[Archived] The Dawn Of A New Era

[booth]

Excellent post Tris but judging by the two follow up's it's a wasted effort. Too cerebral by far for some. 'Pearls before swine' I'm afraid. No doubt they'll already have ordered their BRFC shirts with Ronaldinho on the back.

you're so clever aren't you. I really don't know how you come up with this stuff.

Have a biscuit

[Roverall]

Excellent post Tris but judging by the two follow up's it's a wasted effort. Too cerebral by far for some. 'Pearls before swine' I'm afraid. No doubt they'll already have ordered their BRFC shirts with Ronaldinho on the back.

I want Ronnie NOW! Gimme Gimme Gimme!

We are the Venky Boyz....

What a sanctimonious prat.

[Exiled in Toronto]

"Shared values and ambitions" you said. You've screwed our values, so now you need to stay true to our ambitions. At this point, that's PL survival. Step up to the plate and stop the bullsh!t circus.

Stirring stuff Tris; you had me there until the last sentence. Do you really think anyone would have paid 40 million to share our ambitions?

To hang on grimly until next season when we can, err, hang on grimly again?

To not consider attractive football because that gets you relegated?

To not set targets of a Euro place because then the club will implode?

To sell all our best players and STILL have a debt north of 20 million?

40 million to share in that? Oh, and plus fund an annual deficit of c 2-4 million, PLUS please stump up another 10-15 million because the current squad are all a bit crap really?

They paid the money to live out their ambitions, not wallow in ours. Like it or not.

[thenodrog]

Stirring stuff Tris; you had me there until the last sentence. Do you really think anyone would have paid 40 million to share our ambitions?

To hang on grimly until next season when we can, err, hang on grimly again?

To not consider attractive football because that gets you relegated?

To not set targets of a Euro place because then the club will implode?

To sell all our best players and STILL have a debt north of 20 million?

40 million to share in that? Oh, and plus fund an annual deficit of c 2-4 million, PLUS please stump up another 10-15 million because the current squad are all a bit crap really?

They paid the money to live out their ambitions, not wallow in ours. Like it or not.

Two questions.

How will Ronaldinho's transfer and subsequent remuneration be financed?

How will the rest of the squad's inevitable remuneration demands be financed?

[Exiled in Toronto]

Two questions.

How will Ronaldinho's transfer and subsequent remuneration be financed?

How will the rest of the squad's inevitable remuneration demands be financed?

Why are you asking me? I didn't buy the club or bid for Ronnie

Maybe they'll finance the squad's salary increases the same way the last regime did - debt and selling good players.

[Alan75]

Excellent post Tris.

It's a shame that certain members cant see the wood from the trees.

[adopted scouser]

It is 10 weeks to the day (Tuesday 26th October) that BRFC confirmed that the New Era was about to dawn. The 98 word statement on Rovers own website under the headline "Almost There!" concluded with these words from Mrs Desai - "we are particularly delighted that the team is Blackburn Rovers, with whom we believe we have many shared values and ambitions".

Well 10 weeks on and in hindsight ... perhaps the ambitions were shared, but the values most certainly haven't been. Our club had gained enormous respect in the football world - not always reflected or reported in the media - for the values always adhered to by BRFC when dealing with other clubs and entities which have to be dealt with at this level of football. Values such as discretion, integrity and a serious no-time-wasting approach to business.

After that first confirmation on 26/10, it was over three weeks later that Venkys ownership was finalised on 19/11. They appeared to have appointed London PR agency Taylor Herring to handle their side of the news, as this official statement gave Taylor Herring's main switchboard number as the contact for Venky's London Limited.

I have no idea if TH still handle that side, but there is certainly no further hint that they do. Their archive contains nothing else of relevance, and their "Hall of Fame" of clients makes no reference to BRFC or Venkys. Which seems strange, because PR companies value top level clients, and under their sports customers they only list UFC, Football Italia, Soccer Aid and Power Bar.

Meanwhile everything that Venkys have said and done only points to the conclusion that they really DO need PR advice. Not the most important thing they need though - above all they desperately need football advice. Whatever advice they are getting on both fronts is coming from the wrong people and the wrong places ... or if they're making plans themselves as they go along then they need to stop doing that immediately.

Maradona, Ronaldinho, Beckham ... it doesn't matter how any of these rumours came out but the owners have had to make public denials on the first two and their appointed manager has mentioned the third himself. That is a symptom of a disjointed shambles at the top, and an out-of-control public face. Who is actually letting this stuff into the public domain??

Venkys - save your Ronaldinho money for later. Please ... at least ... go into this transfer window with some credibility and let the trusted football executives deal with your appointed manager ... and get the players he actually wants to sign and pick to play in the 1st team.

"Shared values and ambitions" you said. You've screwed our values, so now you need to stay true to our ambitions. At this point, that's PL survival. Step up to the plate and stop the bullsh!t circus.

Great post Tris.

[the original david brent]

I have an overpowering feeling that BRFC is no longer my club.

the thoughts of my group of mates and I. All darwen lads who have followed rovers through thick and thin, home and away, around europe for the last 15-20 years. Rovers are turning from a proud town football club into a franchise and publicity vehicle for Venkys. All things like the sacking of Allardyce, the calamitous PR of Venkys, potenial name change of Ewood, rumours non renewal of food contract with Northcotes (see seperate thread). I happened to go to West Brom and I just didn't have the same passion. Whilst many posters will not share my views, Im sure others will.

Excellent post Tris btw

[Bobby G]

Welcome back Tris!

[Mattyblue]

In the documentation published after the takeover there was a section outlining that the Trust are being kept on the payroll as 'advisors'. Does any poster have any further info on what this role would entail?

[John]

Can only think a lot of the recent moves are purely for PR - unless we see some evidence to the contrary they are not that wealthy so, as I mentioned on another thread, where is the money coming from for all this??

[tonyoz]

Stirring stuff Tris; you had me there until the last sentence. Do you really think anyone would have paid 40 million to share our ambitions?

To hang on grimly until next season when we can, err, hang on grimly again?

To not consider attractive football because that gets you relegated?

To not set targets of a Euro place because then the club will implode?

To sell all our best players and STILL have a debt north of 20 million?

40 million to share in that? Oh, and plus fund an annual deficit of c 2-4 million, PLUS please stump up another 10-15 million because the current squad are all a bit crap really?

butThey paid the money to live out their ambitions, not wallow in ours. Like it or not.

Excellent analysis I think. This is why Venkys have behaved as they have. They believe they can deliver an exciting new age to Ewood. They have put their money where their mouths are. (No, I don't know where the money is coming from either.)

[bob fleming]

No, I don't know where the money is coming from either.

That's the biggie isn't it? Where is the money coming from? You'd think someone, a journalist or something, would actually ask them wouldn't you? Mind you they'd probaby get three different answers anyway.

Still, they've been through the Premier League's "Fit an Proper" test so they must be OK.

[JAL]

Pathetic isn't it? Our owners are behaving like a bunch of star struck teenage girls. Their entire culture is all about show and nothing about substance and if anybody was in any doubt they won't be now. Maradona, Beckham, Ronaldinho! Pathetic and every action shows just how little they know about football. I have an overpowering feeling that BRFC is no longer my club.

Sounding a bit ageist here Theno!

Surely John Williams and Tom Finns duty is to provide that substance whilst the Rao family embark on a frenzied binge.

After all its their toy, and if this is how they want to do things, then in the short term lets go for the ride remembering that JW and TF are still there as guardians of the club.

[tonygreenbank]

I have to say that I am worried at the current situation.I am not sure where we are heading with all this speculation and silly transfer gossip. A Newcastle fan emailed Sky Sports this morning and was glad that the football world have got Blackburn to laugh at instead of his own team. The saddest part of this whole saga is the silence from John Williams. He must have been neutered in the take over and we will sadly miss his experience. If reports are to be believed then even Samba has had enough and feels he is wasting his time. The new era at the moment is not looking good.

[RevidgeBlue]

Stirring stuff Tris; you had me there until the last sentence. Do you really think anyone would have paid 40 million to share our ambitions?

To hang on grimly until next season when we can, err, hang on grimly again?

To not consider attractive football because that gets you relegated?

To not set targets of a Euro place because then the club will implode?

To sell all our best players and STILL have a debt north of 20 million?

40 million to share in that? Oh, and plus fund an annual deficit of c 2-4 million, PLUS please stump up another 10-15 million because the current squad are all a bit crap really?

They paid the money to live out their ambitions, not wallow in ours. Like it or not.

Excellent post EIT.

[RevidgeBlue]

Two questions.

How will Ronaldinho's transfer and subsequent remuneration be financed?

How will the rest of the squad's inevitable remuneration demands be financed?

!) If we did ever sign someone like Ronaldinho or Beckham is it not feasible Sky would schedule us in for another eight or nine live TV appearances a season?. At 750 k a pop that alone would pay a 6m p.a. salary.

2) Who out of the current squad is really worthy of a huge wage increase or need to be kept at all costs? Samba/Robinson/Jones. That's it really. The rest know where the door is if they don't like it.

[only2garners]

!) If we did ever sign someone like Ronaldinho or Beckham is it not feasible Sky would schedule us in for another eight or nine live TV appearances a season?. At 750 k a pop that alone would pay a 6m p.a. salary.

2) Who out of the current squad is really worthy of a huge wage increase or need to be kept at all costs? Samba/Robinson/Jones. That's it really. The rest know where the door is if they don't like it.

We are not going to appear in 8/9 more tv games this season no matter who we sign. There will be more than we would get otherwise but not that many, unles we win everything and suddenly start challenging at the top and who believes that? In any event we must still be long way from our guaranteed number of tv games and so the next few won't get us any more money anyway.

[RevidgeBlue]

We are not going to appear in 8/9 more tv games this season no matter who we sign. There will be more than we would get otherwise but not that many, unles we win everything and suddenly start challenging at the top and who believes that? In any event we must still be long way from our guaranteed number of tv games and so the next few won't get us any more money anyway.

I did deliberately say eight or nine games "a season" John as in a full season - obviously if we signed Messi we wouldn't get an extra eight or nine slots before the end of this season.

I don't understand the rest of your post, isn't the way it works that you get a guaranteed minimum amount from Sky for being in the PL, then place money then roughly 750k per live TV appearance but with each Club being guaranteed a bare minimum number of appearances?

So unless all our guaranteed appearances somehow happened to fall in the second half of the season and we were on every other week anyway, a marquis signing would have some impact albeit not the same as over a full season.

[booth]

I have to say that I am worried at the current situation.I am not sure where we are heading with all this speculation and silly transfer gossip. A Newcastle fan emailed Sky Sports this morning and was glad that the football world have got Blackburn to laugh at instead of his own team.

To be fair, the Geordies have about 15 years of embarrassment on us.

[Miker]

Excellent analysis I think. This is why Venkys have behaved as they have. They believe they can deliver an exciting new age to Ewood. They have put their money where their mouths are. (No, I don't know where the money is coming from either.)

No they haven't. They might still, but so far they haven't bought any players for us to judge. Once Feb 1st rolls around then we can sit back and say "we have exciting times ahead" or "we are totally boned". So far we have heard Venky's and Kean talk a lot, Venky's with confusing statements, Kean with very reassuring statements, but neither has delivered us results yet. We have 4 out of 12 points, a depleted squad and no signings.

Unfortunately, with the luxury of the Internet, we are all demanding answers and results by the minute, but none are coming, so it's all getting a bit restless. Personally, I can't wait to have this month over and done with and see where we stand by the end of it.

[RevidgeBlue]

No they haven't.

Well they have to the extent they've paid 20m for the Club with 1m p.a. still to go to the Trust for each of the next 3 years.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Leaving aside the emotion caused by our owners somewhat eccentric dealings with the media, it's becoming fairly clear what their plan is, but a big issue seems to be that they have very different objectives to the fans.

Thousands of posts on here basically saying either "Don't change things because we were alright as we were" or "Don't take any unnecessary risks because we might go down". But it is inconceivable to me that our new owners would have the slightest interest in either of these two perspectives.

Firstly, we were not alright as we were. Selling players, losing money etc etc. There was no 'as you were' business model apart from some lunatic losing money each and every year to see us achieve absolutely dick all. Hence, three years up for sale with no takers.

As to the fear factor, don't take risks etc, in my experience a successful Inidan businessman would not only not share that PoV, they would despise it. Anyone in India who takes that attitude gets trampled underfoot. Their business world is one in which fortune favours the brave; that's all they know and it's worked for them so far in their mainstream business.

Buying Rovers is a bold move, but one that can only possibly work for them if they are equally bold in what they do with the club. Hence looking to buy one of, if not THE most famous player in the world. That's the kind of splash they need to get the benefits.

Sacking Allardyce was a bold move. I can see why they would think he wouldn't be comfortable with them parachuting in a Ronnie or a Becks - and he wouldn't - but their plan doesn't work without a Galactico, so Sam had to go. I also see that buying a Ronnie is something only an owner can do, because of the huge sums involved AND that most of the benefits eventually flow through to their business. It only makes snse IF you have a big business to promote on the back of it; that's why Ronnie is going to be sponsored by companies in Brazil.

So I think we are in for a wild ride, like it or not. The 'not' comes from this difference in objectives between owner and fan - a difference we never had to cope with under Jack.

This window is make or break for their strategy. If it works, they will still seem as loopy as ever to us, but I feel we will end up thinking that we have great owners during the transfer windows and poor owners the rest of the year. Under the Trust in recent times we had the opposite: great owners the rest of the year but poor ones in the transfer window.

If it doesn't work, we might have a less experienced manager, but we will for sure be buying better players than of late, so hopefully it'll be a wash for us the fans.

Fingers crossed.

[Miker]

Sacking Allardyce was a bold move. I can see why they would think he wouldn't be comfortable with them parachuting in a Ronnie or a Becks - and he wouldn't - but their plan doesn't work without a Galactico, so Sam had to go. I also see that buying a Ronnie is something only an owner can do, because of the huge sums involved AND that most of the benefits eventually flow through to their business. It only makes snse IF you have a big business to promote on the back of it; that's why Ronnie is going to be sponsored by companies in Brazil.

So I think we are in for a wild ride, like it or not. The 'not' comes from this difference in objectives between owner and fan - a difference we never had to cope with under Jack.

Not to burst your bubble, but you do realise that there is a direct quote from Desai stating that SAM ALLARDYCE wanted an "impact" signing right? As does Kean, and Ronaldinho is that signing. Not to mention that Sam has in the past directly stated that he would love to have Becks in his squad.

We've gotten over Sam's sacking, but the reasons for it still remain unclear. My guess is it was the "women with handbags" comment after the Bolton game. At least that's actually as logical, if not more logical, than any other reason that's been provided. Sam criticised his players, Kean pats them on the back for awful performances. Positive thinking seems to be the flavour of the month in Venkyland, so Sam had to go.

There were absolutely no valid footballing reasons to let Sam go, as has been proven time and time again since it's occurred.

I don't doubt Venky's intentions or their vision for the club, but I'm still waiting to be impressed - both on and off the field.

[philipl]

I understand the external shambles is exceded only by the internal shambles. These are extremely worrying times.