[Archived] The Dawn Of A New Era

[Tom]

I'm not sure whether or not this is the right thread for this [i don't want to start a new thread for a simple question (okay; 3 questions - nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! ), to which someone on here may well know the answer].

In one of the threads last week, someone wrote that they thought that our link with Cercle Bruges no longer exists.

Now that the furore over the transfer window is dying down, I thought I'd ask does anyone know if that's so? And if it is, does anyone know the rationale for the decision to break the link? For example, don't Man. United still have a link with Royal Antwerp which allows them to "blood" younger players and "park" younger players from abroad who wouldn't immediately qualify for a Work Permit?

I mentioned it, and I'm sure it is the case but I'm not 100% sure why sorry.

I presume we no longer saw any real benefit to it

[Steve Moss]

We weren't guaranteed to get relegated under Ince.

True enough, as it was mathmatically possible we could have recovered with the squad we had, as Sam demonstrated. I think the odds are amazingly low that Ince would have matched or come closing to matching Sam's performance.

If you think otherwise, that is fine. But it tells me all I need to know about your judgment.

[BuckyRover]

Whoosh

[Miker]

If you laugh at somebody's ambition and they go on to realise their ambition, you are the fool not them.

Are you saying that most mid season appointments end in disaster? Arsenal and Man Utd would disagree

It's not a gamble it's decision making. She felt that our long term vision was more important than short term survival with Sam. So did I, as did many others.

Many people on here said we would be relegated without Sam. I hope this is proven to be false as I always believed it to be.

Most on here said we'd get relegated last season under Sam as well around December, yet we finished 10th. I remember a huge furore on here, much worse than what we experienced following Sam's sacking and Kean's initially poor results. So as far as I'm concerned, some of the people acting positive on here now have absolutely zero credibility in my eyes, as I know very well just how much positivity you had when Sam was in charge.

To make an absolutely bogus claim like "she felt our long term vision was more important than short term survival under Sam" is just unbelievable. Who on this messageboard actually feels otherwise? Not a single person. Those that had been in defence of Sam were only doing so because we believed our long-term success would have been guaranteed under Sam, rather than risked under an unknown manager. Claims that Sam couldn't take us any further or that he lacked ambition are so ludicrous that I feel like I'd be wasting my time refuting them. It's just unbelievable that people like you can claim their being more sensible than the rest by basing their judgment on a good feeling about an unproven manager, as opposed to the rest of us who have based our judgment on a proven track record of an experienced manager.

Also, the owners have ambitions, but they are far from having realised them yet. We've barely seen our new players play and have barely gotten past the half way mark of the season. Last I remember, people were raving about Chimbonda on here when he played his first couple of games, but by the time he left everyone was glad to see the back of him. You're jumping the gun too soon, but I'll gladly bear any egg on my face if you are proven to be 100% correct in your supreme wisdom.

[BuckyRover]

It's called having an opinion Miker.

I'm not the only one. You were a staunch supporter of Sam even when the team capitulated. As such your opinion in my eyes is as irrelevant as mine in yours.

Any decision in football is a gamble. I know you would have preferred the new owners to come in spend their own money preserving the status quo but that was never going to happen in the real world was it? He was perfect for the trust because we could exist on a small budget (forget the 6m on Kalinic and our hoarding of right backs) but I certainly wouldn't give him my money to shape a team. The owners felt the same and I like many others are glad they took the decision (or GAMBLE if that makes you feel better).

We will see if I have jumped the gun too soon.

[thenodrog]

In mikers defence it's called having an opinion Bucky.

[True Blue & White]

It's called having an opinion Miker.

In the same way Nostradamus had a few 'opinions'

[BuckyRover]

Still replying to my posts?

I can't read them. I'm sure it was very witty.

[True Blue & White]

If you can't read them, how did you know to reply?

[BuckyRover]

In mikers defence it's called having an opinion Bucky.

I suppose so. I'll take it back. I do have supreme wisdom and it's nice when it's recognised.

[Valois]

If you can't read them, how did you know to reply?

You have commented on his post. Flaw in the ignore system.

[True Blue & White]

You have commented on his post. Flaw in the ignore system.

Ahhh I'll try and comment more on Bucky's posts then

[Bobby G]

Venkys have just dropped into our training session according to Jason Brown.

[neekoy]

It's called having an opinion Miker.

I'm not the only one. You were a staunch supporter of Sam even when the team capitulated. As such your opinion in my eyes is as irrelevant as mine in yours.

Any decision in football is a gamble. I know you would have preferred the new owners to come in spend their own money preserving the status quo but that was never going to happen in the real world was it? He was perfect for the trust because we could exist on a small budget (forget the 6m on Kalinic and our hoarding of right backs) but I certainly wouldn't give him my money to shape a team. The owners felt the same and I like many others are glad they took the decision (or GAMBLE if that makes you feel better).

We will see if I have jumped the gun too soon.

Got to agree, anyone who thinks that they would spend that much on an investment to watch it go down the gurgler by relegation is a little odd in the head. Football nouse or not it appears they chose who they bwere going to listen to and were decisive in making that decision. Whether or not we think the people they are talking to are the right people is completely irrelevant.

I am very glad they took the punt and did what they did because so far it seems to have been working, I would even hazard a guess and say that by this time next year if they aren't happy they will probably do it again even if the fans feel sacking Kean when he finishes us in the top half of the table was wrong.

[philipl]

I don't think they would sped so much money and watch it go down the gurgler just as Guy Hands didn't plan to spend £3.9bn on EMI and watch it go down the gurgler.

Hands was a banker, not a music man, these are chicken people attracted by glitz, not football people.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I don't think they would sped so much money and watch it go down the gurgler just as Guy Hands didn't plan to spend £3.9bn on EMI and watch it go down the gurgler.

Hands was a banker, not a music man, these are chicken people attracted by glitz, not football people.

Football people don't buy football clubs these days. Football people take money out of the game, not put it in.

[thenodrog]

The Dawn of a new era?

Must say that I have been becoming somewhat disenchanted with top level football of late. Like most neutrals I completely lost all interest in the footballing farce that is the 'Champions' league long ago. Despite sterling efforts by the media the FA Cup too now holds about as much interest for me as the weather forecast for Outer Mongolia. Latterley lots of other events in football have compounded my cynicism and dismaying me greatly from the embarrasingly shambolic performance of our pampered and over hyped 3rd rate players at the World Cup, the stupid burgers at the FA who annually pay our national managers twice the bonus of a top city banking chief (and worse still extend their contracts BEFORE every major tournament), the skewed balance of power in Premier league and right down to the bad smell of back stabbing, corruption, agent involvement etc surrounding BRFC itself. Nothing about football in this country holds much moral or social value anymore imo. Even the sight of our two new wonder kids was disappointing as they shuffled out to be introduced to the crow all round shouldered and indifferent to their new surroundings.

Dunno if it's age related or not but recently I have been giving serious thought to not renewing my ST next year. I'm coming to the conclusion that there really are better things to do at the weekends. I first saw the light when I stopped attending away matches and I was suprised to find that I have never missed travelling away one bit. Bad news for the Portsmouth landlady and her ilk cos I don't even bother to find a pub with it on the telly anymore. Worse still and I may be wrong but I'm expecting a significant rise in ST prices next season. If that happens that will likely be the final nail in the coffin. If I don't renew then I might just elect to take in occasional matches but in my experience that is a steep and slippery slope to not bothering at all.

Anyway enough rambling the nub of the issue is that I seem to have discovered when in conversation in and around Blackburn that I am not alone by a long way. It appears that the shine has worn off football for very many people. I'll not say anymore but is this the case for any other people on here? Alternatively how about those on here who don't go to Ewood and don't have ST's? Is there anything happening to make you want to change that situation and buy one?

[Mattyblue]

I am as fanatical as ever gord, seems to be hardwired into my DNA if my dad and grandad are anything to go by!

However, Venky's need to be very careful re ST prices for next season. £200 odd quid may be cheap, however our fanbase are now used to paying that price, I for one can see mass non renewals if say the price shoots up by 20/25%.

If they want Blackburn Rovers to promote their brand throughout the world, a half empty Ewood Park should be the last thing they want...

[trueblue]

There are some things I can easily agree with in Gordon's post.. but for me, the 'shine' has been taken off by the total non communication coming from the club/owners. They really need to be talking to the fans - not necessarily on a regular basis, but certainly more than the deafening silence eminating from Ewood these days.

[Kelbo]

There are some things I can easily agree with in Gordon's post.. but for me, the 'shine' has been taken off by the total non communication coming from the club/owners. They really need to be talking to the fans - not necessarily on a regular basis, but certainly more than the deafening silence eminating from Ewood these days.

And the hard line moderating on the official website, I do agree with your comments and feel that the owners as well as not communicating with the fans, when they do make statements, make them honestly and not change them each time they give an interview.

[John]

I do wonder whether Venky’s fully know what they have gotten themselves into regarding the financial aspects of owning a PL team?

As stated previously, for example, you would hope consideration has been given to our (escalating) wage bill recently whilst dishing out new contracts left right and centre – obviously you would hope so….

[cruz]

The Dawn of a new era?

Must say that I have been becoming somewhat disenchanted with top level football of late. It appears that the shine has worn off football for very many people. I'll not say anymore but is this the case for any other people on here?

I have been slowly falling out of love with football over the last few years. I haven't watched a Champions league game for years or a UEfa cup game on TV since we were last in the Uefa cup. I didn't even watch any matches in the world cup apart from 2 of Englands shameful performances. I used to love world cups but this time I didn't give a mnkeys despite being on shifts and able to watch 3 games a day for 4 days if I had the inclination.

I did think it co-incided with us employing the last manager when Saturday afternoons would quadruple my weekly yawn count and all feeling would be lost from my hands due to them being sat on. The brand of football we employed over the last 18 months didn't help but I think it's deeper than that. Football is overhyped, over-rated with players given too much money for so little talent. I can no longer really relate to the game anymore and even the offside law is a joke.

It says a lot when the highlight of a football saturday is the pre-match and post-match pint. Football seems to get in the way of a good day out in the pub

I did enjoy Wigan at the weekend but again the match had nothing to do with it.

[Steve Moss]

Thenodrog and cruz, perhaps you should consider volunteering to help out with a youth league? It might help improve your morale.

[cruz]

No thanks. Enough feckless youths drinking and vomiting in the streets at the weekends around here without chosing to mingle with them

[koi]

The Dawn of a new era?

Must say that I have been becoming somewhat disenchanted with top level football of late. Like most neutrals I completely lost all interest in the footballing farce that is the 'Champions' league long ago. Despite sterling efforts by the media the FA Cup too now holds about as much interest for me as the weather forecast for Outer Mongolia. Latterley lots of other events in football have compounded my cynicism and dismaying me greatly from the embarrasingly shambolic performance of our pampered and over hyped 3rd rate players at the World Cup, the stupid burgers at the FA who annually pay our national managers twice the bonus of a top city banking chief (and worse still extend their contracts BEFORE every major tournament), the skewed balance of power in Premier league and right down to the bad smell of back stabbing, corruption, agent involvement etc surrounding BRFC itself. Nothing about football in this country holds much moral or social value anymore imo. Even the sight of our two new wonder kids was disappointing as they shuffled out to be introduced to the crow all round shouldered and indifferent to their new surroundings.

Dunno if it's age related or not but recently I have been giving serious thought to not renewing my ST next year. I'm coming to the conclusion that there really are better things to do at the weekends. I first saw the light when I stopped attending away matches and I was suprised to find that I have never missed travelling away one bit. Bad news for the Portsmouth landlady and her ilk cos I don't even bother to find a pub with it on the telly anymore. Worse still and I may be wrong but I'm expecting a significant rise in ST prices next season. If that happens that will likely be the final nail in the coffin. If I don't renew then I might just elect to take in occasional matches but in my experience that is a steep and slippery slope to not bothering at all.

Anyway enough rambling the nub of the issue is that I seem to have discovered when in conversation in and around Blackburn that I am not alone by a long way. It appears that the shine has worn off football for very many people. I'll not say anymore but is this the case for any other people on here? Alternatively how about those on here who don't go to Ewood and don't have ST's? Is there anything happening to make you want to change that situation and buy one?

Don't worry mate, only 6 days to go before the big KO down at Cardiff