According to reports Blackburn have tried to get Billy McKinlay for their vacant manager's job. They obviously like the Fulham pedigree. Given how well Billy seems to be working with Jol and the player's, the Club have thankfully rejected any approach. http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11676/8187205 Not that I think he is a legitimate candidate, but Blackburn clearly haven't marked Danny Murphy's card. He was dropped from the first team at the weekend.
I think that Billy Mac, and Kit Symonds are being groomed as our future management team. Well I would like to think that is the case,2 great coaches and motivators.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20031652 Apparently we've denied them permission to speak with him, but I don't like the look of the sentence, 'he will only be given permission to enter talks if compensation is agreed'. It sounds like we're haggling rather than flat out refusing, and it sounds like he's interested rather than flat out turning it down. Hmmmm.
See what you mean Captain, and that does sounds ominous. Billy Mac has come through the coaching ranks, as it were, with Fulham and I only hope he sees that as a positive vote of confidence. If he went to Blackburn and they did manage to go up, the Venky's don't have a very good track record for hanging on to people.
Heard from a reliable insider at MP that Billy Mc will be given permission to talk to Blackburn by the w/e,Fulham are looking for 1 mil comp. Lets hope it is just gossip.
I think we'd be doing him a favour by not letting him to bo Blackburn, though, admittedly, he may not see it that way
I hope he stays, but I think when any coach gets a chance - his first chance at that - to be a manager in his own right, it's not fair to stand in their way (providing there's suitable compensation, obviously). From Billy Mac's point of view, it's a club he has a previous connection with and a chance to be his own man. The Murphy and Etuhu connection might sway him as well. The argument against is the crazy way that the owners seemed to be running the club over the last couple of years. If he plans to ever be a manager rather than a right-hand man he'll have to weigh up whether the potential for interference is going to stop him doing the job. If not, he's got to take it. No matter how well thought of he is at the Cottage, there's no sign of Jol moving on in teh short term (thankfully) and when he does go, there's a very strong chance that we won't go for a first time manager. I think he's going to take the Blackburn job.
A worrying aspect is the lack of opposition he has for the job, if you believe newspaper reports. Their former captain, Tim Sherwood has apparently already rejected an offer and according to the papers the other candidates are Alan Shearer and Ian Holloway. It would be nice if Shearer took it, if only to get him off TV, but I can't see the Blacburn job being attractive or offer any incentive to either of them. This article from the local paper goes into more detail about the guy at Rovers who wants to appoint Billy Mac and also about opposition from fans who don't want "another inexperienced manager" - http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/news/10001099._/
Good points C58 (and a hearty LOL at the Shearer remark), they don't seem to be going for any experienced top managers, which is strange is it doesn't fit the profile of owners who wanted CL football in four years (or whatever it was). They also tried signing Ronaldinho and Beckham didn't they?! I'm not sure what their angle is.
I think he's almost certainly going to take the job, and I can imagine him doing quite well there. The concern is of course the owners, but then given their extraordinary reluctance to sack Steve Kean it may be that it's actually a pretty comfortable job (especially given the modern habits of changing managers every few months). He wouldn't have to work as hard as Kean did to win over the fans and players and its possible if he were to have a good transfer budget he could target promotion in the next few seasons. Obviously it would be sad to see him go but if I were him I would find it hard to turn down.
First off welcome to ronnie Rooke to the board. I'm a bit late sorry about that. I can't help but think that this is the complete poison chalice of a job. I hope he turns it down, there's a reason others don't want it after all!
It's a poisoned chalice, but a lot of coaches are just desperate to get their hands on any kind of chalice. You couldn't blame him for thinking that if he doesn't take this opportunity, he might not get another one. Like others I hope he stays but think he'll go.
Fulham have rejected the Blackburn approach. Good for us, Jol values BM a great deal it appears. Quite rightly.
I dont think Billy Mac will view this as a poisoned chalice,and my reasons are this. He will be looking at at least a 2 year contract,with a mimium salary of 2 mil,+perks. Which is definately more than at the Cottage, FAILURE : sacked with a nice handshake. SUCCESS : move on to even greater prizes
I don't see Blackburn fans thinking McKinlay is a step up, (more fool them). I want to keep him. At the moment who ever goes there will be under pressure if they are not the fans choice, if they are associated as the Venkys choice. Think their fans want to be associated with the likes of a Dalglish or Shearer (more fool them) who will bring in top cash players.
Why are Blackburn worrying? - they can have Mark Hughes in a couple of weeks - and they do claim to be ambitious!!
I see Doug Freedman has left Crystal Palace to join Bolton. Not wishing it obviously, but Palace would be a much better club for Billy Mac.
Reports say that Blackburn have backed off because they fear further boycotts from fans if the sign-up Billy Mac. So that's all right then, so far as that job is concerned anyway. There's always the possibility that the interest shown by Blackburn has whetted his appetite. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2222167/Billy-McKinlays-Blackburn-Rovers-fans-protest.html
