Post by Matt on Jun 22, 2008 4:46:31 GMT 7
The Premier League last night paved the way for Paul Ince to be named manager of Blackburn Rovers despite his lack of the necessary coaching qualifications. After hours of deliberation the Premier League board ratified the appointment on the basis that the 40-year-old Ince gains his Uefa Pro Licence within the next two years. It removes the last remaining obstacle in the way of Blackburn offering the job to the current MK Dons manager and the former England captain is expected to be confirmed this weekend as the first black Briton to take charge of a top-flight team in England.
Under Premier League regulations managers in the top division are required to hold the Uefa Pro Licence qualification - or at least to be in the process of trying to obtain it - but it is understood that Ince does not have the Uefa A Licence, which is one level below the Pro Licence. Yet the Premier League has opted to turn a blind eye to its own rulebook after informing Blackburn of the decision, hours after Sam Allardyce withdrew his interest in the vacancy. Allardyce, Steve McClaren, - who was yesterday appointed manager of Dutch club FC Twente - and Michael Laudrup were all interviewed for the position but, having spoken to the Premier League to seek clarification over the issue, Blackburn are set to hand the job to Ince.
The Lancashire club's board regards Ince as an outstanding manager, after his success in League Two, steering Macclesfield Town out of relegation danger, before leading MK Dons to promotion, and believe that he would be an ideal successor to Mark Hughes, his former Manchester United team-mate, who left Ewood Park this month to take over at Manchester City. Some Rovers fans have highlighted Ince's lack of managerial experience in the top tier but Blackburn's goalkeeper, Brad Friedel, does not see that as a problem.
"People were saying that about Mark Hughes," said Friedel, a team-mate of Ince's at Liverpool for 18 months. "When you have the winning mentality, when you have players coming from the highest level and when they are students of the game like this, I don't think it is a problem at all."
While Alan Shearer rejected the chance to launch his managerial career at Ewood Park last week, Ince views Blackburn as the ideal place for a young manager to make a name. Rovers are regarded as one of the most stable and organised operations in the Premier League. But Ince will immediately face serious challenges at Ewood Park, with David Bentley, the England winger, having stated his intention to leave. Bentley hopes to move to a club that can offer him Champions League football, but he is also likely to consider moves to Manchester City or Aston Villa rather than sign a new contract with Blackburn.
