Pune trip

[RovertheHill]

Nicko has just tweeted that he thinks more may have been invited?

[yoda]

Nicko has just tweeted that he thinks more may have been invited?

Is Nicko going?

[Mike Graham]

I can assure you all that the owners are very keen to listen to input from the fans.

However, it has to be done in a reasoned, polite and dignified manner. Remember, these people are ready and willing (and already have) put a great deal of money into the club.

Mum, can you give the love in with the venky's a rest please. It devalues your trip to Pune.

Enjoy the trip the 9 of you and give them a very hard time.

It's going to take a very long time before some fans accept them. They have to start somewhere.

[jehrover]

The important point that people seem to be overlooking here is that of Steve Kean and his continued presence as manager of Blackburn Rovers.

It matters not a jot in the short term whether Venky's care what the supporters think. It doesn't matter what the 9 members of the Fans Forum say to them in India next week.

The problem we have to deal with is that Kean is taking this club down. The stats don't lie. The last 10 months have been abysmal with the exception of the Liverpool performance last season and the second half against Arsenal this season. Performances have been nowhere near sufficient to win games at Premier League level. Why? Because we don't have a Premier League manager. I challenge anyone to give me one reason to believe Kean can bring about a change in fortunes.

It is on this criteria I will judge Venky's tenure at our club. They could have 10/10 in every other department; investment, commuunication etc. but the fact is when it comes to ON THE PITCH - which is what is most important at the end of the day - THEY HAVE FAILED UP TO NOW.

It makes me shake my head in disbelief when people are coming on here praising Venky's because they are paying for 9 people to fly to India and have a glorified Fans Forum meeting with them. What is this supposed to prove? That they can cough up a few thousand quid for flights and a hotel and sit in a meeting for a couple of hours and that suddenly makes them good owners? I want to see investment in the team and a qualified manager given the job of building up the club. Until I see this Venky's get the thumbs down.

I could tell you now what the 9 on the Fans Forum will come back and say in 2 weeks time, the usual Venky's care deeply, they want to get it right blah blah blah, but it really doesn't matter in the end. It isn't important in the greater context of BRFC and its long term top-flight future, which is being threatened by Venky's showing just how out of their depth they are by sticking with an absolute novice as manager.

[SouthAussieRover]

Sorry, bad choice of words on my part (which is possibly why others are choosing not to join in). We don't know the format now. We may know it on Friday, we might not, we have a briefing, we have no idea what it'll contain. It may be we won't know until it happens, it may be don't meet anyone from Venky's at all. The overriding theme is ......

WE DON'T KNOW .... but there is only one way to find out !

How about asking at the briefing what you'll be able to discuss????

[47er]

Sorry, bad choice of words on my part (which is possibly why others are choosing not to join in). We don't know the format now. We may know it on Friday, we might not, we have a briefing, we have no idea what it'll contain. It may be we won't know until it happens, it may be don't meet anyone from Venky's at all. The overriding theme is ......

WE DON'T KNOW .... but there is only one way to find out !

I think I get it-----no matter what, you're going! Can't say I blame you but please don't go troppo!

[Glenn]

How about asking at the briefing what you'll be able to discuss????

You know, I might just do that

I think I get it-----no matter what, you're going! Can't say I blame you but please don't go troppo!

I'm just fed up with trying to answer both questions and criticism in a constructive manner, only to have people dissect every word for hidden meaning. The truth is, at the moment, almost everything we've been told, has already been made public (and the rest is mundane stuff like flight times and the hotel name).

[47er]

Glenn I understand your frustration, believe me. There's 9 of you but you're there on behalf of thousands of Rovers fans. A very difficult position to be in, especially if there are parameters put around the discussions before they even start. You can't blame people for being cynical given the mess Venkys have made of things.

I didn't see my emails on this subject as critical so much as cautious. I really think you are in danger of being used.

It would be churlish of me not to wish you all good luck though and to hope good things come out of it.

[AggyBlue]

I really think you are in danger of being used.

I can see them getting taxied here there and everywhere, getting photographed for the Venky publicity machine.

Don't forget to smile when you hold that chicken.

[Paul]

The important point that people seem to be overlooking here is that of Steve Kean and his continued presence as manager of Blackburn Rovers. ............

This is a very, very good post and echoes my feelings.

I do not trust the Rao family and no matter how many people return from India telling us they"care deeply" about Rovers I will not believe it. Trust and respect take a long time to earn and moments to lose. The Rao family started with a clean slate but have failed our club, it's supporters and Blackburn town at every turn. This is their fault. It is they who have treated our club, its employees and fans with contempt and disrespect.

Words are cheap and this is all the Raos have given us. If the Rao family want my respect and trust it will have to be gained by::

Results on the pitch

Published financial accounts

Respect for the club, town and fans

That is my message to the Raos and until this happens I will not believe a word they say. I'm not against you, I don't trust or believe you - understanding the difference is important.

It's not about sacking the manager it's about proving you are competent owners. If that requires the manager to be sacked to improve results it is your responsibility to do so.

The fans have nothing to prover, the Raos have EVERYTHING to prove.

[Stuart]

I do not trust the Rao family and no matter how many people return from India telling us they"care deeply" about Rovers I will not believe it.

Paul, whilst I agree, this just highlights that the Pune 9 are on a hiding to nothing.

Nothing Venkys can say will make up for their actions so far, nor their blind support of the worst manager in Rovers PL history (and we had Ince!).

They only scenarios which will change matters is a completely candid, non-footballing reason for Kean being in charge - or a screen going back to reveal Mark Hughes being announced as the new manager. Anything else is just talk and won't scratch the surface.

Yet neither will happen, not least because it's complete fiction on my part, but also because the trip is not a response to the fan reaction to Kean, and the discussions are likely to be non-football. Hope they enjoy the Venkys Express though, we'll probably have them at Ewood soon.

I sincerely hope we don't end up back to: "Look, we've been told some really good news but we can't say any more". The site will probably implode!

[Miker]

I still think there should be a unanimous decision to pose an ultimatum to Venky's to sack Kean before you go.

Either that or to at least discuss Kean's position and the stance of the fans on his managerial ability.

You're in a position of power now where if you rejected the trip, it would be egg on their faces. Can you imagine the headlines? "Fans reject free India trip after owners refusal to sack hapless manager"

If you take the trip and play nice then the message to Venky's will be the fans can be bought quite easily.

Win the odd game, buy a couple of decent players, donate a sponsorship place to a charity, give fans a free trip and its all ok.

It doesn't resolve anything though. If Kean remains, we go down and then we're ruined as a club. This should be the only collective concern of the fans right now, or at least the primary one.

Kean must go, and a good, experienced manager needs to be installed. End of story.

This is my opinion and attitude as a Blackburn fans who thinks Kean is a pox on our club. If the Pune 9 don't feel the same then that's fine, but I hope the majority do and they use the power they now have to force Venky's hand in removing Kean once and for all.

[Stuart]

Miker, I don't think the Pune9 are in a position of power, quite the opposite in fact.

Whilst I understand what you are saying, if Venkys dint back down, these people may lose their FF position, or even close down the official fans' forum - and at the very least sour any relationship with the fans.

Taking it to it's natural conclusion, Venkys would then have zero bond with the club and either rape of all it's value (getting their money back) before watching it sink down the divisions or sell to someone else who will.

At the end of the day, I want Venkys to care, so this could be a start. If we had a decent manager or decent results, this softly softly approach might be worthwhile. As it is we all want results and see this as an opportunity to get them. But it likely won't be.

Like in said, hiding to nothing...

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

As potentially commendable as this trip is, it has come 12 months too late. If they had taken the time to talk to fans when they initially took over, it's unlikely we would be in this position.

If they refuse to discuss the Kean situation (which may potentially rear its head big time if things go to form on Sat)then I hope people will ask what measures are in place for relegation. How will they safeguard the clubs future if this is the case?

Last year relegation may have been something that was never thought through. This time there can be no excuse.

So to those going - enjoy the experience and learn what ever you can (know your enemy!).

Finally, just in case it is a big Indian pr exercise with no benefits... remember to carry a copy of the 'Kean out' leaflet and get it out of your pocket at every photo opportunity. ...Think of it as a little game

[3rdpillar]

BRFC are my football club. Sinking down the divisions may well happen in the rear future. Been there before and can't say i didn't enjoy supporting my club then. So "what ever will be will be"... The Pune 9 won't change anything.

[Miker]

Miker, I don't think the Pune9 are in a position of power, quite the opposite in fact.

Whilst I understand what you are saying, if Venkys dint back down, these people may lose their FF position, or even close down the official fans' forum - and at the very least sour any relationship with the fans.

Taking it to it's natural conclusion, Venkys would then have zero bond with the club and either rape of all it's value (getting their money back) before watching it sink down the divisions or sell to someone else who will.

At the end of the day, I want Venkys to care, so this could be a start. If we had a decent manager or decent results, this softly softly approach might be worthwhile. As it is we all want results and see this as an opportunity to get them. But it likely won't be.

Like in said, hiding to nothing...

Jisty, I get where you're coming from. I'm basically reiterating what jehrover is saying. It doesn't matter that Venky's are flying 9 fans to Pune. What matters is Kean leaving. I don't see a point in the trip if Kean remains. Once he's gone then a dialogue between the owners and fans can begin.

[Paul]

Friend at work collared me this morning -

"Got your ticket then?"

Me, looking puzzled - "What for?"

Friend - "The trip to India"

So we discussed the whole thing, he's a diehard United fan in his early 70s, loved this bit:

"With all those bloody call centres you'd think they would know about conference calls................."

BTW he thinks it's all ridiculous.

[yoda]

well you have something else to talk about now

[AllRoverAsia]

This is worth a read

Pune Trip - Owners on a different planet

Sums it up

[yoda]

As potentially commendable as this trip is, it has come 12 months too late. If they had taken the time to talk to fans when they initially took over, it's unlikely we would be in this position.

If they refuse to discuss the Kean situation (which may potentially rear its head big time if things go to form on Sat)then I hope people will ask what measures are in place for relegation. How will they safeguard the clubs future if this is the case?

Last year relegation may have been something that was never thought through. This time there can be no excuse.

So to those going - enjoy the experience and learn what ever you can (know your enemy!).

Finally, just in case it is a big Indian pr exercise with no benefits... remember to carry a copy of the 'Kean out' leaflet and get it out of your pocket at every photo opportunity. ...Think of it as a little game

They have already had some in the post!

[Sparky Marky]

I cant believe that the fans havent boycotted this trip due to the managerial farce. They arent real fans, just on a jolly up at the expense of the clubs future. Enjoy it people......

[Tom]

You are right the chairman who goes to every game home and away and pretty much all reserve games, not a real fan.

People going out of their way to make things better for thet supporters whenever possible, not real fans.

Unbelievable!

[whalleyrover]

You are so nieve. Can you not see that something has to be done to change the direction that this club is heading? The Pune 9 had a massive opportunity to wake up Venky's, but to allow yourselves to be puppets for Venk's PR. When Rovers are in serious trouble ,you should hang your heads in shame at passing up an opportunity to shake things up. Pity none of the Pune 9 were elected and answerable to the supporters.

[AggyBlue]

People going out of their way to make things better for thet supporters whenever possible, not real fans.

Unbelievable!

So what do you think you can achieve with this visit for the rest of us?

[roversmum]

If you were going. AB, what would YOU do?