Returning Rover can make an impact

7:50am Friday 19th October 2012 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Andy Cryer, Blackburn Rovers reporter

DAVID Goodwillie’s Blackburn Rovers’ nightmare shows no short term sign of coming to an end – but caretaker boss Eric Black insists he can still be a hit at Ewood Park.

The Scottish international made a surprise Rovers return earlier this week, after cutting short a loan spell at Championship rivals Crystal Palace, but is now left facing more than two months in the wilderness due to the terms of his Eagles switch.

The 23-year-old will be forced to watch Rovers’ trip to Derby County tomorrow from the sidelines, as well the next 14 Championship games after that, after it was stipulated he could play for no other club during his four month temporary stay at Palace.

Black though insists no one is to blame for Goodwillie’s latest set back, with him left on the fringes of things at Selhurst Park, and believes it was best for everyone for him to return to East Lancashire.

He said: “He went to Crystal Palace and felt that was his opportunity to play. For whatever reasons that has not happened and it can be a lonely place London. He is away from his family and is still a young boy so I don’t think anyone should point any fingers.

“I don’t blame him, I don’t blame the manager at Crystal Palace. It is just one of those things that it hasn’t worked out for him and it was best to come back.

“This is not an unusual occurrence, it can happen. He is unsettled and he and us have decided in the best interests we bring him back and Crystal Palace have agreed and we are comfortable with that.”

Goodwillie has struggled to make any sort of impression in English football after sealing a switch to Rovers from Dundee United for in the region of £2million in August 2011.

He arrived a fully fledged Scottish international and with a good scoring record in Scotland behind him but has been left kicking his heels almost ever since arriving in England.

“It has not started for him,” said Black. “Having worked with him last year, he never complained once. He did everything he possibly could to have a case of saying he could have had an opportunity. That is always an opinion thing.

“He never complained. He wanted to play football, that is all he wanted to do and it is a fabulous character for a player to have.

“Without a doubt he can still be a hit here and in English football. He scored three goals in three games when we were in the Premier League last season.

“He can contribute and I would have loved to have him available, but we don’t. What we have to focus on now is re-intergrating him into training and trying to get a few friendlies for him so come January he is not too far removed from what is required.”

Meanwhile Derby County boss Nigel Clough expects Rovers to be challenging for an instant Premier League return come the end of the season – despite a recent four-match winless streak taking them to outside the play off positions.

“More than anything now, they need to settle on and off the pitch,” said Clough.

“They have had not a bad start to the Championship among all the furore that has gone off.

“I think they are unbeaten away from home so far, so it has been a reasonable start. They will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.”

Comments(24)

bburnrover says...
8:21am Fri 19 Oct 12

Well like Lowe he has not shown any real flair since his first match when his efforts against Everton nearly produced a goal.I think that is what he needed to build his confidence though,as far as I can see his main problem is that he runs with his head down and needs to change his style which I appreciate is difficult but surely both our and Palace's coaching staff can sort that out.I think he is worth a few more chances before we totally give up on him alltogether.

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eddyo says...
8:48am Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie has never been fit and his one technique seems to be to roll players and shoot on the spin. Once you suss such a limited style of player he becomes a spectator. His only impact will be on Holland's pies sales. He needs to shed the pounds and work on his game - that is, become a professional.
*
As for Lowe, his number of metres run in a game must be 'awesome' - it's a pity he is hasn't worked out the ball part of his game yet. He will run all day but on the ball he makes David Batty look like Iniesta.
*
As it stands, both players aren't good enough.

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Is Eckersley playing? says...
8:50am Fri 19 Oct 12

Two million pounds. Can't play till after Christmas. It all beggars belief. Would this have happened under big Sam and Williams? Yet another example....

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Captain Dreckley says...
9:12am Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie is a young player with potential that needs to be nurtured and developed. Pre Venkys, Rovers had a reputation envied throughout the premier league for turning potential into performance on the pitch. Steve Kean ended that and venkys stood by him and his incompetence playing people out of position and trying to follow unthinkable tactics. The future of goodwillie will depend on our new manager when we finally get one. It is wrong to write him off when he hasn't been given the right support or chance. Welcome back David, and venkys learn from your mistakes, just this once, and bring in a manager who can nurture and develop talent and play people to their strengths

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glp says...
9:14am Fri 19 Oct 12

Unfortunately for him he joined the circus that is Venkys Blackburn Rovers with clueless owners and coaching staff that have no idea how to get the best out of any player . they cannot get them fit and have no idea what positions to play them any of them in

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J.C - Rishton says...
9:29am Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie is a DISGRACE to himself, BRFC and his chosen profession.

He can't play for 3 months because he was "home-sick" ??? - I bet he's still geting his £20K a week though.

I bet he wouldnt have come back from London early if he had to go without his pay for 14 weeks - Rovers should refuse to pay him !!!!!!!

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midas says...
9:39am Fri 19 Oct 12

J.C - Rishton wrote:
Goodwillie is a DISGRACE to himself, BRFC and his chosen profession. He can't play for 3 months because he was "home-sick" ??? - I bet he's still geting his £20K a week though. I bet he wouldnt have come back from London early if he had to go without his pay for 14 weeks - Rovers should refuse to pay him !!!!!!!
Why? They were paying his wages when he was at Palace!

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dangerous dave says...
9:58am Fri 19 Oct 12

A disgrace to the club and just a 'thug' - in any event another '**** up' by the idiotic management team at Ewood as he cant touch a ball for Rovers until January but still paying is over rated wages!!!!
OUT WITH BLACK HENDRY SINGH AGNEW SHAW VENKEYS

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greenscreener says...
10:28am Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie isn't going to get fit and confident unless he's on the pitch and soring goals. That was the point of sending him to Palace. But he simply wasn't good enough for them. Even if he was available he's already 5th choice striker at Rovers.Sadly unless the new boss sees something spectacular at Brockhall, I can only see a loan to Div 1, or Scotland, in the new year and move on in the summer.

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roverfor60years says...
10:28am Fri 19 Oct 12

Maybe I am missing something, but it seems his contract at Palace has been terminated. So the terms of that contract don't exist. Why, then, can he not play for his own club for the next 15 games?

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speedie_rovers_legend says...
10:31am Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie not good enough for english football , he has had his chances for god sake and made a heap of money, another bad signing by the bald eagle following on from murpthy etuhuu rhodes the list is endless, and by the way Kean how much did you make on fees for the rhodes signing?????

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speedie_rovers_legend says...
10:42am Fri 19 Oct 12

Black "He never complained once" lol you cannot make it up. £25000 pounds a week.

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roverfor60years says...
12:05pm Fri 19 Oct 12

Hi srvp28.You say the terms and conditions of the loan to Crystal Palace haven't been terminated. If it has been agreed that he returns to Ewood, for whatever reason, surely he cannot still be under contract to Palace?

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greenscreener says...
12:53pm Fri 19 Oct 12

walshy2866 wrote:
See you all know I'm only saying what honest hard working supporters are thinking!
My lad has a mate at school who has a family relative who works at Rovers. He (as kids of that age do before they get jaded by what a shower of sh1t footballers are) was telling me he has 1 of Hendrys old shirts and would I like to see it. I politely declined not wanting to shatter his dreams but was thinking to myself I wouldn't wipe my @rse on it.
Rovers fans are usually logical thinking fair minded people with a decent degree of sympathy for people and their situations, but will not be taken for mugs. With regard to the tragedy that fell on Hendrys family a few years back, the amount of dislike shown to the man might look unfair. The people making this judgement are blatantly unaware of what exactly the despicable individual did to vunerable older people who'd treat him as a friend.
Is football the only career where you can be rewarded for failure and get away with behaving like 5vunerable simply because you think you're above the law and you don't have to abide by the rules of common decency to your fellow human beings?
The b1oody lot of them should be issued with an ASBO as soon as they sign (or put their X) a professional contract!!
Walshy, i think you have made it perfectly clear how you feel about Footballers, Scotsmen and residents of the Ribble Valley.

I guess Kevin Gallagher isn't one of your Facebook friends then.

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MxMave says...
2:04pm Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie is a CLASS player. Just because Steve Kean had him playing down the wings for the final 10 minuites of a game doesnt give anyone the right to slag him off. It's obvious to me that our best strike pairing is Goodwillie & Rhodes with Nuno in the hole. Goodwillie will run both channels and provide support to Rhodes whilst Rhodes maintains a central position in the box.

The idiot Kean decided CKR was a better prospect that Goodwillie to play upfront and loaned him out, THAT is the reason for the current predicament, not Goodie being homesick or Palace not wanting him. CKR is not even 10% of the player Goodwillie is.

Play Goodwillie with Rhodes in a 2 man strike force for 90 mins and see Rovers attacking prowess increase tenfold.

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dallydally says...
3:21pm Fri 19 Oct 12

Goodwillie simply hasn't got it - end of argument. If he was any good he'd have been in the Rovers side and the fact he couldn't cut it either at Palace says it all.

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stick to football says...
3:41pm Fri 19 Oct 12

There are a lot of not good enough players who dont get into the Rovers side because certain players are untouchable and until that is changed Rovers will continue to waste money on wages.

The way Rovers have played over the last 18 months - no one has beena stand out player - end of story and the reason for that is obvious

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speedie_rovers_legend says...
3:47pm Fri 19 Oct 12

my friend says he has never had a chance at rovers, he has had his chances he simply was not a prem player , and he is no better in the championship, i think a lot could be down to the training techniques at the rovers under THE BALD EAGLE, LETS GO FOR A PINT

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greenscreener says...
4:05pm Fri 19 Oct 12

MxMave wrote:
Goodwillie is a CLASS player. Just because Steve Kean had him playing down the wings for the final 10 minuites of a game doesnt give anyone the right to slag him off. It's obvious to me that our best strike pairing is Goodwillie & Rhodes with Nuno in the hole. Goodwillie will run both channels and provide support to Rhodes whilst Rhodes maintains a central position in the box.

The idiot Kean decided CKR was a better prospect that Goodwillie to play upfront and loaned him out, THAT is the reason for the current predicament, not Goodie being homesick or Palace not wanting him. CKR is not even 10% of the player Goodwillie is.

Play Goodwillie with Rhodes in a 2 man strike force for 90 mins and see Rovers attacking prowess increase tenfold.
I think we all agree Kean was an idiot, but sorry mate, the facts are against you, if Goodwillie was a class player he would have done more than warm the bench at Palace.

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Arthur Labore says...
5:21pm Fri 19 Oct 12

Another farce at the Ewood circus under venkys!

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RespectTheK-Dog says...
3:03am Sat 20 Oct 12

"He arrived a fully fledged Scottish international "

He must be good then....

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RespectTheK-Dog says...
3:08am Sat 20 Oct 12

J.C - Rishton wrote:
Goodwillie is a DISGRACE to himself, BRFC and his chosen profession.

He can't play for 3 months because he was "home-sick" ??? - I bet he's still geting his £20K a week though.

I bet he wouldnt have come back from London early if he had to go without his pay for 14 weeks - Rovers should refuse to pay him !!!!!!!
He's come back to have a few gallons o' heavy with Colin Hendry and discuss what teams to gamble on and who to tap up for a few quid if they go skint

So it's alright really, nae bother

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Bill Carson says...
10:15am Sat 27 Oct 12

Yet more cash haemorrhaging from the club on another sub-standard player who won't even make the bench until new year!!?

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Bill Carson says...
10:26am Sat 27 Oct 12

The first 10mins v Sheff Wed were excellent but it defies belief how Rovers struggled to get out of their own half for the remaining 80mins? The simple ability to hold the ball and find a pass was embarrassing to say the least. A second goal would have calmed things down but it was never going to happen by aimlessly punting the ball to Jordan Rhodes, he's skillful but not a target man. He needs support before the £8m price tag becomes a burden (remember Kevin Davies!)

I protested, I marched and boycotted to rid the club of SK, now I'm back. The only thing that disappoints me is that many have failed to return...

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