[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[VinjayV4]

At £1 and debt written off, it would be a blank canvas. Someone with ambition and business nous could make a go of it.

Lets not forget, its not the Club dragging Venkys down, its the other way round. With the decks cleared and Venkys out of the way, we'd have a fighting chance.

Don't think even Venkys would have logic like this! Can you really see it being likely they will just write it all off? Even knowing they wouldn't have a hope in hell of getting it back in the Championship?

Only way of course would be via the Sky deal. I was hoping that was the plan was for Lambert to get promotion, then cut a significant part of the losses and sell. Obviously given Lambert's comments that isn't looking promising at all given the money required this summer. Hard to do what Blackpool did getting promoted under Holloway with one of the lowest (or even average) budgets in the league. Even with this being a far bigger club. Clearly its looking like the budget might get lower though probably not as low as theirs was.

Can't really see them writing off almost 90 million (the whole debt just over 100). Now 20 or 30 million and recouping the rest perhaps would be somewhat more likely. Someone said Rovers could spend 80 million and Venkys swallow up the rest after promotion but is that as simple as it sounds?

The only better alternative to Seneca it seems would be some billionaire buying. Forest have someone interested (came out of nowhere) but what's their debt? Must be pretty big with the FUP status as well. I was always more optimistic than most in the Premier League that could happen but now? Absolutely not. It would have been hard enough had the club been relegated with far less debt under previous owners.

How could Venkys save some face? Maybe free advertising for next 25 years with the boards, etc? Perhaps retain a minor stake in the club mainly via the so called Pune academy on the agenda? If it was free advertising maybe they could be bought out of a few years earlier. Or even just completely scrap the whole thing after a while and see them in court. I'm sure that would just lead to a settlement more than retaining the club or gigantic damages, etc.

[Mercer]

At £1 and debt written off, it would be a blank canvas. Someone with ambition and business nous could make a go of it.

Even then, not that easy.

We are losing £15/20million a season - operating a football club is not like 'turning off a tap', you need time. You would probably need between £40/50million to get you through the first two seasons and give you a modest transfer 'pot'.

[DE.]

Even then, not that easy.

We are losing £15/20million a season - operating a football club is not like 'turning off a tap', you need time. You would probably need between £40/50million to get you through the first two seasons and give you a modest transfer 'pot'.

Basically what I was going to write. Even with the debts written off we are far from a blank canvas. Player/staff wages, academy funding, stadium funding, community programs, etc etc... nous is needed, yes, but so is a person willing to throw away a lot of money without much prospect of getting it back in the near future.

[BlueMonday]

Even then, not that easy.

We are losing £15/20million a season - operating a football club is not like 'turning off a tap', you need time. You would probably need between £40/50million to get you through the first two seasons and give you a modest transfer 'pot'.

Definitely not easy.

But ANYONE would make a better job of it than Venkys.

[chaddyrovers]

My money is on Myers's salary being saved and his role being shared by 2 or 3 of the current staff.

From Alan Nixon.

There's an interest in Cortese. Might be very hard to get all the same.

The Former CEO of Southampton.

[philipl]

I don't know where Nixon has his source but I would say he is getting most things right at the moment....

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

From Alan Nixon.

There's an interest in Cortese. Might be very hard to get all the same.

The Former CEO of Southampton.

Didn't you say we were looking at 2 appointments - did he name the other?

[VinjayV4]

From Alan Nixon.

There's an interest in Cortese. Might be very hard to get all the same.

The Former CEO of Southampton.

That's isn't minor news...that's big news! Was relatively high profile in the past too. Can't really see it though Cortese had a big falling out at Southampton (over ambition I believe) so goodness knows how he would get on with Venkys!

[G Somerset Rover]

I don't know where Nixon has his source but I would say he is getting most things right at the moment....

He's pals with PL himself.

[JBiz]

Cortese?

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27498644

Yes please.

[arbitro]

From Alan Nixon.

There's an interest in Cortese. Might be very hard to get all the same.

The Former CEO of Southampton.

Typical from Nixon. He hedges his bets by saying there is an interest and then says he might be hard to get. However it pans out Nixon will say his information is correct because he has covered his bases either way.

Poor journalism.

[Colt Seavers]

True. But if there genuinely is an interest in Cortese, that gives me some comfort and reassurance as to what may be transpiring behind the scenes.

In other words, care and consideration may be being applied.

[oldjamfan1]

Because I had to catch such an early train down from Glasgow yesterday I was forced to take a taxi to the station. Who should the driver be, but ex footballer Chic Charnley (Google him if you've never heard of him). He is mates with Nixon because he (Charnley) is a Partick Thistle legend who also briefly played for Bolton. Interestingly he also played at St Mirren with Paul Lambert and had one or two interesting things to say about his tenure at Villa and why he thought he'd recently gone public about Venky's lack of communication.

To cut a long story short he thinks PL doesn't trust what he was told when he first came to the club about transfer funds, and if they don't sort it out he will walk away. When he told me the size of PL's alleged pay-off from Villa he can certainly afford to (if anywhere near accurate).

I realise that all of the above is little more than gossip but it came from someone who is well versed in using the press up in Scotland for his own ends.

[Give 'Em the Axe]

Cheers for sharing that, man.

[VinjayV4]

I can see you reading Sergei! Tell Balaji, "madame" and that third wheel Venkatesh to bloody back Lambert!

[Amo]

Is it possible, and I'm just throwing this out there, that the reason Venky's are stalling is precisely because they're looking to get a new CEO in place first? No point making promises and expectations to the manager before the new man has had a chance to assess the situation? That's the best I got.

[MCMC1875]

_{RAOS: ARE YOU LISTENING? BACK PAUL LAMBERT OR SELL UP!}

[davulsukur]

Interesting developments if Nixon's correct.

Isn't Cortese the guy who fired Adkins, even though everyone said it was wrong. He then appointed Pochettino and look what happened.

Seems like an incredibly positive move by the club if it they can make it happen.

[JHRover]

Cortese was the man who turned Southampton from bottom of League One to the state they are in today. Certainly knows his stuff and is exactly what a club like ours is crying out for. The problem is he is ruthlessly ambitious, expensive and would expect complete autonomy to hire and fire and spend as he sees fit, which would be the opposite of what Venkys have done.

[tomphil]

We were once linked with Peter Kenyon but ended up with Derek bleeding Shaw so I won't be holding my breath.

[DE.]

Cortese was the man who turned Southampton from bottom of League One to the state they are in today. Certainly knows his stuff and is exactly what a club like ours is crying out for. The problem is he is ruthlessly ambitious, expensive and would expect complete autonomy to hire and fire and spend as he sees fit, which would be the opposite of what Venkys have done.

If they bring him in, it would suggest that finally somebody has hammered it into their thick skulls that you cannot run an English football club successfully from India. Especially not with their delayed reactions to everything.

Not getting my hopes up, though.

[47er]

Is it possible, and I'm just throwing this out there, that the reason Venky's are stalling is precisely because they're looking to get a new CEO in place first? No point making promises and expectations to the manager before the new man has had a chance to assess the situation? That's the best I got.

Well you got a reaction! The MeerKat approves!

True. But if there genuinely is an interest in Cortese, that gives me some comfort and reassurance as to what may be transpiring behind the scenes.

In other words, care and consideration may be being applied.

If there is genuine interest in someone of this calibre, presumably the transfer money PL needs will follow? That would mean a really serious attempt at redemption. Dare I hope?

[VinjayV4]

Cortese was the man who turned Southampton from bottom of League One to the state they are in today. Certainly knows his stuff and is exactly what a club like ours is crying out for. The problem is he is ruthlessly ambitious, expensive and would expect complete autonomy to hire and fire and spend as he sees fit, which would be the opposite of what Venkys have done.

He was one of them. The other...Markus Leibherr.

Is it possible, and I'm just throwing this out there, that the reason Venky's are stalling is precisely because they're looking to get a new CEO in place first? No point making promises and expectations to the manager before the new man has had a chance to assess the situation? That's the best I got.

If there's a slim chance in hell that is the case how about picking up the phone and calling somebody?

Like Lambert for instance.

[den]

If there is genuine interest in someone of this calibre, presumably the transfer money PL needs will follow? That would mean a really serious attempt at redemption. Dare I hope?

That would make for a good summer.

[patrickvalery]

I'd go so far as to say if Cortese is being sounded out it could be the start of a Venkys exit strategy. He brokered the Marcus Liebherr deal for Southampton I believe. And I think I'm right in saying he was supposed to be fronting a group interested in Leeds. If they want his involvement it's as head honcho. There is no way on this planet he'll be looked at or even consider a position where he answers to India. The whole subservient thing won't wash with him. If there's any truth in this then I'd say we can expect huge changes at the club.