Blackburn Rovers boss Henning Berg was a firm favourite of the Ewood Park faithful back in his playing days, but his disastrous start to life as Steve Kean’s successor has raised many an early question as to his suitability for the job. Football Burp mosied on down to Rovers forums Roverstalk and BRFCS to see what folk had to say in the wake of Friday’s 4-1 home defeat to Championship leaders Cardiff City…

Stands accused of…

senorbarry, RoversTalk…

Managers fault 100%
He has left one midfielder and 5 out players WTF!
Very naive tactics, amateur like. Berg doesnt know what he’s doing

Mercerman, BRFCS…

The squad might be overrated but it’s the manager’s job to get the most out of them through organisation, team selection, tactical nous and motivation. Berg, IMO, lamentably fails on all counts – he simply isn’t good enough.

dwayne cage, Roverstalk…

Well Berg is looking more and more like a poor Keanesque appointment.

Truly shit start to his reign

Kelbo, BRFCS…

Well, I really thought Berg would have done much better than he has to date and last night, his substitutions baffled me, when Cardiff scored their last two goals, we had, Rochina, Lowe, King, Hanley, Henley, Nunez, Rhodes and Olsson all under 23 on the park with no real midfield or shape in the team and despite not playing well, at 2 – 1 we had a chance of getting a draw, maybe more I dont know, interestingly, Robbo was going long last night against a Cardiff side who won everything in the air and far stronger!!

We have and havent for almost two years, any balance in the squad, I look at Cardiff, their Central Midfield consisted of experienced and strong lads who know the Championship and Bellamy and Noone wide with lots of pace, they switched play exceptionally well (something we cant do) and it opened us up for Cardiffs first and second goals. I liked Berg as a player and honestly thought he would have cut the mustard, he may still do but time is running out for him and unless, as others have stated, he gets the backing from the club and money to spend in January, things arent going to change.

As an afterthought here, anybody else feel we create far less chances when Gomez is not in the team? personally, I would bring Gomez, Givet and Simon in for Murphy, Lowe and Formica, pushing Martin Ollson wide left and King wide right with Givet at Left full back, I do think that would give us a better balance and more experience to the team!

RoverWithATear, Roverstalk…

im not being funny but i would take kean over berg anyday.

AdamRover81, Roverstalk…

I feel like crying! Jesus!

Rovertheseas, Roverstalk…

Scott Dann and Grant Hanley, Etuhu and Lowe…the spine of our team is abominably weak.

tomthebodz, Roverstalk…

Big investment needed in January.
2 central defenders, 2 central midfielders and a right midfielder. We desperately need players who can pass the ball well.

Such an embarrassing performance tonight.

Rovertheseas, Roverstalk…

I’m not confident that Berg is the manager to make that investment unfortunately.

Darth Rover, Roverstalk…

I thought a little bit unlucky but overall we got mugged by a better team playing at a level we should be playing at. Serious doubts about Berg now. Especially when there is an unemployed Mark Hughes. The team/squad is weak and needs improving. January can’t come fast enough.

co-zas, Roverstalk…

To be fair i was very peed off with the appointment of berg, but was willing to give him a chance. But he just doesn’t look bothered. I mean he had a shit managerial record, and it’s still shit now. He will just go back to being a pundit on tv and talking shit about us.. Only this time he will be involved in the shambles we’re left in.

Roverboyben, Roverstalk…

Poor performance. No leadership. No creativity. No quality. Again, Rhodes left to feed on scraps. The only positive tonight were the performances of King and Kaz. We simply cannot have a central midfield pairing made up of either Etuhu, Murphy or Lowe since none of them are capable of creating anything. The most pressing issue though as far as I am concerned is WHY OH WHY is our best defender sat on the bench match after match?

Automatic promotion is now not a possibility, and based on the last few weeks, a top half finish looks a millions miles off.

co-zas, Roverstalk…

Find myself totally agreeing with this post. Berg as a defender should know Givet has stuck with us, he is committed and as solid defender as we could hope for. What the fuck is he seeing in training that makes him WORSE than Dann? Jesus fucking christ when he lost his hair did he lose his fucking brain!?

In his defence…

Parsonblue, BRFCS…

Berg needs to be given time but there has been a marked decline in performances since the win at Peterborough. Sadly, it all comes down to players and ours are not good enough. In this division you need speed and strength – two qualities which the majority of our players don’t have. If Shebby was being honest with the fans he would come out and say that the owners are prepared to write this season off and give the manager time and money to rebuild the squad. However, I’m not convinced that Berg will get either. I don’t think he will get the money he requires to rebuild in January and I suspect he will be out come the summer when we finish in the lower half of the table.

senorbarry, Roverstalk…

think everyone wanted to give him a chance, it’s just not happening.
My biggest problem is with the players and owners. I mean why spend 8million on a star striker but nothin on a decent manager to get the best out of him. FFS Holloway was not even enquired, even if he said ‘no thanks, I’d rather move back down south closer to my kids’, we should have still tried.

dave von dave, Roverstalk…

this club is dying..there is not 1 single player at the club who would of gotten into the team mark hughes assembled before he fucked of to citeh, the ground is virtually empty (i and my family gave up after the bolton shambles and will not return until the venky’s are gone), berg has taken on an impossible task and i genuinely feel sorry for him but that said he isn’t the answer (and never was)…we needed souness to whip this shower of shit into some kind of shape and give us a fighting chance, sadly i can only see a couple of seasons in the championship before we drop further down the league’s and maybe into administration…soul destroying to watch.

GAV, BRFCS…

I think people are being harsh on Berg, and they tend to be the people who think we have a good squad and will walk this league…..

What that rat has done to this side during his tenure here is beyond repair short term. What confused of Pune have done to the club since they took over is currently beyond repair also.

Berg has come in and is trying to bring some order back to the playing side of things, but there’s no quick fix, it’s consolidation this season, HOPEFULLY! And look to push on next.

Is Berg the right manager for Blackburn Rovers? I doubt it, after all a TV pundit from the Far East picked him, a bit like giving Merson the job from soccer Saturday. But he’s here and he’s the manager so we should all back him, for now.

Singh out
Agnew out
Venkys out

Darth Rover, Roverstalk…

Day after the event i think many of the comment made after the game where half justified and some on the harsh side. True Rovers showed why we are under achieving but also showed signs we aren’t far away from being a good team. The best bits showing good spirit in equalising but the bad not being able to sustain the momentum and going behind in the first place. Again at 1-2 Rovers showed great invention and if Nuno Gomes would have been available he wouldn’t have missed the chance Formica had. At 2-2 i think we would have gone on to win it. Such is football though the general opinion is we fucked up.

Is the problem Berg and team selection or the players. Apart from bringing back Givet and trying to find somekind of decent midfield with what we have its is difficult. The players have to take some responsibility as the days of hiding behind the scottish idiot failings are gone. Berg deserves the oportunity to put his mark on the team in January and that oportunity he must make the most of. He has brought in Joshua King and last night he showed he coud be a benefit to us. Aproaching the halfway point of the season we need to improve a lot just to make the the play offs but if we can have a decent finish to this year and a few introductions to the squad (and a few departures) we can still get back to the PL first time of asking.

I get the impression though if we carry on through December like we have recently then Shebby will be knocking on Venky’s door and Berg will be out. The option should this happen is can Mark Hughes come in (should he want to) and get us going in the right direction. To be honest i would rather have Hughes in charge but it all depends on whether Berg can keeps us in somekind of contention and improve the team in January. That is plan A. Plan B would be Hughes for me. Plan B might happen should results continue to be bad in the rest of December. What with Blackpool,Brighton and Boro coming up i wouldn’t like to be in Berg shoes.

tomphil, BRFCS…

Feel a bit sorry for Berg this team isn’t good enough if Kean had stayed we’d probably be no better off. Certainly nowhere near the top. What we need is someone to stop the rot and managers like that are Big Sam, Warnock, Mcarthy and people of that ilk. Not everyone’s cup of tea but horses for courses.

Is Henning Berg the right man for the job, Blackburn fans? Have your say in the comments section below…