[Archived] Venky's - Do You Support Them As Owners Of The Club?

[martonrover]

Sunday people:

''One Indian source revealed that Venkatesh Rao, brother Balaji Rao and sister Anuradha Desai, who co-own the club via Venky’s, are determined to back Kean because sacking him would show they made a mistake in dumping Sam Allardyce.''

Good God,it appears they are hell bent on proving they are in the right even when all around is falling apart and everyone else is pointing out their mistakes to them.This really is turning into a very dangerous situation for all involved with BRFC.

I'ts now becoming blatently clear where the real problem lies and the root cause.

Everyone makes mistakes but right thinking people correct them, learn and move on. By sticking with Kean, Venky's are continuing and worstening their mistake.

[philipl]

Sunday people:

''One Indian source revealed that Venkatesh Rao, brother Balaji Rao and sister Anuradha Desai, who co-own the club via Venky’s, are determined to back Kean because sacking him would show they made a mistake in dumping Sam Allardyce.''

Good God,it appears they are hell bent on proving they are in the right even when all around is falling apart and everyone else is pointing out their mistakes to them.This really is turning into a very dangerous situation for all involved with BRFC.

I'ts now becoming blatently clear where the real problem lies and the root cause.

So having made a BIG mistake in firing Sam

And a BIGGER mistake in appointing Kean

They are determined to make a STONKING GREAT GINORMOUS mistake by not firing Kean.

Yes, makes sense I suppose.

[yoda]

So having made a BIG mistake in firing Sam

And a BIGGER mistake in appointing Kean

They are determined to make a STONKING GREAT GINORMOUS mistake by not firing Kean.

Saving face is the name of the game Philip,

wonder how face they will lose when we get relegated!

Yes, makes sense I suppose.

[John]

Interesting in that sky report, Venkys plan to open 100 XPRS outlets in India - they were due to open one up in London this year but that has gone all quiet.

[Steve Moss]

ooops!

the ship just sank

The sinking ship analogy works better with Kean as captain and Venkys as owners. The owners aren't on the ship, the captain is radioing that everything is fine and the passengers (supporters) are in a panic. Hopefully, the owners will wake up and helicopter in a replacement captain, but I'm not hopeful.

[martonrover]

Cant post a link as using phone but Tombo's rant no. 2 on Vital well worth a read

[bazza]

There is a line somewhere in the Bible that goes "by their fruits ye shall know them".

Well, I've tasted the Venky fruit and it is so sour it's inedible. I thought it was going to be sweet.

If I wait a few years will the fruit become sweet and delicious?

I doubt it very much. This business of not losing "face" is the problem.

I'm afraid (very afraid) that we supporters are stuck with the situation. What we can do about it with effect?

Probably nothing.

I've never felt as down about the Rovers in my life; not even relegation to Div 3 in the old days.

[Guest]

Fair enough - but you haven't actually given any info, simply voted you support Venkys (which after today's reports, isn't going to go down too well).

So MG Road, I will bite.

What do people in India think about Venkys/Kean?

First-off somebody commented a few pages ago about how Venky's couldn't even fill their home town 15,000 seat stadium... Please remember that this is the second attempt at bringing the team here. Had the Bombay bombing not occurred shortly before their last scheduled visit, it would've been a sell out.

To the main question.

I've read quite a few allegations on here about how Venky's control/edit the press in order to give a more distorted view of what's going on in Blackburn and with the team. This is 2011 - We have satellite TV! The Rao family have some influence with local and national businesses, but even they can't dictate what is broadcast on Sky Sports News. Don't imagine that we're 1 billion+ people all sitting around a Bayliss radio and reading only local newspapers.

The Indian people (Or at least the people in Pune who I talk to every day) know that the team is in trouble. They know that the vast majority of supporters blame the manager. But most of the people I talk to have faith in Venky's to take care of it, just like they always do. We all know that the current directors inherited the company, but few outside the upper echelons realize just how much they've done with it. Vasudev Rao wouldn't recognise it these days it's grown so much. Have some faith in them as business people - if nothing else.

I also read a post suggesting that The Rao's wouldn't fire Steve Kean simply because it would make them look bad... I don't believe that for a second. They're new to Football ownership and they know they'll make mistakes along the way - They're the first to admit it. IMO (And only my opinion, I don't speak for Venky's in any way) Steve Kean is still in a job because they think he can win, or because nobody wants his job. Either way he's not going anywhere in the near future unless he voluntarily steps down.

p.s. Sorry about the late reply - It's been hectic around here and as the team have just left to head home, this is the first chance I've had to get near a computer for a few days.

[bob fleming]

Sorry about the late reply

No worries. About 7 months too late but never mind.

[philipl]

Unfortunately MG.Road, Steve Kean is going somewhere.

Down to the Championship with the Rovers.

By the way, I cannot believe that Venky's don't employ statisticians. I suggest they start analysing Rovers' Premier League results since Kean took over then analyse this season's results in terms of how much worse they are against the same teams we played last season and then realise the points buffer which kept us above relegation last season has already vanished because like-for like we are FIVE points behind last season.

[47er]

Interesting perspective from the Middle East!

http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/venky-s-feel-heat-from-blackburn-fans-1.888819?

[Steve Moss]

IMO (And only my opinion, I don't speak for Venky's in any way) Steve Kean is still in a job because they think he can win, or because nobody wants his job. Either way he's not going anywhere in the near future unless he voluntarily steps down.

That itself is a damning possibility. There are competent managers who would love to manage PL team. In the very recent past many lined up for the Rovers job. The allegation there are now no takers indicate the problem is not working for the club, but for the Raos and whatever system they now have in place.

[philipl]

Interesting perspective from the Middle East!

http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/venky-s-feel-heat-from-blackburn-fans-1.888819?

Crikey- and people complain I am hard hitting in my critiques.

[PAFELL]

Interesting perspective from the Middle East!

http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/venky-s-feel-heat-from-blackburn-fans-1.888819?

Cor why can't the press over here write like that. Especially the local. I am all for having a diplomatic stance so as to get their stories. But when mistakes are made on top of mistakes, nothing corrected. Then the truth needs and has to be told, even if it is just to give a kick up the @rse.

Venkys can correct the situation they are in now.

First and foremost, they need continue the financing of the club, but also to step back from the running part of the club. Let others more experienced in running a football club do that for them. Others who know the football culture.

Sack Kean and appoint an experienced manager.

I have no objection in them using the club as a marketing tool. Especially if it generates money for them as well as the club. But that marketing tool is no good if it is not run properly. The more successful the club is, the better a marketing tool the club is for them. The two go hand in hand.

There is an opportunity here for both venkys and the club to make progress, but only if venkys step back and allow others to run the club. Hard to do when it is your money that is being used. But if those that run the club for venkys explain and educate venkys at the sametime, then things could progress.

But what has damaged that, is the bad advisors they have already had and appear to have been burnt by. Maybe fear of a repeat, is what is preventing taking a hands off role. This is where I hope Ian Currie comes in and can help them.

[Athlete]

That itself is a damning possibility. There are competent managers who would love to manage PL team. In the very recent past many lined up for the Rovers job. The allegation there are now no takers indicate the problem is not working for the club, but for the Raos and whatever system they now have in place.

if lets hope they do sack kean..what manager would want to work for Venkys ?? how would venkys go about approaching potential managers - they wouldn't know where to start ... or have they the money to do it ?? remember Scott Dann so far hasn't cost a [penny as he's on the never neverest of deals ( due to Birminghams lack of funds - needed him of the wage bill ) cos they took away the people what could do that job we are in a very bad/strange situation at the moment

[TimmyJimmy]

Read most but not all the previous posts so this may have been said by others :

- Venkys made the wrong choice between evolution and revolution.

- Venkys talk the talk but the road too Hell is paved with good intentions.

- Kean, with a win percentage of around 20% is clearly 'struggling' shall we say, Venkys should have considered the maxim 'madness is to keep doing the same things yet expect a different result'.

- Knowing what they now know about football it is surely sensible to react to circumstances as they are and not as they would wish them to be. If they've learned anything they should put a good management team in place, stay in the background, be supportive with funds at the right moments and concentrate on developing the brand.

- We start from here not from somewhere else though so I can look the other way and try and ignore these things if they learn from their experiences and show that they have gumption to behave properly here on forward. I sense no change at all though in their behaviour/postures so I struggle to say I am a Venky supporter.

I have not voted one way or the other because it is pointless for me to express an opinion. Venkys are what they are and behave as they see fit. No amount of carping by me or others is going to change that. There are no other candidates out there to buy the club be that for better or worse. I'm a fatalist in this regard, Venkys are de facto the only game in town, that's the reality, that's the way it is, I'm trying to deal with it but I'm far from happy.

[47er]

Crikey- and people complain I am hard hitting in my critiques.

How did you like "sacking beloved Sam Allardyce"?!!!!!!

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

How did you like "sacking beloved Sam Allardyce"?!!!!!!

That was my favourite part. Nice to know his die-hard supporters had some influence against the complaining football purists. Of course Kean has worked wonders for strengthening Sam's reputation here.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Steve Kean is still in a job because they think he can win, or because nobody wants his job. Either way he's not going anywhere in the near future unless he voluntarily steps down.

If that be the case MG.Road then Blackburn Rovers F.C. are finished.

[m1st]

Interesting perspective from the Middle East!

http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/venky-s-feel-heat-from-blackburn-fans-1.888819?

For me, the second sentence of this article is particularly interesting.

Quite simply they should have entered the market with more cultural sensitivity.

Quite a few comments have been made on here over recent months about the way things are done in India; how we can influence the Raos; etc. Yet this article is telling them that they should have been more aware of, and responsive to, the British football scene and the attitudes which underpin it.

I wonder if that has influenced the latest comments from Venkatesh Rao, as quoted on the Lancashire Telegraph website:

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/news/9296616.Results_must_improve__Rao_warns_Blackburn_Rovers_boss/

Let's hope so!

[Steve Moss]

. . . how would venkys go about approaching potential managers - they wouldn't know where to start ... or have they the money to do it ?? remember Scott Dann so far hasn't cost a [penny as he's on the never neverest of deals ( due to Birminghams lack of funds - needed him of the wage bill ) cos they took away the people what could do that job we are in a very bad/strange situation at the moment

I don't mind Venkys ramming through hard deals on quality players. In fact, I approve. Squeezing pennies is part of the process of making a club like the Rovers self-sufficient.

What disturbs me is the possibility or appearance of a possibility that Venkys have run out every person from the club who could negotiate the minefield that is the PL on behalf of the Raos and the club. Instead, it looks like we/they rely on agents who suck millions out of the Rovers (and coincidentally, the Raos). While the club previsouly had employees, such as Tom Finn and John Williams, who were loyal to the club (and well paid, though reasonably so, in return) and would balance long term benefit versus short term need, now I have the feeling that we have agents focused on the short term, padding money for their bank accounts. This is not good for either the Raos or the Rovers.

We need two critical employees. First, a competent, experienced manager. One who is not beholden to SEM/Kentaro and will make his team selection, tactics and training without input from the owners or chairperson. Second, a chairperson. One who knows how the PL works, has been succesful in that role, isn't an a@@kisser, and can handle the daily administration of the club, including landing the managers transfer targets. One whom the Raos trust enough so while the Raos set forth corporate policy, the chairperson can implement that policy without having to dial Pune on a daily basis.

Until that happens, I think we are on a downward spiral. And the fault lies entirely with Venkys/Raos.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Balaji has just been interviewed on Granada reports saying that,yes,wait for it folks! we 'must trust them to make the right decisions'.Players sat around giving high fives like not a care in the world.....an absolute p1ss take.

I am filled with an almighty dread of what this season holds!!

[broadsword]

Balaji has just been interviewed on Granada reports saying that,yes,wait for it folks! we 'must trust them to make the right decisions'.

I wouldn't trust them to walk the dog.

If they want the trust of the supporters, they have to earn it.

Useles, honestly, absolutely bloody useless wasters.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

If they want the trust of the supporters, they have to earn it.

Very true indeed.To date their tenure has been nothing more than a ridiculous media circus for the sole benefit of Venky's at our proud club's expense.

[Mattyblue]

Is Granada Reports on the payroll or what?

Since day one they have been giving disproportionate coverage to Venky's. Week long specials on I think 3 occasions. Thursday or Friday last week it was the ONLY sport story.

Most odd.