[Archived] Some Thoughts On Recent Events

[BRFCS Content]

Published: Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Some Thoughts On Recent Events

by Kamy

Over the last 48 hours the Rovers have made headlines across the world, so as the dust starts to settle it is an apt time to look back over recent events and consider some issues that have arisen during a most turbulent time in Rovers' recent history.

Rovers shocked the footballing world on Monday evening with the announcement that manager Sam Allardyce and his assistant Neil MacDonald had been relieved of their duties. Whilst there had been murmurings that "trouble was brewing", no one expected the owners to take such drastic and decisive action so quickly. Subsequently, the owners, through Venky's chairwoman Anuradha Desai, have said that Sam was sacked because he did not fit in with their vision for the club.

The events of Monday were traumatic enough, but the events of yesterday caused uproar among sections of Rovers fans. Early morning reports from Sky Sports News suggested that two cornerstones of the club's executive management structure, John Williams and Tom Finn, had both resigned. This understandably caused huge concern within the fan base. Both are well respected by fans, but more importantly it would have meant that the club would have been thrown into turmoil behind the scenes. As the day progressed, tensions continued as reports from Sky suggested that members of Venky's team had arrived to discuss the terms of departure. Counterclaims on this site from respected and well-informed members that these stories were "wide of the mark" were finally given credence when Lancashire Telegraph's Paul Plunkett confirmed on his twitter feed that John Williams had confirmed that he was not leaving the club. Rovers fans heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Reports in the national media today have been less than complimentary regarding the current situation at Ewood Park. Much of the reporting is based on rumour rather than fact, but still articles in The Guardian and Daily Telegraph do raise important questions that need to be answered.

The events of the last 48 hours have left many fans confused. After purchasing the club, Venky's will feel that they have the right to run it as they see fit, and it goes without saying that they did not buy the club in order to make a complete hash of it and lose the huge investment that they have made (between £40 and 50 million according to reports). They also have the right to hire and fire the manager as they wish, and since Sam Allardyce did not fit their vision, it can be argued that it is better to take decisive action at an early stage rather than persist with an arrangement that can lead to even more problems further down the line. It can also be argued that by taking such decisive action it gives them the maximum amount of time to get things working in a manner they feel will help the club reach the "vision" that they have for the club.

Having said that, it is also quite natural for fans to raise questions and concerns that they may have. At the end of the day, the club cannot exist without the fans, for whom the club involves not only a financial investment but also a personal and emotional investment. In order that the fans can continue to identify with the club, I believe that a number of issues need to be addressed.

The first issue concerns the need for Venky's to communicate with fans. They need to explain to fans what their vision for the club is. When the takeover was completed, there were various media reports that quoted the new owners, but as of yet they have not explained their roadmap for the future. Surely even a simple interview on Rovers TV or the official website is not beyond them.

The second issue that needs to be addressed is the role of Kentaro. Again, fans are relying on media reports for information. While some of the reporting on the matter is informed, some of it is clearly not, and it would be better if the owners came out and said exactly what the role of Kentaro is.

Thirdly there seems to be an issue regarding communication, and yesterday was an excellent case in point. Mrs Desai had given an interview that suggested that the appointment of a new manager would take months and that Venky's were happy for Steve Kean to run team affairs for the duration of this period. However, her brother Venkatesh Rao was also giving an interview in which he said that the new manager had been identified and the appointment was in the pipeline. This is just one example and there are countless other ones where the owners are not singing from the same hymn sheet. This only serves to create confusion and add to a growing perception among fans that the owners do not know what they are doing.

At the moment fans are being left to speculate as to the direction of the club. There is no doubt that there is a great deal of uncertainty. This is most unfortunate because the focus should be on what happens "on the field" as the team enters a critical, season-defining period of matches. Consecutive home games against West Ham and Stoke are crucial — 6 points and Rovers can start to look upwards; however, two defeats and suddenly a relegation battle will loom. Unless the owners appoint a new manager very soon indeed, Steve Kean, who is a highly regarded coach, has a massive job on his hands.

Off the field it seems that John Williams and Tom Finn will be staying at the club for the time being, and that will help to bring some much-needed stability, but it is important that our new owners take charge of the situation and show some clear direction to all those involved in our club.

[scotty_beam_me_up]

Well thought out comment Kenny. You touched on it and it's the mose alarming thing for me is the lack of one message coming from the club. Steve Kean has been ruled out then put back into the running. The timing of a new appointment seems another bone of contention between the owners as Mrs Desai seems to want to wait ill the end of the season but her brother has said they have someone in mind.

Mrs Desai has also said that Steve Kean will have final say on Tranfers which seems crazy if they are going to appoint someone else in the summer.

They would like us to be top 4/5 but this will take upwards of £200 million in players and they do not seem to have this amount of cash. Ive heard rumours of a protest on Sat has anyone else heard anything more concrete on that??

Sorry that should be Kamy not Kenny!!

[den]

The club would be better served if they communicated through JW at the moment. That would mean Venky's keeping quiet though - and seeing I've spent the last ten years hoping the trustees would actually say something, this all feels a little odd.

[bazza]

Kamy's post and Den's comment should be sent direct to Mrs Desai if that is at all possible.

[daveoftherovers]

Does our chairperson answer any of it in a cut from an article on her interview today?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/blackburn-rovers-deny-transfer-policy-behind-sam-allardyce-dismissal-2161229.html

[mhead]

Kamy ....we lost 7 bloody 1 to the Team who are our truly greatest threat. It was truly embarassing. He lasted 10 days too long.

The rest will work itself out in all good time. 7 points out of next 9 would be a lovely Christmas present.

[Jimmy612]

Kamy ....we lost 7 bloody 1 to the Team who are our truly greatest threat. It was truly embarassing. He lasted 10 days too long.

The rest will work itself out in all good time. 7 points out of next 9 would be a lovely Christmas present.

greatest threat?

[mhead]

Forget Bumley. The MU threat is about Marketing,never needing to see your team lose,Jack Walker not selling Shearer to MU,and all the times the Refs let us down there. And then Sam timidly submits to his 'big friend'. EMBARASSING.

[trueblue]

What annoys (frustrates) me more than anything is the mixed messages coming from the Rao's and Mrs Desai.. there are so many differing versions of 'whats been said' (and far too many for the excuse that it's been lost in translation too) I don't know what to believe any more!!

But, good write up as usual Kamy

[chaddyrovers]

What annoys (frustrates) me more than anything is the mixed messages coming from the Rao's and Mrs Desai.. there are so many differing versions of 'whats been said' (and far too many for the excuse that it's been lost in translation too) I don't know what to believe any more!!

But, good write up as usual Kamy

I totally agree with You trueblue. It will be a different story today probably. Can they not say the same thing to 2 different media people!!! Not rocket science is it??? Surely the only person who should talk to the media SHOULD BE John Williams and only him!!! The owners should be in the background like the Villa and Sunderland owners are!!!

[Ricky]

Excellent, and very balanced, write up kamy

I mentioned on another thread that our new owners don't seem to understand how worldwide media works. You can't just say one thing in india and another in England.

I'd just like one of them to be the mouthpiece for the club and to actually tell us the truth and stick to it!

[Jimmy612]

Forget Bumley. The MU threat is about Marketing,never needing to see your team lose,Jack Walker not selling Shearer to MU,and all the times the Refs let us down there. And then Sam timidly submits to his 'big friend'. EMBARASSING.

So you support the sacking of a manager who saved us from certain relegation, got us to a league cup semi-final, a very good 10th place finish in the prem, and then a decent start this season because we were beaten by a team who are one of the best teams in the world and have far far better players than us?

oh and then of course having no replacement lined up at all.

I don't think Sam submitted to anyone.. we were 1-0 down after about 60 seconds, and of course it was a poor display, but certainly not reason to sack a very dependable manager.

[jim mk2]

Dear Mrs Desai,

With regards to your public pronouncements since the takeover of the BRFC by Venky's, might I suggest that you

(1) employ a public relations company to handle all your press releases and

(2) stop giving interviews to the media ?

Many Rovers supporters were already apprehensive about the sale of the club to Venky's but your recent contradictory statements over the search for a new manager, the PR disaster over the rumoured departures of John Williams and Tom Finn, plus your increasingly audacious and unrealistic ambitions for the club, have served only to increase those worries and given our rivals more ammunition with which to denigrate our club.

After the unfortunate dismissal of Sam Allardyce the club needs a period of stability and calm to allow the acting manager to settle in and do his job in a very tough and demanding league, which means you staying in the background and staying quiet until there is news to report.

Yours sincerely,

PS: You admitted in your interview yesterday that everyone makes mistakes. If you have read all the reported comments of senior figures in the game over the wisdom of sacking Sam Allardyce, it is not too late to admit that you made an error and you are reinstating him as manager with immediate effect.

Now that would be a story worth commenting on.

[Lytham]

I had to laugh at Mrs Desai's comments on Sam's dealings in the transfer market.

She hasn't seen a single football match in her life before this year apparently, whilst Sam has more experience of what it takes to keep an under-resourced team in the Premier League than more or less anyone alive, whatever his perceived shortcomings.

I think we're learning to ignore anything the new owners say. I'll judge them by their actions from now on, their words make no sense at all.

Their actions so far haven't been too clever , in my judgement, and that of just about 100 % of everyone in the game and the media that I've seen.

That said, we need them to succeed, they must have some nous to build their business to where it is.

Mustn't they ?

[USRoverME]

Kamy ....we lost 7 bloody 1 to the Team who are our truly greatest threat. It was truly embarassing. He lasted 10 days too long.

Lol, are you vinjay in disguise?

[Tom]

Some good points but why does this have its own thread when there is a few it could have gone in?

[Claytons Left Boot]

Kamy's post and Den's comment should be sent direct to Mrs Desai if that is at all possible.

Exactly what I was thinking bazza.

Also, to follow on from jim's comments, I think John Williams should be the club's mouthpiece until further notice.

[tonyoz]

The club would be better served if they communicated through JW at the moment. That would mean Venky's keeping quiet though - and seeing I've spent the last ten years hoping the trustees would actually say something, this all feels a little odd.

Yes indeed. The problem though is that Venkys want to make a huge splash with the Indian media. This means that, at the moment, inexpert spokespersons based in India are being asked to give detailed info about stuff that is happening on the other side of the world. As they have not been intimately involved with the action at Ewood, well-meaning answers are ambiguous or ill-informed and everybody starts to ask "what the hell is going on?"

[CircoWill]

Will everyone please take time and chill out a bit. Uncertainty causes panic but it's now all about the next appointment, I would be worried if John Williams had left but he hasn't and now we trust him and the new owners to select the right manager to take is onwards and upwards.

I personally never believed Allardyce was the man to do anything other than keep us in the Prem, I didn't enjoy watching his football and (providing the next appointment is a good one), I'm glad he's gone. His self-promotion (never more evident than when he talked about the good getting to a league cup final could do for his CV) annoyed me just as much and I don't think we'll be missing him come May,

I don't blame the owners for making this decision. If you took over a company and were about to invest in it (January transfer window), you'd want to make sure it was a man you trusted spending the money. Not allardyce.

Keep the faith and stay calm. This club will never die.

[24right]

If you buy a company, you would have a clear plan and if it involved removing key management, new management would be already identified and ready to be plugged in to reduce any potential risk to performance and morale. You would also have a clear communication plan to ensure key stakeholders such as employees and customers (us the supporters of our club) everyone is clear that why any change has been made and it's business as usual. This is Janet & John management....

None of this has happened here, it seems publicly there is no clear strategy and decisions are getting made on the hoof. Business culture and stakeholder management is totally different on the sub-continent and I think they need to get some good advice from people who know how to run a high profile Football Club. Step forward Mr Williams

[John]

My thoughts are quite simply, can they shut the **** up!

Very little of what they say makes any sense at all.

[Brfcrule1]

I have to agree with most on here the differing views from Mrs Desai & the Rao's are not helping matters it seems as though the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing I agree though they should just let JW be the mouthpiece for the club & stay in the background. Funny someone should mention about trying to contact Mrs Desai because I have tried to email her company in India several times without no reply if anyone finds out her personal email address or alternative contact please let me know thanks.

[mogster]

THIS TIME LAST MONTH:

We had one of the most stable and well run clubs in the history of British football.

We had a manager with vast experience of working with a club our size on virtually no money and eventually turning them into regular european contenders.

We had a chairman secure in the knowledge of a job well done; a guarantee of Premiership football each year and his team finishing higher up the league every year.

We had owners who, despite not wanting to contribute too much financially any more, kept their nose out of the running of the club as they realised the football experts would be better at that - I agree.

We had a settled squad all playing for each other and a man they held in the highest esteem. (Listen to David Dunn's interview on Radio Lancs on Monday night- not happy and critical of the owners)

And we had supporters drifting along, generally happy with things with not much more to argue about than Big Sam's style of play or whether Keith Andrews will ever make a footballer.

NOW - we're in turmoil after the craziest 48 hours at Rovers I have known in my 34 years of support!

I am FURIOUS, I'm FRUSTRATED but worst of all I'm HELPLESS.

So much has gone wrong in such a short space of time it's hard to mention it all (here's some).

The new owners, mainly cricket people, have decided they know what's best. Reading between the many, many lines it sounds like Sam was realistic about our prospects of finishing higher in the league so they chose someone who said what they wanted to hear. And hey presto - All you need to finish higher than we were doing is hard work and positive thinking! I wish someone had thought of that earlier! If they think we'll finish anywhere near Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs without spending stupid money and just being positive they are seriously deluded.

A club like ours needs an experienced premiership manager. Someone the players love working for and someone with a proven track record working successfully with little cash. Oh - they fired him! Enter the new manager Steve Kean. I've got nothing against him (he's a highly respected coach) but his links to Kentaro stink. The Company recruited to advise the inexperienced Desai's on football matters, a Company of Football agents. I don't need to explain how this arrangement appears ripe for corruption to the casual observer.

I'm NOT saying there IS corruption but the set up really encourages it. Take a Football Club which is effectively being run by a team of agents - what are the chances that those agents will favour their own clients when doing a deal.

For instance: How much will Jerome Anderson's cut of Steve Kean's promotion be? If there is a choice between 2 players and one isn't their player, what is to stop them advising the owners that their player is the right one. Again, I'm not saying it will happen, just that it has the potential to.

Then there is the Desai siblings, who all seem to be talking about different clubs. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!! We are VERY worried people.

I could do 10,000 words on this but I will stop there.

Here's what needs to happen

1. PUT THE PHONE DOWN

2. GET ON A PLANE

3. GET OVER HERE

4. SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF PRESS AND SELECTED SUPPORTERS

5. ANSWER EVERY QUESTION THROWN AT YOU

Or alternatively, let John Williams be your spokesperson on EVERY matter from now on.

There are 2 more things they need to do - Employ an excellent manager then shut up.

[Lytham]

THIS TIME LAST MONTH:

We had one of the most stable and well run clubs in the history of British football.

We had a manager with vast experience of working with a club our size on virtually no money and eventually turning them into regular european contenders.

We had a chairman secure in the knowledge of a job well done; a guarantee of Premiership football each year and his team finishing higher up the league every year.

We had owners who, despite not wanting to contribute too much financially any more, kept their nose out of the running of the club as they realised the football experts would be better at that - I agree.

We had a settled squad all playing for each other and a man they held in the highest esteem. (Listen to David Dunn's interview on Radio Lancs on Monday night- not happy and critical of the owners)

And we had supporters drifting along, generally happy with things with not much more to argue about than Big Sam's style of play or whether Keith Andrews will ever make a footballer.

NOW - we're in turmoil after the craziest 48 hours at Rovers I have known in my 34 years of support!

I am FURIOUS, I'm FRUSTRATED but worst of all I'm HELPLESS.

So much has gone wrong in such a short space of time it's hard to mention it all (here's some).

The new owners, mainly cricket people, have decided they know what's best. Reading between the many, many lines it sounds like Sam was realistic about our prospects of finishing higher in the league so they chose someone who said what they wanted to hear. And hey presto - All you need to finish higher than we were doing is hard work and positive thinking! I wish someone had thought of that earlier! If they think we'll finish anywhere near Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs without spending stupid money and just being positive they are seriously deluded.

A club like ours needs an experienced premiership manager. Someone the players love working for and someone with a proven track record working successfully with little cash. Oh - they fired him! Enter the new manager Steve Kean. I've got nothing against him (he's a highly respected coach) but his links to Kentaro stink. The Company recruited to advise the inexperienced Desai's on football matters, a Company of Football agents. I don't need to explain how this arrangement appears ripe for corruption to the casual observer.

I'm NOT saying there IS corruption but the set up really encourages it. Take a Football Club which is effectively being run by a team of agents - what are the chances that those agents will favour their own clients when doing a deal.

For instance: How much will Jerome Anderson's cut of Steve Kean's promotion be? If there is a choice between 2 players and one isn't their player, what is to stop them advising the owners that their player is the right one. Again, I'm not saying it will happen, just that it has the potential to.

Then there is the Desai siblings, who all seem to be talking about different clubs. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!! We are VERY worried people.

I could do 10,000 words on this but I will stop there.

Here's what needs to happen

1. PUT THE PHONE DOWN

2. GET ON A PLANE

3. GET OVER HERE

4. SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF PRESS AND SELECTED SUPPORTERS

5. ANSWER EVERY QUESTION THROWN AT YOU

Or alternatively, let John Williams be your spokesperson on EVERY matter from now on.

There are 2 more things they need to do - Employ an excellent manager then shut up.

Mogster, that is an excellent post, probably the best I've read on here this week. I agree with every word and every sentiment.

If one was writing a manual on how not to conduct a football club takeover you could not do better than copy the Venky efforts of the last few weeks.

Let's hope they learn quickly, they must have some business acumen, surely ?

[Neil Weaver]

Well after reading lots of sense, nonsense, and over-reaction I thought it worth a view, as brief as I can make it. Without assuming it’s what lots of others think, there might be one or two others on a wavelength not too far away.

On the Weaver Happiness with Rovers index © (100 = couldn’t be better, 0 = that’s it for me and Rovers) with the Trust in charge we’d been pootling along at 60 – 70 for the couple of years Sam had been in charge. Secure in both finances and Prem status. Nothing too spectacular, decent cup runs now and again.

Then along came Venky’s. Not a positive vibe for me but give em a chance was my thinking. So down to about 50.

Now comes Monday. Get rid of Sam, down to 25. Then learn that they have no plan for a successor, down to 15. Then all the mixed messages of the past 36 hours (Maradona etc) and down to less than 10.

Today’s thoughts of Chairwoman (yes there’s an i in there) Desai and other people’s positive views on Steve Kean are the only slight positives for weeks as far as I’m concerned. So they’re at around 15, ie way below where we were a few weeks ago.

Yes there’s potential to get up into the 80s – a few new playing faces, some decent stuff on the pitch, and a good boss. But the way things have been going, 0 isn’t too far away and Rovers will be one ST holder worse off. That’s not something I want nor would do lightly.

What could be done quickly to get the score up (and a fair few people onside)? Venky’s, do what Den has suggested and stop sending mixed messages. Cut down your spending on Kentaro and get some half decent PR advice instead!

PS And good post Mogster