynamic and full of potential.

You've got to look forward to move forward

2011-06-01T09:41:00.000+01:00

So it appears we are off to a slow start this summer with the majority of gossip proving to be nothing to get worked up about. No new names on the Blackburn Rovers transfer radar yet and the main talking points being about the potential sales of our two best defenders.

Yes, it's not exactly been riveting stuff so far but with the window for player exchange not even ajar yet it is perhaps too much for anything of real substance to have happened so quickly.

What did alarm yours truly the other day was picking up a paper and reading that Rovers boss Steve Kean is indeed keen to do deals for all last season's loan and free signings to bring them to the club more permanently.

That's Jermaine Jones, Roque Santa Cruz, Benjani and Mame Biram Diouf all potentially heading to Ewood for next season.

I have to ask... what's the point?

All the talk as soon as the curtain dropped on the borderline disastrous 2010/11 season was that the club is now ready to kick on. Rovers as a club were to invest soundly to bring better players to the club, to even have a crack at winning a trophy and moving up the league table to a position with a single digit.

So why bring all the familiar faces back?

Jermaine Jones I can understand as he gives us a bite in midfield that we badly need and he just got better as he went along. And to a certain extent Benjani is a decent addition as a fifth striker because at least he can score from time to time and the Zimbabwean would be happy with his lot.

But the other two are just pointless - Cruz was last a footballer back in 2008 and Mame Biram Diouf whilst capable would only be a loan signing again, shouldn't we be looking to sign someone to invest in the long term future of our first love?

If the rumours are true and we have a budget of £10 million + player sales for Kean to have a dabble with this summer then we could potentially spend all of that first part on the players that encompassed last season's efforts.

To put it another way, we would be spending more money than we have had in previous summers bringing players to the club that contributed to a 15th place league finish last time out... Nobody new just more of the same.

Hardly going to create much of a buzz is it?

Maybe it's just Steve Kean having his words twisted and we are looking further afield but signing all of last season's purchases and loan deals in preparation for a bigger push starting in August sounds like the worst plan since the gunfire plot.

Want Progress? Keep Jones and Samba

2011-05-27T10:25:00.001+01:00

Ever since the clock ticked past 6 o'clock on Sunday evening and it became clear that we were to be a Premier League side next season all the talk centred on putting the concluded season behind us and looking forward to a much more enjoyable campaign next time out.

For me that is the only way to deal with the situation we find ourselves in. We struggled last time out because we hadn't invested in pre-season and then couldn't cope with the mass change of playing style and upheaval that a takeover bought.

But this summer we have a healthy budget to use and new players can be bought in to improve what we see on the pitch on match days.

So which parts of the pitch need a little TLC? Well, for starters and to state the bleeding obvious, we are in bad need of some goals and that should be bought in the form of at least two new strikers, three if Steve Kean decides to dispense with the vastly underrated Niko Kalinic.

The central midfield is in need of a revamp. The club have already decided that they will do everything to make Jermaine Jones a proper addition to the side next year (good call) and if we can twin that with a little mini clear out of Grella and Andrews then a more creative force can be bought in to make things look a little brighter.

But whilst attack and midfield can only get better with reinforcements to make progress in defence we have only one simple goal and that is to hang onto these two, big strapping lads -

For all the talk of money being spent to improve the side the one area of the Rovers squad that shouldn't be tampered with is that of central defence. Phil Jones and Chris Samba are Rovers two most saleable assets and there is a reason behind that... they are both young, hungry and talented and if Steve Kean and the Venky's gang are serious about making this club great then they will do everything in their power to make sure these two are still at Ewood Park when the transfer window shuts at the end of the summer.

It also helps that we have the super-experienced and committed Ryan Nelsen and the up and coming Grant Hanley as back up to the star pair as well.

Samba and Jones will no doubt be subject to some, ahem attention, over the course of the summer and the club will have to stand strong to repel the brighter lights of Manchester, London and erm, Liverpool.

These boys are the future and if we want to think big, steer away from a non-parochial view point with limited scope and hit the big time again then our two commanding centre backs need to wear blue and white for a long time yet.

Is that the sound of the tide starting to turn?

2011-05-25T10:10:00.000+01:00

Clueless. Naive. Contradictory. Back stabbers. Laughing stock.

All phrases and words used to describe Venky's during their roller coaster first seven months of owning Blackburn Rovers. It hasn't been pretty or fun being a Blackburn Rovers fan under the ownership of the Indian Rao Family and some of their decision making and communication has even invited the terms used at the top of the page.

Their sacking of Sam Allardyce started the wheel of misfortune turning and their appointment of rookie boss didn't exactly helped curry favour. Neither did the removal (let's not pretend it was totally voluntary) of the league's best chairman early in 2011, saying goodbye to John Williams was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

Marry all this up with the slide down the league table with the attention seeking, bullshit storm that was the we want to sign Ronaldinho/Beckham extravaganza that had a 0.01% chance of happening and you could even start to believe the landslide of criticism that was being spouted at great pace towards Pune.

Isn't it amazing what a week can do though? Is it just me?

Survival was earned on Sunday by the players and the manager, that was the big step which is crucial to ongoing progress and yesterday more good news was made public in the form of next season's ticket prices.

One of the greatest fears of the ownership change was that the new guys might not respect the fans as much as the old combo of John Williams/The Walker's did when it came to making live football available through dynamic ticket pricing.

It was a real fear but how wrong we were - the adult, young adult and child prices are still ridiculously fair for the year 2011 and it should ensure that the healthy atmosphere and numbers that were generated last season are at least maintained. Furthermore, the family season ticket could prove to be a stroke of genius.

So the owners have a social conscience and they have shown that they do listen to the heartbeat of the Rovers.

Ticket prices are still low, we're still Premier League and we have a promise of the first season of proper investment in years. It could yet be a false dawn but dare I say we could be in for an exciting summer?

TWBR End of Season Awards

2011-05-24T12:42:00.001+01:00

Stumbling through that rather confusing head of mine I struggled to decide whether it was too passée or obvious to do something akin to an End of Season Awards for a blog or a website. I mean everyone seems to do them and would I really want to follow the sheep and copy the trend when I could try and do something original?

In the end I decide to stop questioning myself and accept that the awards format is easy to do and it could stir up some lively(ish) debate. After all my opinions are my own and I doubt everyone will agree with them such is my warped sense of humour and dry look on life.

So without further ado, I give you the The Wild Blackburn Rover's end of season awards for our PREMIER LEAGUE side.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON - Despite our relatively low finishing position there were plenty of players who covered themselves in glory. Junior Hoilett had a fine 2011 and despite not hitting the ground properly till the turn of the year he won us points on his own at times. Chris Samba despite his mid-season hissy fit has been colossal in the main and deserves some recognition for his leadership, especially in the end of season run in.

Official player of the year Paul Robinson has again shined in between the sticks, he may have conceded a few to many on the whole but then the players in front of him have hardly helped in that department. Even Michel Salgado has overcome a mid-season blip to show us once and for all that he is a top class right back who is just inexcusably violent. In short, he's superb.

But the winner of this award for me goes to a guy who has proved he can be a key member of the Rovers side over the coming years and has shown as much dedication to the cause as heralded Rovers' stalwarts Ryan Nelsen and Brett Emerton.

He's fast, he put's in the yards, he has improved immeasurably for the second season running and he loves this club. Your 2010/11 Blackburn Rovers Player of the Season is Sweden's Martin Olsson.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Quite a few could claim this little nugget of a title. On loan Jermaine Jones has gone from a rash, reckless and non-descript clogger in January to a beast of a ball winner in May, quite a transformation.

Junior Hoilett has also come out of the fringes to become one of the first names on the team sheet. His directness and pace deserves rewarding with a new contract that we would be insane not to give him.

But for me the biggest rise has been that of the much maligned Jason Roberts. Lest we forget he started the season without a squad number, he was out in the cold and was told to find himself a new club. To go from that to the first choice striker at the club is a testament to his efforts and his attitude.

You may not like him and it is easy to point at the weaknesses of the other forwards in the squad but how many players would have the guts to stick it out after being told they weren't good enough?

GOAL OF THE SEASON - With a couple of quality goals on Sunday from Brett Emerton and Junior Hoilett pairing up with the Canadian Junior's strike against West Brom winning the official award it would be easy for me to point at those as worthy winners and that would be hard to argue.

But my personal favourite of the season comes in the form of a long forgotten strike. Christmas 2010 will not be remember as a fond period at the club due to the much criticised Kean taking the reigns at Rovers and results taking a firm trip south but during that nasty portion of the season a moment of class emerged.

It came from the surely soon to be on his way Niko Kalinic. Before he disappeared off the radar completely he managed a classy and energetic finish in our 3-1 victory at the Hawthorns over WBA back in December. It was as early as the fourth minute went he was set free after a clever run down the left before he angled in on goal and finished stylishly into the far corner with a searing, low strike.

A hugely underrated goal.

FLOP OF THE SEASON - I think pretty much everyone will be begging me to point at the shiny skull of our current manager but I shall be kind and look away.

There are a few that should have done better. Benjani was a fairly low risk gamble that didn't really pay off save for the odd game and Morten Gamst Pedersen went from a certain starter to Junior Hoilett's back up with some sloppy ball retention. Mame Biram Diouf really should have managed more as well but the change of manager killed him (not literally).

And of course there is the indefinitely ill Vince Grella and the indefinitely rubbish Keith Andrews to deal with.

But the award has to go to the returning Roque Santa Cruz. He returned to the club with much fanfare, a large bank balance to supplement and of course the fond memories of his all action, goal getting antics first time out.

But what we got back from Manchester City was an imposter. An injury wrecked shell of a player who managed precisely 0 goals. He ambled round at a pace and intensity that made Dimitar Berbatov look like a two job balancing single mother.

In short he was terrible.

MOMENT OF THE SEASON - The Sam Allardyce sacking ranks highly on the list of moments but that marked a dark day for the club due to the way it was handled. It took us months to recover from that farce and almost relegated us.

Junior Hoilett's last gasp equaliser against Blackpool sparked scenes of unbridled joy such were the opposition and the timing of the strike.

And the Survival Sunday goes alongside those two moments as an honourable mention.

But taking the award is again the little pocket dynamo from Sweden.

It came in the form of a moment of genius against Arsenal at the Emirates. Defending a 0-0 stalemate with such effort from the whole side was a joy to watch but with 15 minutes left on the clock it looked as if Rovers were to be undone as Paul Robinson was left isolated by a well worked move from the Gunners and as they squared the ball back to Van Persie it looked a certain goal.

But to the rescue came Olsson with a block to end all blocks. Diving along the floor like what can only be described as a military sausage roll his deflection ended up being from his back whilst facing away from goal.

Absolute, inspired brilliance.

ROVERS PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON - And finally, we end with the best team performance of the season.

The less said about the 7-1 drubbing at Old Trafford the better but the more said about the heroic effort in the first 80 minutes at Ewood Park against the Champions the better.

The 0-0 draw at the Emirates, the 2-1 wins at Blackpool and Newcastle, the crucial 1-0 win over Bolton and the 2-0 victory over Villa at Ewood all showed the team had a bit of spirit and of course the first half showing against Wolves on the final day was something to behold.

But my personal favourite was the display in the 3-1 home win over Liverpool.

Liverpool were fairly dire under Hodgson but the trip up to Ewood Park was heralded as something of a potential turning point for his side given that Steve Kean was still wet behind the ears and Pool needed some inspiration.

What it turned into was a near demolition of the Scousers. It was essentially the Hoilett, Olsson and Benjani show but the whole side were on their game that night as Samba and Nelsen played blinders at the back to keep Liverpool from even remotely threatening until the last ten minutes.

A great night against a side we nearly always struggle against.

It wasn't pretty but it was deserved in the end

2011-05-23T17:42:00.000+01:00

To say supporting Blackburn Rovers never provides a dull moment is something of an understatement and never could that little nugget have been more true than the season we have all just been through.

From early hope, to complete shock, to disbelief, to putting our head in our hands to ultimately feeling relief. It's been one hell of a season for mostly the wrong reasons but there was reason to be proud of our boys on what proved to be the big climax to the season that the neutrals wanted.

Out of the five teams that were set for the drop yesterday Rovers were alongside Birmingham in the sides that the media and the other fans wanted to face the axe - Blackpool were the fairytale, Wigan were the plucky underdogs and our final day opponents Wolves were the fashionable form side.

But we never even gave the others a chance as we chose the opening 45 minutes of our biggest game of the season to turn in our best performance of the season by a country mile. In short, it was a master class of a show from a Blackburn side that was bang up for it from the off.

Wolves looked shell shocked as their own fans were expecting the home side to be the ones to come steaming out of the blocks but with The Zonz and JJ proving to be fantastic in the centre of the park and Jason Roberts (of all people) being nothing but a constant threat in attack.

Wave after wave of strong defence and pacey counter attack left Wolves without an answer and effectively had us safe by half time... 3-0 wasn't flattering and we could have had more.

Of course, quite where all this came from is yet to be revealed as we have witnessed this very same team struggling to look remotely potent from late January to April - but you won't hear me complaining!

It was inevitable in the second period that Wolves would come back into it, Rovers would have been daft to have gone chasing more and Wanderers knew that they were down if they didn't do anything. They adopted a now or never tactic and that left us with some nervy moments but even a blind person would confess that the better team won.

And what of Steve Kean? Well he and Venky's have made some pretty big errors in the last six months and that shouldn't be forgotten or glossed over but for yesterday he must take a lorry load of credit - he set the team out perfectly, got the player selection spot on and motivated the hell out of the starting X1.

A "post mortem" should be conducted now that we are safe and it should have never come to Rovers having to do something on the last day of the season to stay safe but we were in that position due to the actions of the current owners and a manager trying to find his feet in the toughest environment imaginable.

Ultimately survival is everything which Blackpool and Birmingham will learn to their cost. Due to yesterday's efforts we can now enjoy the first summer in donkey's years where we can actually be pro-active in the transfer market and compete with the big boys.

Rovers may have been utter bobbins in the early part of 2011 but for my money they have been one of the best side's in the league ever since David Silva hit the post in the early stages of Manchester City at home five games ago.

In closing, life is good again and we are staying up. Steve Kean's first actions in the lead up to a hopefully better campaign next season should be to locate a pen and paper as soon as possible, hand them to Junior Hoilett and sign that bad boy up. I'll be damned if we let him go, he's far too good.

Arte et Labore :)

The time is now, don't let us down

2011-05-20T09:59:00.000+01:00

OK, so the time is Sunday, but I have a pretty busy weekend so I am doing this bad boy in advance.

We have had some topsy turvy times at Rovers since returning to the Premier League back in 2001, at times we have experienced the joy of mixing it with some big fish with much bigger wads of cash to throw at things and at times our limited existence has been exposed and we have had to fight for our lives.

But it has never been a dull moment and if you asked me to experience another season of the mad cap world of Blackburn Rovers taking on the Premier League not for a second would I turn you down.

From the high of beating Manchester United at Ewood on that epic evening where David Bentley came of age, to the low of being pummelled by that same United side 7-1 only last year. From the high of the Worthington Cup triumph against a cocky Spurs side and the ultimate Premier League survival that followed to the knock down punch that was getting spanked 0-4 at home by Middlesbrough with Tugay seeing red before I could take a seat.

Yes it's never been a quiet life down at Ewood Park and on Sunday we have to fight for the right to party in the big disco hall they all want to use get their boogie on... and we have been dealt a hard hand in which to earn that right.

Wolves away, who themselves are in the same fight we are in, is hardly an ideal fixture in which to pick up the points needed. In fact anybody away from home is not the best as we have again been lifeless on the road this term.

But Sunday has been coined "Survival Sunday" and in these sort of scenarios form and class goes out the window and it's all about who has the biggest heart.

And if the last few weeks are anything to go by then the players of Blackburn Rovers can see this at times heartbreaking but mostly disastrous season end on a pleasant note. It's time for the big players to stand up and show the fans that they love that little rose and slogan as much as we do.

That means you Samba, you Jones, you Robinson and you Dunny.

It isn't going to be easy but the odds are on our side and we are in the position where we can determine our own future which hasn't been afforded to the likes of Wigan and Blackpool.

We are all counting on you to see us over the line, we believe in you... don't throw that back in our face.

This man should be retained after Sunday

2011-05-19T12:53:00.000+01:00

If you had asked me this exact question at the start of March time you would have received a different answer to the one that you would get today.

The question - Should we try and sign Jermaine Jones (or JJ as we know him as) on a permanent basis?

Now we all know this question has a condition and that condition is that we are still a side wining and dining from English football's top table as of next week and that matter is yet to be settled, even if the odds look favourable. We could mess it up, because if you have been a Rovers fan for more than 25 minutes then you should know that we always find a way to make life a little bit more difficult.

But let's pretend for a second that we have sailed through the Wolves game in good shape and with our Premier League status still intact.

Jermaine started life off as an on loan Rover with little more than a whimper. He looked average, he performed average and his body language suggested that of someone going through the motions.

Sure he is big man and can clearly hold his own but up until recently he did the square root of diddly squat to squat to stand out above the other midfield dross that Rovers have available for centre of the park duties (Say hello Keith and Vince).

He has always been able to fly into a tackle but his lack of match fitness in January/February meant he was either a split second too late or clumsily giving away silly free kicks in potentially threatening areas - Charlie Adam's free kick at Ewood Park being a prime example.

But fortunes would turn for Jermaine with a little trip down the motorway to the capital to play Arsenal at that Emirates. For it was there that the American turned in what I rate as the Blackburn Rovers individual performance of the season in a fantastic, all action display to help Rovers hold firm in the face of the Gunners onslaught.

Since then he has proved that he has what it takes to make it in the blink and you'll miss it Premier League. Further showings against Bolton, both Manchester teams and West Ham have shown that the Arsenal match was no fluke.

He adds bite to a key area of the pitch and has the physique to out-muscle even the biggest of opponents. Of course, he can't shoot properly but then neither can any of our actual strikers and that's there job.

He's easily Steve Kean's best January signing and we should do what we can to make sure he doesn't go back to Schalke 04 for little more than to clear his house out.

The good, the bad and the ugly

2011-05-17T09:08:00.000+01:00

I knew something had to happen to erase the fond memories that a lot of us had of the brave effort that Blackburn Rovers put forward on Saturday.

A lot has been made of the farcical scenes at the end of the Rovers vs Manchester United match as the teams played out something akin to a gentleman's agreement for a draw by sitting back and waving a white flag a piece. For what's it's worth I didn't like the fact we settled for a draw and we should have cracked on and tried to win the game.

The end of the match wasn't played in the right spirit and with results elsewhere it could have made our job more difficult. Having said that, the point achieved against the new Champions was beyond crucial. It kept us ahead of the pack in the relegation dog fight and it left our fate in our own hands.

A last minute defeat would have crushed the players and it would have left us without the insurance policy of needing just a draw at Wolves on the final day to keep them behind us. Some people may not like that but is't just smart where I sit.

But nothing should overshadow the fact that on the day Rovers were better than Manchester United. In short, Rovers were excellent and every player gave a performance worthy of survival... when Brett Emerton and Jason Roberts can be credited with sterling efforts you know the players are bang on form! In fact, the Blue and White were so up for the game they even resorted to tackling EACH OTHER at times.

Over the last four games Rovers have gone from a pathetic shell of a unit to one that deserves to stay up - with the spine of the team of The Joneses, Chris Samba and The Zonz gelling a dream there is no reason why we cannot get the win we need at Wolves. On Saturday in particular, Phil Jones and Chris Samba were colossal and made the much hyped combo of Rooney and Hernandez look very ordinary.

But of course, over on planet Rovers, when something good happens you can be sure as the day is long that something bad will stroll along at a nice casual pace to restore life's natural balance.

And in this case it is not one but two blows that came to pass.

The news that our manager Steve Kean has been charged with drink driving came as a blow, just as he was worming into people's good books he commits an act of such stupidity that makes Gary Neville look/sound like a Harvard graduate.

It should cost him his job, but it won't. Either way, the Steve Kean "I must stay calm and positive through even the darkest of hells" mantra will likely be dropped for this little shenanigan. It's irresponsible and he has some serious apologising to do.

But not to be outdone, just a few hours later we all learned that our floppy haired, poodle impersonator Gael Givet has been telling intellectual tour de force newspaper the of trials and tribulations of part time tailor, full time bullshit merchant Phil Black. It's a story we all hate to read from the murky side of football.

Allegedly (got to use that word) someone random has acted as an agent where they shouldn't have and "facilitated" Gael's move from Marseille to Ewood Park an accepted most people's bi- annual wage in exchange for his efforts.

The player now realises it may have been wrong, the agent has whipped out the defensive counter statement and the club gets dragged along for the ride down a muddy path.

It doesn't incriminate the club but it doesn't help.

For what we are about to embark on in five days time it really doesn't help that our manager hasn't got common sense and one of our first team players has bought this news up before the biggest moment in the season.

We really don't like doing things the easy way do we? Both on and off the pitch.

Call yourself a fan?

2011-05-12T08:57:00.000+01:00

Now I may be a little late to the party here in terms of a blog on this topic but unfortunately work decided that yesterday was the day to drop everything on my desk in brutal fashion which monopolised my time to the point where nothing else was possible.

But this issue of Rovers season ticket holders putting their tickets on sale over the internet for rival Manchester United fans to buy for Saturday's game has really grabbed me by the go-nads and wound me up the wrong way.

Of course with it being the last home game of the season it would be tempting to accept an extortionate amount of money for something that is in essence worth about £30 but if you are one of these "fans" doing this do you realise what you are even doing?

You are allowing rival fans from a team that are widely disliked by pretty much every team that aren't called the "Red Devils" into stands that they shouldn't be seen in. It's a safety risk, it's turning your back on your team and it's just plain wrong.

United themselves may be on course for the title and there will be plenty of keen fans of theirs flocking from London, Malaysia and Norwich to see their boys hopefully (from their point of view) wrap up the title at a local neighbour.

But what about our cause?

Rovers have two games to save their Premier League lives and this is the time where the backing is needed more than ever. The biggest shame is that up to this point in the run the Rovers fans have been absolutely tremendous - we sold out away allocations against Arsenal and West Ham (which are normally embarrassing turnouts for our boys) and the home atmosphere against Man City, Blackpool and especially Bolton has been worthy of safety in it's own right.

But it seems it only takes a minute to realise that some morons still exist amongst us.

Our Rovers can assure themselves of Premier League safety on Saturday and the fact some people are turning their noses up at that is absolutely disgusting. Of course it's a difficult game but since when did that stop us getting behind the Blue and White Army?!

If you are one of the idiots doing this then stand face to face with me and tell me your a real Blackburn Rovers fan, because I'll tell you what you really are - you're a disgrace.

Shay Given Mark II

2011-05-10T10:13:00.000+01:00

I suppose the inevitable does always roll around and actually happen sooner or later. We are often told that the only things in life that are certain are "death and taxes".

We can now add to that list "if you keep a good goalkeeper down the pecking order at your club for a few years then eventually you will lose him".

The departure of Frank Fielding from Blackburn yesterday for Derby County bought a tinge of sadness to yours truly, not because another promising prospect has fled from the nest but because of what it represents.

Fielding is a young, English talent with a bright future who we have developed for many a year at the club but his path to the Number 1 spot at Rovers was blocked, namely by the massive presence of current number one Paul Robinson who whilst still in his early 30's and in very good form can expect to be the undisputed shot stopper at Ewood Park for at least another 3 years.

At the ripe age of 23 and consistently getting England recognition in the form of under 21 selection, it is easy to see why Frankie felt the need to leave, he was the club's number 3 behind the functional but hardly inspiring Mark Bunn and has been one more loan moves to the lower division in recent times than I have tackled rocket lollies.

Fielding would have been 27 by the time he would have received a fair shot at the first team slot and for a player as capable and with the potential that the shaven haired rookie has that is too longer wait when he can go and prove himself in a higher position elsewhere.

Furthermore, the obstruction of Paul Robinson is an interesting one. Rewind a few years and the Paul Ince inspired Robbo signing basically sealed the Ewood fate of Frank before he even knew it.... if Rovers had retained Brad Friedel and he had not been lost to Aston Villa then the end of Big Bad Brad's playing days would have signalled the dawn of Fielding's in between the sticks.

But life doesn't pan out naturally and the inevitable has happened - the similarities of this transfer and that of Shay Given to Newcastle back in 1997 are startling.

We may look back in five years at Frank Fielding as the one that got away.

Opportunity gone... and it could get worse

2011-05-09T09:16:00.000+01:00

Oh it could have been a much better feeling this morning rather than that of deflation.

With an hour gone in Saturday's draw with West Ham it was looking like safety was assured with Rovers strolling around in total comfort a goal to the good and just in need of nicking a second goal to make sure of things.

Steve Kean deserved credit up to that point for setting up what was essentially an excellent away performance, everyone was organised, fully committed and the shape of the side looked bang on (which is incredibly rare in a Blackburn Rovers away display). In short we had West Ham sussed.

But then, the changes kicked in.

Kean threw on Roque Santa Cruz for Jason Roberts and Keith Andrews for Junior Hoilett and all of a sudden we became a bumbling wreck of a side who were just desperate to see the game out.

Up to that point, goalscorer Jason Roberts had been super and his constant hassling of the Hammers defence had left them with no time on the ball and panic in their eyes. To replace that with the disinterested, half assed fumbling of the clearly declining Paraguayan gave West Ham encouragement.

Furthermore, the addition of Andrews for the subtraction of Junior was just flat out ridiculous. Not because it was Jogger Keith making an entrance but because it totally disturbed the structure of the team. Hoilett needed to come off as he was clearly at the backside end of his afternoon's work having just come back from three games injured but why not replace him with you know.... a winger.

Ruben Rochina was sat on the bench twiddling his young thumbs and he could have been introduced to the occasion with minimum disruption.

For what it was worth the normally hapless Andrews was perfectly adequate on the pitch, it was Kean at fault here not the normally "scapegoatable" Irishman.

In the end we were perhaps fortunate to get a point in an overall performance that warranted more than that but it stayed away from the dreaded L next to our name by the efforts of the human cannon ball that was Gael Givet and the absolutely colossal Chris Samba in the centre of defence. Kong in particular was freaking epic at the back and some of interceptions and blocks were potentially season saving.

But a point may prove to be short of what was needed from a trip up to bogey ground Upton Park. Blackpool, Wigan and Wolves' efforts at the weekend have meant that we can't now hit cruise control against the Champions elect on Saturday.

If we lose against the Surrey Reds and other results go against us we face our worst nightmare - the killer final day with a do or die scenario.

As much as Steve Kean likes to inform us we are one point closer after our trip to London I would suggest we are two points worse off.

It could have been job done but instead those finger nails are going to take a little more biting yet.

Media field day with innocent Jones comments

2011-05-05T15:35:00.000+01:00

Crikey! If anyone wanted a little crash course in how the 21st century football media handle players comments then they need look no further than this morning's example of Phil Jones and his very innocuous quotes about Rovers and his future.

For those who haven't had a chance to check them out here they are in a nutshell... Jonesy basically said words to the effect of "I am happy at Rovers and want to concentrate on keeping them up, I don't pay much attention to the speculation about my future but I do like the Premier League as a whole and Arsenal play the most attractive football in the division". (Not a direct quote obviously).

Now to those with half a brain cell that translates fairly literally and Jones' comments can be taken at face value - but not in the story hunting, inflammatory, sensationalist English press they can't. Oh no, there is a story to be had of those there quotes.

What this of course means in football media parlance is that Superman is giving Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal chums the old nudge, nudge, wink, wink manoeuvre and is sounding out a come and get me plea.

Jones is angling for a move and he will stop at nothing to set sail for North London's equivalent of France!

To use a real life example to highlight my point, it is like an attractive but merely platonic female friend of mine asking my opinion on her outfit prior to a night out and whether she feels her backside looks a bit too oversized in her current ensemble, to which I then reply "of course not, you look very nice".

The following day the people around me start proclaiming that I am leaving my dependable and pretty other half in favour of a liaison with my buxom, question asking alternative.

It is this sort of attention seeking, dirt digging media which is rightly condemned by many and until the bullshit merchants stop trying to spin everything to suit their story/beliefs with quotes that just aren't that controversial then there will always be an axe to grind with the papers/websites that report this nonsense.

It's almost a lazy cliche to make but this lazy journalism needs to stop (fat chance hey?!).

Benitez talk is just way off target

2011-05-04T17:58:00.000+01:00

It is difficult not to laugh a little bit when you see links appears in the local press that seem to suggest something a bit far fetched might happen.

Ronaldinho might join Blackburn Rovers, Kaka could very well pull on the light blue of Manchester City and Ray Wilkins might say something productive in the Sky Sports commentary booth.

The latest in a long line of daft things to read comes in the form of the rumour that Rafa Benitez has signed a pre-contract agreement to become the next manager of Blackburn Rovers depending on certain conditions. Even the thought of Benitez just in general being sniffed out for the Ewood hot seat is just laughable.

For starters, even the masters of contradiction over at the Venky's head office would top anything they have managed in their short reign at Rovers by undoing months worth of "we will back Steve Kean all the way" and "we encourage stability" talk by removing the bald one from his post in favour of the potato headed Spaniard.

Sure, the ex-Liverpool boss and Inter Milan failure is a high profile name and it would increase the Kings of East Lancashire's profile to have him as the manager of the club but why go back on several months of backing one guy to then move onto another with limited explanation? I know Venky's are a bit bat mental but even they are not that daft.

Furthermore, would we even want the head waiter as our leader?

Of course, the man is a former European Cup winner, has more credentials than old egg head and has managed some of the great clubs of the last ten years but in the last three/four years or so he has been having something akin to a shocker - he turned Liverpool into a light version of the Spanish national side with some really duff, weak signings in the latter part of his reign there and failed miserably in Italy when given the chance to rebuild his reputation.

Add into the mix that outside of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger he is the only other man on the planet that is MORE stubborn than Sam Allardyce! And there were many that struggled to get along with him and his negative tactics - it would be more of the same under the man who thinks that opinion is fact.

If we are going to aim high and think big should we not be targeting someone who is... you know... actually good and capable of inspiring?

Let's leave this rumour where it belongs, alongside Kerry Katona and Hollyoaks in the things that should never be spoken of seriously category.

Back in the game

2011-05-03T10:19:00.001+01:00

Vital. Absolutely vital.

It was one of those occasions that given the opposition was half sat on a beach and with the fixture list meaning three tricky final fixtures that we finally got that elusive, much needed victory. It was absolutely Vital.

Steve Kean wouldn't have been able to duck out for his post match interview, bemoan bad luck and point out the positives in another home draw. Only the 3 point maximum would have been acceptable and thankfully in truly deserving fashion that is what we got.

Little did we know the enormity of the win at the time would be even larger given the lack of a victory from the 4 teams directly below us in the league on Saturday/Sunday and at the start of the game the nerves were certainly jangling at the speed of a full flight aircraft.

But the difference between Monday night against City and Saturday against Bolton was that on Saturday, the players looked bang up for it and the big huddle before kick off from the starting X1 said a lot more than any words could possibly impart.

And from the off the crowd were well and truly game which drove the lads on. As our much maligned Scottish remarked - "there was a need for the win not a want" and it showed.

Head of the cast and a few first half slips/mistakes from a borderline perfect midfield display was Jermaine Jones. It wasn't one of his clumsy, thoughtless performances it was the return of the "Arsenal Jermaine Jones". From start to finish he was a riot and more than made up for the lethargic Steve N'Zonzi... if the Schalke man could shoot he would be what Jamie Redknapp would describe as a top, top player.

Match winner Martin Olsson was not far behind JJ and despite fading in the second half it was the first half where he earned his crust. Three times he was given the opportunity to run at the tug boat that was David Wheater and each time he looked likely to score or create. His goal celebration in front of the Riverside showed a man that has been hurting in recent times such is his love for the Rovers and the joy on his face was a treat to behold.

Despite some shaky moments in the first half the back four held together well and across that four where was where the win was won as a very rare clean sheet was achieved with the hard work and the organisation from Chris Samba and the boys. The only black mark was the injury sustained by Michel Salgado but the fact that the hit was taken in a crunching tackle says all that needs to be said about the Spanish bull's attitude.

And it could have been more than just 1-0.

Various presentable chances were laid on a plate in the second half but all were spurned as our trend of having 0% composure throughout the season continues. It says a lot about our strikers that if someone like say, Daniel Sturridge was in the line up we could have been looking at a much more comfortable afternoon than what we had.

Benjani was terrible and Roberts was functional but neither looked liked scoring, in fact it was only when the droopy figure of Niko Kalinic made an appearance that one of the strikers looked threatening.

But as I remarked a few days ago, we'll need that spirit shown against Man City on Monday if we are to stay up - it was there against Bolton and we'll need it again this weekend if we are to make sure.

After our first win since January 23 we now find ourselves in the unenviable position of needing one more win to stay up given our goal difference.

What lies ahead is three tricky games that it is by no means a given that we will win any of them - the best chance should come this weekend against our bogey team West Ham. It's quite the bogey to break as we haven't won their since the stone age but has there ever been a better time to break the duck?

If we can win that then the protesters that have been trying to have a post mortem since January can finally begin proceedings at the appropriate time. It hasn't been easy but the finishing line is finally in sight.

You wanted a big game? Well THIS is a big game!

2011-04-29T10:02:00.000+01:00

Every game we seem to play in this run is dubbed the biggest game of the season, sometimes it comes with an element of truth but mostly it just hype.

But rest assured for tomorrow's game against Bolton there is no hype required. The Sky Sports crew can put away their fancy video packages and dramatic background music, the papers can hide their fancy words and fans can put down that extra pint of Carlsberg in an attempt to get yourself up for the game.

Because tomorrow's clash at home to local neighbours Bolton Wanderers is the biggest game of the season.

There has been plenty of talk all week from the likes of Chris Samba, Martin Olsson and Steve N'Zonzi all declaring something along the lines of "we have trained well, the lads are fired up and we are all aiming to win!". But the time for just talking is over, the players need to cease with the auto-response paper war cries, get out there and as the legendary Nike advert says... JUST. DO. IT.

From the fans point of view all the petty, counter productive protesting needs to be left outside the ground and for 90 minutes forget that you don't like Steve Kean and the Venky's gang and remember that you do love Blackburn Rovers. Relegation will hurt like hell if it happens and to avoid that pain we all need to gel together and unite as one.

With the last four games being against the opposition that they are tomorrow is the best opportunity to register that elusive win as Bolton have little to play for and the Rovers have everything to gain but plenty to lose.

Let's all get in there and make it hell for the visiting team tomorrow - we're in this together and we'll make it out of it together too.

Arte et Labore and COME ON ROVERS!

Brave, really brave but ultimately not enough

2011-04-26T11:22:00.000+01:00

Well as expected that was one emotional roller coaster of an evening and one that almost bought me to tears. Not because I am one big sappy Jessie but because last night I saw the spirit return to Blackburn Rovers after it alarmingly went missing against Everton and Birmingham. That last night ended in crushing defeat was not the correct outcome of the game and once again went to show that football can be a cruel mistress just as you get your hopes up.

But last night's defeat against Manchester City summed up the Blackburn Rovers of 2010/11 to a tee - plenty of spirit, loads of fight but a crippling lack of cutting edge.

It all started rather alarmingly as in the first 20 minutes or so we looked like we were going to get steam rolled by a tidal wave of Emirate money, swashbuckling movement and superior fire power... City came out of the traps like a hungry rabbit and Rovers looked nervous and confused.

But as soon as a David Silva effort struck the woodwork it shook the home side into action.

Slowly but surely our boys got back into the game and at times the passing play and fierce battling was a joy to behold. David Dunn and Jermaine Jones were terrific in midfield and with Martin Olsson playing with intent on the left wing we got a foothold in the game and if only we had an Edin Dzeko or a Mario Balotelli to put all this good work to good use then we could have been telling a different tale this morning.

Man of the match by quite a long distance was Phil "Superman" Jones. He was solid and dependable at the back and a superb ball carrier when given the chance, a couple of surges forward in particular were out of this world and worthy of much better than Benjani and J-Rob trying desperately to get on the end of them.

But Jonesy got ample support from the likes Michel Salgado who made up for his shortfall in pace by just generally being a crazy, psychotic nutter at right back. The Spaniard may have been struggling in recent weeks but he was magnificent last night.

If football was played in the first two thirds of the pitch we would be one of the best sides in the division but sadly it isn't and the strikers have been our downfall all year. Jason Roberts and Benjani could at best be described as adequate and at worst wasteful - the fact we didn't have a serious effort on goal from our "premier goal threats" says it all really.

Junior Hoilett was badly missed and without him we just lacked a little something in the areas that dictate whether you win or draw. Kalinic didn't get enough time to do anything meaningful and Ruben Rochina was bought on when Niko should have been.

It was brave, it was a great effort against a team we shouldn't have a hope in hell in matching but in football if you don't score then you leave yourself open to a bit of misfortune and that's what we found out AGAIN last night.

But it's Bolton on Saturday now and the game is pretty much do or die, I'll be there and I'll be roaring on the boys, I hope you'll be doing the same... I just hope we find that cutting edge as all the fight in the world might not save us.

And when a chance present's itself...

2011-04-25T10:43:00.000+01:00

You get told every week in the world of football not to rely on the activities of other to bring around your own fortune. Apparently you can only count on yourself if you want to achieve your aims.

Well you could be fooled into thinking that is the biggest load of nonsense to be spouted since Katie Price last opened that thing that passes for her mouth if you are a fan of Blackburn Rovers and have been paying attention to the footballing action this last weekend.

As if by some divine intervention all of the teams directly below our boys - Wigan, West Ham, Wolves and Blackpool failed to register a single win between them on Saturday and despite real fears that Rovers would be in the bottom three by the time we face moneybags Manchester City tonight we seem to have struck lucky... because we are still in 16th position, the same place we started this weekend's action.

It's as if we play better nowadays when we don't actually play?!

But cynicism aside, with this good fortune comes an opportunity tonight to relieve some of the enormous pressure building up round Ewood Park and we may not get a better chance in this entire run in to put some distance between our club and the chasing pack.

However, if we are to take advantage of this chance we have to battle the odds, the respective wallets and the bookies to overcome a Manchester City side intent on cracking the Champions League this season and fresh off the high of beating their rivals the Surrey Reds last time out.

The good news is that speed king Junior Hoilett is back in the mix and Steve Kean should resist the urge to include Jogger Andrews in the side as he is barely back from an injury thought to have ruled him out for the season. Further positive news is provided in the form of the ineligibility of off the pace and down on his chips Roque Santa Cruz, which comes as a blessing in disguise as he has been wretched since re-signing.

To get the desperately needed 3 points on the board we need to right a lot of wrongs -

* We haven't won since January 23.

* The fans are revolting against the board and the manager.

* There is years of daylight between the two clubs into terms of form and league position

But if we are going to get out of this mess then the slide has to end somewhere and why not against a City side that are hardly convincing on the road and may suffer from the after the lord's mayor show syndrome from their Wembley visit last weekend?

Opportunities like this don't come around regularly so let's get out there and give them hell.

Venky's fluff their big chance

2011-04-22T12:26:00.001+01:00

There were certainly mixed emotions when news cropped up the other night that the Rao Family who comprise the ownership of Indian firm Venky's and Blackburn Rovers were to give an exclusive interview to Granada Reports.

On one hand it was a chance for the Venky's bunch to come out fighting and to answer some of the many, many questions that the fans have about the current predicament being "enjoyed" at Ewood Park at present and to address how they planned to avoid inflicting the dreaded "R" word on the club. A little re-assurance if you will that we at least have owners that know what they are doing.

But on the other hand there was the feeling that they would use the interview to spout more attention seeking claptrap and wild ideas of grandeur that have poisoned previous Rao family interviews - ideas such as signing David Beckham and Ronaldinho whilst attaining European football on a budget of loan signing's and £5 million outlay.

So what was it to be? Sadly all but 30 seconds into the exclusive chat it became clear it was the least desirable option of the latter.

Quickly into their stride, the head of the chicken clan was out in full force with talk of top 8 league table finishes and winning a cup because it was the least we deserve. Talk of spending whatever it takes to achieve this was also visible and heavy pandering to the fans through sentimental romancing was a constant presence throughout.

Don't get me wrong - it's not as if we don't want this. Nobody would be more happy than yours truly if all this great talk of winning cups and climbing the league was to come to fruition, I would be doing somersaults for the first time in well, forever and I would be first at the bar buying Jonny Neighbour a cold pint of Guinness or whatever the latest craze in Peach Cider is.

But what about the current state of affairs? I am not saying they have to come out in front of the cameras and admit defeat before waving a white handkerchief about. Just give us a little re-assurance that it is all in hand, that the team hasn't performed as expected and the manager is not meeting the targets despite his best efforts.

It is like me saying that within a year I would love to be having regular liaisons with Kelly Brook. It is not ridiculously preposterous (pretend along with me here) but it ignores the fact that I am not successful, famous or attractive enough to do it in my current guise/appearance/situation. And until I at least try to improve my short term prospects I can forget the big long term aim.

We're in trouble, there is no harm in admitting that and it is going to be tough to dig ourselves out of it, but by ignoring that and concentrating on the long term plan Venky's have reinforced the common conception that they have lost their marbles and no nothing about the sport that they own a club in.

It was a chance for the Rao's to turn the tide and give a good account of themselves but the interview was a chance missed and the idea that Venky's may be out of their depth won't go away until they get real and speak some proper sense.