It requires a good memory to recall the Blackburn Rovers glory years. The 1994/95 season, for instance, with Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton forming the lethal SAS strikeforce and Colin Hendry and Tim Sherwood providing fearless leadership. That year, the then-Premiership trophy came to Ewood Park and it seemed to be ushering in a period of sustained success. But it proved to be a false dawn – silverware did not follow until 2002 in the form of the League Cup and there has been nothing to write home about since.
While those two campaigns brought the highs, they have been outnumbered by the lows. In no time, the 1995 title-winning team was broken up and the club suffered a crushing relegation in 1999, confirming a mighty fall in the space of four years. It was, at least, only a two-year stay, but it left lasting scars. Last season brought back that familiar feeling of despair as Blackburn tumbled back into the second tier of English football, with then-boss Steve Kean surviving the summer, only to be sacked in late September.
The upside for Blackburn fans is that Kean’s replacement should bring fond memories flooding back, having been linked with both the 1995 and 2002 Rovers glory years. Henning Berg, who was a steadying influence at right back in the title-winning team and then captain and centre-back in 2002, has been appointed the new Blackburn manager and, despite limited managerial pedigree, should be a big hit up in Lancashire.
That is, once he has brushed off questions about his dismissive verdicts on Blackburn earlier in the year. “There are no real managers with credibility who would accept a job like that”, he claimed five months ago in a shock outburst. “You might end up shooting yourself in the foot.” His appointment marks a remarkable turnaround.
Not only does Berg have a Blackburn connection (he spent two stints at the club, the first spanning four years after signing from Lillestrom), he also played under Sir Alex Ferguson during some of Manchester United’s finest seasons, including the historic Treble-winning year. There is little better preparation for what Berg now has on his plate than playing under a manager like Ferguson. The insights from working with the Scot and the array of world class performers at Old Trafford at that time will be invaluable for him.
Berg inherits a team that has adjusted impressively to life in the Championship. Caretaker boss Eric Black steered the ship shrewdly and there is every sign that Blackburn should be contenders for the playoffs at the very minimum, particularly with proven performers like Paul Robinson, Gael Givet and Morten Gamst Pedersen on the books.
The 43-year-old does, however, take over a wage bill that does not fit with the Championship model. Blackburn rolled the dice with Kean, arguably sticking to their guns longer than they should have, and now the Norwegian, a former fan favourite, is back on a rescue mission. Just don’t expect him to shy away from the challenge. After all, this is the same man who stared down Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Zinedine Zidane on the road to the Treble.
Berg, the player, always exuded calmness and grace. Those traits should serve him well on the touchline, though his spells at the helm at Lyn and Lillestrom in his homeland were not overwhelming successes. It will be critical that expectations are correctly managed, but regardless, while Blackburn clearly want and need to be back in the top flight in a hurry, the Kean era left such a sour taste that Berg is likely to enjoy a lengthier honeymoon period than might otherwise have been expected.
Given all the candidates linked with the vacant job, from Sherwood to Harry Redknapp to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Berg’s appointment came as a slight surprise, especially after his comments this year. The Norwegian proved himself to be a class act on the pitch and, while history teaches that there is no guarantee that this will translate to a successful managerial career, his return to Ewood Park brings back memories of happier days when the club were chasing bigger prizes than promotion.
For now, after a torrid 12 months, this is just what Blackburn need – and Berg has a terrific opportunity to drive the club back to the Premier League Promised Land, enhancing his standing as a Rovers legend in the process.
