[Archived] Mike Cheston Interview

[booth]

People may not agree but to me we are now in exactly the same position as we were in the latter stages under the Walker Trust, albeit at a far lower and more depressing level. Owners who aren't really interested but who will tolerate us as long as it doesn't really impact on them, or at least costs them the minimum amount possible.

Well minus a chairman, a club secretary and a proper board that makes actual decisions like getting the right man in to manage us.

[Mike Graham]

Well minus a chairman, a club secretary and a proper board that makes actual decisions like getting the right man in to manage us.

.....and sod all fans left.

[davulsukur]

I actually disagree with this.

Money helps - but is absolutely no guarantee of success.

Even going back to the 90's - I remember a team that invested heavily to get promoted, only just made the play-offs, and just about edged the play off final. For us it was just meant to be - but it could easily have been so different. That season we left behind a Derby side who had equally heavily invested in the dream of promotion.

Prepare to be branded a Venky lover - as it would appear that anyone that posts anything even remotely positive is branded pro-Venky. I have been pondering saying what a nice day it is here on the Fylde coast - but some would criticise the odd cloud in the sky being down to the Venky's (a joke btw before I get jumped on for being pro-Venky)

I didn't say it was a guarantee, just that it could work if the people in charge spent the money sensibly (as a response to roverstdt saying it didn't work before, so why would it work again)

There will be countless examples on all sides where investment was a success/failure or where a team succeeded/failed with a team of freebies.

[K-Hod]

Never mind abbey, some supporters are too deluded to see the wood for the trees, its these 'fans' that will be responsible for rovers going out of existence

Nah, that will be Venky's.

[McClarky]

Live within our means eh? Pity that wasn't the approach when we had means to live within and we maybe wouldn't be in the mess we're in now. Our means are now so meagre, with so many outgoings which don't benefit the current set up, we will have to make masive cuts to live within them. I think that is acknowledged in the article with reference to the lack of parachute money on a few occasions. Without a proper set up and some strong leadership, which it seems there are no plans to rectify, I'm afraid the only way is down and down again for this club.

[glen9mullan]

More cost cutting and I wonder if he gave these answers with a straight face.

Rovers this season have never been at the races and in the main have struggled.

Its going to take a miracle worker to work with little funds when he inherits this very very poor squad.

The idea of reaching out to the supporters and local business's with this latest hand we have been dealt does beg the question "what are these people smoking"?

Next season is really about trying to retain our championship status, as the latest clap trap from Ewood gives little doubt that this loons in pune honestly think we can get promoted with zero funds.

If the season ticket prices come out and they are free, they would struggle to improve on this seasons up-take.

I too will look to get a health check to check my faculties as im one of those crazy people who will renew despite the rubbish on offer at Ewood.

Im seriously falling out with football let alone rovers, I can count on one hand the amount of games I have watched on TV this season from the Prem and Europe

[booth]

Is there any chance that any of the three buyers that are interested could get their attention. How serious are these people? I just can't see Venky's sticking around for much longer unless they need to. One more managerial disaster/relegation and I'd expect them to sell up.

[unsall]

Well minus a chairman, a club secretary and a proper board that makes actual decisions like getting the right man in to manage us.

... We still have a club secretary,Ian Sylvester,but like you say not many at the top..

[Leonard Venkhater]

More cost cutting and I wonder if he gave these answers with a straight face.

Rovers this season have never been at the races and in the main have struggled.

Its going to take a miracle worker to work with little funds when he inherits this very very poor squad.

The idea of reaching out to the supporters and local business's with this latest hand we have been dealt does beg the question "what are these people smoking"?

Next season is really about trying to retain our championship status, as the latest clap trap from Ewood gives little doubt that this loons in pune honestly think we can get promoted with zero funds.

If the season ticket prices come out and they are free, they would struggle to improve on this seasons up-take.

I too will look to get a health check to check my faculties as im one of those crazy people who will renew despite the rubbish on offer at Ewood.

Im seriously falling out with football let alone rovers, I can count on one hand the amount of games I have watched on TV this season from the Prem and Europe

My own feelings almost exactly!!!

[booth]

... We still have a club secretary,Ian Sylvester,but like you say not many at the top..

Blimey, I thought he went ages ago.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Hate them

[Stuart]

More cost cutting and I wonder if he gave these answers with a straight face.

Rovers this season have never been at the races and in the main have struggled.

Its going to take a miracle worker to work with little funds when he inherits this very very poor squad.

The idea of reaching out to the supporters and local business's with this latest hand we have been dealt does beg the question "what are these people smoking"?

Next season is really about trying to retain our championship status, as the latest clap trap from Ewood gives little doubt that this loons in pune honestly think we can get promoted with zero funds.

If the season ticket prices come out and they are free, they would struggle to improve on this seasons up-take.

I too will look to get a health check to check my faculties as im one of those crazy people who will renew despite the rubbish on offer at Ewood.

Im seriously falling out with football let alone rovers, I can count on one hand the amount of games I have watched on TV this season from the Prem and Europe

Can you imagine if Cheston his one co-bean-counters are currently having meetings about how to deliver the news to fans that season ticket prices need to increase to try to offset some of the loss of parachute payments. It could be utter utter carnage.

We are turning into Blackpool only without the strength to fight, and the plucky few who make a stand will be still shouted down by our very own hardcore. "Get behind the team FFS".

[toooldforthis]

So much talk on here and in the LT about our youth set-up which confuses me a little. Successive managers have deigned our youth players either "not yet ready" for the first team or simply not good enough. They can't all be wrong. Having had 3 sons gone through various club's academy sausage meat factories (now in their 20's and happily playing non-league level) I am well aware that the "transfer market" at youth level is fiercely competitive. If these lads were indeed prodigies they would most probably have already been snapped-up by the predatory larger clubs around us. You only need to look at the so-called products of our youth system who have played in, and been successful in, our first team over the years - the vast majority of them started out at those larger clubs, were deemed not good enough for them, and subsequently signed for us as older teens. Almost all of those lads we saw on TV against Chelski recently will end up in non-league, whilst nearly all those Chelski kids will end up in Leagues 1&2 or lower leagues abroad. To compete in any league we need to pick players who are ready to perform at that level - whichever level that is, in our case Championship level - if the young lads are ready, then pick them. Or sign Championship level players. Signing League 1 players or playing academy kids who are currently only at League 1 level will result in only one thing - League 1 football.

[DE.]

So much talk on here and in the LT about our youth set-up which confuses me a little. Successive managers have deigned our youth players either "not yet ready" for the first team or simply not good enough. They can't all be wrong. Having had 3 sons gone through various club's academy sausage meat factories (now in their 20's and happily playing non-league level) I am well aware that the "transfer market" at youth level is fiercely competitive. If these lads were indeed prodigies they would most probably have already been snapped-up by the predatory larger clubs around us. You only need to look at the so-called products of our youth system who have played in, and been successful in, our first team over the years - the vast majority of them started out at those larger clubs, were deemed not good enough for them, and subsequently signed for us as older teens. Almost all of those lads we saw on TV against Chelski recently will end up in non-league, whilst nearly all those Chelski kids will end up in Leagues 1&2 or lower leagues abroad. To compete in any league we need to pick players who are ready to perform at that level - whichever level that is, in our case Championship level - if the young lads are ready, then pick them. Or sign Championship level players. Signing League 1 players or playing academy kids who are currently only at League 1 level will result in only one thing - League 1 football.

As I said earlier, our academy really hasn't done a whole lot for us in recent times, so there isn't much point in mentioning it. Other than Lenihan, has any player from the youth system been promoted and used well during our Championship years? Hanley, Lowe and Henley all appeared during our time in the PL and of the three only Hanley has been much use.

Building a team based on our youth products will likely result in a team full of players slightly worse than Henley and most likely a fair bit worse than Jason Lowe. We all know where we'll end up in that scenario.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

You don't come across as pro-Venky. Just very gullible.

Then again I could believe everything that Lambert spins to the press.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

So much talk on here and in the LT about our youth set-up which confuses me a little. Successive managers have deigned our youth players either "not yet ready" for the first team or simply not good enough. They can't all be wrong. Having had 3 sons gone through various club's academy sausage meat factories (now in their 20's and happily playing non-league level) I am well aware that the "transfer market" at youth level is fiercely competitive. If these lads were indeed prodigies they would most probably have already been snapped-up by the predatory larger clubs around us. You only need to look at the so-called products of our youth system who have played in, and been successful in, our first team over the years - the vast majority of them started out at those larger clubs, were deemed not good enough for them, and subsequently signed for us as older teens. Almost all of those lads we saw on TV against Chelski recently will end up in non-league, whilst nearly all those Chelski kids will end up in Leagues 1&2 or lower leagues abroad. To compete in any league we need to pick players who are ready to perform at that level - whichever level that is, in our case Championship level - if the young lads are ready, then pick them. Or sign Championship level players. Signing League 1 players or playing academy kids who are currently only at League 1 level will result in only one thing - League 1 football.

Unfortunately we struck lucky with Jones - and I do wonder if this is clouding their judgement.

Lenihan has been a huge success story this season - but still IMO needs experienced players like Evans alongside him - and is still a long way from the finished article. Mahoney looked promising - and nothing more.

Every manager for the last few years has gone on about how good our youth set up is - and yet the "pull through" into the first team is poor - you have to question why. If you get one player a season coming through you are lucky.

[RevidgeBlue]

So much talk on here and in the LT about our youth set-up which confuses me a little. Successive managers have deigned our youth players either "not yet ready" for the first team or simply not good enough. They can't all be wrong. Having had 3 sons gone through various club's academy sausage meat factories (now in their 20's and happily playing non-league level) I am well aware that the "transfer market" at youth level is fiercely competitive. If these lads were indeed prodigies they would most probably have already been snapped-up by the predatory larger clubs around us. You only need to look at the so-called products of our youth system who have played in, and been successful in, our first team over the years - the vast majority of them started out at those larger clubs, were deemed not good enough for them, and subsequently signed for us as older teens. Almost all of those lads we saw on TV against Chelski recently will end up in non-league, whilst nearly all those Chelski kids will end up in Leagues 1&2 or lower leagues abroad. To compete in any league we need to pick players who are ready to perform at that level - whichever level that is, in our case Championship level - if the young lads are ready, then pick them. Or sign Championship level players. Signing League 1 players or playing academy kids who are currently only at League 1 level will result in only one thing - League 1 football.

Very good post but I do wonder if we haven't given enough chances to the youngsters in the last couple of seasons. O'Connell was apparently good enough to be appointed captain by Rochdale but never merited a chance or a kick here. Nick Blackman was signed and similarly barely got a kick but went elsewhere and mysteriously turned into the division's top scorer for a time at Reading. I joked in pre season last year that when Tomlinson played pre season scored and did exceptionally well, how dare he, that'd be the last we'd see of him and so it proved. Surely he'd done enough to earn a place in the 17.

Lenihan and Mahoney did get their chances at different points, and the world didn't stop revolving on it's axis because they played, indeed they certainly didn't look any worse than the more senior players. In general though you feel not enough slack has been given to the youngsters, inexplicable in Bowyer's case given his background and the last manager decided he would rather play a soon to be out of contract centre back at left back than give a youngster a chance which tells you all you need to know.

[den]

Signing League 1 players or playing academy kids who are currently only at League 1 level will result in only one thing - League 1 football.

Good lad.

[RevidgeBlue]

Unfortunately we struck lucky with Jones - and I do wonder if this is clouding their judgement.

Lenihan has been a huge success story this season - but still IMO needs experienced players like Evans alongside him - and is still a long way from the finished article. Mahoney looked promising - and nothing more.

Every manager for the last few years has gone on about how good our youth set up is - and yet the "pull through" into the first team is poor - you have to question why. If you get one player a season coming through you are lucky.

You can't expect many youngsters to make the grade, if you have one decentish player coming through and becoming a first team squad member every season then that's realistically as good as you can hope for, whilst imo you should be looking to unearth a superstar like Duff or Jones every five years or so which makes the whole Academy idea financially viable and worthwhile.

We've been nowhere near that ratio recently imo, over the last few years, we seem only to have been interested in producing (ultimately capable) players to play for other Clubs without seeing if they would have been able to make the grade here. I don't see the point in that at all.

[booth]

Then again I could believe everything that Lambert spins to the press.

Nah, his surnames not Rao, or Kean, or Bowyer, or Agnew, or Shaw, or Anderson.

[JHRover]

Signing League 1 players or playing academy kids who are currently only at League 1 level will result in only one thing - League 1 football.

Same principle applies to the new manager. Appointing a League 1 or 2 manager who has only ever been successful at that level and has only ever failed at this level is likely going to see them drag this club down to that level.

Keith Hill and Karl Robinson both had opportunities in the Championship and both failed miserably. Some will say that Barnsley and MK Dons had meagre resources and they shouldn't be judged on taking them down. Yet I wonder what resources they would have to work with at this club.

I wonder if either would be even considered for the job if they didn't have past links to BRFC, as there are people in League One with better records who haven't even been mentioned, probably because they aren't linked to Blackburn. Same goes for Ainsworth. John Coleman has a better record than he does yet Ainsworth repeatedly gets linked because he's from Blackburn.

[RevidgeBlue]

Same principle applies to the new manager. Appointing a League 1 or 2 manager who has only ever been successful at that level and has only ever failed at this level is likely going to see them drag this club down to that level.

Keith Hill and Karl Robinson both had opportunities in the Championship and both failed miserably. Some will say that Barnsley and MK Dons had meagre resources and they shouldn't be judged on taking them down. Yet I wonder what resources they would have to work with at this club.

I wonder if either would be even considered for the job if they didn't have past links to BRFC, as there are people in League One with better records who haven't even been mentioned, probably because they aren't linked to Blackburn. Same goes for Ainsworth. John Coleman has a better record than he does yet Ainsworth repeatedly gets linked because he's from Blackburn.

Great post JH Rover. The former Rovers connection is a complete red herring. There must be one or two gems in the Lower Leagues, finding them is a different matter entirely I guess.

We need the next Ken Furphy.

[JAL]

Same principle applies to the new manager. Appointing a League 1 or 2 manager who has only ever been successful at that level and has only ever failed at this level is likely going to see them drag this club down to that level.

Keith Hill and Karl Robinson both had opportunities in the Championship and both failed miserably. Some will say that Barnsley and MK Dons had meagre resources and they shouldn't be judged on taking them down. Yet I wonder what resources they would have to work with at this club.

I wonder if either would be even considered for the job if they didn't have past links to BRFC, as there are people in League One with better records who haven't even been mentioned, probably because they aren't linked to Blackburn. Same goes for Ainsworth. John Coleman has a better record than he does yet Ainsworth repeatedly gets linked because he's from Blackburn.

Time for Blackburn owners before the supporters get screwed over with the next agent led manager of the football club.

[PLJPB]

Confirmation of Alan Myers' official removal as a Director was filed at Companies House today.

Interestingly Derek Shaw is still listed as a current Director.....................either something strange is going on or the 'Administration/Organisation' at the club once again proves to be lower league!

[ABBEY]

Strange and Venkysout go hand in hand