We Need to Talk About Blackburn

Blackburn’s story over the last couple of seasons has been enough to test the patience of even the most hardened football fan. They were taken over by a bunch of chicken farmers from India, Sam Allardyce was sacked within weeks and Steve Kean took over. Most people are shocked that Kean has lasted this long, but to be fair, this is perhaps more of an indictment of trigger happy chairmen than it is of the blind faith that seems to have been invested in the stubborn-yet-durable Scotsman. The man is reminiscent of a child’s toy – no matter how much it seems to get battered it just won’t break.

Time after time, a very specific brand of propaganda has come out of Ewood Park. This time last year it was rumoured that the club would finish in the top half. Relegation was never contemplated, nor was it seemingly planned for. It did come to pass however, largely thanks to an inability to strengthen sufficiently in the transfer window - epitomised by the signing of the inept Anthony Modeste.

The spin machine is once again in full swing in Lancashire and although the feeling from most supporters towards the owners and managers hasn’t changed, at least the Club have made a solid start to the new campaign. Kean will have you know that promotion is well within the club’s grasp. He is still deluded however. This is a man who believed he could persuade Junior Hoilett to remain at the club saying they had made him an “amazing offer”.

The transfer window is drawing to a close and for most fans it is an exciting time, but yesterday, something happened that on the face of it would be welcomed, but should in actual fact start ringing some rather loud alarm bells.

Jordan Rhodes is without a doubt a good player. He is a player that is only proven in the third tier of English football however. Yet his transfer fee was a cool £8 million and his wages a reputed £45k a week or, in other terms, £2.25m a year. For a Premier League club this is a lot of money, but for a Championship team it is something that is unheard of.

This is where the problem lies. By spending this type of money on a player, another £3 million on Leon Best and another £4 million on Colin Kazim Richards, Venkys simply do not know how to run a football club. It’s worrying because there are many fans that would be able to point to their Club’s woes as a clear reason not to overspend. Blackburn may say that they have the money, but surely it would have been better invested in trying to stay in the league last season than trying now to get back into it?

Blackburn would do well to look at the example of Blackpool, a club who have barely spent the outlay on Jordan Rhodes in their entire history. Value for money signings, a cracking team spirit and a strong ethos, which have all contributed to breeding an attractive attacking style of play, are some of the things which Ian Holloway should take a great deal of credit. There’s no doubt that the players Blackpool bought in were done so to do a very specific job. Steve Kean on the other hand, appears to be of the ‘Steve Bruce mould’ - buy ‘em in first, worry about tactics later.

It would be completely unsurprising to learn that in a year’s time Venkys no longer own Blackburn and the club is in complete freefall. The reasons why couldn’t be speculated about unless The Centre Circle wants to be hit with a potentially bankrupting lawsuit. Spending big money on run-of-the-mill players is a high-risk outlay for a club that will inevitably have to tighten its belt following relegation.

We have statements from Shebby Singh about Morten Gamst Pedersen being a “pensioner” yet Blackburn then go and sign the thirty-six year old Nuno Gomes. It’s hardly planning for the future, and the comments hardly reflect those of a man who understands football or etiquette.

You have to ask why Rhodes would choose Blackburn, their despised owners, under-fire manager and poisonous match day atmosphere. In fact, the answer is pretty obvious. While Steve Kean may say Rhodes’ signing is an indication of the draw of the Club, this is not the case. Simply put, Blackburn were the only team mad enough to pay that amount for him and when you raise the stakes like this you fall a long, long way.

Blackburn should pray that they do get promoted straight away as there’s plenty of evidence that demonstrates what can happen to clubs who overspend their means. Income and gates will be down this year, so the Club cannot afford to get it wrong this time, because the effects will be a lot worse than relegation. Just ask Portsmouth fans.

~Ian Bendelow