TALK about a baptism of fire. Steve Kean has experienced more in his first seven months of management than many bosses would have had to deal with in a career.

Supporters unrest, conflicting stories from his bosses, constant speculation about his future, ridicule among sections of the national press and a boardroom collapsing around him. Life at Ewood has certainly never been easy for the amiable Scot.

Even on Tuesday stories spread like wildfire from a blog on the internet – yes that wholly unreliable source of information some football fans now look to as fact – that Kean had been put on gardening leave.

It wasn’t true and was never going to be true but that didn’t stop the rumour become fact among many. Even after he stood up and spoke at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon some were not convinced.

Don’t get me wrong, Premier League managers have little to complain about. They get paid handsomely, more than most of us could ever dream of, and so they have to expect the constant attention around them.

In fact Kean could make life a little easier for himself by making himself more available to the local press, couldn’t they all, but for the most part no one could argue he has not handled himself very well.

Put aside any opinions about his management potential – for me the jury has to be out until he gets the chance to prove himself with his own team – and the way he has refused to buckle under the immense pressure has been nothing short of spectacular.

Kean has always kept the smile on his face and he has always commanded the respect of his players. Not an easy task following the ridiculous sacking of Sam Allardyce.

Few Rovers fans would argue against the last six months being one of the most confusing and concerning periods in the club’s history. Even the most experienced football men would have struggled to deal with the incessant manure coming out from certain quarters.

Well, Kean has had to deal with that pretty much on his own. With top professionals and top men like John Williams, Tom Finn and Andrew Pincher now out of the club, he has been on his own.

Venky’s have done their best to support him but that has proved impossible from India and so suddenly, as well as being a manager, Kean has been the club’s public face, the bridge between the owners and the fans and the trouble shooter.

Whatever his Rovers future has in store, Steve Kean can at least be assured of one thing. He will never get a tougher gig.