Blackburn Rovers are fast becoming one of the most ludicrous stories in world football. A few short weeks after firing their manager who was doing quite well, they’re planning to sign a player with a huge reputation (and ego), who plays football the way they want to be playing it. Still managerless, Venky’s London Ltd (a chicken farm company, it is suggested) that owns the club is making a right hash of it.
The person that sacked Allardyce admitted to only having seen a football match on TV. But rest assured, she enjoyed the games so much that she started to sharpen her knife. Desai has been defending her role at the club and the potential signings of Ronaldinho and David Beckham are touching token gestures that will, naturally, come to nought.
Blackburn were trundling along quite nicely, actually, not playing great stuff but sitting happily in mid-table. Unambitious, certainly, but cause for concern? Never. The proposed Venky’s overhaul of the club is getting increasingly absurd. The one firm reality that has pervaded the daft mystique surrounding the club is that they have sacked their manager who was doing alright.
Even if they do sign Ronaldinho, that would still make one flair player in the Rovers camp, unless you count Morten Gamst Pedersen and his medium-to-long throw or Keith Andrews. An overhaul like this requires a manager with a big vision, brought in with his own staff, his own ideas and most importantly, a plan to implement. Players he wants to bring in, a formation, a style. Steve Kean has merely inherited Allardyce’s side – chucking Ronaldinho into the mix isn’t going to help matters too much.
The truth is that rather than sign a player that could upset what must already be a very fragile balance at the club, time would perhaps be better spent organising the backroom, bringing sustainability to the club and finding an identity, rather than negotiating huge deals for players that may not work in the current system and have a history of dodgy behaviour.
Who the owners would like to see pull on the shirt of their new club has very little to do with achieving actual, palpable success. Whilst I, as much as anyone, would like to see Ronaldinho in the Premier League, I’d prefer to see him at a club that has stability and plays his way, otherwise both the player and the team could be in for a very rough ride.
Ronaldinho has allegedly expressed a desire to play in the Premier League, and given the lofty reputation and considerable ability of the Brazilian, it would be hard to believe that one of the top eight or so clubs aren’t interested in him – and if he does come to England, I would predict it will be one of them, even if they offer a little less money. If this attempt to purchase Ronaldinho is indeed a fairly hollow statement of intent from the new Blackburn board, it’s a misguided one. Promising the earth and delivering nothing has never gone down too well with fans.
Perhaps this is symptomatic of a clear lack of understanding of how football works that had been suggested of Venky’s before – this is the pessimistic perspective. Perhaps, optimistically, they have a new manager, coaching staff, training facilities, youth programme, and several other big names set to arrive in the next month, but it would be fair to say that I along with the other 99% of football followers would doubt that very much.
