Tugayisgod

Buckley finally looking the player we all hoped he would be. Absolute class tonight

Off topic, but Nixon has written this article today about how Kenny Dalglish wound up at Rovers. Good piece actually, shows the worth of a good chairman like Bill Fox . https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/campaign/8284416/2382521d713349d992c7e7a317c8c463/eyJ3IjozNjB9/1.jpeg?token-time=1709856000&token-hash=wBL9Uz8qUttqqeFUijDeK4rctNQ5CmZ7YKpZQvuGHQ0%3D ReluctantNicko Kenny Dalglish and the Blackburn job … ‘have you got his number?’ 34 minutes ago By Alan Nixon Kenny Dalglish was without doubt a great player and could have been a great manager when he made the step up at Liverpool. He was suspicious of people beyond belief and it was good just to be on the fringes of the Merseyside media pack when you covered the club. His press conferences were like an attempt to be awkward, painful at times, and I could never work him out when he was there. I tried to play it straight with him and give him the respect his reputation deserved if not his atttidue. I once rang to check a story I knew was true about Steve Nicol picking up an injury that would rule him out for months. It took hours and lots of calls to get through until I reached Dalglish who was just obstructive rather than making any attempt to co-operate or even make sure the story was written right. It always stuck in my mind. It was quite something to be at Anfield the day Dalglish left, the mask slipped and we saw the true man. He was worn down by the pressure of the job and wanted out, it had got to him and he did not need it any more. From that day I looked on him in a slightly different light. Yet it was easy to have the odd chip about him walking out on jobs and he obviously did not like it. For all that I played a strange part in his managerial return and it was all down to a chance conversation with the Blackburn Rovers chairman Bill Fox. I had written the story that Rovers wanted Dalglish as boss as I knew their wealthy owner Jack Walker was telling people he was their first choice. Nobody in the London offices believed it and so the tale was played down. A few days later I went to cover a Football League meeting in the Midlands at the time when the Premier League breakaway was on the cards. I liked Fox a lot and so I was sympathetic to his side of the argument and the protection of the 'old' league. We had always got on well when we met at Rovers games and he was a proper football man. After this League meeting Bill pulled me in the bar and said 'Have you got it then?' 'What do you mean?' I replied with no idea what he meant. 'Dalglish's number?' he said. Straight away I thought 'what the ****? and said I did not have it but knew a man who could contact him. I asked Bill if he was serious and he said that Dalglish was the one Jack wants and Bill had to make it happen. Or else. Walker was a man who liked his wishes to be fulfilled. Fast. I called The Sun's man on Merseyside Mike Ellis to brief him on the possibility as he was good mates with Dalglish's solicitor and Liverpool lawyer Kevin Dooley. I said to get them to call Fox and make the thing happen. Mike went to see Dooley who put it to Kenny and the ball rolled. Even then Dalglish would not come back and share any news or updates. In the end I found out from Blackburn that it was on. I was puzzled Dalglish or his sidekick did not have the courtesy to call, but that was just him. So I did the story that he was coming, a joint by line job with Mike. The office should have been overjoyed, but they came back and ridiculed the story and one sports desk lackie tried to pour cold water on it in particular. I flipped. For ten minutes he got a good old Drumchapel doing down the phone when I pointed out what a useless operator and spineless bastard he was. I have never sworn as repeatedly or with such depth of feeling as I did on that call. I went home from the office and had the sports editor David Balmforth on soon after asking why I had abused his right hand man. I told him what I had said to him and stood by it. Next day the big Dalglish for Rovers story came out. By Mike Ellis. My name nowhere near it. I never forgave those petty pricks for that and never will. The problem was that people stuck in a London office did not want to back their reporter on the patch when he was telling them that a millionaire was bankrolling the biggest revolution in English football. It had been an issue before. I got the tip that Walker wanted Gary Lineker, England's top striker and the star of the Tottenham team. Most people would have laughed, but I knew that was the way Walker thought and was going about doing things. I called Bill Fox and he confirmed it, an approach had been made and a bid of £2 million was in. So I sent the story and after a long argument with Balmforth it was on the back. Spurs erupted, Lineker and his agent Jon Holmes tried to claim it was a stunt. I found that funny in later years as money-grabbing Lineker would later go to Japan and present Match of the Day in his shorts. I rang Bill to say is there any way we can take this further. He said the club would confirm the offer and if pressed he would tell Spurs and anyone else that Jack would buy their club instead if he wanted to. We both laughed, but it was true. After the way the Dalglish story was treated I was tempted to quit the paper, but thought that Blackburn Rovers would now be a great source of stories and how right it was. Fox was eternally grateful and suddenly the London no-marks wanted Rovers stories because they loved the Dalglish thing. How ironic. So there was an endless stream of players coming and cash stories plus the bonuses and wages being thrown around. It makes me smile to see the cuttings and think of the friction that came before the earliest ones. Jack Walker changed a lot of things. Fox was great through it all. When I heard they wanted rising star goalkeeper David James before he was famous he confirmed it on the spot. Any time other deals needed checking he was there. Sadly his health faded fast, no-one knows if it was the pressure or just his general wellbeing. His death was a loss to football, one of the true gents I have come across. Dalglish was a new man at Blackburn, playing up to the media and relaxed in his new surroundings. He was also letting his assistant Ray Harford do much of the work, but that was fine by Kenny who liked his down time. I have never told him about the background to how he got the job, I did not want him to think I was looking for a favour in return. But it does give me a certain glee to know how it was done.

Agree. It's not pretty at the moment but weren't there people on here recently crying out for Big Sam to return when he mentioned he would be open to coming back?. What type of football would they have expected to see. The first hour last night was poor, but the subs made a big difference and hopefully that last half hour will be more of what to expect going forward

Luckily for us there are a lot of teams in and around us who are in awful form as well. Certainly don't think we will need 50 points, the last two seasons have gone down with less.It would be nice to get there though asap

Absolute shite for an hour, much better last 1/2 hours with the subs making a big difference. Buckley excellent considering he's hardly played for 3 months and Dolan also busy as usual. Clean sheet, Pears solid, put the point in the bag and move on (as Tony would say)

3-1 , another for Gilsenan 😃. Seemed to be playing as a 10 looking at this Highlights https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2024/02/u21-highlights-derby-county-1-3-blackburn-rovers-pl2-feb-24

Maybe he's seen my post above !

Just thinking about our options in midfield. May be a bit left- field but wondering if Hedges could play centre mid ? Needs must and if Garrett is the only other option alongside Tronstad, might be worth a shout and bring Chrisene in at wing back

Wasn't at the game yesterday, but reading the reports it appears that physically at least we were able to match the nobbers , whereas in the home game we were completely out fought and bullied by them. Have to say though, I am concerned about this run of games in a short space of time with our injury record. Players like Gallagher, whatever you may think of him, will be vital in the run in, we can't afford to lose him for any length of time. But what games do you leave him out of, it's a big decision. Sounds like the pitch was heavy yesterday and will have taken a lot of the players, do you rest him on Tuesday? Same goes for the like of Hedges, McFadzean and Brittain, players who succumb to injuries fairly easily. Some big decisions to make over team selection in the coming weeks for the manager

Should have moved for him when he was available after leaving City

And yet, we are going to have to wrap him in cotton wool for the busy schedule ahead. Lose him to injury again and we are in the mire. Same for Brittain, Sammie, JRC, Tronstad, Hyam , going to have to be managed carefully the next few weeks

Maybe a zoom meeting more likely ?

Seems to remember Broughton saying whoever replaced JDT would have the same footballing principles. After 1 game it looks like that has gone out of the window already

Surely Suhail would be keeping Venkys in touch with everything going on, including the atmosphere around the club at present. Isn't that his job ? It should be

Agree, have to say that I wasn't his biggest fan, but since he has come back from his injury, and he seems in a better place after his mental health issues, he has been fantastic. Well deserved a new contract now

Get in ! Brilliant 3 points, onwards and upwards! Big shout out to Pears, had so much stick, but that penalty save could be huge. Who knows how the game would have panned out if that had gone in

Looks like it. Good to have another couple of bodies back as well

Looks like we've found our set piece coach in Eustace's No 2. One less task for Ben Benson !

I'd be willing to bet that Rovers delegation never make that flight across the Atlantic now. New manager, possibly new targets

Good luck trying to get him to sign that pre contract you bunch of fucking amateurs

Few tweets from Nixon here, seems to think Eustace not cut and dried ....and may not be the best option according to him

Jim White on Talksport now talking about Rovers

Emotional pull ? Local lad ? Who knows but if you don't ask....