[Archived] Kentaro

[BuckyRover]

No.

I'm sure they work with certain companies/individuals more than others.

We don't know the detail.

What is the difference between these two answers?

Can we sign player x?

1. No he is not a Kentaro player (Venky's)

2. We don't have enough money. (The Trust)

Managers should be used to being told no. It's the modern game. Until Sam/JW come put and say they can't work under Venkys I would say it's nothing to worry about.

[John]

I don't think 3rd party advice/intervention on transfer targets is a good idea. It’s only going to result in the manager getting annoyed.

[philipl]

Advice is always welcome.

BUT Charlie Nicholas said that Kentaro were in India TO AGREE THE TRANSFER BUDGET AND WHO TO BUY.

That is not advice- that is usurping the position of the Manager, the Chairman and the Board.

Let's hope Charlie Nicholas and Alan Nixon have got this all wrong or better still, the Rao family use all their years' experience of running corporate enterprises and understand that consultants are only brought into run the show when you are in deep trouble and that 50%+ of consultant-lead rescues kill the business because they don't kow what they are doing- that is why they are advisors and not bosses no matter how much they fancy themselves.

Rovers alongside Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton are one of the seven clubs that have finished in the top half of the Premier League in four of the last five seasons. The club is alone in the Premier League in seeing a >10% increase in average gates over the past three seasons.

For all the typical Blackburnian moaning minnies on here, Rovers were anything but a club in crisis when the Trust signed the Deed of Sale.

If anything goes wrong, it will have been on Venky's watch.

[John]

Advice has not been asked for by the manager though that is the key point.

[BuckyRover]

Advice is always welcome.

BUT Charlie Nicholas said that Kentaro were in India TO AGREE THE TRANSFER BUDGET AND WHO TO BUY.

That is not advice- that is usurping the position of the Manager, the Chairman and the Board.

Let's hope Charlie Nicholas and Alan Nixon have got this all wrong or better still, the Rao family use all their years' experience of running corporate enterprises and understand that consultants are only brought into run the show when you are in deep trouble and that 50%+ of consultant-lead rescues kill the business because they don't kow what they are doing- that is why they are advisors and not bosses no matter how much they fancy themselves.

Rovers alongside Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton are one of the seven clubs that have finished in the top half of the Premier League in four of the last five seasons. The club is alone in the Premier League in seeing a >10% increase in average gates over the past three seasons.

For all the typical Blackburnian moaning minnies on here, Rovers were anything but a club in crisis when the Trust signed the Deed of Sale.

If anything goes wrong, it will have been on Venky's watch.

Why do you always post to an agenda?

Has the 10% increase in attendances led to a 10% increase in match day revenue? No because prices have been massively reduced.

What is the percentage of wages to turnover? 80/90%? Incredibly high

What is our net investment over the last three years?

Pathetic philipl

[GiddyGoat]

Trying to look at this objectively, I have no axe to grind with the Rao's, Kentaro, Sam (well that's not strictly true) or any posters on this board, just trying to make sense of this by thinking out load.....

Surely it makes sense that the Rao family would have engaged Kentaro as industry experts to consult on strategy and positioning rather than to make player x over player y decisions. This is what business do when they enter a new market via acquisition, they bring in industry experts to consult.

I would have thought that in this case, as consultants, their incentive will be based around Rovers financial and football performance over a number of years and their interest inst just in what "talent management" revenues they can generate. They will be aware that they are potentially conflicted and will manage the agency and consultancy parts of their business with this in mind, remember they stand to lose out if Rovers end up with no manager and a bunch of ###### players too.

I think that Kentaro's role as agents is being over-played a little, lets face it football is rife with mischief, gossip and conspiracy and the opportunity to wind up Sam in order to get a story must be too good to be true for some.

Having said all of that ... this is football and apparently normal rules of engagement don't necessarily apply.

[Majiball]

Why do you always post to an agenda?

Has the 10% increase in attendances led to a 10% increase in match day revenue? No because prices have been massively reduced.

What is the percentage of wages to turnover? 80/90%? Incredibly high

What is our net investment over the last three years?

Pathetic philipl

Time will tell on Kentaro, but if the agency is to be used in an advisor capacity and not an influential one then I would expect Sam to be the first port of call. For all we know in the brief meeting that Sam said he was going to have with them he may have said, 1 striker and a creative midfielder please. Venky's could now be talking to them with a list of requirements, who knows.

One thing seems reasonably clear in that we don't have millions to throw away and taking advice on signings from business men, well doesn't really make sense. The last thing we need is a Shinawatra city like splurge on sub standard players as it appears finacially Venky's are not loaded.

At the end of the day we'll have to wait and see, it should be fairly obvious if he's not a Sam choice. But as a club we have always been praised for the backing and support we provide our managers and if Venky's truly do wish to carry on our traditions, I strongly suggest that one is one of the ones continued.

EDIT: You can all call Kentaro "Industry Experts" but none of them are coaches, ex managers with experience and knowledge of making football teams play. They are business men and obviously will understand recruitment money etc, but as for picking the prefect player for our squad, I'd be leaving that to the scouts and the match analysis team.

EDIT NO.2: Just so you all know these types of advisor's charge up to 15,000 pounds a day, Sam and JW are already paid for and most likely have their fingers on the pulse of the matter. There isn't a single member of staff (players included) that makes 15,000 grand a day at Rovers.

[JAL]

Advice has not been asked for by the manager though that is the key point.

Which is right.

Helpful suggestions should be welcome though, but advice most definitely not. Just hope Sam isnt pigheaded enough to dismisss anything Kentaro might have to say.

[John]

There has been some talk about this however Kentaro/SEM work as business partners already - does anyone know how that relationship works in practice – whilst managing players SEM say they manage/represent clubs too, do we know which other clubs and what they actually do?

Would be good at some point if we could have clarification from the club on what their roles will be moving forward – might help put some minds at rest.

[Majiball]

There has been some talk about this however Kentaro/SEM work as business partners already - does anyone know how that relationship works in practice – whilst managing players SEM say they manage/represent clubs too, do we know which other clubs and what they actually do?

Would be good at some point if we could have clarification from the club on what their roles will be moving forward – might help put some minds at rest.

SEM transfer highlights

[Bobby G]

Yes, all good if you are a player and on their books. Arent they supposed to secure the best deal for their players?

The more money on the table, the more money they effectively make, right or wrong?

That's the fruit of all contention for people with an issue with this "arrangement".

[Majiball]

Yes, all good if you are a player and on their books. Arent they supposed to secure the best deal for their players?

The more money on the table, the more money they effectively make, right or wrong?

That's the fruit of all contention for people with an issue with this "arrangement".

And there's the confliction.

The message to Venky's seems simple to me:

BACK SAM, NOT S.E.M.

[OscarRaven]

Advice has not been asked for by the manager though that is the key point.

Pure conjecture and here is some more:

Sam and John Williams have drawn up a priortised list of players for January and put target prices and max prices next to each player - As would be normal. This list has been passed to Venky's who now have a £10m shopping list but no previous experience of buying foootballers. Personally I would take advice from someone like Kentaro on what they thought of the valuations and respective talents of the targets prior to making any decisions and committing my £10m quid.

How do we know this isn't the case? Ahh we dont.

[philipl]

Pure conjecture and here is some more:

Sam and John Williams have drawn up a priortised list of players for January and put target prices and max prices next to each player - As would be normal. This list has been passed to Venky's who now have a £10m shopping list but no previous experience of buying foootballers. Personally I would take advice from someone like Kentaro on what they thought of the valuations and respective talents of the targets prior to making any decisions and committing my £10m quid.

How do we know this isn't the case? Ahh we dont.

No issue if that were the case.

BIG ISSUE if Alan Nixon and Charlie Nicholas' explanations that Kentaro are setting budgets and targets are true.

And of course if Kentaro decide who comes in, they decide which non-Kentaro players get pushed out as well.

[Steve Moss]

Advice is always welcome.

BUT Charlie Nicholas said that Kentaro were in India TO AGREE THE TRANSFER BUDGET AND WHO TO BUY.

That is not advice- that is usurping the position of the Manager, the Chairman and the Board.

I agree 100%. I hope that Kentaro is advising/brainstorming/talking to the owners about a reasonable budget and what they see as the strength/weaknesses in the team. Heck I wouldn't mind if they had suggestions as to whom to buy. As a new owner with no experience were people are asking for millions of pounds at a go, I can imagine there is a desire not to be taken advantage of and to get input from multiple sources.

But it should be followed up with, go talk to Sam and then we'll talk again before making a decision. He's the manager, the battlefield commander, and you always defer to the judgment of the officer on the scene.

If anything goes wrong, it will have been on Venky's watch.

This is true. And I hope the new owners realize that if the ship sinks, it won't be because of Sam, JW or the Trust.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I think people aren't getting that we have a different breed of owner to pretty much everyone else and very different to our recent past.

Their role is not just to funnel millions from their bank to ours with no oversight or input on how it's spent - that would be idiotic on their part. What counts is that Sam has the final say, and since the window isn't even open yet, I can't understand how people are assuming he won't. I expect there will be a healthy debate and then he will get the final call to ensure he remains accountable for the outcome. But to expect no discussion at all is ludicrous given who our owners are and why they bought us.

Of course they will be more involved than the Trust were, but I doubt they'll ever be as involved as Jack was: giving talks in the dressing room, having a definite say on who the manager could or couldn't buy, sacking the incumbent manager after 5 games, then getting through one every 2 years.

But the bottom line is: as the owners they can do what they like. They have just spalshed the same amount of cash overnight that Jack took several years to inject, so I think they have earned the right to manage it as they see fit.

[BuckyRover]

I think people aren't getting that we have a different breed of owner to pretty much everyone else and very different to our recent past.

Their role is not just to funnel millions from their bank to ours with no oversight or input on how it's spent - that would be idiotic on their part. What counts is that Sam has the final say, and since the window isn't even open yet, I can't understand how people are assuming he won't. I expect there will be a healthy debate and then he will get the final call to ensure he remains accountable for the outcome. But to expect no discussion at all is ludicrous given who our owners are and why they bought us.

Of course they will be more involved than the Trust were, but I doubt they'll ever be as involved as Jack was: giving talks in the dressing room, having a definite say on who the manager could or couldn't buy, sacking the incumbent manager after 5 games, then getting through one every 2 years.

But the bottom line is: as the owners they can do what they like. They have just spalshed the same amount of cash overnight that Jack took several years to inject, so I think they have earned the right to manage it as they see fit.

Thank God for that. A sensible post.

The amount of crap that is being posted at the moment is ridiculous. Everybody is behaving like a harbinger of doom.

Times are changing. That doesn't necessarily mean impending disaster.

[allanncd]

"Disaster" is a scenario that follows the modern PL club owner like a shadow. The stupity that has engulfed Chelsea and Newcastle - in alienating or sacking a successful manager - are just the latest examples of wealthy but clueless egocentrics. I hope this is not the way forward with the new owners but the signs are not good.

[imy9]

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2010/12/08/blackburn-owners-invested-53m-but-cut-price-kentaro-transfers-loom-081204/

Rao family decribe Kentaro as "family" accoring to the above article.

[John]

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2010/12/08/blackburn-owners-invested-53m-but-cut-price-kentaro-transfers-loom-081204/

Rao family decribe Kentaro as "family" accoring to the above article.

Hmmmm...

[brfcshabba]

All the 'new' articles are just a re hash of old articles

[John]

Not seen the "family" comment before.

[philipl]

Not seen the "family" comment before.

Depends which bit of Kentaro is the sexy cousin and which bit is the wicked uncle.

Kentaro doing brilliant media things is one thing, Jerome Anderson doing anything is quite another.

[thenodrog]

My guess is that Sam's told someone to (Please don't use that word again) right off this morning.

[DE.]

Get the feeling Allardyce has submitted his general list of players he wants and it hasn't found favour with Kentaro, who have then advised Venky's to get rid.

Not comfortable with Kentaro having such a big role in the running of our club if they've had any significant input into getting Allardyce sacked.