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Mathias can be a Ray of light at Blackburn Rovers
1:28pm Tuesday 24th June 2008
Comments (20)
RAY Mathias, the trusted lieutenant of Paul Ince, looks set to join him in his new post as manager of Blackburn Rovers.
Mathias is well known to football observers in the North West, with management experience at the likes of Wigan, Tranmere and Chester City.
Although without the profile of Ince, he has built a solid reputation within the game for both his scouting and coaching abilities, and many believe that he had a major input towards their success at Macclesfield and Milton Keynes.
Older Blackburn support-ers may remember Mathias from his long playing career with Tranmere Rovers, where he put in over 550 league appearances before bowing out of the game in 1985.
He began coaching under Bryan Hamilton at Prenton Park and moved with him to Wigan, where he took over in 1986 after his boss moved on to Leicester City.
His initial season is remembered by Latics supporters as one of their finest, Mathias leading the team to the FA Cup quarter final and missing out on promotion only with play-off defeat to Swindon Town. 1987/8 meant a seventh place finish, just outside the play-offs and, after a disappointing third season, Mathias was sacked.
Back at Tranmere, he worked under John King and John Aldridge before returning to help Wigan win the Auto Windscreens Shield Trophy at Wembley in 1999 after which he was controversially sacked by Dave Whelan. Many Wigan supporters believe that Mathias laid the foundations for the club's current success and compare him favourably with Paul Jewell.
Things really turned for the coach when he linked up with Paul Ince at Macclesfield Town. The Silkmen were in deep trouble at the foot of the Football League when the pair took over but they both gained widespread recognition for turning the team around and saving the club's league status. Moving to the MK Dons with Ince at the start of the 2007/8 season, the duo made an immediate impact, guiding the team to promotion into League One and sealing their reputation as one of the best management partnerships of the lower leagues.
It's a big step up from League One, and there is no doubt that John Williams has taken something of a gamble, moving for a coaching team with no Premiership experience. The club is trusting that the long term experience of Mathias combined with the top level playing knowledge and connections of Paul Ince, will bring more success to Blackburn Rovers.
Your Say YourBlackburn Citizen
Thairover, Phuket says...
1:56pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Regarding are post's yesterday here is a link to all the UEFA pro licence holders.
http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/UEFA_Pro_Li
cence_in_England#Oth
er_coaches_holding_t
he_Pro_Licence
Sorry it's a bit of a long link.
kelbo, Lancs says...
2:14pm Tue 24 Jun 08
roberto Di matteo ex Chelsea player is expected to join Ince at Rovers, he has got his badges!!
Nice one if it is correct
Ronny, Blackburn says...
2:17pm Tue 24 Jun 08
... or how about Mr Hopkinson who runs the 1st Eleven at QEGs, he's a great coach and a motivator?
Would be nice to give a high profile job to a normal person
BlueMG, Blackburn says...
2:17pm Tue 24 Jun 08
kelbo wrote:The reports I heard on Talksport were that he was in line to REPLACE Ince at MK Dons, with Jimmy Floydd H being another contender.
This is a report from Italy. roberto Di matteo ex Chelsea player is expected to join Ince at Rovers, he has got his badges!! Nice one if it is correct
Rover the Top, says...
2:17pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Thairover wrote:Mathias will be joining, I believe Ince has said so in hi press conference?
From a earlier interview with JW quote (He also plans to bring in an experienced coach who has worked in the Premier League before.) So Mathias does not fit the remit. Who is this to be.???????
Here we go again, weeks of speculation. Come on LET give us a clue, or an educated guess, before www.myfootballnews.c
o.uk get in there first.
Could the 'other' coach be Derek Fazackerley, he's just lost his job at Man City thanks to Hughes taking his own staff there?
Merlin, Ramsbottom says...
2:30pm Tue 24 Jun 08
I thought you sounded very nervous at the press conference today - big contrast to Sparky's polished composed media presence. However, I'm not worried about your media skills - we'll judge by results, I know you wouldn't have it any other way.
I just hope you and your backroom staff are new school, not old school... that Ray Matthias chap looks a bit dodgy if you ask me!
kelbo, Lancs says...
2:35pm Tue 24 Jun 08
BlueMG wrote:Blue MG
kelbo wrote: This is a report from Italy. roberto Di matteo ex Chelsea player is expected to join Ince at Rovers, he has got his badges!! Nice one if it is correctThe reports I heard on Talksport were that he was in line to REPLACE Ince at MK Dons, with Jimmy Floydd H being another contender.
I got the link off official rovers message board, full report from a BBC source.
Kelbo
BlueMG, Blackburn says...
2:37pm Tue 24 Jun 08
kelbo wrote:Talksport must've got the wrong end of the stick.
BlueMG wrote:Blue MG I got the link off official rovers message board, full report from a BBC source. Kelbokelbo wrote: This is a report from Italy. roberto Di matteo ex Chelsea player is expected to join Ince at Rovers, he has got his badges!! Nice one if it is correctThe reports I heard on Talksport were that he was in line to REPLACE Ince at MK Dons, with Jimmy Floydd H being another contender.
It wasn't a full report, just a passing comment by one of the presenters at lunch time.
I stand corrected!
kelbo, Lancs says...
2:51pm Tue 24 Jun 08
No, I heard about the MK and Di Matteo link on talksport, but on official Rovers Messageboard there is a link and from the link you can get the full story.
Dont need to apologise, we all try to get the news here as quickly as poss!!
Kelbo
kelbo, Lancs says...
2:57pm Tue 24 Jun 08
According to reports in Italy, former Lazio and Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo could be appointed as a coach under new Blackburn Rovers manager Paul Ince.
»Comments Print This Story Send To A Friend Contact Us galleria zoom Ince was named as Blackburns new boss over the weekend, leaving his current post at Milton Keynes Dons to sign a three-year contract at Ewood Park.
Ince has already started to organise his backroom staff at his new club, and according to reports in Italy, he plans to appoint Roberto Di Matteo as a coach.
Born in Switzerland, Di Matteo had a distinguished playing career in both Italy and England, starring for Lazio and Chelsea.
He was particularly popular during his spell in the Premiership from 1996 to 2002, making 119 appearances, and winning two FA Cups and a European Cup Winners Cup.
He is most famous for scoring the fastest ever goal in a Wembley Cup final, hitting the back of the net after just 43 second in the 1997 FA Cup final win over Fabrizio Ravvanellis Middlesbrough.
He retired at the age of just 31 due to injury, but he has just recently completed all of his coaching qualifications.
Ince, who himself played in Italy win Inter Milan, is said to be keen to bring Di Matteo on board, as his high profile status could be key in attracting players to the club.
Anthony Sormani
23/06/2008 08:23 - Rovers Sniffing Out Kewell - Report 23/06/2008 14:05 - Prem Give Ince Two Years To Qualify 23/06/2008 18:59 - Dutch
BlueMG, Blackburn says...
3:04pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Was struggling to find the full report!
Rob, Leeds says...
3:05pm Tue 24 Jun 08
http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Kevin_Dillo
n_%28footballer%29
As a blackburn fan I've told him to put his hat in the ring!! After all he does know Incy and he also has worked in the premier with Reading!
ray k, burnley says...
3:17pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Captain Reality, Realsville says...
3:35pm Tue 24 Jun 08
I thought the brief was a proven Premiership coach, which to me means someone has already been a first team coach in the Premiership. Not a kit man, or a skills coach, or one of Allardyce's cronies. I can't help but think it may be Roy Evans, hope not though. Least it won't be Houlier or Phil Thompson I guess.
Viv Anderson?
Captain Reality, Realsville says...
3:35pm Tue 24 Jun 08
I thought the brief was a proven Premiership coach, which to me means someone has already been a first team coach in the Premiership. Not a kit man, or a skills coach, or one of Allardyce's cronies. I can't help but think it may be Roy Evans, hope not though. Least it won't be Houlier or Phil Thompson I guess.
Viv Anderson?
Thairover, Phuket says...
6:49pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Captain Reality wrote:Take your point, The report never actually states coached in the EPL Di Matteo neither has been employed to date as a coach.
Wow - di Matteo - didn't he end up as a restauranteer in London?
I thought the brief was a proven Premiership coach, which to me means someone has already been a first team coach in the Premiership. Not a kit man, or a skills coach, or one of Allardyce's cronies. I can't help but think it may be Roy Evans, hope not though. Least it won't be Houlier or Phil Thompson I guess.
Viv Anderson?
So maybe it's his Pro licence they want together with his skill as a restauranteer for the blues bar.
Either way it's all speculation as yet.
So we will see what develops.
Quote: He also plans to bring in an experienced coach who has worked in the Premier League before.
ste, accy says...
6:50pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Willy, Haworths Accountants says...
12:52pm Wed 25 Jun 08
I bloody hope so I love his bald head!
Crook, in mandy says...
1:50pm Wed 25 Jun 08
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Thairover, Phuket says...
1:39pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Here we go again, weeks of speculation. Come on LET give us a clue, or an educated guess, before www.myfootballnews.c
o.uk get in there first.