[Archived] Some Thoughts On Recent Events

[chris]

Thanks 92er

hopefully people can take some positives from that.

[den]

Thanks 92er.

Very interesting.

[TOMSDINER]

Any opinion against Venky's seems to get squashed by the 'company'....our only mouth piece is this forum or Radio Lancs.

Venkys are looking at squashing any opposition. Will the '1st Venky's Out' banner at Ewood get those fans thrown out and banned? No doubt they are watching what is said on here. The only person we can trust at the moment is JW. It seems he won't be around much longer, then what?

[den]

Very strange.

This suggests to me that "the club" aren't prepared to leave the messageboard unmoderated overnight.

[92er]

AGM-there was also mention that Kean had formed a committee of some of the more experienced members of the 1st team squad-Nelsen and Robinson were mentioned-. What I can't remember was its exact brief.

[steo]

So is anyone positive about the new owners and their somewhat ridiculous plans for the clubs future,after appointing kean till the end of season they've showed us they had no replacement lined up for sam or they were shot down by the man they approached.

[m1st]

Before Q and A at the AGM today, JW said that although there were no members of the press present,he realised anything said could end up in the public domain so he would only say things he could justify at a later date.

What I am about to write is not a full resume of what was said, but I believe it to be without inaccuracies.

Management:JW didn't believe the MU humiliation was the main factor in Allardyce's sacking-he thought the new owners had made their minds up before then. (He didn't explain what the main factor was).

Similarly,neither the owners nor agents had turned down Allardyce's suggested list of transfer targets for Jan.

They had never seen the list!!

The owners had a favourable view of Kean. However, there was no discussion as to what that judgement was based on.

Player Purchase Process:Allardyce delegated a lot of the work to scouts who would do extensive reporting.There were then meetings with Allardyce, McDonald, JW and about 3 others.Consideration was paid to age, length of contract, purchase price etc before players were added to the list.

Kean has never been involved in this process at the Rovers. JW presumed Kean would work with the current list of potential aquisitions.

Change of ownership:The Walker Trust had wanted to sell for some time. The club were getting to the stage where in addition to not receiving further funding, they were going to have start repaying £5 mil. of the loans at the rate of £1 mil p.a.

David Brown, the vice-chair, and Rothschilds, were responsible for vetting the purchasers and reporting back to the trustees. The fact that, like London buses, a number of potential purchasers arrived at the same time made the process slightly more complicated, but we were left with the impression Venky's was deemed to be the best of the lot.

Agents list of players:a figure of 16-20 players was mentioned-but it wasn't confirmed as the exact number submitted.However, 1 younger player was regarded favourably by the club. He had been watched a few times and the club were keen. There were 2/3 others who were possibles. JW said that ratio compared favourably with lists/ suggestions from other agents who sometimes suggested 4 players, non of whom were good enoug, for example.

Management changes: JW was always wary of it at the best of times-it can leave a club vulnerable.He believed the owners were looking up the table rather than down when they removed Allardyce.In other words, how high in the table could they get the club to?

JW accepted it was not the ideal time for it-before winable matches and the transfer window, for example.

He thinks it is a very big challenge for Kean, but he thinks he is up to it.

Style of management: The Walker Trust, despite David Brown being vice chair, were very hands off owners. It sounds as though there will be a big change with the new owners.

Odds and sods:Why was Kean in India?

- to seek clarification about his position.

- to seek clarification about transfer funds

- to improve communications between Pune and Blackburn.

JW said Samba had not submitted either a written or oral transfer request i.e. before the meeting started.

The ground and Brockhall were included in the sale to Venky's.

JW firmly believed Venky's want to make a success of their purchase of the club

Some comments on the foregoing from someone who would count himself as a long-term fan of the club who has no access [unlike some on this Message Board] to the inner workings of BRFC.

1] Thanks to 92er for posting this message;

2] Being as pedantic as I've always been, I can't help wondering if Venky's weren't really the least bad of the lot of potential buyers of This Great Club Of Ours; rather than "the best of the lot".

A slight difference, I know; but it may have been crucial. All I'm wondering here [as someone completely on the outside, other than buying my season ticket year after year] is how much work, if any, had been done to attract other potential buyers worldwide?

3] Did John Williams give any indication as to how the new management would affect the running of This Great Club Of Ours? As an outsider, I'm assuming that we are now part of the world-wide Venky's empire and that John Williams and Tom Finn will have, from time to time, to report to the Venky's management team as to how their part of the world-wide Venky's empire is functioning.

4] If the last few weeks have proven nothing else, they have clearly demonstrated how crucial an improvement in commnications between Pune and Blackburn is. Can you, 92er or anyone else, please throw any light on what steps, if any, are planned to improve this dire situation?

[hawkiiz]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/22/steve-kean-man-season-blackburn-rovers?

Williams on his way out again. He did not know about the Kean deal.

(Please don't use that word again) this.

[rovermagic]

We shouldn't get too down about the West Ham match. If you look through their squad, they are about equal or just slightly worse than us. There are 5-6 squads worsentahn West Ham in the Prem. Wolves, Blackpool, West Brom, Wigan, probably Newcastle. Apart from the top 5. Liverpool, Bolton, Everton and Sunderland have better on paper squads than us n West Ham. A lot of Whan's problem is Grant and too much spent on players like Dyer. But we shouldn't get too down cause of drawing v them.

[steo]

we were lucky to draw against west ham,don't think williams will go,

if kean loses the dressing room venkys can forget about an improvement in style or position and start planning for the championship.if certain kentaro players are brought in i can see the drssing room being split and doubters of venkys leadership out of the club.i fully support samba,he owes us nothing he's been a total legend for blackburn rovers.

[Kremmin]

we were lucky to draw against west ham,don't think williams will go,

if kean loses the dressing room venkys can forget about an improvement in style or position and start planning for the championship.if certain kentaro players are brought in i can see the drssing room being split and doubters of venkys leadership out of the club.i fully support samba,he owes us nothing he's been a total legend for blackburn rovers.

Agreed. I'll be shattered if he goes but I don't blame him one iota. Sadly, we still can't be sure getting a good price for him will make a scrap of difference. If he goes, I just hope he goes to a club above us and not below us, not that I suspect there'll be too many of those for too much longer.

[Mercer]

Met-up tonight with friends / acquaintances on our annual festive 'bash'. 90% are Roverites and never before have I heard such disillusionment. If this is representative of how supporters feel, then our new owners have opened-up a huge can of worms.

Support leaving Rovers could soon turn from a trickle into a flood.

[herbergeehh]

We need to play some ###### football, and soon. This is just too frustrating.

[Bobby G]

JW reconsidering his position again.

[hawkiiz]

I just got a message through o Mrs. Desai!

Via a Desai family member on Facebook. He responded

"Dear Blackburn Rovers Fan,

Thank you for your mail. We respect your emotions for the club.

Just be positive everything will be ok. I will forward your message to Respected Desai Madam.

Regards

#### Desai"

Nice guy I have to say, but I wish I knew more about Indian culture, because they seem to be very much into this positive thinking, and it will all be good in the end. I am totally for self-fulfilling prophecy, but sometimes one need more than just that.

[philipl]

Two articles in the LT this morning.

1) Neither the Board nor the Trust were given any inkling of the dramatic changes that Venky's would make once they took control. Trust still believe the club had t be sold and Venky's were the best option. JW will quit if he is certain that he can be of no help to the owners.

2) There is an interview with Mrs Desai. Kean has all the makings of being a top PL manager. He had lengthy talks in Pune. Kean is to get two new coaches. In addition Mrs Desai expects to have a short list of five managers to be interviewed.

She is not worried about Kean's lack of experience. Kean filled in when Sam was not there. Most players are happy and excited. Players have the right to express opinions but that does not mean they are not committed. Backing Kean with transfer funds.

[hawkiiz]

2) There is an interview with Mrs Desai. Kean has all the makings of being a top PL manager.

I really wonder how she or anyone else would know that!?

Sounds like something to be said when Ince got the job.

[BRFCS Content]

In addition to what Philip has posted, the Lancashire Telegraph story on John Williams says that he seeks talks with Venky's to clarify his position as his future is shrouded in uncertainty. JW has the best interests of the club at heart but is concerned that he has not part to play in Venky's vision for the club and is the dark over what Venky's plans are for the club. He will walk away if he feels that he no longer has a valuable part to play in the future of the club.

Very worrying, but also at the same time the positive is that he still at the club and planning to talks with Mrs Desai to clarify his role. Hopefully the new owners realise that in John Williams they have a huge asset who can help them achieve whatever vision they have for Rovers.

[philipl]

As described to me, these two articles leave more questions open than are answered.

- did the Trust and Rothschilds not ask any questions about the running of the club post-takeover?

- how are recent events to be reconciled with Mrs Desai's quotes in the press statement issued about the sale in which she said there would be no changes to the board and management?

- there was the Howard Walker interview on Radio Lancashire and now this statement in the LT which ascribes an opinion to the Trust. What exactly is the Trust's position? Ordinarily once a business is sold, the selling party says nothing other than in the most exceptional of circumstances.

- what exactly is the legal position of the Rovers' board? It seems from everything being heard and seen that literally all power and decision making has passed to Pune and the Rovers board and management are neither consulted nor involved in either the big or the little decisions being taken.

- turning to Mrs Desai, is she correct in saying in effect that Steve Kean ran the club when Sam was unavailable? The common perception and certainly the outward face of the club was that Neil McDonald ran the club in Sam' absence. Has Steve Kean over-sold the role he was doing or was Neil McDonald just a public face and Steve Kean in reality made all the decisions and ran the playing side?

- has Mrs Desai spoken with some, all or any players regarding whether they are happy and motivated? Who has spoken to the players to form this opinion?

- on what basis of expertise is she opining about Steve Kean's abilities as a football manager?

- Steve Kean can only have been on the ground in Pune at a maximum of 24 hours, more likely less than 18 hours, including a night after what seems to have been a less than easy journey from what nicko was saying in his journey update posts. That seems a very short time for her to have gathered so much information.

- When is the short list of five managers to be drawn up and by whom and who will conduct the interviews? How does this disclosure sit with giving Steve Kean the real authority he needs to run the football side of the club?

- There is only one visible expert despite the protestations that there are many. Are fans entitled to look through Mrs Desai's comments and wonder if most of these are in fact Jerome Anderson's words given Mrs Desai's repeated comments that she knows nothing about football?

[Olveres]

In addition to what Philip has posted, the Lancashire Telegraph story on John Williams says that he seeks talks with Venky's to clarify his position as his future is shrouded in uncertainty. JW has the best interests of the club at heart but is concerned that he has not part to play in Venky's vision for the club and is the dark over what Venky's plans are for the club. He will walk away if he feels that he no longer has a valuable part to play in the future of the club.

Very worrying, but also at the same time the positive is that he still at the club and planning to talks with Mrs Desai to clarify his role. Hopefully the new owners realise that in John Williams they have a huge asset who can help them achieve whatever vision they have for Rovers.

Maybe Kean's told them he can do a better job than JW too?

[Olveres]

I've had a glimpse into our potential future.....

Bradford City

[chris]

Philipl everytime they give answers you will always have more and more questions, it's a no win

these guys have communicated a lot more then the Trust did.

Your question will best get answered with time

next you'll be expecting Mrs D to tell you what colour underwear she wears.

[Olveres]

Philipl everytime they give answers you will always have more and more questions, it's a no win

these guys have communicated a lot more then the Trust did.

Your question will best get answered with time

next you'll be expecting Mrs D to tell you what colour underwear she wears.

Blue and White surely?

[chris]

I thought she goes commando lol

[Olveres]

Blue and white VAJAZZLE?