When Sven Came, Then Changed His Mind

[Gone to seed]

I see the Gruaniad (sic) are running a story with the headline:

Sven-Göran Eriksson: 'Blackburn let me join Lazio. I thank them every day

It is a stark reminder of where we were in the grand scheme of things, how far we have fallen (e.g. worrying about dropping points at Brentford) and what might have been...

Click the link, bask in the reflected glory of those glory - glory - Sven Gory days... and weep ;)..........

[oldjamfan1]

Uncle Jack showed his class there. I've heard a few people connected to Rovers - mainly fans to be fair - lambast Sven for his part in it. I take a different view. Yes he had signed a contract and we could have held him to it or sued him over it, but what was the point? And at least he had the balls to approach the club and say "I've changed my mind". I'm glad he is still grateful to Jack for allowing him to tear up that contract.  

Edited February 26, 2020 by oldjamfan1

[frosty]

It's not mentioned in this article, but in Sven's autobiography from a few years ago he said he asked Uncle Jack if he could bring Roberto Mancini with him. He'd have been on big wages but was available for nothing in terms of the transfer fee. Uncle Jack wasn't convinced and blocked any potential deal.

Sven said he was having second thoughts about joining us after that. Then the call from Lazio came and off he went.

[Gone to seed]

Thanks for that, Oldjamfan1 - in my view it was further evidence that we had a proper business set up during those years, which was the key to our ability to 'punch above our weight'. There's a club not far down the M65 who appear to have the model (albeit a six fingered version) in place now. We, in contrast, have the shadows of the past and (relatively for the time being at least) our arses in the air :)!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

25 minutes ago, frosty said:

It's not mentioned in this article, but in Sven's autobiography from a few years ago he said he asked Uncle Jack if he could bring Roberto Mancini with him. He'd have been on big wages but was available for nothing in terms of the transfer fee. Uncle Jack wasn't convinced and blocked any potential deal.

Sven said he was having second thoughts about joining us after that. Then the call from Lazio came and off he went.

Mancini was a class act as a player.

[Amo]

Who needs Mancini when you got Graham Fenton?

[Gone to seed]

8 minutes ago, Amo said:

Who needs Mancini when you got Graham Fenton?

And who needs Sven Goran Eriksson when you can have Brian Kidd ?

[Oldgregg86]

Who needs jack walker wen you’ve got the venkys ??

[JacknOry]

who needs anything when you got Chaddy

[perthblue02]

15 hours ago, WIR Second Coming said:

...

Bloody hell, Dack's recovery training regime not going too well

[Bbrovers2288]

Was honestly heartbroken when this fell apart , as a young lad having this exciting foreign coach from Italy was a new dawn. Sadly our back up didn’t turn out too well 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I was never a big fan of Sven's.

[Amo]

Looked like a nutty professor but a total chad with the ladies.

[Vinjay]

12 hours ago, Yoogo said:

When it wasn't happening, and we ended up with Roy, I vividly recall being told that he was our number one choice and rejected us before we approached Sven! Don't shoot the messenger, and of course it's just hear say, but I DID hear it, and I wasn't even online back then (as most of us wouldn't have been). That bit might need to go in the thread about "I could have sworn this happened...".

True.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

12 hours ago, Yoogo said:

I vividly recall watching Sampdoria on Football Italia at around the time when "Sven was coming". What a team of stars Sampdoria were, and I'd never even heard of them before! I won't Google, as it takes away the fun, but off the top of my head... Veron, Mancini, Karembeu, Pagliuca, Mihaljovic... I could be wrong about one or two, but imagining some foreign players like that coming to Rovers was going a level up from Kenny in my young mind back then! I also loved their kit... Red black and white horizontal set of stripes across a blue kit and white shorts? I was so excited.

When it wasn't happening, and we ended up with Roy, I vividly recall being told that he was our number one choice and rejected us before we approached Sven! Don't shoot the messenger, and of course it's just hear say, but I DID hear it, and I wasn't even online back then (as most of us wouldn't have been). That bit might need to go in the thread about "I could have sworn this happened...".

Football is an amazing game, but I always look back on those times and think "what if...". We could have really cemented ourselves as a world class team for good if we knew how to.

I was still playing 5 a side around that time so one birthday I treated myself to a real Sampdoria shirt to play in.  " Phonola " was their sponsor then. There was a shop in the Manchester Arndale that sold real replica shirts from all over the world. It was a choice of the Samp shirt or the Napoli shirt with " Buitoni " as the sponsor. Best shirt I ever had quality wise, it was great to play in. I gave it to number 2 son to sell on Ebay when he was hard up. I think it went for £60.