OMEN
01-21-2009, 10:47 PM
Rovers' South African striker has revealed that he was pleased to see the back of his former manager.
The departure of Paul Ince from the manager's position at Blackburn Rovers came as a massive relief to the Ewood Park club's striker and fans' favourite, Benni McCarthy.
McCarthy, a loyal player who has this season passionately urged Roque Santa Cruz to stay with Rovers rather than cashing them in for the bright lights of another, slightly larger, Lancashire city, revealed today the extent of his dissastisfaction with the man who preceded Sam Allardyce as Blackburn gaffer.
McCarthy made only four Premier League starts whilst Ince was in charge, a fact that baffles him now, and at the time left him fearful of losing his place in host nation South Africa's squad ahead of the World Cup next year.
“I don’t know why I didn’t play, I really don’t know," the forward told The Lancashire Evening Telegraph.
"I would love to know but it is part and parcel of football. Some managers just prefer certain players and if you don’t fit what a manager likes and the way he wants to play then you don’t fit. You just get the boot.
"It was difficult, of course, especially when you get to my age and you are playing for a country that is hosting the World Cup. You want to play and you always want to be in the mix so by the time the World Cup comes, you are ready. It was hard, every time I kept going to the national team I am like a really important figure for my country but I don’t play for my club.
"People ask questions, is he the right man? Should he play?, Should someone else get the chance? Those type of things go through your head.
"When you do play you are under even more pressure because you are not playing for your club.
"It was hard but I am glad I have got that out of the way and now I just have to keep trying doing what I am doing so I don’t lose my place and am ready for any challenge that comes."
Allardyce's arrival seems to have lifted the gloom surrounding Blackburn, at least a little, and now McCarthy is looking forward to enjoying his football again and helping Rovers climb away from the relegation zone.
McCarthy added: "When things are done right it makes a lot of sense and things become a lot easier.
"It is a relief. I was working really hard and then all of a sudden a new manager comes in and all of a sudden you start playing and get confidence.
"The change is a fresh start for everyone. You have to try and make the most of it. He came in and was really direct, on tactical things we didn’t do before.
"These things we have started doing again. Now you can see there is a massive change in the way we play and the way everyone is responding, and the system and just the sheer drive everyone has to get us out of the relegation zone."
Goal
The departure of Paul Ince from the manager's position at Blackburn Rovers came as a massive relief to the Ewood Park club's striker and fans' favourite, Benni McCarthy.
McCarthy, a loyal player who has this season passionately urged Roque Santa Cruz to stay with Rovers rather than cashing them in for the bright lights of another, slightly larger, Lancashire city, revealed today the extent of his dissastisfaction with the man who preceded Sam Allardyce as Blackburn gaffer.
McCarthy made only four Premier League starts whilst Ince was in charge, a fact that baffles him now, and at the time left him fearful of losing his place in host nation South Africa's squad ahead of the World Cup next year.
“I don’t know why I didn’t play, I really don’t know," the forward told The Lancashire Evening Telegraph.
"I would love to know but it is part and parcel of football. Some managers just prefer certain players and if you don’t fit what a manager likes and the way he wants to play then you don’t fit. You just get the boot.
"It was difficult, of course, especially when you get to my age and you are playing for a country that is hosting the World Cup. You want to play and you always want to be in the mix so by the time the World Cup comes, you are ready. It was hard, every time I kept going to the national team I am like a really important figure for my country but I don’t play for my club.
"People ask questions, is he the right man? Should he play?, Should someone else get the chance? Those type of things go through your head.
"When you do play you are under even more pressure because you are not playing for your club.
"It was hard but I am glad I have got that out of the way and now I just have to keep trying doing what I am doing so I don’t lose my place and am ready for any challenge that comes."
Allardyce's arrival seems to have lifted the gloom surrounding Blackburn, at least a little, and now McCarthy is looking forward to enjoying his football again and helping Rovers climb away from the relegation zone.
McCarthy added: "When things are done right it makes a lot of sense and things become a lot easier.
"It is a relief. I was working really hard and then all of a sudden a new manager comes in and all of a sudden you start playing and get confidence.
"The change is a fresh start for everyone. You have to try and make the most of it. He came in and was really direct, on tactical things we didn’t do before.
"These things we have started doing again. Now you can see there is a massive change in the way we play and the way everyone is responding, and the system and just the sheer drive everyone has to get us out of the relegation zone."
Goal