Aniket Jadhav

[Stuart]

Rovers training or trial for a trial...?

[47er]

Obviously a TM decision!!  

[blueboy3333]

https://youtu.be/Su60BKMKVm4

The Indian Bale apparently?

Edited March 5, 2019 by blueboy3333

[Madon]

Sorry to bring up the agent chat but suspiscion got the better of me and I had to! 

His agency is KSMN... Website https://www.ksmn.co.in

From the image it looks like they've been involved since the start of Venkys reign as they were involved with Pune FC vs Rovers... also involved with Rovervision which was the talent thing in India. 

 

KSMN... Kentaro Sport Management Network? (Guess!) 

 

 

[Miller11]

Balaji has remembered he owns a football club in which he has very little interest and decided to give a local kid a nice experience in a pretty well publicised act of philanthropy.

Nothing to see here.

[Husky]

He looks like an amazing player.

[Rover_Shaun]

I know he is only young and putting my massive scepticism to one side, the lad could do without the tag of being labelled as a 'u17 world cup star' considering he played 2 out of 3 games for a side that was beaten easily 3 times.

[Stuart]

Thing is, although we can all scoff, they only need to get this exercise right once and they have a bloody large potential fanbase!

A club will manage to produce a sub-continental star one day.

[47er]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

Thing is, although we can all scoff, they only need to get this exercise right once and they have a bloody large potential fanbase!

A club will manage to produce a sub-continental star one day.

I just prefer to scoff!

[Rover_Shaun]

Scoffing is more realistic 

[AllRoverAsia]

A mature looking 17 year old sporting a decent beard,  better than I could grow all my adult life. 

Good luck to the lad 

Note: why are Rovers related emojis the last as I scroll down?

[lraC]

I can't help but think of Myles Anderson, when I read this. I hope Balaji isn't on Sky Sports news any time soon, crying that this guy was hounded out by the fans, without being given a chance, as he is good enough for any premier league team, bar the top four!!!

[tomphil]

You don't know whether to be worried or intrigued as we never hear anything from that fella speaking about his own club or speaking to its fans then all of a sudden he's pitching this lad.

There'll be a certain amount of publicity stunt attached to it but I genuinely hope it works out for the lad and as mentioned above could be a big thing if it did, well big exposure for the Venky brand at least...........

Edited March 6, 2019 by tomphil

[JHRover]

It comes back to the development of football in India mantra that was supposedly one of the main reasons they got involved in this venture in the first place, along with developing their business overseas.

All well and good if Rovers can benefit from that through increased exposure, access to new markets and access to a vast pool of talent in India.

Unfortunately it raises suspicion because they've owned the club for more than 8 years and yet in that entire time we've seen little to no evidence of any serious attempts to develop the club over there, their business over here or generate beneficial links to India and Indian players/businesses.

I would absolutely embrace the idea if I could see serious efforts to do it properly- friendly matches out there, tie-ins with Indian clubs/academies, lots of Indian sponsors etc. Leicester have put loads of effort into developing their 'brand' in Thailand with friendlies, merchandise, trips out there etc.

The most we've had was that mid-season friendly match nearly 8 years ago, supposed plans for an academy over there that never got off the ground and now this. So it is quite difficult to buy into the suggestion that there is a serious effort to build something.

I suspect it is once again an issue as to cash. I don't think they've ever been in this to spend considerable amounts of their own money and they probably felt that they could do all those things on the cheap and it would be easy as the only Indian owners of a PL club.

Unfortunately it isn't cheap nor easy and there is ferocious competition around who will invest millions in develop overseas. I know City have made inroads into India and probably Liverpool and others who invest millions every year into spreading their presence around the globe.

Without wanting to sound too critical the cost of return flights and lodging at Brockhall for a few months is probably well worth it for Balaji and his PR efforts. But again if there was any serious aim of doing something big with this it is going to take a hell of a lot more than that.

One thing I will say is that this sudden 'interest' from him along with his lad turning up at Ewood a couple of months ago to watch a game suggests baby steps towards them taking more interest and pride in their 'toy'. Whether that is a good thing or not remains to be seen.

Edited March 6, 2019 by JHRover

[47er]

Ha! Unlucky Punigans!

Man City's owners are going to buy an Indian team within the year! Tomorrow belongs to them!

[rog of the rovers]

Best Case Scenario - Turns into one of the world's best players, puts Rovers on the map in India, leading to a swell in supporter numbers, increased interest and funding from that area of the world, back into the Premier League as a major force.

Worst Case Scenario - Not good enough, but forced into the team due to Balaji's dream of having a 'local' play for 'his' football team. Opens the floodgates for more mediocre talent from the sub continent and we slide down the league due to poor quality of footballers.

Most Likely Scenario - Comes over, not good enough, but better for the experience. Unlikely to get a work permit regardless.

[tomphil]

I agree on the points about the issue of the non emergence of the Pune Academy etc is down to cash or more importantly the flow of it, a bit like the setting up of the Venky express stuff over here.

It was all probably set to be done through the football club and it's Premier League brand and income, without that it became rather pointless and unaffordable. I reckon the club would've been funding the set up of the Pune stuff not Mr B just like the Premier league income & transfer wheeling and dealing over here in England would have funded the Express Franchise and underpinned by VH Group paper loans with maybe profits flowing back into the club, I think Singh alluded to something like that in one of his many grilling interviews.

All this was Venkys part in being involved in the thing whilst dastardly/muttley and assorted crew ran the football side and generated money, a plan they'd lain long before. In theory it could have worked really well if we'd stayed up and kept the clubs infrastructure as it was.  In practise it was a complete sting sold to them by liars thieves and chancers, they'd still no need to go along with it though when it quickly and obviously turned to expensive disaster - Why will always be the million dollar question.

[Crimpshrine]

Tweet doesn't mention it being a trial or anything more than a 3 month visit.

Nice top he's got on - anyone know where I can get one ?

[Husky]

14 hours ago, Stuart said:

Thing is, although we can all scoff, they only need to get this exercise right once and they have a bloody large potential fanbase!

A club will manage to produce a sub-continental star one day.

Yes. If he manages to sell 6 Perspex replica shirts in India it can only be a good thing.

Didn't Everton once sign a Chinese player in order to 'shift a few shirts in the East'?

[Oldgregg86]

For me it's as simple as good pr in India. The positive story runs in the Indian press with a picture of the lad, with his super imposed venky logo on his t-shirt . He comes here purly part of a publicity stunt. He goes home within six months and speaks about what a fabulous experience it was and how venkys have an amazing youth set up etc, more good pr, then it's as you where. This is purly PR for the people of India and to boost the venky brand, not Blackburn rovers. Absolutely no thought has gone into Blackburn rovers. 

[Crimpshrine]

5 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

For me it's as simple as good pr in India. The positive story runs in the Indian press with a picture of the lad, with his super imposed venky logo on his t-shirt . He comes here purly part of a publicity stunt. He goes home within six months and speaks about what a fabulous experience it was and how venkys have an amazing youth set up etc, more good pr, then it's as you where. This is purly PR for the people of India and to boost the venky brand, not Blackburn rovers. Absolutely no thought has gone into Blackburn rovers. 

Exactly right.

Venky's stated early on that one of the main reasons they bought Rovers was to act as an advertising vehicle for their company.  Nothing has changed

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Absolutely enthralling.

[Stuart]

3 hours ago, Husky said:

Yes. If he manages to sell 6 Perspex replica shirts in India it can only be a good thing.

Didn't Everton once sign a Chinese player in order to 'shift a few shirts in the East'?

Think bigger. Exposure, potential advertising or even a new buyer...

[Husky]

2 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Think bigger. Exposure, potential advertising or even a new buyer...

A sponsorship by Godfather beer would be very apt.

As a side note, I heard it's also very bitter. Ooohhh!

[DanLad]

Mowbray's replacement?