I think Kean is a poor manager and with his current record (8 wins in 41?) i would fully expect to be out of a job. However, that has not been the case.In terms of the hostile abuse towards Kean recently, and its criticism from players, managers, fans etc. I find it disheartening for people affiliated with other clubs to attack these "disgusting" fans. I agree this abuse towards him can be seen as "damaging" to the morale of the players (as mentioned my several people), but even when we were playing badly earlier on in the season fans were not shouting abuse. In my eyes it's a mutual thing-if the players want praise, go out and deserve it.
Aside from this, where else can the fans voice there concerns? The media and Venkys will only take proper notice of this discontent from fans at the ground. Unfortunately, the media has tried to spin this against the fans (with success) with Redknapp, Ferguson, the LMA coming out to defend Kean. What they fail to take into consideration is that this abuse although brutally directed at Kean stems from something much deeper-the overall poor running of the club. As Rovers fans, it is not new for us to witness our team playing poorly. However, what is new is the atrocious organisation of any sort of structure within the club. With fans left in the dark of the day to day runnings of the club, the only way fans can vent their frustrations is at the one man they know has affiliations with Venkys.
This is what annoys me with the criticism of fans regarding how they've voiced concerns-people have never seen such abuse of a manager before and put it down to Rovers fans being uniquely horrible. However, they underestimate the severity of the situation. WE, the fans, are the ones who ultimately will suffer from this mis-management of the club. NOT Venky's- worst case scenario for them is that they asset strip the club. NOT Kean-he can walk away with his million pounds regardless of where Rovers end up. NOT the players-they will go onto pastures new. All that will be left is the FANS with a shell of a club. And that is why i can't criticise the way the fans are showing their passion.
Are our fans too hostile?
posted on 2/1/12
Rest assured the fans are not the cause of this dire position we are in.
Over the last 50 years we have had to put up with some dross and generally we have always allowed managers more than enough time to prove their worth.
Unfortunately for Kean it looks like he is Chairman, Manager, PR manager, Coach, Cleaner, Fob Merchant etc etc with varying degrees of success (Fob Merchant at the top- I'll leave it there for this week)
Our lack of leadership/ownership/accountability has never been as apparent as it is now.
I really have no idea who is in charge at Rovers since Williams left or who decides who is coming or going (Barclays bank would be my guess)
It is uncomfortable at times with the fan/kean relationship.
Whatever happens we will still support the club (apart from Vinners) so ultimately ignore whatever other fans/newspapers say about us.
posted on 2/1/12
Even just looking at our top flight reign we've had Harford, Hodgson, Souness and Ince all taking us in a downwards spiral at times, 3 of the4 taking us into the bottom 3.
These managers took a little stick on occasion, Ince most notably, without so much stick. Is it not a combination of things:
1) Society in general - look at United fan protests, Liverpool fans towards Hicks, Gilet and Hodgson. In fact, any home team loss is greeted with an amount of boo's.
2) Over Achievement - being part of a well run club and doing so brilliantly since returning to the prem. low season ticket prices, decent finishes, some great players and cup upsets.
3) The Appointment - Sam didn't deserve the sack, Kean didn't deserve the job. Simple!
4) Lies Damn Lies - The Venkys promises, Kean talking of the Champions League.
5) And Statistics - At no point of his tenure has Kean produced the results.
6) The Personal Stuff - Now I like the average bald Scotsman, but drink drivers that lie under oath, a man who hides behind his children and verbally abuses fans?
In answer to what I thought was going to be the question, maybe we've hit a point of home hinderence rather than home advantage. Villa seem to be at the same point, there's tension at home which doesn't help. If a few passes go astray, we don't have the rub of the green etc it spills over, understandably.
On the flip side, what happened to Fortress Ewood? This could be where Kean went wrong initially. There wasn't too much wrong with our squad, maybe a couple of signings and we could've entertained a little more without losing our stubborn streak. Stoke are the perfect example of this...
posted on 2/1/12
No they are not to hostile and proof was today,,ok some of the Darwen end rovers fans for a very short time called Kean Out,,but in the main respect was shiwn for the win and draws in the previous two games,,but Kean did again go back to the losing team choice of Dunn and pederso in the same side,,i thought pederson did ok at times but Dunn is miles to slow nd with petrovic not a gret pairing for sure,,we did enough today for at least a draw,,but those statements are now getting pretty stale and will not keep us in the Prem,,again i didnt see a Rovers team out there today wit any kind of formation,on the other hand Stoke was a well drilled outfit and maybe just worth there win,,but it was a close call for me,,and i thought the Rovers fans were brilliant today.
posted on 2/1/12
There was no hostile fans today
posted on 2/1/12
Walkden, I agree. The hostility, if that is the right word, comes from frustration at the apparent inability of the absent owners to act on something that is so obvious to those who know the game and care about the club. As you say the fans are showing these feelings to the one they can see and reach. If Venkys bothered to visit the town, they would get it more than their manager.
Those who have "condemned" the hostility are all in that cozy bubble the game has created for itself and have little or no understanding of how we, the customers, feel. They have never been in our position and never will.
I work with another industry that has consistently blamed the wrong cause for its own rapid decline, spending 20 years in denial at its own failure to listen to customers, update its ways and give value for money to long serving, loyal, passionate customers who for years have chosen to spend their hard-earned money in that industry so as to pay the wages of the people who claim to be serving them.
The professional football industry will eventually wake up and wonder where the customers have gone. The pundits and their lackeys including self-important managers will never understand, nor feel obliged to respond to, the passion that drive fans to spend their wages year after year to support the whole house of cards.
When someone making 30,000 quid a week, more than many supporters earn in a year, can't pass 10 yards to someone in the same coloured shirt, supporters, ie customers, should let the person in charge know in no uncertain terms.
If the manager can't stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen... PLEASE!
Up the Rovers!
Duggy (customer since 1958)
posted on 2/1/12
Duggy- the one sure way to get out the heat is to win matches.
We can put up with (though not condone) his driving antics and unfathomable self belief etc as long as he wins 9 more matches this season.
Today should have been one of them.
Ultimately if I could rid of Kean or Venky's tomorrow it would probably be Venky's.
They are clueless and may well bring our club to its knees.
On that happy note I am off to bed- evening all.
posted on 2/1/12
We can put up with (though not condone) his driving antics and unfathomable self belief etc as long as he wins 9 more matches this season.
-----------------
If he wins 9 league games in the second half of this season it must mean the 2012 apocalypse predictions are correct, surely?
posted on 2/1/12
Walkden, sweet dreams of that beautiful evening when Rovers duffed Burnley 2-0 on the way to Wembley in 1960!!