[Archived] India Media Company Wants Your Opinions

[Kamy100]

India based TV channel is doing a report on Venky’s ownership of Rovers. They have asked if fans could respond to the questions below, I will leave this thread open until tomorrow 9.30pm. Please quote the question(s) in your answers:

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

[Miker]

Is there an email to send it to or do you want us to just post on here?

[Kamy100]

Is there an email to send it to or do you want us to just post on here?

Sorry Miker, I should have been clearer. Yes please post on here, I will then collate and send them on tomorrow night.

[Fife Rover]

Great stuff Kamy! Oh boy ....Am I going to have fun answering this afternoon.

Edit: Sorry Kamy I dadn't seen your 2nd post when I asked how to process answers.

[Devon Rover]

Sorry Miker, I should have been clearer. Yes please post on here, I will then collate and send them on tomorrow night.

Thanks Kamy. I will give my answers a bit later today. Out of interest, what is the media company and do you know when their planned broadcast will be?

[DanielMB]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was excited, because they seemed like they had a plan for the club and they hinted that they wouldn’t change too much of the infrastructure. I don’t know what happened after that.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

I cant speak for the fans but for me he still has to be sacked. Steve Kean just isn’t the main issue anymore. Venky´s mismanagement is. Steve Keans record as a manager is horrific and the fact that we haven’t kept a clean sheet for almost a year says to me that his defensive management skills haven’t improved. He must go, but I fear that this wont happen under the Venkys ownership. It seems as though they just don’t care about what happens at the club.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Its hard to pinpoint one, but I would say that the fact that they practically dissolved the board is the biggest. We had John Williams as chairman and he had done an amazing job since arriving at Blackburn Rovers, so to see him leave was a big blow. The same with Tom Finn etc. They were they guys that should have been in the charge of the daily decisions at Blackburn.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Its ridiculous. The fact that they aren’t attending games or commenting in the media gives the impression that they just don’t care about Blackburn as a club or as a town. It seems to me that they are scared of facing the criticism so they are hiding and hoping it will go away.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

I think there is 2 sides to this story. Chris Samba should be a professional and do his job. He is being paid good money, and he signed a new longterm contract a year ago. When that is said I can understand why he wants to leave and no club should force someone to stay if they don’t want to be here. Especially a guy like Chris who has done so much for Rovers in the past. Its bad for the harmony in the squad. The fact is though that it should never have come to this. I think the only reason why Chris is so upset is because he was blatantly lied to by Venkys.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

I think its safe to say that the majority of the fans are deeply concerned about the future of our beloved club. Personally I have come to the point where I find myself being ok with us going down if it means that Venkys will sell the club. If you look at Blackburn Rovers before Venkys bought the club and now, its clear that one of the best run club in the UK is close to being in ruins. That is unforgivable. No one knows what the plan for the club is. Do Venkys even know? I think if they had been open about what they were doing they would have gotten more respect. Now everyone is thinking the worst. As to Steve Kean I don’t think he is a good enough manager. He has been working under abysmal conditions though.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Short term: Proper investment in a good manager and some quality premier league standard players. Not the likes of Bradley Orr, Marcus Olsson and Anthony Modeste.

Long term: New ownership unfortunately

[Miker]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

Ideally, local ownership would have been preferred. It is obviously good for a club with such a rich history to be owned by someone with a true love for the club and some form of emotional attachment to it. Just as Venky's had fought against foreign imports in India to ensure farming and agriculture remained predominantly local, so do the fans of Blackburn Rovers prefer that the club stays within the community. Personally, I saw Venky's as the ideal owners for a club of our size and financial position. Their initial plan of modest investment, youth development and marketing in Asia was a feasible one, and I was happy to see that they were being sensible about their aims.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

I am interested to see if we do stay up or not. I was a huge fan of Sam Allardyce, his unpopular pragmatic style and persona overshadowed his exceptional talent and experience as a football manager, achieving phenomenal results with both us and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. You can see what a good job he is doing once again with West Ham in the Championship as well. When Sam was sacked, I was absolutely outraged at the decision, which I thought was completely undeserved. People deserve to be treated in line with their achievements, and Sam was not treated with the respect he deserved. I was vehemently against Kean due to his inexperience and ludicrous comments to the press, and wanted him sacked after last season, as well as early on this season. Since it became apparent that Kean was going nowhere, I have grown a bit apathetic with the situation, but it has been encouraging to see that Kean has improved greatly over the season and some of the biggest concerns I had about him as manager have been decreased. I now have some hope that we can avoid relegation, but even if we did, I don't think I'd want him to stay on.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Their biggest mistake has been to treat people who have achieved a lot with little respect, and give a lot to those who hadn't. Their treatment of Allardyce, the old board, and now players like Roberts and Salgado have been unacceptable and it has drawn the ire of supporters. As mentioned above, changing their stance from what was a modest and feasible plan to promises of big investment, marquee signings and Champions League football was a massive PR own-goal and needlessly raised expectations of the fans, only to throw them to the ground again.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Honestly, it doesn't matter. It's about football, not the presence of an individual at the ground. However, in the last years of the Trust, it was always pleasing to see Sam and John Williams sitting in the stands together, and was a sign of strong communication and stability at the club. You always had the impression that everyone was united behind making the club succeed. Obviously seeing the owners supporting the club and joining in the experience with the other fans is much better than them being faceless men on another continent.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

Selling Samba would have sent the wrong message on a lot of levels. The owners showed that they do not need to sell, they won't cave in to player demands and that they want to keep their best players at the club. It was a strong action that they deserve credit for. Samba has been one of my favourite Rovers players and I would hate to see him go. Hopefully he still plays some games for us this season. I think keeping him and making him train with the reserves will send a strong message out to the rest of the squad.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

I live in Australia, so can't speak for the local feeling, but improved performances and results (especially from our younger players) have been very pleasing and has returned a bit of pride about the team. I don't think the owners or the manager will be forgiven if we avoid relegation, but they may get another chance.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Invest in our youth system and invest money in re-building a desperately thin squad. The club has a chance of becoming sustainable, or at least requiring little outside investment, but it needs larger investment in the short term to allow for this. Our squad doesn't have enough depth to compete with other clubs at present, and our manager is not experienced enough for sustained long-term results and growth.

[67splitscreen]

India based TV channel is doing a report on Venky's ownership of Rovers. They have asked if fans could respond to the questions below, I will leave this thread open until tomorrow 9.30pm. Please quote the question(s) in your answers:

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

Their lack of knowledge was always goinf to catch up with them, listening to agents has cost them more so, Football clubs are for life, Chickens are not.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Should have gone at the end of last season, the writing was on the wall, it's so large now, a blind man can see it.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Removing the previous Management sacked, forced, not towing the line same result, 'Catastrophic'.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Would you leave your 'baby' in the woods at night? IMO bridges have been burned, their silence says it all.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

No offer came in meeting his value, hardly a pressure situation, Samba did all the kicking which may have put some buyers off, will definitely backfire, doubt he will play for the club again.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

No they all need to realize having made a mistake there is only one way to rectify it. GO and GO quickly.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Start with a respected manager with experience at the current level, best hurry up, he may be over qualified in 3 months time.

[Bobby G]

Great effort to get the big fish noticing Venkys ownership and how they've handled their business.

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was cautiously optimistic. We had thought that the Trust had been very careful in choosing the next owners of the club due to Jack Walker's legacy. Everything was good until I started reading about Venkys being quoted about Champions League football within a couple of years. Then the Sam Allardyce sacking came and the penny dropped. Being linked to Ronaldinho and Beckham really didn't help either especially because everyone knew it was just talking air. It made one of the most respected clubs in the country become a laughing stock.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Just cause we've won a couple of games here and there doesn't mean installing him or retaining him was the right thing to do. Fans have quietened only because they know that Venkys are in hiding, won't comment on anything and won't act on anything. Plus all the best candidates have been hired since. Martin O'Neill was one. So was Mark Hughes. We judge Steve Kean on results and performance and he had an F for his 1st year in charge. Only God knows how he kept his job. However, to be fair, from Liverpool onwards there have been certain tactical tweaks which have made us play a little better.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Not listening to the established board of directors and management team, namely John Williams, Tom Finn, and going down to the manager Sam Allardyce who was the perfect choice to run a club on a tight budget, something Venkys have done. Then to portray John Williams as someone who had "lost passion for the role" was a disrespectful thing from Mrs Desai to say. She should know that after Jack Walker, the supporters of the club unanimously hold John Williams very highly in our history books.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

It shows that they are out of touch. It shows that they don't really "care" and it shows that they are not brave enough to face the supporters, instead choosing to use Steve Kean as the sacrificial lamb.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

I think the club HAD to keep Samba, whether he liked it or not. But if he doesn't play it doesn't make a difference does it? Players are professionals and if they play they will usually give 100%. I totally stand behind the club in their stance on this particular point. Samba is integral if we are to survive.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

Some people have become apathetic. Others frustrated. While a few have taken the initiative in looking at ways to salvage the situation in the future, ie potential offer to purchase club back from Venkys. I don't think we will ever forgive the owners for destroying this club in the space of one year. Steve Kean is just the manager, and even though he is unqualified for the job at hand, he is trying his best. I wouldn't say the same thing about Venkys. They were naive, took rash decisions, took advice from the wrong people probably and now they are trying to put a band-aid on top of the bleeding. If they could turn back time, I doubt they would've gotten themselves into it again. Right now all Rovers fans care about is surviving cause relegation could keep this club out for good.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

I personally don't see a good future for Rovers under Venkys ownership. I'd like them to be transparent about everything that has happened, open and take blame for their decisions and indecision. But if selling Rovers was not an option in answering your question, then I'd say bringing in a QUALIFIED manager to keep fortunes on the pitch going better. At the end of the day, a good manager can get the best out of his resources. For me, our squad is currently better than the squad Sam Allardyce inherited and also better than the squad he left behind.

[Blueboy Downunder]

firstly....abbey, take long deep breaths before answering. stay calm big fella.

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

- i wasn't happy, but then again i wasn't angry, probably far more apprehensive as to what this might mean for our club.that apprehension has been well and truely justified.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

- completely unanimous.he has taken the team down the league since he became mananger.based only on results, he should have been sacked 5 months ago.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

- everything....can i use that as an answer?? tough, i am going to.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

- it is a very bad way to approach things.their business and our club is sinking, they should be here to steady the ship.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

- it is the owners that have brought about this attitude from big chris.did we do well, difficult to answer cause he aint played for so long.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

- what a completely stupid and totally rhetorical question....."absolutely not"!! it does not change that the manager and owners are not up to the job.GET OUT!!

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

- as i have already made previous reference to kean needing to be sacked, i shall say the one change is VENKYS selling, then this proud club can start to move forward once again. VENKYS, GET OUT!!

[eire3382]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

(A) Was unsure as I never heard of them before and I felt they were setting unrealistic goals.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

(A) He must go and will never ever be accepted.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

(A) There have been quite a few, I would say firing sam and JW etc has to be the one.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

(A) It just proves they don't give a dam.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

(A) A player that doesn't want to be here is bad for the rest of the players. I think again the owners are digging their heels in.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

(A) If the owners start actively helpiong the club and correcting their mistakes then I could see myself forgiving them.

Hell will have to freeze over 100 times before I will even forgive KEAN.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

(A) Appoint an experienced CEO to run the club and let him/her run the club. This will also require some moneya nd replacing the manager.

[Ralfinho]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was happy to begin with but a little apprehensive to the Walker Trust selling to a company from India where Cricket is the main sport and that they had no previous experience in anything football related.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Steve Kean’s record speaks for itself. He is one of the worse managers to ever grace the premier league let alone Blackburn Rovers. I would say that the majority of fans would be happy to see the back of him.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

The greatest mistake since the take over has been the lack of investment into the club for player purchases.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

If they invested their own money into the club by hiring an experienced premier league chief executive who then in turn made all the decisions regarding transfers etc. Then I would be happy for them to stay in India.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

I think the club was right to dig their heels in and not sell Chris Samba because our future in the premier league is at stake and he is our best defender. They need to sort his head out quickly and get him back in the starting 11 then they can start to talk about selling him once our fate is known.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

The club I once knew is no more. We are being asset stripped, parachute payments will be syphoned from the club by the owners and we will drop into the oblivion. I will NEVER forgive the owners for what they have donw nor will I support Steve Kean as a manager not just because of the results on the field but also the comments and lying he has done since he has been in charge.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

I would like to see some sort of fitness coaches introduced ASAP into the set up at Blackburn. We get into winning positions a lot of the time only for the other team to get back into the matches. This is purely down to simple stamina of the players (or lack of). Get the team fit enough to last 90 mins and we will see a change in fortune. Until then, Kean will make changes as he sees players tired and we start conceding at an alarming rate.

[trueblue]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was initially happy, the promises coming from the new owners - no changes to management.. more investment in players etc etc was very encouraging.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Steve Kean is NOT and never will be - a premiership manager. In my opinion, having him in charge will never work and he should go at the earliest opportunity.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Turning thier take-over promises into lies! Getting rid of probably the best board in the premiership, getting rid of a proven manager.. ripping the heart out of the club.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

For me, it makes no difference if they stay away or attend games.. they have no communication with the fans whatsoever and I don't see anything from Venky's to say this will change.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

Yes we did well to hold onto Samba, but it's only worth holding onto a player if he wants to play for you. Samba has stated his reasons for wanting to leave (broken promises by Venky's) and who can blame him?

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

I will never forgive the owners for what they have done, even if we avoid relegation - they have absolutely no intention of backing the club, so why should we back them?

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Venky's out!

[K-Hod]

India based TV channel is doing a report on Venky’s ownership of Rovers. They have asked if fans could respond to the questions below, I will leave this thread open until tomorrow 9.30pm. Please quote the question(s) in your answers:

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was hopeful of some investment in the team, especially given the noises they were making, turns out that hasn't been the case....

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

He should never have been over-promoted in the first place, we had a competent manager over-achieving with what he had, if HE had been given the investment initially mentioned, we could have fulfilled some of the promises given/made.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Employing Jerome Anderson.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

It seems as if they have buried their heads in the sand, actions speak louder than words.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

Yes and no, though it does appear he is being kept against his will.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

It is the worst I've ever know, clueless owners/management who've taken bad advice, and won't admit their mistakes/try to rectify them.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Appointing a chairman with some power.

[OJRovers]

India based TV channel is doing a report on Venky’s ownership of Rovers. They have asked if fans could respond to the questions below, I will leave this thread open until tomorrow 9.30pm. Please quote the question(s) in your answers:

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I think everyone would've preferred a billionaire oil giant as owners, but I was prepared to give them a chance. The initial strategy of steady investment in youth was the correct one. Its just how they have implemented it that has been wrong.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Steve Kean is universally disliked by fans, this hasn't changed even with the few results we've had recently. We might stay up under Kean, but this is due to other team's being bad this year. He still needs to go.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Dismantled the previous Board and Executive structure and in the process taken all decision making away to India.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Doesn't make a difference to me if they attend or not.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

I agree with the club's stance on Samba. I'd rather us not sell him for what QPR were offering.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

A lot of fans have lost interest in the club because they are getting no feedback from the owners despite protests and requests for communication. I won't forgive the owners/managers whether we stay up or not. Venkys need to sell the club and take Kean with them.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Appoint a proper CEO at Ewood who has the power to run the club and make decisions (including hiring/sacking manager)

[Ben-2000]

1)Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was fairly neutral about the situation. Obviously clubs have had problems from oversea’s owners in the past but the noises they were making seemed positive so for me it was a case of “let’s wait and see”.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Steve Kean is not the right man to manage Blackburn Rovers. He has shown over the last 12 months that he does not have what it takes to be the manager of a Premier League football club. He took us from a top 10 position to survival on the last day of the season. This season it has got worse due to negative tactics and poor substitution decisions.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

They have made a number of mistakes, but the main one for me is replacing Sam Allardyce with the current manager and then sticking with him despite the downfall of the team since he took charge.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

I don’t think it will have that much impact on the players, but as supporters you want to see that the owner’s of your football club care. Unfortunately they do not give that impression.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

It’s not a case of “doing well” to keep hold of him. The club dug their heels in which they were fully entitled to do. He hasn’t played since though so i’m not sure the decision has been justified yet.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

The fans are genuinely worried for the future of their club. In the eyes of the majority, Steve Kean has run his course and will not be accepted. The negative attention has since turned to the owner’s largely because of their ongoing desire to keep him in-charge whilst making no attempt to engage with supporters.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

We need the owner’s to come out, engage with supporters and reveal what their plans are for the club. So many rumours fly around due to their silence so it would be an opportunity to make the first step to try and make relations better.

[Andy]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

a) I was happy, particularly after hearing Venky's promises of investments and to secure the long-term future of the club.

I think the vast majority of fans were willing to believe these promises and were optimistic.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

No, it cannot work as Kean is a complete novice who is tactically inept and a liar.

The senior players neither like or believe in him.

For as long as Kean is manager, we will struggle - it's as simple as that.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Sacking Sam Allardyce and appointing Kean.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Doesn't matter to me to be honest, though I think there does need to be a clear line of communication from the owners to fans.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

He is contracted, so I think the club did the right thing to keep him here.

He was quick enough to sign an improved terms contract a year ago, so he should be made to honour at least some of it.

However, with a proper manager in charge (rather than Kean the coach), Samba would probably be more open to staying.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

The owners, maybe - they are naive and acting on poor advice.

The manager, no - he is completely out of his depth and is not capable of seeing us progress.

It's his fault why we are at the bottom end of the table. A proper manager would have us mid-table.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Sack Kean and appoint an actual football manager.

This will see an immediate upturn in results, which will see us stay in the Premier League.

Keep him in charge and we will be relegated.

[davulsukur]

1)Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was happy when they took over initially. They seemed very ambitious and made all the right noises about going taking the club forward, whilst keeping the existing solid foundations already in place, sadly this did not happen.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

I don’t think Steve Kean will come good as a manager at Blackburn Rovers. The team have not kept a clean sheet all season, we have never won back to back league games under Steve Kean and our home form has gone from being superb (under the previous manager) to poor. We have been in relegation form all season.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

There are 2 main mistakes. Their refusal to sack Steve Kean and their awful (non-existent) communication with the fans.

The fans see the owners making decisions and become concerned at their actions and receive no explanation of why these things have been done. This leads to rumours and scare mongering, which could be avoided by an explanation from the owners.

They continue to keep Steve Kean in charge despite him having an awful record as a manager and shows no signs of turning things around.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

I think they should attend more matches at Ewood Park. I understand that they have businesses in India that they need to give attention to however their absence coupled with their silence only creates the feeling that the owners do not care for the club.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

I think they did a great job in keeping hold of him, however it’s clear that he does not want to stay and I think that we could regret the decision to keep him when we could have sold him and bought new players who do want to be here. We would have needed to get his value if we decided to cash in and I don’t think any teams were prepared to pay the asking price.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

Personally I feel that relegation is almost certain, I don’t think we have a good enough manager to guide us to safety, whereas some of our relegation rivals do. I think that the general feeling amongst Rovers fans is low, shown by the falling attendances at home games.

I would not forgive the owners or the manager because I feel we have a good enough team to avoid relegation comfortably. The whole relegation battle has been brought about because of the owners/manager. So it is a situation I don’t feel we should be in, if we had a good manager or some experienced board members/Chairman who could make decisions for the club the whole battle for survival could have been avoided.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Sacking Steve Kean and replacing him with an experienced manager would go a long way to healing the rift between the fans and the owners. It would also give us our best chance of avoiding relegation.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was cautiously happy. The Trust had started taking money out of the club and we need new owners to stay in the PL long term.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Its unlikely he'll sustain our current improved results but should be given to the end of the season as a very last chance.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Sacking Sam Allardyce, by far.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

The major impact of that is in terms of morale. The lack of money invested is far more damaging but its not good for anyones spirits to have owners who show no interest.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

Yes it did well and should pay off once he stops sulking.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

The general feeling is terrible. The owners will only be fogiven if they change their attitude to running the club, the manager will (as always) be judged on results.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Venkys selling.

[Stuart]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I was cautiously optimistic when Venky's took over. Although it was fairly well accepted that Rovers were a vehicle to advertise and market their main enterprise, they gave the impression that it could be win-win for the club. Based on comments / interviews from the new owners, the good times were about to return to Blackburn Rovers - with bold talk of Beckham, Ronaldinho and others who could enhance the global appeal of BRFC. Although this was frivolous, further talk of large transfer budgets were very encouraging and, with Sam Allardyce (or even another vastly experienced Premier League manager) in charge, it was felt that he could spend that money wisely and take the club forward.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Steve Kean will never be accepted as a manager - and based on opinion polls and feedback, few would accept him in any role at the club. He has burned too many bridges with the fans and is seen as (being polite) overly optimistic in his approach, to that point that fans feel patronised and treated like fools. Also, his comments, distinguishing "good fans" as "his supporters", have also added to divide between the club's fans - so much so that there are regular arguments on match days.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Not finding a way to retain the services of John Williams, and allowing him to have complete control over football matters - including choice of manager.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

A complete irrelevance. They do not communicate well enough with the fans so their attendance at matches is a moot point.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

Keeping Samba was the right thing to do. However, as with the percieved treatment of Salgado, Roberts, Andrews and Nelsen, the way this has been approached has left a sour taste. From what I have read, I have formed the opinion that Samba will no longer play due to the club's current off-the-field situation.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

I no longer enjoy being a Blackburn Rovers supporter - and I am very unlikely to renew my season ticket next season under the current club circumstances. We are in the same position, or worse than we were last season, and yet no lessons appear to have been learned.

Because of the approach being taken towards the quality and experience of playing staff, we take great and unnecessary risks with regards to relegation. Given that relegation from the Premier League would be disasterous in terms of income for the club, simply to finish in 17th place is dangerous approach which will eventually end in relegation.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Remove Steve Kean and replace him with an experienced manager and chairman combination (with the chairman having full control over football matters).

[Amo]

No need to fill out any questionnaire.

A gif paints a thousand words.

[monkeynuts]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

I cannot say my initial feelings where anything but worrying. This was more due to the club being run by people other than The Walker Trust who had been extremely successful in managing a mid table club with a tight budget, for many years. I started to worry more when hearing the quotes coming from the new owners regarding "marquee signing's and Champions League Football within 4 years" comments like these showed a real lack of knowledge of the English Football at the present time.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Steve Kean's record in the Premier League speaks for itself, (PL48 W11 D13 L24 which is a 23% win ratio) is not good enough for the Premier League and much better mangers has lost their job this season with far better win ratios. Based on these statistics alone we look certain for a relegation battle. Steve Kean replaced a proven PL manager in Sam Allardyce and whilst the owners may not have liked his style of play his results where what counted and the PL is a results driven business. Steve Kean took a seemingly mid table club (with the potential of possible fighting for European place) into a relegation battle last season and has continued with that form this season. The fact we havent kept a clean sheet all season is worrying. Unfortunately the owners comments of him being "unsackable" seems to ring true but I for one wonder if there is some hidden agenda in these comments!

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

The largest mistake the owners have made is having ZERO understanding of English football and what it means to the supporters. They have constantly made mistakes on every level - communication, management, endorsements, appointments - the list is endless. The clear lack of communication itself just shows with what regards they hold the club in. In any form of business communication is key, unfortunately when they have done this it seems to have been lies and stupid comments!

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Football may be global these days but the passion is still evident on faces, fans world wide want to see the owners share the joys of winning and the disappointment of a defeat - they want to see that the owners care! Hiding away and not communicating shows a lack of respect to the 1000's of paying customers their to watch the match.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park any more.

Chris Samba has publicly spoke out against the owners, as it does seem he too was told "lies" regarding the club to this I applaud him. Whilst he didn't leave in the transfer window gone it is pretty certain he will go in the summer, it is becoming clear to most fans that all our better players are leaving and being replaced with "cheap" mediocre players. My personal feeling is that Chris Samba will play for the club again and Im sure he will give 100% as he is a professional at the end of the day. In the current light of things I do not blame any player for leaving if the owners haven't lived up to the promises they have made to them.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

I personally will never forgive the current owners for what they have done to our club. Prior to them buying us we had arguably the best board of directors in the footballing community. The fact that they wrote a letter to Mrs Desai just a few months after the takeover stating they where worried just shows what immediate impact the owners have had on the club. That board has since left and been replaced with unknowns. A Premier League club cannot be run from 1000's of miles away. Steve Kean should be holding meetings with the board here in the UK and answering to them not flying half way round the world every month to answer to the owners. This management style is impracticable in such a fast paced environment such as a football club. The owners and the current manager have led us to 2 relegation battles in the tenure-ship that in itself is not acceptable along with the huge debts that we now have and the clear disregard they have of the town, the club and most importantly its biggest stakeholders - the people.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

The owners need to wake up and realise they own a club which is fundamental in the growth of a town. They need to start investing or sell up to someone who has knowledge of football (business), they need to understand what damage they are doing to a once very proud club.

[Fowl Play]

India based TV channel is doing a report on Venky’s ownership of Rovers. They have asked if fans could respond to the questions below, I will leave this thread open until tomorrow 9.30pm. Please quote the question(s) in your answers:

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

No, not happy at all and it was very obvious, even at the very beginning, that Venky's had no idea about what they had actually taken on eg. talk about 'leasing' players, instead of getting players in 'on loan'.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Results are a lot more off than on! No, absolutely not, keeping Steve Kean in charge will never work out. Even if he managed to string some results together, my view is that the vast majority of Rovers fans will never accept him because of his sycophantic attitude towards Venky's and his goading and smearing of fans in the press (only 1% are against him, etc).

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Sacking John Williams and dismantling the management infrastructure at the Club. Not too long ago, people used to talk about the 'Blackburn model' as blue-print as to how best to run a smaller, provincial club and compete against the bigger, city clubs. Now we have replaced Newcastle as the laughing stock of the premier league.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

I wouldn't be particularly bothered about them attending, etc, if they would just communicate with the fans. If they held their hands up, admitted their mistakes and made some significant investment to try and put things right they would probably be welcomed back by most but at the moment, I think they would be best advised to stay away.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

The club were right not to sell to QPR, a relegation rival not willing to pay a fair market price (approx £10M in my opinion for a top class centre back with 4 years remaining on his contract). Samba won't want to kick his heals until next season so the Club should try to incentivise him for the rest of the season by agreeing to sell him for a pre-agreed price in the summer. Hopefully, he would then give 100% for the rest of this season.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

I just feel detached now, like its not my club anymore. No, I will absolutely not forgive the management, regardless of what happens in the remainder of the season. I have been going to watch Rovers for over 30 years and have been a season ticket holder since the 2000/2001 season but when this season finishes, I will not return to Ewood until Venky's have either sold the club or it has been taken off them because of the club going into administration.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Sack Steve Kean and replace with a competent manager.

[nellybc]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

Cautious but looking forward it appeared they said the right things straight away. Unfortunately these were just LIES

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

Never! The results at the end of last season and this are conclusive proof.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Telling 1 lie after another. They have done nothing to show the fans anything they say or do will ever come to fruition.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

They have avoided all of the flak personally. This shows me they are scared of any criticism. No difference whatsoever as anything they said would only be a lie.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

No. Show me any positive proof that any club made a bid of more than 7m. Venky's did nothing at all in this matter. He is worth far more than that to my football club. I don't care if he does or doesn't play again for us. He will not aid a relegation rival this season this way. If he chooses not to help our cause then that just shows what a childish individual he is. He signed all of his contracts and took all of his pay rises. Nobody else!!

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

My feeling is it is now called "venky's fc" It no longer feels like my blackburn rovers. I will never ever forgive the owners. I will never ever forgive the manager. There is no management of the club. Kean is running the show. Its a joke situation.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

Venky's LEAVE NOW and take KEAN with you!! Simples!!

[Silencio]

1) Were you happy when Venky's from India took over the club? Or did you dread that something might go wrong?

Not particularly as I wasn't sure they had enough football knowledge. However, I was reasonably open-minded and thought they would at least have the sense to listen to the experienced staff already at the club. It soon became clear they had a different agenda and it was clear at the time they sacked Allardyce that Venkys were bad news.

2) With the current on-off results that you have had, do you think that maybe keeping Steve Kean in charge will finally work? Or is the clamour to sack him still unanimous among fans?

As far as I am concerned he has to go ASAP. He is strongly alleged to have played a role in the sacking of his former boss and has continuously lied to the supporters. He's tactically naive and his "management" has seen us plummet down the league since December 2010. Unfortuanately, sacking him this season is unlikely to save us from relegation.

3) What is the greatest mistake the owners have made since the take-over?

Not taking the advice of the people who were already at the club when Venky's bought it. Listening to John Williams, Tom Finn and Allardyce would have seen us maintain our position and Venky's would have not lost anywhere like the amount of money they have done so far.

4) How do you feel about them staying India and not attending matches? Would it make any difference if they attended matches regularly?

Unless they rebuild the infrastructure they decimated and start to communicate properly with the supporters it will be worthless. They need to make their intentions clear and hire the right management team before they come back. If they did that and attended matches regularly then people might be able to forgive them.

5) Do you think the club did well to keep hold of Chris Samba? Or might it backfire having a player amongst you that doesn't really want to play at Ewood Park anymore.

It was ridiculous to keep hold of him and then drop him. Keep him and play him or sell him and get the money. I think Venky's did well to keep him but the idiot manager who they employed is messing that up by dropping the player.

6) How is the general feeling about the club now? Will you forgive the owner/manager (management as a whole) if you manage to avoid relegation?

No. Avoiding relegation will not be creditable. We were in the top half of the league when Venky's took over so why should we be grateful for avoiding relegation? Venky's need to appoint a high quality, football experienced Board of Directors to run the club day to day, invest in the squad and hire a new manager. They need to come clean and admit the mistakes they have made and make their intentions for the future clear. They need to accept that there are experts in the football field who know much more about football than they ever could and they need to allow such people to run the club.

7) Name one change you would like to see in the club which you think can alter its fortunes?

I would like Venky's to appoint an experienced football CEO and Board of Directors with the authority to hire and fire a new manager backed with a reasonable budget.