[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[Iceman]

However, ahead of the 2010/11 season, the Premier League has introduced new measures to tighten up the ownership and financial management of its clubs.

It follows Portsmouth’s slide into administration earlier this year, with the league introducing a number of new regulations designed to reduce the risk of another club going the same way as the south coast side.

From this summer, new owners must meet the league’s board before a takeover is approved, while teams must submit far more detailed financial information to prove they are able to pay their debts to football creditors.

If successful, the Rovers takeover will be subjected to these new rules, which will include the newly-named owners and directors test, whereby persons barred from other sporting organisations, competitions and professional bodies will not be permitted to be a director of a club.

The official new rules set out by the Premier League over ownership and finance are:

– A prospective new owner must provide future financial information to show the projected financial position of the club should a takeover go through.

– A prospective new owner must also show proof of funds to prove they can sustain the club for the year ahead.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburnrovers/news/8332234.Indian_tycoon_pledges_transfer_funds_for_Blackburn_Rovers/

[joey_big_nose]

Bellamy is a high profile player, perhaps for the wrong reasons but I'm unsure about that. He is definetely a player I enjoyed seeing at Ewood and has a style which excites fans. RSC and Bentley are not high profile players, sure they had their moment in the headlines when the transfers went through but what have you heard since? Bentley got caught drink driving and RSC has had very little impact at Eastlands. These two are good footballers who would have been important to Rovers had they stayed, especially if both had stayed, but they are not high profile, just very good solid footballers. Rooney is high profile, if as I do, you take this to mean right at the top of the game.

Agreed. RSC and Bellamy were neither "high profile" or "established". Both were known of but both had gone off the rails - Bellamy due to discipline, RSC due to injuries. They were not expected to be top performers - we managed to get the best out of them.

If we go after players who are playing well and in the starting XI for top Premiership or European sides (like Crouch say, or Ashley Young) we will 1) pay absolutely through the nose 2) have a significant chance of whoever turns up not performing. We cannot afford that and it is not sensible.

Much better to find players who are hungry and talented and pay in the 2-5m bracket for them. Or more experienced players who have lost their way (like Bellamy or RSC). That way we are sustainable for much longer and will have the financial versatility to change things if they are not working out.

Stoke and Sunderland are the exact opposite of how we should be looking to do business. We want to find the space between the Everton and Arsenal models (Fellani excluded.....)

[den]

Agreed. RSC and Bellamy were neither "high profile" or "established". Both were known of but both had gone off the rails - Bellamy due to discipline, RSC due to injuries. They were not expected to be top performers - we managed to get the best out of them.

If we go after players who are playing well and in the starting XI for top Premiership or European sides (like Crouch say, or Ashley Young) we will 1) pay absolutely through the nose 2) have a significant chance of whoever turns up not performing. We cannot afford that and it is not sensible.

Much better to find players who are hungry and talented and pay in the 2-5m bracket for them. Or more experienced players who have lost their way (like Bellamy or RSC). That way we are sustainable for much longer and will have the financial versatility to change things if they are not working out.

Stoke and Sunderland are the exact opposite of how we should be looking to do business. We want to find the space between the Everton and Arsenal models (Fellani excluded.....)

So, we have new owners and have a lot of cash available, we have an owner who is ambitious - and you want us to be looking for players valued around the £2.5m mark, same as this transfer window? Do you really think this is the way to improve the squad JBN?

[Amo]

So, we have new owners and have a lot of cash available, we have an owner who is ambitious - and you want us to be looking for players valued around the £2.5m mark, same as this transfer window? Do you really think this is the way to improve the squad JBN?

No, I think he means we'd have been able to sign players like Edin Dzeko and Lewandowski. Relatively unknown, but talented players, whose value will skyrocket.

[booth]

So, we have new owners and have a lot of cash available, we have an owner who is ambitious - and you want us to be looking for players valued around the £2.5m mark, same as this transfer window? Do you really think this is the way to improve the squad JBN?

He said £2mil to £5mil not £2.5mil.

[joey_big_nose]

So, we have new owners and have a lot of cash available, we have an owner who is ambitious - and you want us to be looking for players valued around the £2.5m mark, same as this transfer window? Do you really think this is the way to improve the squad JBN?

I said 2m to 5m. Yes it will improve things. Much more than chucking 10m at average players like Kenwyne Jones. It will just take time and selecting the right targets.

No, I think he means we'd have been able to sign players like Edin Dzeko and Lewandowski. Relatively unknown, but talented players, whose value will skyrocket.

Totally agree. And be able to pick up someone like Guti maybe who would add experience to the midfield. That sort of thing.

I think it would be outrageously stupid to stop signing and playing the players of the mould who have served us so well in the past on small transfer fees - Nelsen, Samba, Pedersen, Robinson, Nzonzi, Bentley, Tugay etc etc - simply because we have money.

[alexanders]

Den, that is not exactly what I read from JBN's post.

I think he means that we should go after players like; Klose, Diarra, Van der Vaart, Joaquin, Hugo Almeida, Pandev in that mould. Players who have performed for their clubs and national team, but seem to be out of favour or their careers have stalled. You can get very very good players for a reasonable fee.

The opposite is buying Balotelli, Yaya Toure, Robinho, Lescott, for a silly price with the same chance of flopping.

[G Somerset Rover]

Very exciting news that things have taken a step closer. I can't wait until this comes to fruition.

One thing though, I can't wait to finally see us spend some money, but aren't wages still going to be a major problem? No doubt we'll get better players so our wage bill to turnover ratio will rocket past it's current rate of 90%. Has Mr. Syed mentioned this in any of his comments to date?

Such a shame we can't be rid of players like Chimbonda, Roberts, Brown, Zurab, Rigters as I'd imagine we'd be in a much healthier state and they'd probably play a combined total of around ten games between them given how far they've fallen out of Allardyce's plans.

[Bobby G]

5 day count-down. Race against the clock. Maybe we are in for a big surprise.

[Ricky]

We seem to have built up quite a large squad of average players. Ideally this could be pruned a bit to have s smaller squad with better quality which could then be used in conjunction with a backup squad of youth players.

I'm sure people would happily lose the likes of Reid (already gone), zurab, and Andrews to cover the wages of a top midfielder on the same wages. Same with Jacobsen and chimbonda they could bs sacrificed as we have players who could cover Salgado.

I think most fans would be happy to go down this route. I know we need to shift the high earning deadwood but hopefully we will get some interest in our squad players.

[den]

I said 2m to 5m. Yes it will improve things. Much more than chucking 10m at average players like Kenwyne Jones. It will just take time and selecting the right targets.

Yes, sorry JBN, 2-5m.

I have to asky why restrict yourself? Don't see the point myself. Zillions of people on here have said we can't get a decent striker for £6m any more. If a player you want is available at the right price, whatever that price is and you have the money, then pay it.

It's like trying to win the 100 metres while tieing one leg behind your back.

[47er]

Like everyone else I don't want us to go silly with signings although its very tempting after such a long drought! However, I wouldn't mind us "pushing the boat out" on 2 or 3 players who would be expensive but who would serve us for years and lift us out of the "also-rans".

Bentley and Warnock come immediately to mind and would prove our intent. They would also put more bums on seats. Once established, the bit by bit improvement every year is the way to go.

[Bobby G]

Bentley may be able to rediscover his form and Sam may be the guy to bring it back for him. He has been the forgotten man of English football.

[Iceman]

Syed will say " Sam, who do you need to get rid of"

Sam will say: " Mr Syed, i need to get rid of a few players, but they all still have a few years left on their current deal. Its going to cost you"

Sayed: "well how much Sam?"

Sam: " well i got Roberts, Brown, Zurab, Andrews, Rigters, so about 20 mill will cover it."

Syed: "Okay, thats fine with me. But just remember, now you will only have 80mill to spend, instead of 100mill"

Sam: "no problem, Sir, thats about 79.9mill more than what im spending at the moment"

Syed: " If you need more, let me know"

Sam: " i love you Mr Syed"

[John]

At the moment, for some reason, I cannot get too excited by getting taken over by an someone who is an investment professional for a living – and is deciding to buy a club he has no real ties too and intends to pour millions of money into it.

Looking forward to seeing 45,000 at Ewood in a few years time.

We are just very lucky I guess…..

[den]

At the moment, for some reason, I cannot get too excited by getting taken over by an someone who is an investment professional for a living – and is deciding to buy a club he has no real ties too and intends to pour millions of money into it.

Looking forward to seeing 45,000 at Ewood in a few years time.

We are just very lucky I guess…..

What kind of owner would you want John?

[joey_big_nose]

I have to asky why restrict yourself? Don't see the point myself. Zillions of people on here have said we can't get a decent striker for £6m any more. If a player you want is available at the right price, whatever that price is and you have the money, then pay it.

I would restrict yourself because 80% of the time the big money buys don't work out. Either they play no better than a player you could get for a quarter of the price, or are a total flop. Look at Portsmouth, look at Sunderland, look at Stoke, look at Hull, Boro, Newcastle. The list is endless.

It is enormously difficult to get value over 5m. I agree it is worth it for exceptional talents - when we were looking at Dzecko for example - but as a general rule we should be looking for small transfer prices. All the clubs above painted themselves into a corner by going for hollywood signings who turned up and didn't perform, and are paying huge costs in wages and gambling the future solvency of the club.

Just my opinion, but the long term future of the club will be in a much better position with continuing with our current model - the Nelsen's, the Samba's, the Bentley's - enhanced with a better class of young player and a few experienced heads neither of which should not cost more than 5m a throw. I can't see us producing a worse side that way than if we blew 50m quid on Peter Crouchs and Anshely Youngs.

If expenditure made the crucial difference you would have expected - when they threw money around and we were skint - Newcastle, Boro, Stoke, Hull, Pompey would have finished ahead of us in the league. By and large they did not because they wasted fantastical sums of money on average players.

[Gav]

5 day count-down. Race against the clock. Maybe we are in for a big surprise.

Even if it did happen today, we'd not have enough time to put deals together for players we're not currently in the market for already.

Think we'll be looking towards January and not this window.

[John]

I probably need to move with the times however I am comfortable with our current owners.

Almost every foreign takeover has been a complete disaster – this is the future of our club here and some are just thinking of fantasy transfer targets (not having a go as it’s a natural thing to do).

All I’m saying is that I am more anxious rather than excited, a fair point to make I think, as I find it odd that someone wants to pour millions into a club he has no connection too.

[Balwer]

I would restrict yourself because 80% of the time the big money buys don't work out. Either they play no better than a player you could get for a quarter of the price, or are a total flop. Look at Portsmouth, look at Sunderland, look at Stoke, look at Hull, Boro, Newcastle. The list is endless.

It is enormously difficult to get value over 5m. I agree it is worth it for exceptional talents - when we were looking at Dzecko for example - but as a general rule we should be looking for small transfer prices. All the clubs above painted themselves into a corner by going for hollywood signings who turned up and didn't perform, and are paying huge costs in wages and gambling the future solvency of the club.

Just my opinion, but the long term future of the club will be in a much better position with this model and we won't be sacrificing competitiveness. If we were you would have expected - when they threw money around and we were skint - Newcastle, Boro, Stoke, Hull, Pompey would finish ahead of us in the league. By and large they did not.

80% of the time it doesn't work out? You're just making numbers up. If that's the case then Rovers and Chelsea would never have won the titles once Jack and Roman took over and Man City would still be in and around 10th. There's a reason that the clubs above us consistently finish higher than us and it's not because their manager's are significantly better. Money talks.

[den]

I would restrict yourself because 80% of the time the big money buys don't work out. Either they play no better than a player you could get for a quarter of the price, or are a total flop. Look at Portsmouth, look at Sunderland, look at Stoke, look at Hull, Boro, Newcastle. The list is endless.

It is enormously difficult to get value over 5m.

I wouldn't go along with that as a reason for not paying the market value JBN. The problem isn't the price, it's the judgement of the buyer, whatever the price. Your argument seems to be based on the theory that not spending much, means not losing much. Not going to get you far with that approach.

How often do cheap buys work out?

[joey_big_nose]

Like everyone else I don't want us to go silly with signings although its very tempting after such a long drought! However, I wouldn't mind us "pushing the boat out" on 2 or 3 players who would be expensive but who would serve us for years and lift us out of the "also-rans".

Bentley and Warnock come immediately to mind and would prove our intent. They would also put more bums on seats. Once established, the bit by bit improvement every year is the way to go.

For my money I reckon there would be a massive likelyhood of them coming back and being deeply average for us. Why waste the enormous transfer fees on a risk like that when you can get someone just as good for less money, who will actually view a move to Rovers as an opportunity rather than a sad eventuality?

[philipl]

Everything AWG have said so far has been talking of buying value to build upon.

If they wanted a team full of established top wage iffy stars to start off with, they would have bought Liverpool. My reading is they want the sporting challenge of seeing the team built with players who can be developed from being very good to becoming world beaters with the Rovers.

[den]

I probably need to move with the times however I am comfortable with our current owners.

Almost every foreign takeover has been a complete disaster – this is the future of our club here and some are just thinking of fantasy transfer targets (not having a go as it’s a natural thing to do).

All I’m saying is that I am more anxious rather than excited, a fair point to make I think, as I find it odd that someone wants to pour millions into a club he has no connection too.

That doesn't answer my question though John. What kind of buyer would you want?

[joey_big_nose]

80% of the time it doesn't work out? You're just making numbers up. If that's the case then Rovers and Chelsea would never have won the titles once Jack and Roman took over and Man City would still be in and around 10th. There's a reason that the clubs above us consistently finish higher than us and it's not because their manager's are significantly better. Money talks.

I mean big money buys for mid table clubs. Not the Chelsea/Man Us/Liverpools. They are in a different market. I am talking about clubs not in the CL who have thrown money around and where the big buys have got them.