[Archived] Hughes Challenges Board

[John]

I know this is mentioned in another thread - interesting to see Sparky's comments. We are onto a good thing with him in charge, we should back him as much as possible.

Bigger and better things will come calling for him in a season or two but he can leave a legacy... come on trustees.. lets set some good foundations under our bright, young manager.

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashi...rt/ROVERS1.html

[herbergeehh]

I sense.... a Vinjay post coming....

Interesting article, let's hope he can get some funds in the summer.

[John]

you can read probably too much into it - but he is saying he has taken us up a level but if we want to go further we need cash.

[den]

As regards new investment, the club were told to find new investment quite some time ago.

[greggyk]

To be fair to the club- surely they can do no more?

[Bobby G]

To be fair as well, I think the club has really pushed limits to give us the cash to compete with many "bigger" teams. We have spent about 7 million with Sparky. Yes during that time, Newcastle have spent 50, but our budget cant be compared with theirs.

Can the club pull strings to give cash to buy another 5 million pound player?

[Hypo-Luxa]

Hughesy's put in print what all of us fans have been thinking all along. Rovers can scratch and claw for survival or fight annually for Europe. All up to the board...

[Exiled_Rover]

I'd be mightily impressed if the board can summon any money up. The amount they have invested in the club recently is absurd, considering the size of the team/fan base.

[Eddie]

Yes, but it has been mentioned recently that Hughes' balance is -900k or so. Now that isn't that much spending for a premiership side doing fairly well. I would expect us to keep our cash in our pockets for now and spend in the summer unless we see someone who we have to get.

I'm not having a go at the board, but I do think there should be money made available because there is the potential for it to bring huge rewards on the pitch. That hasn't really been true for a long time.

[BRFC4EVA]

To be fair as well, I think the club has really pushed limits to give us the cash to compete with many "bigger" teams. We have spent about 7 million with Sparky. Yes during that time, Newcastle have spent 50, but our budget cant be compared with theirs.

Can the club pull strings to give cash to buy another 5 million pound player?

376556[/snapback]

We've spent 7million sure, but how much have we got back, it most be close to the same figure. Stead 1.8m, Bazza 4.5m etc

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Hughes should be applauded for his honest and frank opinion......the man clearly wants success, lets hope the Ewood money men subscribe to his point of view.

[RevidgeBlue]

The amount they have invested in the club recently is absurd, considering the size of the team/fan base.

376576[/snapback]

I'm sorry that's absolute rollocks.

Hughes' net spending since taking over is a meagre 995k.

That's not taking into account the sell on money received for Beattie which I'm sure accounted for that.

Prior to that a reasonable chunk of the Dunn/Duff money was witheld.

This topic is not so important as to deserve it's own thread, it deserves it's own forum!

We have an absolutely outstanding young manager (and backroom staff) who have turned us from relegation certs to a top 8 outfit without spending a bean!

He is alo out of contract in the summer. It doesn't need a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together and predict what will happen if the Board and Trustees don't give him a bit more support.

[EIEIEIO]

He is alo out of contract in the summer. It doesn't need a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together and predict what will happen if the Board and Trustees don't give him a bit more support.

376660[/snapback]

Is this true! Sparky's contract is up at the end of the season! Come on rovers get this situation sorted now. Too long have we been waiting for a manager of this pedigree. Please lets not be the laughing stock of the footballing world by letting him go without giving it our very best to keep him.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

He is alo out of contract in the summer. It doesn't need a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together and predict what will happen if the Board and Trustees don't give him a bit more support.

You might be spot on there Rev,I got that impression a little in his article

It would appear our board are now playing a dangerous game with Hughes being on a 'rolling contract'.......if a club comes a calling with silly money to spend?

Edited January 21, 2006 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[stuwilky]

Didnt I hear he was on a 12 month rolling contract?

[RevidgeBlue]

This quote from Hughes sums up our situation perfectly.

"The Club will have to decide how far they want to go. Chase the best or stay where we are"

Of course the cynical might say that this translates into a choice between our Executive directors continuing to sit in the comfort zone drawing huge salaries or actually going the extra mile and managing to extract extra investment in the team from either the Trustees or from outside sources.

Of course I couldn't possibly say that.

[Florida Rover]

Yeah,now that makes sense why he would throw that cryptic remark about "managing in Spain" out there.He doesn't seem to waste words in his interviews.If the board would sanction him to spend,one thinks this will go a long

way towards contract extension.(I can't believe we are already talking about contract extensions as he has only been employed for what, 16 months?)

We all see the need for an additional striker,although MH has already stated he considered Bentley as his 4th srtiking option.

Great days to be Rovers everyone!!

Florida Rover

[philipl]

Yes he is on a rolling contract.

The Walker Trust are already stepping forwards for the Rovers as you will see with the analysis when its posted.

Unfortunately, the decline in attendances since 2002/3 has probably cost the Rovers some £5m cumulatively- just think if the Rovers had that available to spend now.

However, I expect that Dickov's injury will inject real urgency into the club's decisions IF there are strikers available of the calibre we need. That is far more likely to be the deciding factor in signing strikers than transfer funds availability.

I've read through the transfer thread and I struggle to think of the name of a single striker who is genuinely available at the moment beyond Maxi Lopez (£100K a week) and perhaps Ashton if we pay £8m.

Reading the LET article, it is worth quoting Sparky as he is always very careful and precise in his selewction of words:

"My ambition is to go as far as I can, and take Blackburn as far as possible.

"We have got some way to go and hopefully we will get there quickly.

"Then we will need major investment to go to the next level.

"The club will have to decide how far they want to go. Chase the best or stay where we are?"

In other words he is not calling for transfer funds right now but I bet he is saying back me in getting the targets I have already lined up for the summer.

My fear is that without Dickov, we will pay for lack of striker cover when we go to Old Trafford and Upton Park. Prolonging our Cup runs is vital to our financial well-being this season. Protecting our 8th place and perhaps pushing up one or two places of course will help but getting the cash from the Cardiff final and another round or three in the FA Cup will make very significant differences to this tear's numbers despite going down to what looks like at best, an average gate of 20,500.

PS Revidge, I completely disagree with your two posts.

Edited January 21, 2006 by philipl

[AussieinUk]

...this translates into a choice between our Executive directors continuing to sit in the comfort zone drawing huge salaries or actually going the extra mile and managing to extract extra investment in the team from either the Trustees or from outside sources.

Of course I couldn't possibly say that.

376678[/snapback]

Dont think he was hinting at something that deep.. His point was (IMO) we need investment now to move further forward. Plain and simple

[Exiled_Rover]

I'm sorry that's absolute rollocks.

Hughes' net spending since taking over is a meagre 995k.

That's not taking into account the sell on money received for Beattie which I'm sure accounted for that.

Prior to that a reasonable chunk of the Dunn/Duff money was witheld.

This topic is not so important as to deserve it's own thread, it deserves it's own forum!

We have an absolutely outstanding young manager (and backroom staff) who have turned us from relegation certs to a top 8 outfit without spending a bean!

He is alo out of contract in the summer. It doesn't need a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together and predict what will happen if the Board and Trustees don't give him a bit more support.

376660[/snapback]

You should be sorry. As philipl says, the club is losing millions of pounds a year due to the shockingly poor crowds. I believe they made a mistake backing Souness and his signings for as long as they did, but you cannot question their funding of the club.

Hughes alone has spent £8.3m, roughly - Bellamy, Savage, Mokoena. Nelsen was free, so was Kuqi.

Souness, since 2000 has spent £50m, roughly - Ferguson, Cole, Grabbi to name but a few. He recouped £39m, roughly - Duff, Dunn mainly. Factor in the obscene wages Cole, York, Ferguson, Sukur and co must have been on and you're looking at a substantial loss during his tenure. Selling two home grown talents only served to reduce the attendence figures.

Not to say I don't agree - the board should back Hughes, he's proven himself an astute manager in the transfer market, as well as managing to extract a lot of production out of averagely talented players (thanks to an excellent coaching staff). However, I'd understand if the funds provided were meagre, or far below the demands of Hughes.

[Blueboy Downunder]

I sense.... a Vinjay post coming....

Interesting article, let's hope he can get some funds in the summer.

376543[/snapback]

My sentiments exactly mate...LOL

an interesting article indeed and a good one to read. the part about the difference in how much newcastle have spent in the same time that sparky has been our manager - speaks for itself. a good manager backed by a board and trustees that are not gonna throw money at the manager in the hope that it pays off....unlike freddy shepard!!

[toogs]

Yes he is on a rolling contract.

The Walker Trust are already stepping forwards for the Rovers as you will see with the analysis when its posted.

376682[/snapback]

Are the accounts public domain yet?

[Jan]

Not yet

[RevidgeBlue]

That's not what you said originally Exiled, you said the money afforded RECENTLY was absurd.

I would agree the funding afforded to Souness initially was absurdly generous. By way of contrast, net funding available to Hughes has been non existent.

Whilst the financial support offered to the Club by Jack Walker and latterly the Trustees has always been and continues to be extremely generous there must surely be a middle ground which will enable us to fulfill our enormous potential under Hughes.

[Bobby G]

I noticed an absurb bit of info about Maxi Lopez in this thread. There is no way in hell that he will want 100k a week!

He is a teenager and Barcelona signed him for a small fee and he is still developing. He hasnt established himself in Spain yet and there is no way he is on anything near that.