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So Who Cares What Don Hutchison Thinks?
Is anyone else totally sick of hearing the monotonous 'opinions' of ex-pros on manager's positions these days? After hearing endless shouts of "give Ramos more time" earlier in the season (look how wrong they were), what do I see on Sky Sports on Monday night? Just hours before Ince is finally sacked?
Don Hutchison saying that Paul Ince needs more time.
How much time, Don, do you think that Blackburn could give him? Blackburn are an established Premiership club; they've been in the top flight for 15 of the last 17 seasons and are one of just four teams to have won the Premiership title. Heck, they've won the league more recently than Liverpool.
Last season they finished seventh, their third consecutive top half finish, yet with virtually the same squad they are now 5 points adrift of the pack in the relegation zone and their results (and performances) are getting worse, not better. There is no indication - at all - that Blackburn are improving or that Ince is actually doing a good job. So where exactly is Don getting his information from?
It's irrelevant to point back to examples like the early days of SAF at ManYoo as a reason that a manager should get more time. There's more money, and pressure, involved in today's game and relegation would mean massive trouble for most clubs (just look at Leeds, Notts Forest, Sheff Wed, Leicester, Wimbledon, Southampton, and so on). Blackburn cannot afford to be relegated. Although SAF struggled early on in his ManYoo days they never actually looked like relegation fodder in that time (11th first season, 2nd the following year), and they hadn't won the league since 1967 (19 years before SAF took over). Compare that with Ince at Blackburn.
Has anyone heard a pundit being honest about whether a manager should be sacked or not? I can't imagine dross like Shearer or Hansen doing anything but
toe the line, and most pundits these days have themselves been booted out of a job early doors (e.g. Merson) or are pally with most ex-players (e.g. Claridge).
Matt (not a Blackburn fan), no fixed abode
Ince Not To Blame...
Poor Paul Ince. I feel a lot of the coverage of his tenure at Blackburn has been unfair. Blackburn sold some of their best players in the summer. Friedel is possibly the best goal keeper in the league.
While Bentley has not set the world alight for Spurs he was a key part of the Blackburn team last season and hasn't been replace. I'm sure Ince would have been expecting a big season from Steven Reid but unfortunately for Ince, Reid has been ruled out for the season. Also Santa Cruz looks like a player who can't get out of the club quick enough and his form has been very poor this year. Without these players can anyone honestly say that Blackburn aren't anything but relegation material?
A lot of the players in the squad were brought in on the cheap and over performed last year, thanks to some excellent management by Mark Hughes. Hughes was given plenty of time to develop the squad when he first came in and had less managerial experience than Ince. Ince wasn't give much cash in the summer to spend and although Blackburn recent form has been very poor, Ince should have been given more time. Unless Blackburn are going to splash the cash in the January I can't see any manger who comes in doing a much better than Ince.
Eoin, Cork
Actually, He Was
I wrote in after Mark Hughes resigned saying I felt Ince was prob best for the job and was willing to give him some leeway to make the transition. By leeway I meant mid table obscurity so that he could build his own team to challenge for Europe again and not being sitting in the bottom two detached from the rest of the premiership.
I am sick of people saying Ince wasn't given a fair chance or was unlucky. Granted he can point to the fact that he had no choice but to sell Bentley and Friedel who were prob our best two performers last year. But he still inherited a squad which has been there or thereabouts for Europe for the past four or five seasons and has had good runs in both the cups over the past few years.
Yes he was missing the likes of Reid and Dunn but they've been injured more often than not over the last few seasons so that's not a great excuse. Ince's downfall was that he never seemed to be in control of anything that happened on the pitch. When Blackburn were in trouble or just needed things to be freshened up he waited too long before making a change (such as bringing on Benni McCarthy against Liverpool - by the time he eventually came on Liverpool had nicked a second) or made the wrong change. Then in the press conferences afterwards he would blame luck.
As for the new manager I actually think Souness would do a job between now and the end of the season but wouldn't like to see him get it permanently. All of the others linked to the post have serious question marks against them. To be honest the best case would be Hughes getting the sack at Man City and coming back vowing never to leave again.
John Cronin (Corkman not totally obsessed with Keano - but Keano does owe Blackburn one...) Dublin
No, Blame Brian Kidd For Ince's Demise
Sir,
While all around chastise the Blackburn board for not giving Ince a chance, I think it is worth remembering that Blackburn have been in the position of trying to back an up-and-coming manager a couple of times. One was a huge success, a certain Mark Hughes who, until he had to contend with the same problems that undid Sven at City, was one of the prized talents of British management. The other is the reason I believe Ince lost his job: Brian Kidd.
Kidd was brought in circumstances similar to those which our new manager will inherit. Poor form when we were expected to be challenging for Europe, chronic injuries, the real threat of relegation. We backed him with Jack Walker's millions, and signed two strikers who make Fowler look like Eto'o: Ashley Ward and Nathan Blake.
I'm not surprised that the board bailed on Ince. Blackburn can't afford to be relegated, and there must be some on the board who backed Kidd who remain paranoid. Add in the fact that Blackburn is for sale, and you can imagine that the voices of the Walker trust and those who feared backing the wrong managerial horse were enough to silence the clearly rational John Williams.
Blackburn need to bring in a proven management team with a decent record in the transfer market. I say team with a purpose: Ince, in my opinion, is a good manager, and will come back to haunt us. But he needs to find a decent back-room, as it was the back-room staff that made Hughes look so good when he was with us. A past-it Archie Knox and a BBC-focused Nigel Winterburn were never going to cut it. Let's just hope that whoever comes in helps steady the ship, get us sold, and bury the ghosts of Ince and Kidd so that we can focus on the only role Blackburn can ever hope to play in the Premiership world of the big 4: a breeding ground for up-and-coming talent. I'm just sorry for Ince that he didn't surround himself with those who could help him prove his ability.
Tommy "if Souness comes, do we have to sell Dunn again?" Seddon
Oh Dear
So then, Guv'nor, how's that ambition to manage Inter Milan one day working out for you?
Siegfried Schadenfreude. (Possibly not real name)
Welcome Back To The Crozilian
At Underhill, everybody's favourite Crozilian, Eduardo, made a return to competitive football and showed no ill-effects from the career-threatening injury sustained at Birmingham.
When we eventually saw footage of the extent of his injury back in February, few believed he would play football again, but he has, and in the same calendar year too.
All credit must go to the initial treatment by Gary Lewin and the subsequent physical work by Tony Colbert. Well done, boys!
That said, he now has a Rosicky-hamstring, so I doubt he'll ever play
football again...
Ger Scully AFC, Ireland
Santa Has Turned Up Early
Dear Ed,
I've just read that Inter might be interested in taking Bendtner. I nearly dropped my tea. There are a few scenarios that could make that even better like getting paid by Inter for him (good times) or getting a half decent midfielder in a swap deal for him (great times).
Santa,
If you are reading this, I've never asked for much but please, please, please take "Mr. Pink Boots I have the first touch of a Giraffe with clown shoes on"off our hands.
JD, Irish Gooner
Villa Are In The Title Hunt Then
Just a thought on Arsenal's belief that they are still in the title hunt.
If Arsenal believe they are still in the hunt, I expect Aston Villa to be challenging as well. If they think they can do it, why cant Villa? Villa have the best squad outside the 'big four' and they currently sit above Arsenal in the league table. I only see more woe for Arsenal this season.
Plus the 'big four' are dropping points on a more regular basis, and Villa are on a good run. You will note I am a Liverpool fan, but my thoughts are purely impartial.
Bismillah Choudhry, LFC Fan
It's Been Asked Before
Is Diarra the new Anelka?
Daniel O'Donovan
Very Real Trends
Mark Cohen - deluded Scouser. Yes Manchester United have to play all the top teams at home (because they've played them all away), but with the Premier League as a whole taking 54% of points at home, surely that bodes well for them?
As for Liverpool and Chelsea having to go away to harder clubs, and only taking 46% of points away from home then they will surely drop some? Liverpool's home form is strong, but not as strong as ManU (Liverpool have 19 from 24, United 19 from 21) but that puts Liverpool in a better position? even though they have won more games away than at home?
To win the league Manchester United must have great home form (which they do) because they have had poor away form, surely it is United's away form that needs to be improved? or is it Liverpool's home form that will prove their comeuppance (even though it is the 2nd best in the league?). As the table takes shape, and the relegation battle ensues do the games become more difficult? or because those teams are down there does that make the games easier? Will the Champions League become a factor for the Big 4 ?
Stats are easily manipulated to say what you want them to say, one thing is for certain, you can't argue both sides to make your point. I will leave you with a stat. Chelsea last won the league two years ago, and Manchester United won it last season. Liverpool last won it in 1990. That Sir, is a very real trend.
Gavin (writing off Liverpool's title chances before the New Year) Flannigan
Sir, This Is How It Does Work
Sir (hey, if it works),
Further to Jonathan Norman's letter, I would like to know why the Scottish seem to believe that they will lose their independence as an international team? I don't ever recall anyone from FIFA stating that this could happen. In fact, as Jonathan points out, they've stated that it won't happen. So why are the Scots so obsessed with this?
How (not to mention why) would FIFA force the Scottish FA and national team to merge with their English counterparts, when both nations have been completely (and happily) independent since football was invented? I can't see that ever happening, regardless of whether a British team represents us all at the London Olympics or not.
Robin, London
...Sir,
I read with interest Jonathan Norman's mail on Craig Brown. Jonathan, more than most, should be aware that Fifa's word isn't worth the plain brown, suspiciously bulging, envelope that it's written on. Jonathan's national side compete in the geographical qualifying area to which Fifa awarded an automatic qualifying place in the world cup having promised it for years, only to take it away just as swiftly when someone in South America coughed.
He's missing Craig Brown's point - that Scotland should only take part if their identity was completely seperate from the rest of the Britain, thereby not setting a precedent that would be used next time Jack Warner get's a bit sniffy. Craig Brown wasn't demanding that the four home nations take part - he was stipulating the set of unlikely circumstances that would lead to us taking part, because he knew that it wouldn't happen.
It's a bit like Birmingham wanting 18 million for McFadden - They know it's not going to happen and that's the point. They have no wish to sell him, like Scotland has no wish to take part.
Stuart
...After reading Jonathan [NZ is 180 minutes away from Sth Africa 2010] Norman mail from yesterday, it reminded me of a story he might be interested in.
As he says, New Zealand played in the 1982 World Cup in Spain and I was fortunate enough to be staying in the same hotel as their team. They were a genuinley great bunch of lads who had a lot of fun around the hotel and would always talk to you. On the morning of the Brazil game my Dad ended up in the same lift as one of the centre halves and they got chatting about the game and my Dad just wished him all the best...
The following day, after Brazil had won 4 0 or something, my Dad bumped into him again and they got chatting and my Dad just said hard lines last night. The chap came back with, "Well it was my job to mark Zico last night, how the f**k do you mark Zico??? I couldn't get near the b****rd!!!" (He'd scored 2 and made it look dead easy)...
A good bunch of lads who had a great time and were nice as pie to anyone who wanted to talk!!!
Oh for the good old days...
Tim (I must be getting old saying stuff like that) Collins
And Sort Of Finally...
Just for s***ts and giggles...here's a current Premiership 11 plus manager to spell out Christmas Day:
C hris Coleman
H euralho Gomes
R io Ferdinand
I brahima Sonko
S ami Hyppia
T al Ben Haim
M ichael Carrick
A aron Lennon
S teve Sidwell
D amien Duff
A ndy Johnson
Y akubu
Ok so I cheated on the manager but there's nobody who starts with a C currently. At least I doubled up on the Cs though to make up for it. My game, my rules!
Ben Houghton, Reading
