Season shape-up - Blackburn

We look at how sides are gearing up for the new campaign

Last updated: 16th July 2008

Paul Ince Blackburn press conference

Ince: Faces big challenge

Ins so far: None

Outs so far: Peter Enckelman (released), Stephane Henchoz (released), Bruno Berner (released)

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Paul Ince has big shoes to fill after succeeding Mark Hughes at Blackburn and faces a battle to hold onto star players David Bentley and Roque Santa Cruz. Ben Collins considers if the Premier League rookie is ready for the top flight and how he will go about continuing the progress made under Hughes.

What's happened so far

Given the job Hughes has done in recent years, he was bound to move on sooner rather than later. The former Wales boss has worked wonders on a shoe-string budget to lead Blackburn to top 10 finishes in each of his three full seasons in charge and establish himself as one of the most sought-after young managers in the British game.

Hughes has long been viewed as a potential successor to his previous boss Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and was linked with another of his former clubs, Chelsea, amid Avram Grant's impending departure. Hughes felt he could take Rovers no further after leading them to a seventh-placed finish last season and opted to take on the challenge of succeeding Sven-Goran Eriksson under the ruthless Thaksin Shinawatra at Manchester City.

Hughes' successor would face an equally challenging task, yet the likes of Sam Allardyce, Steve McClaren, Alan Shearer and Danish legend Michael Laudrup were all attracted to the post and firmly in the frame until Rovers made Paul Ince the Premier League's first black British manager.

Although a breakthrough appointment, Ince's arrival was clouded by the fact he is still to gain his Uefa Pro Licence - a requirement for all top-flight managers - but the Premier League has given Ince special dispensation with him being contractually obliged to obtain the qualification during his three-year deal. The 40-year-old deserves some lee-way, after all, as he has only been coaching for 20 months and only came to the attention of a Premier League club after a meteoric start to his managerial career in the lower leagues.

The former Manchester United and Inter Milan midfielder first steered Macclesfield to League survival in the 2006-07 season before leading MK Dons to a League Two and Johnstone's Paint Trophy double last term, fair evidence of Ince's assertion that his appointment is 'merit-based'.

Besides doubts over whether Ince is equipped yet to coach in the Premier League, there are concerns whether he will be able to handle the big-name players he has inherited from Hughes, and his first task after stepping into the Ewood Park hotseat has been trying to convince Rovers' prized assets to stay.

Like Hughes, David Bentley feels it is time to move on, making his intentions patently clear at the start of the summer. That has sparked bids from Aston Villa and Tottenham for the England international. Although Ince is intent on keeping the nucleus of Hughes' squad together and insists his want-away stars must 'knuckle down', a discontent dressing room rarely bodes well.

Brad Friedel, another Ewood Park favourite, is wanted by Hughes at City and Aston Villa but again, Ince is steadfast in his desire to keep the American.

Ince has also warned his former boss Sir Alex Ferguson to forget about making a move for last season's top scorer Roque Santa Cruz, who is said to be unsettled after a dream debut season in the Premier League, while outspoken striker Benni McCarthy is regarded as a handful.

A move to bring in Robbie Fowler has been met with less than enthusiasm from some supporters.

But Ince has made the astute move of bringing in Ferguson's former right-hand man Archie Knox as his first-team coach and also shown he is willing to compromise, allowing skipper Ryan Nelsen to join up with New Zealand's Olympic squad for the first two games of their Beijing campaign next month.

What they need

If Ince is to stand any chance of maintaining the progress made under Hughes, he must keep hold of Bentley and Santa Cruz. Hughes' success was built on his ability to unearth gems and spot bargain buys - Bentley, McCarthy, Nelsen, Santa Cruz and Christopher Samba were acquired for less than £10million.

It would be difficult for any manager to pull off such master-strokes in the transfer market, let alone a Premier League rookie in his first summer in charge, and that is what Ince would have to pull out of the bag if Bentley and/or Santa Cruz are prised away.

Even if Ince wanted to make wholesale changes, Blackburn simply do not have the resources, and the new boss is hoping to make 'one or two' new signings to complement the existing squad.

Unless Blackburn choose to cash in on Bentley and/or Santa Cruz, Ince is thought to have a transfer kitty of around £10million, which is a meagre amount compared to the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City, Tottenham and West Ham - Blackburn's rivals for European qualification. Ince will therefore have to spend wisely so expect him to think long and hard before making his move.

What they'll get

Chairman John Williams has confirmed Rovers are looking to strengthen in the same areas despite a new manager being at the helm, although naturally the personnel now being targeted have changed.

Ince may need to boost his defensive ranks with Stephane Henchoz and Bruno Berner having been released this summer, while his former Wolves team-mate Seyi Olofinjana has been touted as a potential £3million buy in midfield.

With strike pair Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts set to stay after voicing their frustrations at being left out last season, strengthening in midfield rather than attack looks a more pressing issue for Ince.

New England international Stephen Warnock has followed Nelsen and Roberts in pledging his future to the club following Ince's appointment, and although Ince is not as big a draw for transfer targets as Hughes, he is still respected on the continent for his successful spells with Manchester United and Inter Milan.

Fan's view

OK, Blackburn Rovers have lost the most up-and-comming manager in the Prem League, Mark Hughes!! But we've got a manager in Paul Ince, he can command the players' respect just like he did when he was on the pitch. I wish him well and I hope all Blackburn players and fans get behind him.

Onto our team, and like any top-half team, we need to bring in quality and try to keep our top stars. Santa Cruz, Ryan Nelsen, Brad Friedel and Stephen Reid are key players and will hopefully stay. On the matter of David Bentley, who knows?? He is a class act and if he wanted to stay, that would be a massive plus for the club, but if a top-four side came calling, could we really blame him for leaving? On the brighter side, we could get £10-15million and that's three or four good quality players, so its a win-win situation either way.

Signing players is going to be a new challange for Paul Ince in the top flight so let's hope he has the same success as Mark Hughes. Blackburn are still becoming a team and I see them finishing in the top six this term - Gavin McCoy

What do you think about Paul Ince's chances of being successful at Blackburn? Let us have your thoughts using the form below.

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Comments

Daniel Rance (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Ince can do a good job for Blackburn, I think its time to cash in £17m for Bentley, coz you know he wouldnt have such a good season this year and we would on get £10m next summer! then lets add that £17m to our kitty of say £7-8m available and bring in 2-3 really good players to strengthen. Roque needs to stay along with Friedel. Need to strengthen central midfield desperately. Tugay and Savage are long gone from 3 years ago! So come on Incey do us proud, give us top 10 and a good cup run. And sign some decent players to replace bentley!

Posted 12:51 16th July 2008

Adrian Prust (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I'm glad Paul Ince has been appointed, I really like him - in fact he'll soon become a hero of mine if Rovers do well. I think he's looking to bring in quality and experience with Robbie Fowler and Winterburn. Good luck to him and Rovers for Europe!

Posted 10:13 16th July 2008

Peter Pakeman (Wolverhampton Wanderers fan) says...

The situation is not ideal. Wolves would have been better off with Governor Ince than the brilliant but self-destructive McCarthy. Ince would have been better off with a swim in the Championship before jumping into the Premiership deep end. But Wolves messed up and, anyway, life rarely works out ideally--you have to grab your chances when they come. If given time, I'm sure Ince will do a stirling job at Blackburn. Good luck, Incey!

Posted 02:33 16th July 2008

Sam French (Arsenal fan) says...

From an outsiders point of view I think Blackburn have taken a huge gamble with Ince when they had the option of more acomplished managers. The obvious choice would have been Alladyce- good at making astute signings on shoe string budgets but I suppose if no one gives young managers a chance... I think as long as Ince gets a fair chance, which I think he will (unlike his predessor will get at his new club), he could well deliver results for Rovers. He's clearly ambitious enough, having taken on the job having only managed in League2. Hughes has left Ince a solid base to build upon and as long as Blackburn keep that grit and determination that has seen them get this far they will do ok.

Posted 01:22 16th July 2008

Gary Shannon (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Being totally honest we have over achieved for a while now so i d be happy enough with a top 12 finish, i also think Ince hasnt got as much pressure as you would get going to any other club in the premiership. Fans are happy with his appointment and are more than willing to give him time, aslong as we dont get relegated. I also believe its quite easy to unearth a player on the cheap when you are a club like rovers, bolton, wigan as there is simply not the pressure factor you get at other clubs. Dont get me wrong hughes did a fantastic job but i think hes being over rated, souness did as good a job if not better he got us promotion, won us a cup and we finished 6th under him. Ince will do well at rovers i have no doubts under that, and so what we dont have the transfer budget other clubs, money brings trouble its been proved.

Posted 00:40 16th July 2008

Brendan Rodgers (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I think that Paul Ince will do a great job, at Blackburn. I think he has the ability to get the best out of players like Mark Hughes did. I am hoping that he can keep some of our star players like Santa Cruz, Ryan Nelsen, Brad Friedel and Stephen Reid. On the situation of Bentley. He is an excellent player and an excellent talent, but if he wants to go, we might as well cash in on him. There is no point in keeping an unsettled player at the club. As this is what happened to Benni McCarthy last season after the Chelsea interest. He only scored 11 goals, and a few of these were penalties. This was not enough for a top striker. So thats why I think we should cash in on Bentley, incase this was to happen to him as well, only not with goals, but with performances. Overall I think Paul Ince will do a great job at Blackburn Rovers.

Posted 00:03 16th July 2008

Micky Mc (Manchester United fan) says...

Aresnal get a cut of any future Bentley transfer so Blackburn wont get the full fee to spend on players......

Posted 23:41 15th July 2008

Allan White (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I believe that Blackburn will struggle this season. This is not a reflection on Paul Ince but a realistic view of the lack of quality in the team. They desperately need some inspiration in midfield and a defender. A bad start to the season could lead to disastrous consequences!

Posted 22:00 15th July 2008

Martin M (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Undoubtedly alot rests on whether Ince can persuade our top players to remain at Ewood. I think Bentley will most likely leave and I'm not too worried about that, providing we can get someone like Lennon in either as part of the deal, or using the money we make. I'd be much more worried about losing Santa Cruz and Friedel. Friedel is a Rovers legend, a real fans' favourite and still one of the best keepers in the league. Santa Cruz made his mark in the Prem last year and proved to be a very important player for us. Even in games where the team didn't play well, he was always a threat to score and get us back into games. We really need to keep him. Whilst Fowler might not have been my (or anybody's) first signing and raised a few eyebrows, I'm willing to give Ince time to make his mark on the club. He is going to have a tough act to follow in Hughes and there will no doubt be ups and downs along the way, but I think if we can finish around where we were last year and be in that UEFA hunt for most of the season, that will be a good first year for Ince.

Posted 20:14 15th July 2008

Shaun Leake (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Give Ince a chance, he has only met and trained with the players this last week or so, every day there seems to be anopther startlinked with a move away, if Bentley does go and we get the kind of money that is being quoted there will not be that many tears shed by the supporters, Bentley is far from the finished article and should look at some others who thought the grass to be greeener elsewhere, Damien Duff, sean wright Phillips the list is endless, Onre other comment I feel that should be made is that we are more than gratefull that the best chairman in the premier league is staying put, How no one has head hunted John Williams is a complete mystery to me, although rightly Hughes takes great credit and before him to a lesser extent Souness but both these two will I am sure play tribute to the dealings of this man. Look face the facts we are the smallest town club in the premiership, we will not win the league again but success for us has to be judged in other ways, ask Man Utd and Aresenal in fact ask them all and I would bet that not one of them enjoys lining up against us, If we can season after season stay in the premiership taking the odd scalp along the way then I for one will not complain, the king is dead long live the king

Posted 19:00 15th July 2008

John Riding (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I believe Paul Ince will stabalise Rovers after the loss of Mark Hughes.I hope he can bring in a good strong midfielder and a right back and if he cannot persuade Bentley to stay a quality replacement would be great.

Posted 17:40 15th July 2008

Ryan Harker (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

To be frank, this has been a bleak summer break so far for me as a fan. Not only has Sparky gone, but he's sold us out to go to a lower-placed club with a rich fool for a chairman! I can't judge Ince either as hes a relative newcomer and I don't followthe lower leagues too closely. Hughes did a good job as a newcomer, though, so i'm satisfied with the chairman's choice and the backroom staff seem to shaping up nicely. Shearer would have been nice though... Basically I'm thinking we've no chance of breaking the top four this time round, I'd probably be happy with a top ten finish. Let's just hope we can keep on building the team for the next few years as we have been doing. if we lose one or two of our key assets it'll be a letdown but the money would be nice, points for pounds spent we must have been doing pretty well for the last few years. How about a nice little cup run, Incey?

Posted 17:22 15th July 2008

James Hawkes says...

Paul Ince is going to be a top manager he has proven himself everywhere he has been as a player and manager. I think if any of the top players leave Blackburn they won't be top players anywhere else i think SWP is a better player i think Ashley Young and Aaron Lennon are in the making to be top players give us Lennon and 10 million and i will personally carry Davi Bentley to White Hart Lane for free. Back ti the GUV he will be a better manager than Hughes i can't wait to see him get his teeth into it we will better ourselves this year and it will allk be down to Ince Knoxy and Wints and lets see who wants to leave us then i'm sick of people coming to ewood as a stepping stone what has Bellamy done since leaving ? what has Shearer done since leaving ? what has Duff done since leaving i could carry on. Rovers are a stable club and probably the most stable in the Premiership. I wish all the staff and team good luck for the season i will be there every nail biting parts with you COME ON ROVERS.

Posted 17:07 15th July 2008

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