Berg buys into Blackburn vision

01 November 2012 15:48

Henning Berg dismissed the significance of barbed comments he once made about Blackburn's owners following his appointment as manager of the npower Championship club.

Much has been made of his withering assessment of the club's owners, Venky's, while working as a pundit for TV 2 Sporten in his homeland. On the back of Blackburn's relegation from the Barclays' Premier League last season, Berg was quoted as saying: "There are no real managers with credibility who would accept a job like that."

But the former Lyn Oslo and Lillestrom boss claims he now has a more rounded view of life under the Indian poultry giants and outspoken global advisor Shebby Singh. "That was me looking at it from the outside without knowing really what was going on on the inside," he said.

Berg, a Premier League and League Cup winner during two playing spells with Rovers, added: "It is always easy to criticise when you're on the outside. Now I've spoken to the owners, I know what the club has done in the summer which is after what has been said earlier.

"They've been making many important steps to take this club forward again. I think this club at the moment is going in the right direction and I think there are a lot of people doing a good job making sure that we can get back into the Premier League."

Promotion remains a very realistic ambition as Rovers, despite a protracted month-long search for an new manager played out against a backdrop of empty seats at Ewood, lie fifth in the Championship going into Berg's first assignment at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Following thorough discussions with their chosen candidate, Singh insists the Rovers board have made Berg firmly aware that promotion is the requirement, as Berg was unveiled as successor to Steve Kean on Thursday morning.

"Henning fully understands the responsibility that he's taking on," he said. "He was a very, very successful player at this club and he fully understands the ambition. He realises the size of the task that he's taken and is willing to take - promotion."

Singh joined Berg in dismissing his comments on Venky's before suggesting the owners had taken on board some of the vitriol that has poured their way.

"We never gave that any consideration," he said of the quotes. "Yes, in a previous job things can be said but I think he understands my bosses and my bosses understand now where he's coming from. He's our man now, he's with us and together we want to achieve for this club."

Source: PA