[Archived] Some Thoughts On Recent Events

[47er]

I worry that Venkys are all style and no substance. That's partly why Sam had to go------he doesn't suit the glitzy image they want for the club. Too old, not photogenic---should be training whippets really while the brothers mix with pop stars.

I don't mind so long as they produce results and obviously we have to wait and see about that but where's the money? Where's the substance? All the PR in the world won't get us enough points to finish 4th.

[tashor]

A song for Venky's...........

What have we got to do to make you love us

What have we got to do to make you care

What do we do when relegation strikes us

And we wake to find that you're not there..........

What will we do to make you want us

What will we do to be heard

What will we say when it's all over

And Venky's seem to have had the final word...........

It's sad, so sad

It's a sad, sad situation

And it's getting more and more absurd..

It's sad, so sad

Why can't we talk together

Oh it seems to me

That Venky's may well be Rovers final word...........

What do we do to make you love us..

What have we got to do to be heard..

What do we do when relegation strikes us..

What have we got to do

WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO DO

When Venky's seems to be the harshest word

[Wiggy]

Personally I think this is going to turn out to be our worst nightmare.

It seems to me that the Rao's have taken over Daddy's firm as little rich kids. In Pune they would have been the biggest hitters in town and always got what they wanted.

Now somebody has sold them this idea of buying an English Premier League club, take over the Indian market, promote their chicken products worldwide and make another fortune.

The laughable part of their plan is their intention to improve the marketing of Rovers, when the Venky's website looks like it was designed by an eight year old and every comment they make to the media (globally) is greeted with derision and scorn. Often because it contradicts what they said two hours previously.

I believe that they are either

a.being led up the garden path by some smooth spivs ( perhaps I shouldn't mention the name of the European company or Cockney geezer!) or

b.they are completely thick.

After listening to the BBC tonight I'm going for a and b.

Finally, when this all goes t1ts up, the Rovers supporters will have lost, the Rao family will have lost a fortune but a couple of Swiss lawyers and a spiv of a football agent will be quids in!

[Miker]

Read the latest from Mrs. Desai this morning. What a ###### joke.

I won't even bother listening to what they have to say, it's ridiculous. There's only so many times you can say something in the press and then contradict it the next day.

I'm going to wait til the new year to make any further comments. It's just too much at the moment.

[Mike Graham]

Venky's remind my of an Essex girl:

Their statements are up and down as often as an Essex girl's knickers.

And Rovers will finish up at the end of the season like an Essex girl knickers end up after a night out.....DOWN.

[Grez]

I have resisted commenting over the last 3 days, but felt that now things are dying down a little, it makes sense.

I am not one of those fans who is outraged at what has happened... I accept that change is an essential part of business. One of the first things I learnt in business, is that the head people in orgainsations are almost always replaced after a takeover. The reason for this is that if the job was being done exceptionally well, then the company would not have been sold in the first place.

Its no secret that I was not a fan of Sam. I never was from day 1 and I am consistent in saying that I think for Rovers to develop as a brand we need to play better football that will attract more media attention (for the correct reasons). I do accept that he left us in a better position than he found us, but his style of football was stale to watch. In fact, one of my friends recently nicknamed it "trebuchet football".

Having said that I accept Sam's dismissal, I do have concerns about the way it was handled. I am most concerned as to why you would have an executive management team and not listen to their opinion.

I am a firm believer in leadership and I think that the great message from JW today is an example of this. It is great that he has decided to stay for now, as he is an inspiration as to how a business should be chaired. However, I suspect that given all he has achieved he will not be here in the medium term and may be time to pass the baton.

I believe that the next 3 months will be interesting and whatever happens, happens. I would say two things...

1. Have patience with Venky's - they didn't invest £50 million to destroy a business. They will make brave and bold changes (some which people will not like). Stay positive - negative thinking wont get us anywhere.

2. Mrs Desai should take some PR advice about the British media. Sometimes its best to say nothing and let actions do the speaking.

[Fife Rover]

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.

If this post was a petition for sending to the new owners I would be the first to sign it.

Seriously I feel that route should be explored and used, because it is painfully obvious that the owners however well intentioned they are (and I don't doubt that) are just so far off any sign of understanding just what they have got when they bought Blackburn Rovers FC. This is one of the most famous old football clubs in the world. It is not one of the "Johnny come lately" clubs but is one with a long and proud history. EG I remember clearly when football re-commenced just after WW2 that Chelsea were universally known as "the joke club" but now are seen as football Gods by the same media that called that called them the "joke club" Such is the total lack of sincerity and genuine support by all the plastic supporters of the so called "Big Clubs" today. Thankfully BRFC is not afflicted by that disease. There may not be that many of us, but those that there are are dedicated and sincere. Also as a percentage of population I would say Rovers enjoy more support than any of the so called "big clubs"; something that the fawning creeps in the media conveniently choose to ignore.

[Kelbo]

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.

Simply brilliant, well versed and Mrs Desai should read this very carefully, Mods, could we send her a copy?

[CrazyIvan]

Patience is something in short supply around here. Most of us have been watching football and it's goings on for most of our lives. I guess we have seen this kind of thing happen before. The closest I can remember right now is Mike Ashley and Newcastle and we all know what happened next. At least Venkys have chosen someone already in the club to take over and someone highly rated by all accounts. The biggest issues are the timing over sacking Sam and Neil MacDonald, the conflicting and contradicting statements (that have been heard, quite literally, by everyone) that have been spoken by Venkys themselves and the obvious involvement of a football agent and company. Anyone asking for evidence about the last one, well you can hear Desai utter the words 'Kentaro are our main consultants' and 'Jerome Anderson is like family'. If that doesn't give the game away, bar sitting in a room and actually watching the conversations between them yourself, nothing will.

Best thing for Venkys is

A Get a top PR company to represent you and don't come out with guff on the radio and then change your mind on the next call.

B Hope Steve Kean (will people please spell his name correctly, it's not difficult!) is a blinding manager and pulls Venkys nuts out of the fire or they get a very good manager in very quickly.

C Don't rubbish the players we have right now. They are the only thing that will keep this team in the Premier League.

D Lay out your plans for this club clearly and concisely so we all know what to expect and maybe can get on board. A club is NOTHING without its fans.

E Reduce or remove the influence Anderson and Kentaro have over them. At least a conflict of interest may be avoided.

F Don't, under any circumstances, employ Anderson to work for Rovers at least while still being a football agent or (preferably) at all. It will spell trouble and we could literally lose points and money because of it.

[kingsleyamis]

I have resisted commenting over the last 3 days, but felt that now things are dying down a little, it makes sense.

I am not one of those fans who is outraged at what has happened... I accept that change is an essential part of business. One of the first things I learnt in business, is that the head people in orgainsations are almost always replaced after a takeover. The reason for this is that if the job was being done exceptionally well, then the company would not have been sold in the first place.

Its no secret that I was not a fan of Sam. I never was from day 1 and I am consistent in saying that I think for Rovers to develop as a brand we need to play better football that will attract more media attention (for the correct reasons). I do accept that he left us in a better position than he found us, but his style of football was stale to watch. In fact, one of my friends recently nicknamed it "trebuchet football".

Having said that I accept Sam's dismissal, I do have concerns about the way it was handled. I am most concerned as to why you would have an executive management team and not listen to their opinion.

I am a firm believer in leadership and I think that the great message from JW today is an example of this. It is great that he has decided to stay for now, as he is an inspiration as to how a business should be chaired. However, I suspect that given all he has achieved he will not be here in the medium term and may be time to pass the baton.

I believe that the next 3 months will be interesting and whatever happens, happens. I would say two things...

1. Have patience with Venky's - they didn't invest £50 million to destroy a business. They will make brave and bold changes (some which people will not like). Stay positive - negative thinking wont get us anywhere.

2. Mrs Desai should take some PR advice about the British media. Sometimes its best to say nothing and let actions do the speaking.

Well said, that man! By far the most sensible posting I've seen on here over the last three days of mass hysteria. There are lessons to be learnt from what has happened, but let's all calm down and get behind the team on Saturday. Rather than holding futile protests, we need to be loud in our support for the eleven players on the pitch, and do our bit to get what would be three very important points.

[accyrover]

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.

What an absolutely cracking post, and the most sense I've read on here all week.

Accyrover

[K-Hod]

Mogster- get in front of a camera and say what you said and get it aired on SSN! Talk about nail on head!

But seriously, they need to clarify what is going on, their aims, intentions and how on earth they are going to achieve their idea of making us a top 5 team!

[mogster]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words about my post. I don't say much as it's usually about speculation and I don't feel that achieves much but I'm on the site every day as I love to read everyone else's opinions.

But this is actually happening! Whatever you think of Sam as a Manager, to sack him without a better replacement is folly. The owners have listened to their football people but you can see by the reaction from most fans and football experts across the country (I haven't heard one expert that thought it was a good idea)that they have seriously cocked up.

To be honest I'm a bit surprised that John Williams has gone along with it. In fact it is that that gives me the slightest glimmer of hope as I feel sure he would have resigned if they didn't have a plan after Sam.

One thing that Stood out to me in all of this was Mrs Desai saying "the fans must trust us". Why must we? What evidence have you presented that backs up that statement?

Lastly, you are welcome to use my post for whatever reason you wish. It may even make a difference...

[Athlete]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words about my post. I don't say much as it's usually about speculation and I don't feel that achieves much but I'm on the site every day as I love to read everyone else's opinions.

But this is actually happening! Whatever you think of Sam as a Manager, to sack him without a better replacement is folly. The owners have listened to their football people but you can see by the reaction from most fans and football experts across the country (I haven't heard one expert that thought it was a good idea)that they have seriously cocked up.

To be honest I'm a bit surprised that John Williams has gone along with it. In fact it is that that gives me the slightest glimmer of hope as I feel sure he would have resigned if they didn't have a plan after Sam.

One thing that Stood out to me in all of this was Mrs Desai saying "the fans must trust us". Why must we? What evidence have you presented that backs up that statement?

Lastly, you are welcome to use my post for whatever reason you wish. It may even make a difference...

how on earth can the fans trust Mrs Desai and Venkys ? after last few days trust I don't think so

[OscarRaven]

Trust? Are they having a laugh? Standings, leasing, £5m = champions league, Maradona?

A bunch of clucking idiots who know absolutley nothing about football.

No such thing as bad publicity? A £40m advertising campaign perhaps?

[47er]

Puts recent events at Ewood into a wider context:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/dec/16/blackburn-rovers-owners-new-breed?

[67splitscreen]

Simply brilliant, well versed and Mrs Desai should read this very carefully, Mods, could we send her a copy?

I think Kamy has said he is getting no response, a suggestion may well be to send it via JW.

I'm sure he would only be to obliged.

What we need is electronic signatures on it or what ever they call it.

[RoversFanUSA]

The thing that bothers me as I'm sure most of you is the inconsistant statments nade by the new owners. Fox soccer.com reported that mardona was lined up to take the job as the new owners have been said to have made contact with him over the position. As owners that have little to no experiance in running a football ball club it would seem to me that they are looking at names that are known through out the world as players that were great in there time. When I heard that I nearly had a heart attack.

With the fact no one has given a clear message as to what the road map for the club in the future is I'm very worried as a fan. It worries me that outside of a handful of managers out there no one within our price range can do a better job the big Sam and the fact they haven't given anyreliable information to us supporters is driving me mad!

I agree that the only person who should really be relating any news of any sort ahold be JW at this time. The fans both trust and respect him and would make hearing this type of mews much easier to take then reading 15 different things from 15 different news sources about what the new owners are saying. I pray that all this craziness won't affect us on the pitch but that's yet to be seen. I to will be judging the new owners of OUR great club on actions from now on.

[Yorick]

To be honest I'm a bit surprised that John Williams has gone along with it. In fact it is that that gives me the slightest glimmer of hope as I feel sure he would have resigned if they didn't have a plan after Sam.

John Williams will no doubt have a period of notice of at least 6 months to work, possibly 12. He may also have been offered inducements to stay until May. Whatever happens I personally doubt he'll be in his office next season. Most unlike him he's not said a word this week until his rather hollow 'rallying call' today.

John's call is increasingly isolated. Graham Taylor lets rip in the Express. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/217691/Graham-Taylor-What-the-hell-is-going-on-at-Blackburn-

I've also read the LET and in between the lines and I can only see negative spin. Pics that match articles are definitely downbeat, today there is an undercurrent of smirk and Jack Straw's column is supportive of Allardyce whilst

negative in it's message. To cap that we've fallen out with Radio Lancs too and I believe that they are also putting the boot in.

[Exiled_Rover]

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!

Reminds me of Santa Cruz bitching each week to the Paraguayan media about wanting to leave, not thinking it'd get back to England.

[den]

Graham Taylor lets rip in the Express. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/217691/Graham-Taylor-What-the-hell-is-going-on-at-Blackburn-

Graham Taylor has got it in one.

[Kelbo]

Graham Taylor has got it in one.

He is 100% correct, a great assessment and he is right what the hell do our new owners know about football?

The answer is nothing, I do wish we could somehow remove them from our club and quickly too!!

[Bobby G]

It would be interesting to ask people how many would rather the Trust still owned us today rather than the promise of surprises under Venkys.

That could be an interesting insight into how we stack the current situation to the last days, relatively, of the Trust rule.

[philipl]

Mihir Bohse on the situation at Blackburn

The London Metro sympathises with John Williams Another week, another strong-suggestion tp flight football has taken leave of its senses.

[Lytham]

Great stuff from Graham Taylor :

" Their chairwoman, Anuradha Desai, has said that the new ownership wants a new style of play. And that people should trust them.

Why? What does she know about football? She is saying they are looking for a new manager. Why? Why haven’t you got one if you’ve sacked the one you had? Don’t you know?

Who is this woman to say this? What does she know? Who is telling her these things? Advisers in a lot of these cases are, in fact, agents and they will want the business of the buying and selling of players to get their profit. "

Exactly.

I have to say that 100% of what I have read and heard in the media and people in the game is pretty scathing about this takeover.

In fact the only people who seem to have any sort of agreement with it are the sub-Waggy group of anti-Sam fans on here who are pleased to have " got their way " .