Fa Barclaycard Premiership News Update

Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 16 December 2008 )

English Premiership football News

Lowly Blackburn sack manager Ince
Blackburn have sack manager Paul Ince, after less than six months in charge with the club second bottom of the Fa Barclaycard Premiership.

Ince, 41, joined Rovers from MK Dons in June but Blackburn last league victory was in Newcastle on September 27.

Chairman John Williams said: "Three wins in 17 games that you saw a team that finished seventh last season fall to 19th place.

"We are now in danger of being detached from the pack."

The decision to sack Ince was taken after a board meeting and Blackburn Williams said that the need to keep the club in the top flight was behind the move.

Williams said the club intends to appoint a new manager in time for Saturday's game against Stoke with former boss Graeme Souness an early harbinger, possibly assisted by veteran midfielder Tugay Blackburn.

The former Bolton and Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce, who was considered for the post during the summer before Ince got the job, and ex-Charlton and West Ham boss Alan Curbishley were also linked.

Williams was publicly criticized Blackburn on the screen of what has proved to be Ince's final game, the 3-0 defeat to Wigan on Saturday.

He added: "The survival of the club in the Premier League is paramount and our focus is on finding a replacement to be able to maintain our top-division status.

"Paul will rebound, it is a struggle and we wish him every success."

A statement published on the website of Blackburn, said: "The Council, after selecting Paul Ince in June, desperately need him to succeed and I wanted to give him as much time as possible in the unforgiving environment of the Fa Barclaycard Premiership, where time is such a precious commodity. "

The Blackburn team returned to training on Tuesday after their Christmas party in Dublin and they have been subjected to peace by their deputy director Ray Matthias while Ince met with the board of directors.

Mathias, first team coach Archie Knox and the first assistant coach Karl Robinson will take charge against Stoke, although President Williams said the club hoped to appoint someone before the weekend, but said there was "no guarantee".

Ince was appointed on June 22 on a three-year contract after spells with Macclesfield, who avoided relegation to the Football League, and MK Dons, which led to the League Two title and Johnstone's Paint Trophy in his first season in charge.

Despite Rovers' promising start of the campaign, the former Manchester United and England midfielder saw the performance and results to start deteriorated.

Rovers have lost their last six league and there have been reports of dressing room unrest.

But Mathias insists there was no unrest in Blackburn and who had no role to play in the departure of Ince.

"This is a load of waste. There is no happier a dressing room as ours - could go a long way to beat that, he said.

"This is a huge disappointment Paul has disappeared. Everybody feels it, the players, you can see in their eyes.

He added: "At the end of the day we are quite professional. Unfortunately, the decision on Gaffe was made, and we must go hand in hand with what the club said.

"This is a small number of games for any person to be judge, but we must move forward with our work now."

After the defeat to Wigan, Williams told the Lancashire Telegraph: "After all the signs emerging from Brockhall (Blackburn training ground) this week, I was led to believe we get a high yield.

"Without taking anything from Wigan, I must say that I was very disappointed by what I saw.

"The problem is the table starts to stretch and now we need only two victories to get back amongst the pack at the bottom."

Blackburn part-time defensive coach Nigel Winterburn Ince felt should have more time to prove himself at Ewood Park.

"I would have liked to give him time to the transfer window in January to put in his own players," said Winterburn.

"I am positive he would have seen improvements, but the board decided that this is not the case.

"I think people are starting to panic. The results are not collected and they decided they needed someone else in place to drive the club forward."

Former Blackburn striker Kevin Gallagher told BBC Radio 5 Live that the club is desperate to avoid relegation and loss of income.

"I thought I had a little more time, perhaps engage in the transfer market, spend some money and see how it goes," said Gallagher. "But after seeing the president's face on TV at the weekend said that a great history.

"The club have a trust fund and they tried to sell the club. If the club down that much money lost and evaluation of the club down as well. I think they have a lot of Perhaps pressure on the board.

"The board tried to back Paul as much as they could, but the display at the weekend was the last straw - the pressure and said something to offer. Unfortunately, it was Paul. "

Gallagher admits that the club is currently not the most attractive for a new manager.

"Who will want to turn to the club now sitting second bottom?" he added. "They are struggling a bit, there are not many finances to here, there are quite a number of injuries.

"Steve McClaren has been mentioned, but it does very well in the Netherlands (at FC Twente) and I heard a small rumor about Roberto Mancini, there will be a lot of names mooted.

"The CVs that have been placed in a cabinet six months ago, when Paul got the job will be back again."

Blackburn's record scorer Simon Garner believes that the club has acted at the right time, and given his successor a chance to turn things around.

Garner told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The results were wrong and the board acted quickly.

"You have to admire them for trying to adjust and keep Blackburn in the Premier League.

"This is one of corporate earnings, particularly in the Premier League. You have to stay in this division.

"The transfer window is coming and you can see why they did. They want to find someone up to say that the players had to be done and those to come in."

Ince becomes the sixth Premier League manager to leave his post this season following the departure of Kevin Keegan (Newcastle), Alan Curbishley (West Ham), Juande Ramos (Tottenham), Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth) and his former team Manchester United Roy -mate Keane (Sunderland), Dec. 4.
by bbcnews.