|
|
Fan Rebellion, Relegation Danger And A Helpless Manager - Venky's 'Vision Blackburn' And 'Mission India' Both In A Complete Mess
Goal.com's Debjit Lahiri looks into the woes and the troubles at Ewood Park as the Rovers struggle to stay afloat in the Premier League...
21-Jan-2012 7:36:00 AM
Getty Images
EDITORIAL
By Debjit Lahiri
Blackburn Rovers are one of the only four clubs to have won the prestigious Premier League and their motto of "Arte et labore" depicts a Rovers team of immense skill and hard-work!
Well, half way into the season, neither their illustrous record nor their flattering slogan have quite justified their performances over the course of this campaign.
The Rovers are a team in disarray and there is no second thoughts about it. A helpless manager, dissatisfied fans and an under-performing team, the combinations couldn't have got any worse. Steve Kean's men go into this weekend lying a place above the relegation zone and given the possible permutations in the transfer market this month, one wouldn't bet against Championship football, come May.
There have been, however, glimpses of inspiration. Victories against Arsenal and Manchester United have come as some of the major upsets of the season but unfortunately for them, they haven't been able to build on any sort of momentum.
The owners have decided to stay put with manager Steve Kean and despite the endless protests from fans, the Venky's seem to be in no mood to do away with him. Quite understandably, the anger has now culminated towards the owners as well, leaving the club in verge of a 'fan rebellion'.
While one understands the importance of stability, and Venky's insistence to hold on to Kean, it definitely puts forth the extreme inconsistency present at the club hierarchy. Last season, the new owners had sacked experienced coach Sam Allardyce, on grounds of poor performances, and appointed Steve Kean on a temporary basis. Things have taken an even worse turn since then, but this time the owners surprisingly have taken a completely different stand.
If sacking of Allardyce was justified, there is no way that Kean deserves a chance to still hold on to the top job. On the contrary, if stability and time is what the owners desire, the sacking was completely uncalled for in the first place. So, in either way, the situation reflects the utter naivety of the owners.
When the Venky's took over Blackburn, they had an obvious long term plan to elevate the stature of Blackburn as a global brand. In fact them, being the first Indians to own a Premier League club, they certainly had a slight sniff to make use of the immense followership of the league in the country. A year on, leave alone the new fan following from the far east, the Venky's are struggling to earn the respect of the already existing fan base.
Their visit to India did make quite a stir last year and it was a golden opportunity for them to build upon what was a pretty decent start to their Indian alliance. However, the negative perception that the club has generated since then, have put all their good work under the carpet.
The Mission India | Blackburn Has Failed To Find Any Sort Of Fan Following From India
It is now imperative that Blackburn stay afloat and start from the scratch next season, if they are to harness any desire to fulfill these long term goals and ambitions. The chances, however, look extremely bleak, not only for what is happening on the pitch but also off it. Fellow strugglers QPR are on a big re-building process and with the funds at their disposal they will be luring in quite a few decent players by the end of this month.
The other likes of Bolton, Wolves and Wigan may not be any better off than Blackburn in terms of performances but on the brighter side, they still have the faith and support of the fans and are by some distance away from any unncessary off-field distractions.
Thus, this January transfer window could hold more significance for Rovers than any other team and although Steve Kean has promised there will be new arrivals at Ewood Park, his biggest battle will be to hang on to star centre-half Christopher Samba, who is attracting covetous eyes from QPR themselves as well as the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal.
The club, however, has stated clearly to him that a move will not be entertained now and that he will have to wait till the summer. Reports suggest that the player has not taken the 'order' well and might just fancy going on an unofficial strike. Perhaps things couldn't have got any more worse!
The addition of French forward Anthony Modeste on loan from Bordeaux, is likely to further sharpen the attacking prowess of the team, with Yakubu already in the form of his life. Certainly something of a relief for the under-pressure manager.
For the Venky's, they need to rebuild their image in front of the supporters. A systematic approach in this window is a must and they should ensure that the funds are made available to the club in order to patch up the existing loop-holes. Not only that, at the same time, they must be determined enough to hold on to their best players, while bringing in the reinforcements.
If the Indian owners can dig Blackburn out of this mess, they would certainly deserve the credit and in most probability will earn back the faith of the fans. However, if they are unable to do so, it might well be the final nail in the coffin for their 'Vision Blackburn' project!
Follow Debjit Lahiri on
Do You Think Blackburn Can Survive This Season? Give In Your Views..
By Debjit Lahiri
Blackburn Rovers are one of the only four clubs to have won the prestigious Premier League and their motto of "Arte et labore" depicts a Rovers team of immense skill and hard-work!
Well, half way into the season, neither their illustrous record nor their flattering slogan have quite justified their performances over the course of this campaign.
The Rovers are a team in disarray and there is no second thoughts about it. A helpless manager, dissatisfied fans and an under-performing team, the combinations couldn't have got any worse. Steve Kean's men go into this weekend lying a place above the relegation zone and given the possible permutations in the transfer market this month, one wouldn't bet against Championship football, come May.
There have been, however, glimpses of inspiration. Victories against Arsenal and Manchester United have come as some of the major upsets of the season but unfortunately for them, they haven't been able to build on any sort of momentum.
The owners have decided to stay put with manager Steve Kean and despite the endless protests from fans, the Venky's seem to be in no mood to do away with him. Quite understandably, the anger has now culminated towards the owners as well, leaving the club in verge of a 'fan rebellion'.
Kean OUT! | Blackburn Are On A Verge Of A 'Fan Rebellion'
While one understands the importance of stability, and Venky's insistence to hold on to Kean, it definitely puts forth the extreme inconsistency present at the club hierarchy. Last season, the new owners had sacked experienced coach Sam Allardyce, on grounds of poor performances, and appointed Steve Kean on a temporary basis. Things have taken an even worse turn since then, but this time the owners surprisingly have taken a completely different stand.
If sacking of Allardyce was justified, there is no way that Kean deserves a chance to still hold on to the top job. On the contrary, if stability and time is what the owners desire, the sacking was completely uncalled for in the first place. So, in either way, the situation reflects the utter naivety of the owners.
When the Venky's took over Blackburn, they had an obvious long term plan to elevate the stature of Blackburn as a global brand. In fact them, being the first Indians to own a Premier League club, they certainly had a slight sniff to make use of the immense followership of the league in the country. A year on, leave alone the new fan following from the far east, the Venky's are struggling to earn the respect of the already existing fan base.
Their visit to India did make quite a stir last year and it was a golden opportunity for them to build upon what was a pretty decent start to their Indian alliance. However, the negative perception that the club has generated since then, have put all their good work under the carpet.
It is now imperative that Blackburn stay afloat and start from the scratch next season, if they are to harness any desire to fulfill these long term goals and ambitions. The chances, however, look extremely bleak, not only for what is happening on the pitch but also off it. Fellow strugglers QPR are on a big re-building process and with the funds at their disposal they will be luring in quite a few decent players by the end of this month.
The other likes of Bolton, Wolves and Wigan may not be any better off than Blackburn in terms of performances but on the brighter side, they still have the faith and support of the fans and are by some distance away from any unncessary off-field distractions.
Thus, this January transfer window could hold more significance for Rovers than any other team and although Steve Kean has promised there will be new arrivals at Ewood Park, his biggest battle will be to hang on to star centre-half Christopher Samba, who is attracting covetous eyes from QPR themselves as well as the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal.
Will He Or Won't He? | Blackburn Need A Sound Approach As Samba Ponders Upon Unofficial Strike
The club, however, has stated clearly to him that a move will not be entertained now and that he will have to wait till the summer. Reports suggest that the player has not taken the 'order' well and might just fancy going on an unofficial strike. Perhaps things couldn't have got any more worse!
The addition of French forward Anthony Modeste on loan from Bordeaux, is likely to further sharpen the attacking prowess of the team, with Yakubu already in the form of his life. Certainly something of a relief for the under-pressure manager.
For the Venky's, they need to rebuild their image in front of the supporters. A systematic approach in this window is a must and they should ensure that the funds are made available to the club in order to patch up the existing loop-holes. Not only that, at the same time, they must be determined enough to hold on to their best players, while bringing in the reinforcements.
If the Indian owners can dig Blackburn out of this mess, they would certainly deserve the credit and in most probability will earn back the faith of the fans. However, if they are unable to do so, it might well be the final nail in the coffin for their 'Vision Blackburn' project!
Follow Debjit Lahiri on
Do You Think Blackburn Can Survive This Season? Give In Your Views..
How do you stay up to date with football when on the move? With http://m.goal.com – your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.
Inside Goal.Com
-
The list of EPL targets from Euro 2012 Group A
With the transfer rumour mill set to kick into frenzy throughout this month's European Championship, Goal.com looks at which players could be heading for England this summer
-
Euro 2012 Dream Team: Ronaldo & Van Persie feature
Goal.com puts together its dream team for this summer's European Championship in Poland and Ukraine
-
Euro 2012 Tactical Analysis: How far can Roy's masterplan take England?
England are a diminished lot, with the experienced players like Lampard, Gareth Barry and Gary Cahill all ruled out of the Euros. Goal.com's Sarthak Dubey analyses their chances..
-
Euro 2012 Trivia: Which team has no player from their domestic league?
In another episode today of Euro Trivia , we bring to you another tricky question..!
Which is the only team in Euro 2012 who have not called up a single player from their own domestic league?
A. Denmark.
B. Poland
C. Czech Republic
D. Republic of Ireland.
Test your knowledge with Goal.com and send in your response. -
Euro 2000 Legends: Zinedine Zidane, France
Zinedine Zidane led France to their second European success with his vital goals and important assists. Zizou masterminded the French revolution from his midfield throne...