It’s no fun being a Blackburn Rovers fan at the moment. In fact, it hasn’t been fun being a Blackburn Rovers fan for a while now. The Lancashire club is rooted at the foot of the Premiership and is on a torrid run of results. The manager, 44-year old Scotsman Steve Kean is a no-hoper, out-of-his depth, dead man walking – or so the Rovers faithful will tell you. The club’s owners are an Indian chicken processing firm called Venkys who hold meetings with the manager on foreign soil – a group seemingly very much out of touch with football sensibilities.
No matter, they can rely on some of the club’s big names to pull through in their time of need – the promising young talent Junior Hoilett, giant defender Christopher Samba and the ever-dependable keeper Paul Robinson. Only the former two look like they could be on the way out, which would potentially leave Rovers shorn of their best assets – problematic to say the least. Firstly, Hoilett – the 21-year old Canadian who has shone in an otherwise forgetful season. He has been stalling on a new contract for what seems like months and it looks like the club may have to cut their losses and accept that he may well move on. Arguably worse though, is the news that defender Chris Samba has handed in a transfer request. If Samba goes, surely Rovers should accept defeat and start shaping up for life in the second tier of English football.
Samba, the 27-year old Congolese defender, has been a revelation at Blackburn ever since signing from Hertha Berlin for a measly £450,000 in January 2007. A towering presence but also impressive and assured on the ball, he has seen his stock rise swiftly in the five year spell he has enjoyed in Lancashire.
On handing in his transfer request this month, Samba stated “Things have not happened as I was told they would. The club is not improving at all.” Damning words indeed, ones that speak volumes about the state of affairs at Ewood Park. At a time when transfers should be coming in, they seem to be potentially heading out. And with fans continuously demonstrating their strong dislike for manager and chairman, this news about Samba’s desire leave could not have come at a worse time for the club.
Blackburn have slapped a strict ‘Not for sale’ tag on Samba’s head and have thus far rejected two bids from Queens Park Rangers. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has stated his interest in the defender, there is also news that Paris St Germain are sniffing around – the club at which Samba wishes to ply his trade. Such is the level of admiration for the player, Blackburn know full-well they will have to fight tooth and nail to keep him.
If the club are to hope for any kind of reprieve from this season, if they are to cling on to any kind of hope of staving off the Big R, then all the stops must be put out to keep players of Samba’s quality. In addition to this, the club must come to a swift conclusion over the future of Junior Hoilett. The work of Venkys is dragging the club through the mud and they either need to sell up and get out or, if they have any desire to keep Blackburn up – start to show some interest, strive to keep important players on the books and, most importantly, either back Steve Kean or sack him. Otherwise, expect tears in East Lancashire come May.
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