[Archived] 2011/12: The Final Countdown

[RevidgeBlue]

It must also be noted that you were one of the cheerleaders for the new owners, and one of most vocal critics of the Trust. How do you feel now ?

I was prepared to give the new owners a chance and they haven't delivered.

Recent events have hardly enhanced the Trust's standing though. Whilst in charge they failed to provide adequate funding then withdrew it altogether presumably in contravention of the spirit of Jack's wishes if not their legal obligations as Trustees.

Then sold to the wrong people.

[jim mk2]

We were fighting an up hill battle. We were one or two decisions away from relegation - Ince showed how easy it could have been. There is no way we could have kept pulling players like Samba and Nzonzi out of the bag - or had a saviour like Sam to pull us out of the mire. Somehow we had to generate more revenue - and on the surface the Venky plan didn't seem too wild - the problem was (it would appear) that they didn't adhere to the plan they sold to the trust.

Not true at all. With the former manager in charge the club was well set to improve on the previous year's 10th place but the key was the former chairman and his experience and nous in running the club. Effectively forcing him out of his job was madness. And remind me what was the Venky's plan because it clearly is not working.

[Sparky Marky]

I was prepared to give the new owners a chance and they haven't delivered.

Recent events have hardly enhanced the Trust's standing though. Whilst in charge they failed to provide adequate funding then withdrew it altogether presumably in contravention of the spirit of Jack's wishes if not their legal obligations as Trustees.

Then sold to the wrong people.

The trustees where clever enough to leave the football to JW.....on paper Venkys seem a good bet...

You're harsh on the trust

[riverside returns]

No, they didnt, they sold to precisely the right people for them! They saw the Rao's as gullible and sold them a pup.

[jim mk2]

I was prepared to give the new owners a chance and they haven't delivered.

Recent events have hardly enhanced the Trust's standing though. Whilst in charge they failed to provide adequate funding then withdrew it altogether presumably in contravention of the spirit of Jack's wishes if not their legal obligations as Trustees.

Then sold to the wrong people.

I agree they withdrew funding and sold to the wrong owners (from our point of view) but at least they recognised the value of letting football people run the club. Venky's ludicrously ambitious statements when they took over were always too good to be true: I saw through it so why could not you and others ?

[Parsonblue]

I was prepared to give the new owners a chance and they haven't delivered.

Recent events have hardly enhanced the Trust's standing though. Whilst in charge they failed to provide adequate funding then withdrew it altogether presumably in contravention of the spirit of Jack's wishes if not their legal obligations as Trustees.

Then sold to the wrong people.

I agree about the wrong people buying but in fairness to the Trust the promises that Venky's made to shareholders have not been kept.

As for the Trust, you simply can't argue against the fact that they kept the club in the Premier League for a decade. I think history is going to judge this period rather less harshly than yourself Rev.

[RevidgeBlue]

As for the Trust, you simply can't argue against the fact that they kept the club in the Premier League for a decade. I think history is going to judge this period rather less harshly than yourself Rev.

It may well be that the period 1991 - 2012 comes to be regarded as a golden period in the Club's history. However I have always been of the view that an established Premier League Club should be at least ten points a season better off than the three newly promoted sides without really thinking about it due to the disparities in income created by the Sky money.

[RevidgeBlue]

We weren't that bad before Jack took total control....we flirted with promotion without major investment....perhaps we go back to our natural state and try to get up organically.

We had our moments pre Jack but always fell well short at the final hurdle. Immediately prior to him taking over my recollection is that we in fact looked likely to be relegated to the old 3rd division or Division 1 as it is now but Jack funded the initial purchases of Bobby Mimms, Tony Dobson and Steve Livingstone for relatively modest sums compared with what was to come, and that was enough to just about keep us up before things really took off subsequently.

[Baz]

We had our moments pre Jack but always fell well short at the final hurdle. Immediately prior to him taking over my recollection is that we in fact looked likely to be relegated to the old 3rd division or Division 1 as it is now but Jack funded the initial purchases of Bobby Mimms, Tony Dobson and Steve Livingstone for relatively modest sums compared with what was to come, and that was enough to just about keep us up before things really took off subsequently.

Did we fall well short at Selhurst Park, or we're we robbed by a referee?

Seem to remember finishing in the playoffs for a few seasons, and setting a club record for longest unbeaten run (20+ games) too. Hardly serial strugglers.

[RevidgeBlue]

Did we fall well short at Selhurst Park, or we're we robbed by a referee?

Bottled it completely.

[AggyBlue]

Bottled it completely.

From that post and others tonight your memory clearly isn't working properly

[Mercer]

Unfortunately we quickly became "The Club his family didn't want." Which was the root of our demise. Sad but understandable in many ways. If I had no interest in football I wouldn't want to risk the family fortune funding MGP's latest Ferrari or EHD's latest chrome plated vehicle either.

However it has to be said the current owners have accelerated what was our steady but gradual decline at quite frightening speed.

I know it's not over yet and I hope and pray we get out of it but I can't see it happening. The thing that tipped the balance against us this season in my view was the sale of Samba outside the transfer window. He should have been told in no uncertain terms he was going nowhere until the summer when his wish for a move would be granted if he still wanted one, and he was back in the side on Saturday etc.

Apart from losing his huge influence and presence on the pitch, what incentive is there for the other players to knuckle down when they see former team captain Samba acting the goat, refusing to play and eventually getting his own way?. .

WTF have the Walkers ever done to you.

You come across as a man with a giant chip on his shoulder where they are concerned.

Jack enabled us to live a dream, just be feckin thankful !

[Neil Weaver]

The past eighteen months have shown just what an excellent job John Williams and Tom Finn did at this club. The Trust may not have been perfect but they ensured that the club enjoyed ten years of top flight football. It has always been a delicate balancing act keeping the club in the top division on limited finances. The Trust were able to do for ten years, it appears that 18 months has been too much for the business genius that is Desai. This foolish woman clearly didn't realise that in forcing the likes of Williams, Finn and Allardyce out - and I'm not saying Sam was the only manager who could do it just that we needed one with his type of experience - she was actually getting rid of the cornerstones that made the whole thing work. For a so called experienced business woman it seems quite an elementary mistake to make. On this occasion she simply didn't do her homework and the Rovers are probably going to pay the price by losing their top flight status.

Excellent post Parson, sums many things up in a nutshell. That should be required reading for anyone (are you reading Rev?) who derides what the Trust have done for our club.

[RevidgeBlue]

From that post and others tonight your memory clearly isn't working properly

Fair enough. In my view we threw away a seemingly unassailable 3-1 first leg lead by failing to come out of the dressing room and crashing 3-0.

John Millar also told me a short time later that Howard Gayle was of a similar view and had told the rest of the dressing room they bottled it.

WTF have the Walkers ever done to you.

Nothing. I have met several of them and without exception they're all lovely people.

That doesn't alter the fact that in my view the Trustees failed to provide the Club with adequate funding whilst they were in charge.

[philipl]

Rev is off in lala land.

More importantly, Rovers are in the Championship.

The survival point is going to be in the high 30s with Wigan, QPR and Bolton all fighting to avoid the drop.

At a minimum, Rovers need wins against Swansea, Norwich and Wigan.

Coco is congenitally incapable of providing the selection, motivation or tactics to win even one of those in all probability.

[Stuart]

The past eighteen months have shown just what an excellent job John Williams and Tom Finn did at this club. The Trust may not have been perfect but they ensured that the club enjoyed ten years of top flight football. It has always been a delicate balancing act keeping the club in the top division on limited finances. The Trust were able to do for ten years, it appears that 18 months has been too much for the business genius that is Desai. This foolish woman clearly didn't realise that in forcing the likes of Williams, Finn and Allardyce out - and I'm not saying Sam was the only manager who could do it just that we needed one with his type of experience - she was actually getting rid of the cornerstones that made the whole thing work. For a so called experienced business woman it seems quite an elementary mistake to make. On this occasion she simply didn't do her homework and the Rovers are probably going to pay the price by losing their top flight status.

Unless it was a deliberate get-rich-quick scheme.

Since they have been here it has been a succession of 'take' and no 'give'.

Despite it being Kean's favourite phrase, I can't think of one positive thing they have done during their whole sorry regime. Even cheap season tickets is beginning to feel fraudulent. They may be the cheapest around but we aren't getting ANYTHING back for our money.

[broadsword]

Where will we be in ten years' time? Will we still have a ground?

[Bobby G]

9 points is necessary based on the assumption that Wigan and QPR wont pick up more than another win possibly and Bolton just 2.

But no chance 2 wins will be enough cause it will go to goal difference in the best case scenario. For people who said "I cant see Wigan or QPR picking up a win from their fixtures", well they've already picked up 2 in that period. YOu want to know why? They have decent managers who are BETTER than their players in terms of quality.

We're down and I think we will confirm it with a defeat in Wales on Saturday. Anything short of a win and we can relax and prepare for the Championship.

[Athlete]

Rev is off in lala land.

More importantly, Rovers are in the Championship.

The survival point is going to be in the high 30s with Wigan, QPR and Bolton all fighting to avoid the drop.

At a minimum, Rovers need wins against Swansea, Norwich and Wigan.

Coco is congenitally incapable of providing the selection, motivation or tactics to win even one of those in all probability.

agree but can see it now taking 38 points to survive thats a minimum of 3 wins and a draw when we've only managed 7 wins all season...the Fat lady has the microphone in her hand already..............

[Ralfinho]

We need to change our formation and go on the offensive on Saturday. I'd rather see the team going for it than just our usual set up. Watching Swansea last night, what we have to do is press them and quickly. I think we need to runners up front as Yakubu does not like to close down. Id go with Goodwillie and Modeste and tell them just to run, close down and hassel their back for and let the midfield pick up the pieces. We need players who have the stamina to run all the game and not just in bits. Id rather have a team of work horses playing, players that can run for 90 mins. Hoilett, Yakubu and Dunn possibly even N'Zonzi do not come into this catagory. But you know Kean will field the exact same team as Liverpool, Swansea will play us off the park and may scrape the odd goal. I am utterly disgusted with our owners and Kean. I would never ever like to grace their presence, ever

[Waggy76]

Unfortunately we quickly became "The Club his family didn't want." Which was the root of our demise. Sad but understandable in many ways. If I had no interest in football I wouldn't want to risk the family fortune funding MGP's latest Ferrari or EHD's latest chrome plated vehicle either.

However it has to be said the current owners have accelerated what was our steady but gradual decline at quite frightening speed.

I know it's not over yet and I hope and pray we get out of it but I can't see it happening. The thing that tipped the balance against us this season in my view was the sale of Samba outside the transfer window. He should have been told in no uncertain terms he was going nowhere until the summer when his wish for a move would be granted if he still wanted one, and he was back in the side on Saturday etc.

Apart from losing his huge influence and presence on the pitch, what incentive is there for the other players to knuckle down when they see former team captain Samba acting the goat, refusing to play and eventually getting his own way?. .

I agree, the selling of Samba outside the window , said to me 'we are going to be relegated' let's just cut our losses ..

It was made worse with letting Nelsen go a few weeks before ...

[broadsword]

Letting Ryan go then finding out he'd been fit all this time, it's just sickening.

His legs may be going, but he could play in a wheelchair and be better than Dann.

[John]

I was wrong about other clubs being as poor as us - unfortunately the complete lack of ability/experience in the dugout and on the pitch is going to be our downfall.

[JAL]

Just two home games left and our fate all but sealed, what a great opportunity it is now for the Rovers supporting public to show their contempt for this manager and all that he represents.

[alexanders]

I was wrong about other clubs being as poor as us - unfortunately the complete lack of ability/experience in the dugout and on the pitch is going to be our downfall.

Same with me.

Have to say I have been too optimistic and really didnt think we would be relegated.