[Archived] BRFC Action Group Open Floor Meeting with Shebby Singh

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Merely happy to correct you... again. .

It's pretty mind-boggling just how childish you are for an adult.....nothing springs to mind when you've previously corrected me so I'm guessing it's just one of the roundabout arguments you have with most that you think you've won because you've got the last word in......anyway by calling Murphy a great player, I was inferring he would be a great player for us, like with Fulham, not one of the all-time greats.....I would have thought that would have been obvious to everyone but obviously not.....still I should have been aware that a select few are more concerned with infantile point scoring rather than sensible discussion so I guess I'll be more careful from now on.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Given that Pedersen was available for free when his contract ran out, I'm not sure Shebby has cost us much with his comments.

Harking back to 20 months ago is meaningless. We all know what has happened since and no-one is going to magically turn the clock back. Shebby's arrival and approach since here I think is better than what we had last season. Is it great? No, but great isn't going to happen for quite a while. I like the guy's balls for turning up, his passion in answering the questions and the fact he seems a nice guy is a huge advance on the pondlife we have had to put up with. If he talks like that to Kean and Agnew it can only be a good thing.

[Baz]

Given that Pedersen was available for free when his contract ran out, I'm not sure Shebby has cost us much with his comments.

Harking back to 20 months ago is meaningless. We all know what has happened since and no-one is going to magically turn the clock back. Shebby's arrival and approach since here I think is better than what we had last season. Is it great? No, but great isn't going to happen for quite a while. I like the guy's balls for turning up, his passion in answering the questions and the fact he seems a nice guy is a huge advance on the pondlife we have had to put up with. If he talks like that to Kean and Agnew it can only be a good thing.

The guy is an idiot. Wether he is nice or not I couldnt care less. If you think we will progress under this bufoon, then you are wrong. If he sacks Kean, which he is setting up as a massive issue, it's actually only a very small start on the rehabilitation of Venkys as owners. At ANY other club this decision is a no brainier that would have happened 18 months ago.

If Venkys think this is the guy to take us forward then they are wrong. He doesn't want Kean, that much is evident, however ridding the club of Kean is only the smallest step forward, no matter what temporary euphoria in the fans this decision would incur. I cannot think of one credible, experienced manager who would work with this guy.

[Paul]

The promise to sack Kean is ridiculously vague and open to interpretation.

Philip I'm not sure if you were present, I was and I have a full recording of the event. I've listened several times to the section. There is no doubt Singh stated Kean would be sacked if he lost three games in a row. Hickson repeated this with absolute clarity, as a journalist should and Singh gave a one word answer "yes."

There was no time frame, no period of the season, simply three losses on the bounce and he will be sacked. It was an unequivocal and 100% clear statement, whatever one may think of it. He was not misquoted or trapped in anyway.

As soon as I've worked how to edit and post an audio file I will put up here.

I don't see Shabby surviving and I am afraid I definitely don't see Kean being sacked.

I think it's clear one will go, just a question of who. I believe Singh has created an even worse situation and one which at a single stroke can destroy his own credibility. Lose three matches and Kean stays and Shebby is finished here. One of three possibilities:

Kean is sacked

Mrs D refuses to sanction this and Shebby loses all credibility or resigns / is sacked himself.

[Paul]

It's crap Ben, absolutely crap. No excuses. Pathetic even. The mans a joke and fits in well. 8 years service under several managers. Where's the bloody respect?

Who actually runs this sham of a football club? Ffs.

I've never understood the fans' general antipathy towards MGP. He has been a good servant to the club, a decent footballer and even when going through some terrible form never hid away. He also seems a decent man and is deserving of far more respect.

In his situation I would expect to be meeting Singh at 9.01am Monday.

This was my first experience of Shebby Singh, never seen him before. He appears to lack gravitas and the understanding of what should and should not be said publically.

Far too many questions were deflected, unanswered or brushed off with "I don't know, that was before my time" etc. In my view a senior executive who has been with the business for 6-7 weeks should be getting a firm grasp of the business, understanding the history of why and how the current situation has arisen. I did not gain the impression this is the case.

Singh repeatedly commented to the effect "let's talk football, I like to talk football." No problem with this at all but the actual running of the club is of similar importance and there was little to suggest Singh has an interest in or the experience to tackle this issue.

Should Kean be sacked I can guess who will pick the team for the next game. Possibly much longer as there must be a question regarding who would work under the conditions Singh outlined in the second half of the meeting - which no one has commented on yet. Singh openly referred to "the new manager" and how he would be expected to work.

Either Kean or Singh is a dead man walking, it remains to be seen which.

Saturday was a prime example of how not to run a football club and further confirmation of the shambolic situation at Ewood. Yes Singh deserves recognition for attending but that's just a small percentage of what is required - the rest, in terms of demonstrating a proven management structure will be put in place, remains unanswered.

[JAL]

Get the feeling that both Kean and Shebby think its impossible for Rovers to lose three on the bounce during this coming season so much so that they feel confident to allow Shebby to go public and throw out comments like, Kean to go if he loses three on the trot.

Rovers probably wont lose three on the trot but to lose two, then win one, scenario through the season will that be good enough for any of us.

[BRFC1995]

i'm just happy there is someone making headlines in the national media about a poor 2nd tier club.

my biggest worry is the world forgets about rovers, kean stays safe regardless and the rape of the club continues unhindered from anyone giving a monkeys outside the club.

Do not care in the slightest about his comments about pedersen only wish he'd been openly critical of a lot more players, no room for sentiment when you earn what pedersen reportedly earns he's done a very poor Kevin Kilbane impression for years.

We are crap and losing the 1st 3 games seems more realistic than winning the 1st 3, so bring it on media will love this when it happens shebby/venkys would have to follow through.

I'd actually break with tradition and watch a kean post match interview after the 3rd defeat.

[philipl]

Sorry but three losses on the trot is vague. Does it include or exclude Cup games? Does a 0-1, 0-1, 0-0, 0-1, 0-1 start to the new season mean Kean is safe? Does 6-0, 6-0, 0-1, 0-1, 0-1 see him fired?

Hasn't Kean already lost 3 on the trot in pre-season?

With regards to the advisability of Shebby doing the appearance, I'd say it was the very least the Loons of Pune could do for the fans after their longeurs and muddled talking for themselves. It was over to Shabby to handle the meeting as he saw fit and judging by the comments he didn't do too badly but he had an impossible job trying to paint lipstick on a veritable pig of a situation.

My guess is he has accelerated his own departure and the Kean faction will get him.

[PAFELL]

Perfect reaction.

Well done to Glen et al for organising the event but this was always going to be a public suicide by Shabby.

The promise to sack Kean is ridiculously vague and open to interpretation.

I don't see Shabby surviving and I am afraid I definitely don't see Kean being sacked.

I thought it was clear. He was asked again and repeated and reafirmed the 3 defeats and Kean is off.

Sorry but three losses on the trot is vague. Does it include or exclude Cup games? Does a 0-1, 0-1, 0-0, 0-1, 0-1 start to the new season mean Kean is safe? Does 6-0, 6-0, 0-1, 0-1, 0-1 see him fired?

Hasn't Kean already lost 3 on the trot in pre-season?

With regards to the advisability of Shebby doing the appearance, I'd say it was the very least the Loons of Pune could do for the fans after their longeurs and muddled talking for themselves. It was over to Shabby to handle the meeting as he saw fit and judging by the comments he didn't do too badly but he had an impossible job trying to paint lipstick on a veritable pig of a situation.

My guess is he has accelerated his own departure and the Kean faction will get him.

Shebby Singh did not do himself any favours in this event. If anything he has damaged his own situation rather than Keans. One or the other will have to go.

One thing in our favour is if Singh is sacked, he could go back to being a football pundit in the far east. If venkys sack him in favour of kean. I do not think they would like the bad publicity that he would be likely to give them.

[yoda]

Hey I'm not questioning who is to blame but for the record it's clearly Venkys and kean and whoever they have associated with to relegate our club and make us a laughing stock. I'm just saying it sucks that things have come to this. When this is all over and Steve kean is gone, We might still be stuck with Venkys but if they where to ever get a decent manager in then I hope we can all nite again as a group of fans. Depressing to come on here and see bickering going in when we all want the same thing.

I know, just wanted to highlight who is really to blame

[Paul Mellelieu]

Unprofessional, stupid, self-defeating.

Take your pick.

[dave birch]

I haven't heard any of his comments, (I'm not sure I want to) and I've only read other peoples thoughts on this thread,BUT,

One thing I don't want is a pundit who makes comment on football in a tenth teir football nation anywhere near the Rovers, let alone running it.

[yoda]

What has happened to all the links to the video footage of Shebby saying coco had 3 games, can't even find it on ssn now. has the usual took place?

ooops, found it now, thats reality TV for you, it could go viral

[mark1875]

What has happened to all the links to the video footage of Shebby saying coco had 3 games, can't even find it on ssn now. has the usual took palce?

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid761333525001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAAnV5Z0~,xyoxShbYDLGSh2yu4XruBQh1N8XmHpc9&bctid=1780610349001

[Paul]

Sorry but three losses on the trot is vague. Does it include or exclude Cup games? Does a 0-1, 0-1, 0-0, 0-1, 0-1 start to the new season mean Kean is safe? Does 6-0, 6-0, 0-1, 0-1, 0-1 see him fired?

Hasn't Kean already lost 3 on the trot in pre-season?

Philip this is the exact transcript and context of the question:

Questioner: "Just taking you back to what you said before, if we all stand united and we do give Steve Kean a chance, and you are saying that you will fire him. First what are Blackburn Rovers aims for the championship because if we thought the Premier League was tough last year it's going to be a darn sight tougher this year. There's 24 teams every one would stand a chance of going up. What are Blackburn Rovers aims and what targets has he got to meet in order to avoid the sack?"

Singh "I am here to be successful and I know what it needs to get us out of the championship. So far nobody has disagreed with me at the club. The owners have said do what you are doing, continue doing it. The ********(unclear) hasn't said you shouldn't have bought so and so or we don't need so and so. So for me it's about results, then if we find that after three games we've dropped nine points that will .....quite literally mean, we only have a 50% chance of getting promoted. So everybody has to start from day one."

Questioner: "So how many games has he got?"

Hickson repeats question

background discussion, possibly clarifying the question

Singh: "If we lose two games on the trot, if we lose three games definetley, definetley"

Hickson: "Can you just clarify what you just said. If the manager loses three games on the bounce he's gone?

Singh: "Yes"

For me the this conversation was in relation to the target of promotion and the only possible ambiguity regards Kean would be if Singh later claimed he was talking about the first three games only - and I think one would have to concede this would be in context with this part of the Q&A

[philipl]

Let's just hope for clarity's sake we lose the first three games then- that was written with irony but a sickening sense that it is quite probably the best thing that could happen to us in the long term.

No way can Kean manage a team to promotion.

Interesting to read Singh talking about getting out of the division- relegation is the obvious way we will do that under Venky's and then he will have achieved his objective.

I haven't heard any of his comments, (I'm not sure I want to) and I've only read other peoples thoughts on this thread,BUT,

One thing I don't want is a pundit who makes comment on football in a tenth teir football nation anywhere near the Rovers, let alone running it.

Exactly Dave.

It is a measure of how far the club and the fans have fallen in 20 months.

[Doug]

This man has taken us to a new 'all time low'! How many times has a representative, of any club, said so much that he shouldn't have in public? To think of where we were less than 2 years ago to where we are now! It beggars belief!

This man, regardless of how much we all want Kean out, cannot and should not have answered the question on when Kean may be sacked!!! He has played into Keans hands! The press will say, 'How can this poor man manage under this pressure?', cue the pictures, close up of Kean with the 'mob' shouting for his head.

His comments on MGP are disgraceful, we rightly felt upset with some of our other long serving pro's getting poorly treated and one of our longest serving pro's gets this. Shabby has no place at our club if this is how unprofesional he is.

WE ARE A SHAMBLES!

[John]

Just sums up how dire our situation is when we get excited following this muppets comments.

What have we become, a compete laughing stock - it completely beggars belief.

Also got a ridiculous scenario where a lot of fans probably want us to lose the first 3 games of the season.

The circus show continues....

[martonrover]

You can just imagine us equalizing in the 93rd minute of the third game! It's just ridiculous to put this out there.If Shebby had confidence in Kean he wouldn't have said it. One of them has to go, we all want it to be Kean, history tells us it won't be.

[Miker]

Are people actually taking this literally? Like Kean has to either lose 3 games in a row or he stays? It was obvious to me that the statement was "if Kean does a poor job he will be sacked". If he loses 3 games in a row then that will be grounds for dismissal, but if he loses 4 of the first 5 games, drawing the 3rd game then obviously that's still grounds for dismissal. Did people want Shebby to go through every possible results sequence in which Kean would lose his job?

[Paul]

Miker I think the real point is this. Singh made a clear, public statement - lose three games in a row and the manager is sacked. Now whether or not he meant this literally - and he was 100% clear in saying "yes" - the support will be hollowing even louder at both Kean and Singh if the Global Advisor doesn't follow up his words with actions.

Personally I don't have a feeling either way, I'm just posting exactly what was said so people can read before jumping to the usual bunch of conclusions. If these things aren't clarified now they will run away with themselves and by the time any official record is published it will be too late.

[philipl]

Whatever way you read it, the person who claims to be heading Rovers has in effect said he has no confidence in the Manager and that he is simply waiting to sack him. Moreover he has said that to an audience of 500 fans with a Radio presenter and was videoed for national TV>

This is not a matter of waiting 3, 4, 6 or 7 games or whatever the formula.

There is clearly no confidence in Kean and he should be removed IMMEDIATELY.

Any other outcome is beyond farcical. Or underlines the deep criminality which more and more people are suspecting is the reality.

[47er]

Miker I think the real point is this. Singh made a clear, public statement - lose three games in a row and the manager is sacked. Now whether or not he meant this literally - and he was 100% clear in saying "yes" - the support will be hollowing even louder at both Kean and Singh if the Global Advisor doesn't follow up his words with actions.

Personally I don't have a feeling either way, I'm just posting exactly what was said so people can read before jumping to the usual bunch of conclusions. If these things aren't clarified now they will run away with themselves and by the time any official record is published it will be too late.

It's almost certainly worthless though, that's the problem. If we take his statement literally all Kean needs is 1 point from the first 3 games and he could be safe forever for all we know. The same goes for 1point from the first 15 games provided that 1 point comes from the first 3 games!

A far more general statement would have been so much more appropriate.

[Hasta]

It's a shambles and an embarrassment but it has put more pressure on Kean again. I am generally someone who thinks that the grass isn't always greener but in this case I want Kean sacked even in the knowledge that Shebby will probably be trying to get his grubby paws on the job. Avram Grant? Yes please. That's how bad the situation became a long time ago.

[Doug]

Which unhinged manager would take his place now? A club that will do its dirty washing in public! I expected a retraction in the press this morning or at least a smoothing out statement, but nothing so far.

I'm afraid Kean is fast becoming a national hero outside Blackburn. He'll be on talk shows with Mo Farrah etc.

'Well Mo, what inspired you to win those 2 gold medals'?

'That's an easy one, I looked at Steve Keans treatment by his club and the way he stood strong through all the abuse from inside and outside the club, and his determination to succeed was an inspiration!!'

We are making Kean a martyr!!