Blackburn Rovers Transfer Window 2012 Preview

It hasn't been the best season so far for the North West club. The departure of Sam Allardyce left a hole that many never believed Steve Kean should have been given the chance to fill, and yet the new owners decided in their infinite wisdom to give the former Celtic player (and one-time candidate for the assistant manager's job at Chelsea) a full-time contract. The protests cannot be helping the team on the pitch, but it is plain to see that the current state of the squad isn't exactly the prime foundation for success either. Decimated by injuries, Kean has been forced to blood youngsters well before they would usually gain any experience in the first team, and that inexperience has at times shown badly. He will get no praise when and if those youngsters turn out to be the next big thing, especially if Rovers continue to struggle. Despite the strength of the team's core - with Christopher Samba as commanding as ever in front of Paul Robinson, and Steven Nzonzi and Yakubu offering strength and ability through the middle -something is not right at Blackburn, and confidence has a tendency to drop as soon as the opposition is in the ascendancy. What Blackburn need is the kind of confidence injection that comes with a major change, and unfortunately for Steve Kean, the longer into 2012 that his team remain near the foot of the table, the shorter his grasp on the job will last. For those who are protesting, Kean's sacking, which fluctuates from a dead certainty to less of one when the team eek out results like the 1-1 draw against Liverpool, would represent the ideal change, and the perfect answer to the needed short-term injection of confidence. And Kean will surely be facing an almighty battle if he doesn't make some astute signings in this coming window, but the biggest question he faces is not how much money Venky's will provide him, but how he will find the right kind of players to suit his and the team's needs. Because if that doesn't happen, Rovers face a bleak 2012.

What They Need

If I was cruel, I might be tempted to say a miracle, but there is some hope in some of Blackburn's performances so far this season. What is clear however, is that Blackburn don't have the right sort of players currently for ball retention, particularly when under pressure - Kean's men seem unable to protect a lead (or even a point in some cases), looking desperate when someone with the right experience and organisational nouse would help out the cause hugely. They also need goals, like everyone else. Yakubu cannot carry the team on his own, even if he is the major goalscoring threat on the books at the minute: Jason Roberts is no more than a championship player these days, and neither David Goodwillie nor Ruben Rochina