Benitez To blackburn?

There are growing whispers particularly around Blackburn that Rafael Benitez has signed a pre-contract deal to become the next manager of Blackburn Rovers Football Club.

The main provision apparently is that this deal is subject to Premier League status. One more win will probably be enough to secure that in the remaining games. Another provision is supposedly that there be full control over transfers even though Rovers did not sign a single player represented by Kentaro in January.

Certainly it's no secret that there have been several comments relating to the future of Steve Kean. It is obvious that he is not strongly favored by the majority of Blackburn Rovers supporters short term or long term.

Personally, I've always seen Kean as a victim of what Rovers failed to do last summer under the previous ownership. Absolutely no signings were made that proved to be of any use and nor were they ever likely to be. How can a club expect to finish in the top half again after that? The subject of who the manager is in my view would have made absolutely no difference.

The unacceptable manner of defeat at Old Trafford in November proved this season was going to be a long, hard struggle—which is entirely the fault of the previous owners.

It makes sense for the owners to publicly back Kean because whatever some people think of him the man is giving nothing less than his best effort. Anything else considering the position he's been given would be absolutely insane. There is no doubt he wants to be the manager of Blackburn Rovers next season and who can blame him? A victory over Manchester United would especially do wonders for his chances of being retained.

However, the appointment of Benitez would prove that Kean was always intended to fill in as caretaker until the end of the season. I still hope for a huge move for Diego Maradona, but obviously at this stage the chances of that being resurrected are slim to none.