Are Badges Blocking Ince Move?

The longer Blackburn Rovers take in appointing the successor to Mark Hughes, the more tension builds up in Milton Keynes, with Paul Ince among the front-runners to take charge at Ewood Park.

Ince appeared to rule himself out of the race to be the next Blackburn manager last week, although that hasn’t help to dispel the rumour-mongering that suggests our title-winning manager is off to pastures new.

And, to be honest, when the other leading candidates are Steve McClaren and Sam Alladyce, who could really blame Rovers for looking further afield.

Yet the prospect of MK Dons taking a step or two back if Ince left the club has only really dawned on supporters in the last couple of days, with suggestions that Hartlepool manager Danny Wilson will return to the Dons in the event of Ince leaving.

Now, whilst Wilson is a decent enough bloke, he isn’t exactly on a footballing managerial pedestal with current boss Ince, is he? And the prospect of the one-time Dons manager returning to the club is sure to be cause for concern among Dons supporters.

Interestingly, it has emerged that Rovers would have to seek special dispensation from the Premier League were they to appoint Ince as their new manager. The fact that the former Manchester United midfielder has yet to achieve his relevant coaching badges means that the Premier League would have to give the go-ahead before the move takes place.

A Premier League spokesman told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, ‘The club would have to make a compelling case to the Premier League board, stating why he hasn’t done his badges, and why they believe he should be exempt from the rule, and then the board would make a judgement.’

Which posed us to ask ourselves the question; Would Ince still be here had he already picked up his badges? Is he stopping over in Milton Keynes, a safe haven, until he passes the courses? Or does Ince genuinely have a desire to take the Dons into the Championship next season?