EPL Previews: A Black Man for Blackburn

Well, we have delayed our previews of the upcoming Premiership season long enough. Only 10 days until kickoff!!! And, then 9 months of footie. Hooray! To kick off our season preview, we drew lots and I got Blackburn. Last season Blackburn finished with 60 points, seventh in the final standings missing out on European soccer to Aston Villa. This season will likely not be so kind to the Rovers.

Manager Mark Hughes left Blackburn this offseason for the ill-gotten Thai luchre of Manchester City. Paul Ince came on as Sparky’s replacement becoming the first Black British manager in England’s first division. I have no idea what the nomenclature is across the pond for black men. Are they called African-Englishmen? Just black? I have no idea.

Anyway, Ince has the bona fides as a player having captained the English national team, being the first black man to do that as well. Ince’s managerial stripes are not quite as impressive but he has proven to be a quick study beginning his career only in 2006. He won promotion to the Colaship for Milton Keynes Dons and looks to repeat this success with Rovers this season. Paul Ince may be an up-and-coming manager but the rumor from the always reliable Daily Mail is that he hasn't won over his players yet.

Blackburn management hasn’t really been helping him out thus far selling David Bentley to Spurs for 15 million pounds, a good portion of which went to Arsenal, but not really buying much. Bentley wanted to leave Blackburn to play Champions League football, unfortunately, he is a stupid footballer who failed to realize he was going to Tottenham, which isn’t playing Champions League football. To replace Bentley, the club signed Chilean winger Carlos Villanueva on a one-year loan with a three-year deal agreed to if his first year goes well.

Another promising signing has been the goalkeeper Paul Robinson to replace Brad Friedel who left for Aston Villa. Wait…the only thing promising about Robinson is for opposing offenses. Blackburn better hope it has a great defense because Robbo won’t be their saviour. But, Rovers have signed on loan Manchester United defender, Danny Simpson. Hopefully Simpson can make sure there are no mysterious bumps in the pitch.

Last season’s best signing, as adjudged in terms of production and cost, Roque Santa Cruz, is still at the club, for now. The Santa man deliver mucho presents to Blackburn scoring 19 goals in 36 league appearances. However, there have been rumors linking the Paraguayan hitman to bigger clubs and the transfer season still isn’t closed so if the Manchester United Berbatov move doesn’t go through expect them to pursue Santa Cruz.

All in all, the upcoming season doesn’t appear to be too bright for the Rovers. The team is clearly in a selling mode and eighth would be a fantastic success for the squad this year. As it is, look for Blackburn to finish in the top half of the bottom half of the table and thank Paul Robinson for it.

[Photo Credit: Daily Mail]