[Archived] A Conversation With Paul Hunt

[gumboots]

There's no point of him saying anything, no matter what he, Kean, the owners or anyone else at the club says, they will not be believed and people will say "it's all spin".

So what's the point? And why the demand for them to speak?

Even where there is an admission that things aren't going as expected and they are trying to improve things to ensure the club retains its Premier League status, people are not happy and want more. Whatever they say, they will still get an angry backlash from fans who are against them. In the end it doesn't matter.

What matters is results. If we started to pick up points and move out of the relegation zone, whether with Kean or without him, and Venky's backed this up with funds for player acquisitions in January then the majority of fans will be satisfied and there's no other way for them to get fans on side at this point.

The first mortgage facility taken out in December 2010 will be included though, as well as the January transfers which we know for sure involved Jerome Anderson, which is frankly of more interest to me than our summer transfers. So the accounts published for the 2010/2011 season will still give us a valuable insight into the financial dealings of the owners, as well as what debts have been paid and what debts remain, as well as their commentary on the current financial status of the club.

I don't think anyone is against Paul Hunt though - I think the majority of us would quite like to see him given more real power to actually run the club properly or someone else brought in as his boss to work with him. People don't believe the club because basically it's say one thing and do something completely different. Now this is not Paul Hunt's fault - it's because things are not run properly by the owners. Even if Kean won every game between now and the end of the season, which we all know won't happen, he wouldn't win over the fans because of everything that has gone before, but Mr Hunt does have a chance if given the correct backing by the owners. He is supposed to be good at what he does and I'm quite prepared to believe that, but here he has been used to simply say what they think will shut up those who follow Rovers but are not really as interested as some on here in finding out what is going on behind the scenes. It's a sop to the masses and some will think "Well done for communicating with us at last" whereas the majority on here think "So what?"

[John]

Hunt has got NO experience of running a football club.

[chaddyrovers]

I really pleased that Paul Hunt did an interview with the LT to answer some questions. At least he is trying to talk to the fans and communicate with us.

I think that Vineeth Rao and Paul Hunt are running the club at the moment. OK maybe they haven't got their title of Chairman or CEO but they are running the admin side of the club.

Also John Williams didn't have any experience of running a football club to my knowledge before coming to rovers! if I am wrong then I'm sorry.

[Waggy76]

I'm not sure what people expect him to say to be honest? An admission of guilt and that everything is falling apart?

If he said everything is falling apart , it would the first truthful statement out of Ewood in 12 months ,,,

[Amo]

Who the fudge is Vineeth Rao, btw? I mean, on what grounds can he possibly be the 'go to' guy for business at Rovers? We've become such a joke it's untrue.

[Kendalrover]

The first mortgage facility taken out in December 2010 will be included though, as well as the January transfers which we know for sure involved Jerome Anderson, which is frankly of more interest to me than our summer transfers. So the accounts published for the 2010/2011 season will still give us a valuable insight into the financial dealings of the owners, as well as what debts have been paid and what debts remain, as well as their commentary on the current financial status of the club.

Yes but I think most people agree that this was to cover the £16M of bank loans they took on. (The other £5M of the £21M debt was owed to the Walker Trust). Therefore it may not tells us much. The interesting bit will be what the debt was on 30th June, is its greater than the £21M debt they inherited. It may also give a clue as to why Barclays got so animated during the summer.

I wouldn't hold out much hope for anything coming from the information on the transfer dealings. The previous accounts have very little information on transfers and usually just give the top line figure. So the information sent to the Premier League on agents payments has not been detailed in the accounts in the past.

Who the fudge is Vineeth Rao, btw? I mean, on what grounds can he possibly be the 'go to' guy for business at Rovers? We've become such a joke it's untrue.

Most family firms appoint members of their family in the business not because they are competent but because they are family.

Vineeth Rao is 'family' he is not an experienced competent football administrator.

[Paul]

There's no point of him saying anything, no matter what he, Kean, the owners or anyone else at the club says, they will not be believed and people will say "it's all spin".

So what's the point? And why the demand for them to speak? .

I appreciate your view on this but my feeling would be the fans know when we are bring told the truth and when the owners / management are spinning a line.

This article was clearly not a face to face interview with quotes - nobody speaks like that. It's clear to me the LT was asked to submit a series of questions and received carefully crafted and constructed answers. This for me is why this 'revealing' article means nothing. Not necessarily Hunt's fault though he has put his name to it.

As you rightly say the only answer which really matters us on the pitch. It seems clear now the Raos will never fund the club properly and in all likelihood don't have the cash to do do. Therefore we are unlikely to see any dramatic improvement on the pitch.

[Mike Graham]

I really pleased that Paul Hunt did an interview with the LT to answer some questions. At least he is trying to talk to the fans and communicate with us.

I think that Vineeth Rao and Paul Hunt are running the club at the moment. OK maybe they haven't got their title of Chairman or CEO but they are running the admin side of the club.

Also John Williams didn't have any experience of running a football club to my knowledge before coming to rovers! if I am wrong then I'm sorry.

Chaddy, the interview was a smokescreen with no content and no detail, and also gives us no confidence that we have any leDership in the management structure.

[Waggy76]

After the Stoke debacle , I wrote to Paul Hunt personally ...I didn't receive a reply but then again I wasn't expecting one...I expressed a few concerns and asked a few pointed questions ..The telegraph was a sham , nothing new in it at all..

[Neal]

I fear Paul may have to deal with another batch of angry letters. Things would be so much easier for him if we employed a DECENT manager.

[1864roverite]

I have already written to him. Todays second half non performance was simply a bloody disgrace.

Kean OUT

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Lets be brutally honest here,what are people expecting him to say when he was appointed by Venky's who are his pay masters?...they are all in this charade together.

He has to be seen and heard to 'tow the company line' as Mother Chicken says.

[Neal]

I have already written to him. Todays second half non performance was simply a bloody disgrace.

Kean OUT

Did you go to Sunderland today?

[Mike Graham]

Lets be brutally honest here,what are people expecting him to say when he was appointed by Venky's who are his pay masters?...they are all in this charade together.

He has to be seen and heard to 'tow the company line' as Mother Chicken says.

Exactly, he would never do or say anything that will threaten his spy cheque.

We are dead ducks, and no one in the Club can do owt about it apart from the Head Chicken Mrs Desai.

[1864roverite]

No I didnt go Neal, I have withdrawn my away support for the time being because this tit has ruined my appetite for all things Rovers. I cannot stomach the way we are being forced to endure utter trash away from Ewood.

[John]

Ironic that a SEM client scored the winner....

[philipl]

So a quick summary of Paul Hunt's answers:

"I neither know nor understand what is going on."

[bazza]

There is only one person who can tell us the truth about anything going on at Blackburn Rovers.

That person is "She who must be obeyed".

Her silence is condemning us to oblivion.

We are doomed; not just to relegation but extinction.

Better get used to it. There's always Accy Stanley or Fleetwood Town to follow. (emoticon "utter despair")

[cn174]

I fear Paul may have to deal with another batch of angry letters. Things would be so much easier for him if we employed a DECENT manager.

I wouldnt bother writing. Im still waiting even an acknowledgement of an email from 30th nov.

[Neal]

No I didnt go Neal, I have withdrawn my away support for the time being because this tit has ruined my appetite for all things Rovers. I cannot stomach the way we are being forced to endure utter trash away from Ewood.

Can't say I blame you. This is somewhat a domino effect. It's ok for the club to put up 3 games for £20 pounds but in our current climate... It seems a little expensive.

[stuwilky]

I wouldnt bother writing. Im still waiting even an acknowledgement of an email from 30th nov.

Re send it.

I cannot speak highly enough of Lynsey Talbot, anything I have ever sent to her over a number of year, on a number of issues has had a response - not always comprehensive (but she always gets the relevant person to reply!), but has had a response of some kind.

[Neil Weaver]

I have already written to him. Todays second half non performance was simply a bloody disgrace.

Kean OUT

......... made worse sitting in the South Stand in the cold. Still, only 316 emails to deal with for Mr Hunt, let's look on the bright side, fewer complaints than last time then. PS Worse than a disgrace 1864 : the whole game was dire (and I'd be saying that no matter what the outcome was).

[oreilly]

Re send it.

I cannot speak highly enough of Lynsey Talbot, anything I have ever sent to her over a number of year, on a number of issues has had a response - not always comprehensive (but she always gets the relevant person to reply!), but has had a response of some kind.

i agree with that, fair play to her, she was very quick to get back to me after the cardiff debacle. fair play to her!!

if only the senior management/executives in the club learned something from the advantages of treating fans half decently with transparency and clarity.

[Fife Rover]

PR - Basically he stops the club from talking to us how they want and just gives out standard answers that answer very little

Hmmmm! That's what used to be called the "Minister For Propaganda"

[Waggy76]

28th November 2011

Dear Sir ,

I first attended Ewood Park in October 1969 , we beat Leicester City 3-1 I was 6 yrs old . Since that day I have been a real fan , call it ‘love at first sight ‘.

I have been a season ticket holder since 1980 ironically my first one was the season after we were relegated .

But not anymore , we the fans of this wonderful football club are being systematically destroyed bit by bit , we have a manager in S.Kean who is ‘ not fit for purpose ‘ his record is appalling . But surprise surprise last week , he was given a new contract and wage rise . This cannot be right can it ??

Last season , we avoided relegation in the very last match at Wolverhampton , the manager S . Kean was 100% responsible for our rather rapid fall from mid table respectability just before xmas 2010 ..

The owners don’t appear to care what happens to BRFC , I have no idea why they bought the club , but it is possible that Jerome Anderson could answer that one .

Please don’t insult my intelligence by sending out the bog standard reply , we are all in this together etc etc . Because it is not true is it ?

The people running the club do not care one jot ! If they did care S. Allardyce a perfectly good premier league manager would still be employed and S. Kean would never have become manager . Why was he appointed manager ??? One can only guess , it certainly wasn’t on his ability to do the job , that is for sure .

What about the departures of J.Williams and T. Finn ? or do we have to guess those too ?

You are the Deputy Chief Executive ( for some reason we have no Chief Executive ) it is time for you to stand up and be counted , you don’t need to be a genius to realise S. Kean is a truly shocking football manager ..

Blackburn Rovers , are going to be relegated sometime in the New Year and only the fans are bothered . Very , very sad state of affairs .

From a personal point of view I will not be attending another match at Ewood Park again until S. Kean has been SACKED !

A reply would be nice but I am not holding my breath !

Yours faithfully

This is the letter I sent to Paul Hunt , no reply as been forthcoming ...