Eriksson, Shearer, Maradona or Kean: Who will be the Next Blackburn Manager?
Blackburn Rovers is the only club other than Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to ever have won the Premier League (1994–95) since its began in 1992. With the sacking of Sam Allardyce, there have opened floodgates of possibilities... or perhaps, plain
speculation.
The first question to answer is: Why did the owners pull the plug on Big Sam? Many believed that after Mark Hughes, the club was finally heading towards stability. However the rather publicised reason behind the move was apparently the club’s transfer policy.
The Chairman of Venky, the Indian firm that recently acquired the club, Anuradha Desai had this to say:
"We want to take the club up to higher heights in terms of position, in terms of overall betterment of the club, in terms of development of younger players - the future. In that, Sam definitely didn't fit in.”
Maybe Desai felt that 13th position was just not good enough, and the club had more potential. What happens next? – There are tons of potential candidates for the job.
Sven Goran Eriksson
The former England and Manchester City manager has been a likely possibility to take the mantle at Ewood Park. While Venky were keen on bringing in the Swede, Eriksson is distancing himself from the position.
"Everyone wants to get into the Premier League, but I think we can do that with Leicester," he told the Leicester Mercury. Eriksson added, "I am happy here and I am not interested in any other jobs.”
Although nothing is ever certain in football, it is safe to say for now that those comments close the door on any potential move. Eriksson went on say that if the Leicester owners wanted; he could sign a long term contract.
Alan Shearer
The former England striker could well and truly be seen as a suitable replacement for Sam Allardyce. Not only does the former Blackburn striker display the energy that the owners are looking for, but he could also be a long term prospect since the fact that
he is 16 years younger than his predecessor.
According to the owners, a desirable successor should be preferably British, younger and more energetic; Shearer fits the profile perfectly. However it remains to be seen if he can be enticed to come back to the Premier League, and take on the seemingly
uphill challenge of managing a club that doesn’t merely have to avoid relegation and push forward?
Diego Maradona
Maradona, whose footballing credentials on the field are second to none, was handed over the responsibility of managing the Argentina national squad for the World Cup. That appointment was based on the legend’s dedicated service to the national side, however
for Blackburn it would be more of a case of adding some attractive, attacking flair to their game; and Diego Maradona could be more than competent at doing that.
However, Anuradha Desai was quick to quash such rumours, as she said, "He is not being considered, not now and forever for the future. I can assure you there is nothing we are having to do with Maradona."
Perhaps, the former Argentine striker would be more than the mid-table club could chew. While he might be able to add that element of glamour, maybe the club is looking for stability at the moment.
Steve Kean
If it is indeed stability that the club is aiming for, retaining caretaker manager Steve Kean might be a viable option. The Scot has been placed temporarily in charge to manage the Blackburn first team affairs after the abrupt sacking of Big Sam.
Here is what the owners had to say on the potential prospect of retaining Kean.
"The option is open for Steve, it is very clear. He has been given the time and if he does well and proves himself, there is no doubt in our mind he would be the manager forever, then."
The possibility of retaining the Scot might ensure stability in a number of ways. Firstly, the club has already lost a manager and removing Kean would cause more tactical confusion in the Rovers’ camp. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it is also a
less costly fix; Stability for the owner’s pocket too.
To conclude, Blackburn has been a competitive side, doing well despite their limitations. It is therefore important that they carefully make a decision about their manager, to ensure it does not do them more harm than good.
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