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The Lancashire Telegraph
News, sport and entertainment from all over East Lancashire
COMMENT: History helps Rovers with current problems (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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COMMENT: History helps Rovers with current problems
10:58am Thursday 18th October 2012 in News
By Andy Cryer, Blackburn Rovers reporter
SO Shebby Singh was surprised so many top managerial names were interested in taking the reigns at Blackburn Rovers. He wasn’t the only one.
Inexcusable dithering, a complete lack of understanding of English football, and a bizarre transfer policy. All traits most managers would dread in prospective owners and just a few of the characteristics Venky’s have shown in abundance.
So what is it that has attracted more than 20 managers to put their name forward to succeed Steve Kean? After all, unless they change their ways, you can’t help but feel this looks every inch the impossible job.
Blackburn Rovers is what has saved them.
When Venky’s bought this club almost two years ago they purchased one of the proudest institutions in English football. They had fantastic history, worldwide respect and a loyal and passionate fan base.
The respect may long since have disappeared among many – with too many good ‘footballing people’ treated poorly by the club – but the other two ingredients remain to give the club a chance of waking from a very real nightmare.
Whether they do awaken or not is now down to Venky’s. You can't help but note the irony that it is Rovers’ reputation – something the poultry giants have so nearly destroyed – that is giving them this second (or maybe even third) chance.
It is the club’s past that sees Rovers still in demand, not the present.
They can’t guarantee the next manager they appoint will be a success, no owner can do that, but what they can do is give him the best possible chance of succeeding.
That means no signing players that the manager hasn’t even seen, no appointing random people in positions of power, and no listening to people who don’t have the best interests of the club at heart.
Whether it is Tim Sherwood, Ian Holloway, Keith Hill or anyone else who has thrown their hat in the ring, Venky’s have to give the manager their support.
And by support, I don’t just mean the illogical and mindless backing they gave to Kean. I mean providing the manager with a solid platform of being a well run, respected and business–like football club.
Throwing millions at whoever comes in in January isn’t what I mean either. That is the last thing the club needs, with many ready to cover their eyes when the latest accounts are published. All anyone wants is a return to normality. If Venky’s have not got the knowledge or ability to run a football club the way it should be run, they need to leave it in the hands of someone who does.
The new manager needs to be his own man. He can’t just pander to wishes of the owners or global advisor and he can’t just exist as a puppet for those in the background.
Bring in a manager to manage the squad his way and Rovers have a chance of a Premier League return. Keep doing things the Venky’s way and we may all know what ‘doing a Pompey’ really means.
Comments are closed on this article.

Comments (69)
11:11am Thu 18 Oct 12
Lancs - pensioner says...
Well get it wrong dear owners and get used to 12000 a fornight turning up at Ewood, you have been warned!
You cant run a football club like a chicken farm.
11:14am Thu 18 Oct 12
Roverthere says...
11:15am Thu 18 Oct 12
jackmetickler says...
And lets face it..... if LET did a survey
Do you trust Shabby and the Bodget and Scarper brothers to make the right decision....
I suspect they would get a 100 percent NO (from the Rovers fans anyway) maybe a few sad dingles would vote Yes.
11:16am Thu 18 Oct 12
Davelyn says...
HEADLESS CHICKENS!!!!
11:17am Thu 18 Oct 12
hassy rvr says...
11:23am Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
What we need is strong manager who can grow the club and get success (and get progress for the club and his own reputation) - but if he and the owners do not have the same vision or plan for success then neither the manager nor the club will succeed.
Also I really dont' understand why anyone on here is still talking about attendances and boycotts? Yes the one that got Kean out was effective but that would never work again.That was a one-time only set of circumstances that should never be repeated.
If people don't like the next appointment then fair enough they can vote with their feet as always has been the case, but any talk of any threats of future fan boycotts over managerial appointments is nonsense and would not be listened to by any club never mind the Rovers.
11:24am Thu 18 Oct 12
andybb2 says...
11:45am Thu 18 Oct 12
Mr Purple says...
11:50am Thu 18 Oct 12
dangerous dave says...
OUT WITH SHAW AGNEW BLACK HENDRY SINGH VENKEYS
11:57am Thu 18 Oct 12
roverinmanchstr says...
.Mc'.... Really, I don't know which planet you have been on BUT no one tells Ferguson what to do and it's similar .at other Prem clubs!!!!!Yes....eve
n our previous Sam Allardyce...Remember he told Venky's what to do.......
Your comments are ridiculous
11:59am Thu 18 Oct 12
MatthewCA says...
12:08pm Thu 18 Oct 12
benal13 says...
12:09pm Thu 18 Oct 12
A Darener says...
12:14pm Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
If you cant understand that this is what happens at all cubs in some degree then I would suggest it is your comments that are ridiculous.
12:14pm Thu 18 Oct 12
A Darener says...
12:16pm Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
12:17pm Thu 18 Oct 12
greenscreener says...
12:18pm Thu 18 Oct 12
oneSimonGarner says...
12:19pm Thu 18 Oct 12
benal13 says...
12:27pm Thu 18 Oct 12
burnleyglentoran says...
Look at the bile and hatred that you gave Kean! It was there for the whole country to see. Week in, week out.....
YOUR CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST!!!!!!
12:59pm Thu 18 Oct 12
1riversider says...
For the last 2 years, this club has made the wrong decision at every opportunity. It has gone from the best run club in the Premier League to a Championship club run by amateurs, and we can only speculate when the decline will end.
Would you work for this shower? Because I for one certainly wouldn't. That's why I do not believe for one minute that most of the big names have actually applied for the job. Why else is it taking so long?
The madness at Ewood goes on!
SHYSTERS GET OUT OF OUR CLUB NOW
1:14pm Thu 18 Oct 12
roverinmanchstr says...
e manager will take on the Rovers Job because Venky's are incompetent, ignorant and clueless...The 'so called' applicants of 'high quality' are being undermined by the changes of prefrence (if these applicants really exist at all). Its a total fiasco embraced by Venky's
1:15pm Thu 18 Oct 12
jogalot says...
History has shown that listening to advisors who do not have the best interests of the club at heart leads to all kinds of problems.
History has shown that appointing a coach inexperienced as a manager leads to relegation and chaos.
History shows that firing respected experienced chair and board and replacing them with inexperienced pundits or failed executives only saves a few quid on wages but costs Rovers thousands on lost revenue.
Venkys should also understand the concept of Karma. Garbage in = garbage out. Bad decisions lead to bad results. More bad decisions lead to more bad results.
Einstein was a respected man who knew a thing or two. So please heed his advice, Venkys: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity, not good business.
1:21pm Thu 18 Oct 12
eddie the eagle says...
1:21pm Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
As for thinking that the applicants for the managers job don't even 'exist' then that about sums it the nonsense from you.
1:24pm Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
1:25pm Thu 18 Oct 12
RespectTheK-Dog says...
That is the date you should have a red pen circled around on your calendars.
A claimant has 3 months in which to bring a claim for constructive dismissal.
It is coming. Mark my words.
1:31pm Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
1:52pm Thu 18 Oct 12
unclejacklegend says...
1:53pm Thu 18 Oct 12
moh says...
1:58pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Angry From Accrington says...
Having suffered the open and public indignity of driving Steve Kean to the point of resignation Shebby The Snake Singh is now part of the problem, rather than part of the solution but with the possible expceptions of Tim Sherwood and Ole Gunnar Soljkear, there are a dozen managers with P45s in their pockets who would kiss Shebby's shoes for an interview.
2:09pm Thu 18 Oct 12
A Rover 45 years and over says...
2:15pm Thu 18 Oct 12
jogalot says...
All Rovers fans want the best for your club, want our team to win and know the power of making a loud positive noise making a 12th man. I feel sure that all signs of positivity, of 100% commitment, of better fitness levels, of good defending, good tactics and fighting hard right to the death, will be applauded and encouraged by the fans, and fans will come flooding back. But if it's the same old pre-match or post-match dishonesty, words not reflecting reality, bad team selections etc, nobody will be able to blame any fans if they decide to boycott. We've all just had enough! These have been the worse 2 years in Rovers history with the possibility of extinction still hanging over our team and our community.
It is not the fans and their protests who have anything to be ashamed of at all. It is all down to Venkys, Kean and their wholesale lack of care for the club. Don't ever forget that!
2:17pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Rovers 1495 says...
2:17pm Thu 18 Oct 12
benal13 says...
2:56pm Thu 18 Oct 12
BJS says...
3:12pm Thu 18 Oct 12
mellorb&w says...
3:25pm Thu 18 Oct 12
EwoodPerk says...
I guess he noticed the extra finger starting to grow.
3:30pm Thu 18 Oct 12
MxMave says...
At the end of a day a manager should be a strong force, breathing fire and feared by all but his bosses.
Whilst you are correct about budget and season aims in your Fergie example, I would say that most directors will leave the manager to thier own devices. As soon as a manager is undermined, everyone underneath him will start to question the authority.
We need a psycho in the dressing room & on the touchline.
3:33pm Thu 18 Oct 12
walshy2866 says...
Lord and Kilby have been draining your club for years but you don't have the brain power to see it.
You profess to be a bigger club than us so tell me this,over the last 30 years why haven't you:-
* Achieved what Rovers have?
* Had better attendances?
* Had a better ground?
* Had as much media attention?
2 of your last 3 managers have walked out, couldn't stand operating under a dictatorship.
But yet you come on here and take the p1ss.
Pure unadulterated jealousy is the only reason I can think of.
When will you get it into your thick skulls, Rovers fans only care about their club, don't give two f**ks about your tinpot club and that's the reason why we want our next manager to be chosen correctly.
3:51pm Thu 18 Oct 12
RUinsane says...
4:14pm Thu 18 Oct 12
greenscreener says...
Performance - SK presided over a slide down the premier league and then relegation.
Standard of Conduct - SK lost his licence for D&D and was then filmed libelling his predecessor
Customer Relations - SK was subject to abuse and ridicule from the majority of Rovers supporters who actively protested for his removal
Staff relations - SK was regularly in high profile disputes wih members of his own squad
Any one of these could have resulted in him being dismissed but while all this was going on the owners extended his contract and supported him in recruiting a whole squad of players.
Seems to me any reasonable tribunal would simply say you were lucky they put up with you as long as they did !
4:55pm Thu 18 Oct 12
FannyTickler says...
5:04pm Thu 18 Oct 12
French Rover says...
5:09pm Thu 18 Oct 12
roverboy1uk says...
6:13pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Captain Dreckley says...
Venkys circus out of Ewood now
7:19pm Thu 18 Oct 12
kiwipom73 says...
I SEE IN THE NEWS THAT THE PORTSMOUTH SUPPORTERS TRUST HAS BEEN LOOKED AT HAS THE "PERFERRED BIDDER" FOR THEIR CLUB.....REPLACING A MR. CHAINRAI...NOW LOOKED UPON HAS BEING LIKELY UNSUITABLE.....!!!!!
WELL....AT LEAST SOMEONE IS LEARNING FROM THE ROVERS BOLLYWOOD SAGA OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
7:52pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Angry From Accrington says...
tart a Supporters Trust!. If we can persuade 250,000 fans to stump up £200 each we could raise enough money to buy the club!
Some people fail to realise that one of the main reasons that Venky's now own this club is that the Walker Trust could no longer continue to subsidise supporters who were not prepared to pay a reasonable price to watch the Premiership football they demanded.
Even if Venky's DID walk away at a loss, do you honestly believe that any serious investor would put money into this club having seen how the fans behave if they don't get what they want?
I am no lover of the Venky's, I mistrust their agents, I despise their advisor and have no faith in their management team but I WILL support the team and the club as positively as I can because the so - called boycotters, moaners, whiners and whatever manager happens to be in OUT brigade will drag this club down terminally. Better Bollywood than Armagedon.
8:00pm Thu 18 Oct 12
katrew says...
8:01pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Rovers1975 says...
Bonleh, a club who's fans speak of a bunch of p155ed up scrubbers called the 'suicide squad' with pride.
A club so obsessed and riddled with envy and hate, the 10,000 strong crowds spend the majority of time singing about 'playing b4stard rovers' like it's an honor.
A club so unimportant and unambitious a manager would rather drop a league to manage a team with zero pedigree, 9 fans and a non league ground, instead of listening to a load of hunchbacked apes spitting and slavering vile about another football club down the road.
Keep em coming glentoran, your posts sum up dingles perfectly. Love and kisses as always x x x
8:27pm Thu 18 Oct 12
OnePostThenTheOther says...
8:35pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Brfc24138931 says...
8:42pm Thu 18 Oct 12
NICEONESUNSHINE, says...
YOU DON"T OWN THE CLUB, NUMB NUTS, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPORTING THE TEAM. YOU HAVE NO SAY .
Kean sack thousands back? Don't make me laugh.
You wonder why no one wants the manager's job?
8:48pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Dr Zinc says...
Because Venky’s have told us so?
All I have seen and heard are managers distancing themselves from the job.
Can anybody seriously believe a word those jokers say with their history?
The current situation is no different than past debacle episodes such as Samba staying, Jones staying, Hoillet signing, top 10 finishes, champions league football, the list is endless since they took charge, and before anyone says; “that was Keans doing”
Remember he was their puppet, he was the one back and forth to Pune, retuning with a hatful of promises to feed the fans
Nothing has changed for me, there is still nobody at the club who knows his **** from his elbow with regards to running a football club and managing a football team
Which manager with any self-worth is going to work with this lot?
I can only see a desperate manager or a man who has not managed previously
Has for some of the suggestions such as Hill, McCarthy and Holloway, they are laughable in terms of quality managers
But we have the Venkys as owners so quality is out of the window, jokers are the rage!
That leaves a manager who has no previous experience, which is a gamble but it would be my choice out of a bad bunch.
I also keep reading that the club is still full of mr andersons clients, now I’m sure he has a lot of clients at a lot of clubs but his dealings with our club leave a lingering bad taste and if another manager landed the job who was again his client, well wouldn’t that be a cosy coincidence?
8:51pm Thu 18 Oct 12
kenbro says...
They will decide that the Rovers we knew does not exist any more and will just drift away, possibly permanently. Gates less than 12,000 are definitely possible if the situation at Ewood is not corrected, and it won't be because of a boycott. Rovers history will count for little with a totally disgusted supporter. Perhaps Venkys think that club loyalty will keep the supporters attending regardless of what they do. They are wrong. some fans will, a lot won't.
8:54pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Rovers1975 says...
9:12pm Thu 18 Oct 12
NICEONESUNSHINE, says...
9:25pm Thu 18 Oct 12
bburnrover says...
9:34pm Thu 18 Oct 12
roverfor60years says...
For instance Chelsea and Manchester City are on a different planet to the Rovers. Their owners are putting up zillions for the best players in the world. Venky’s are stuffing Ewood with tuppence ha’penny players from obscure corners of the earth, unknown to the manager and who would struggle in League Two. No comparison.
Pre-Venky’s, Sparky and Sam identified the players they wanted. The considerations were – did they have the right attitude, temperament and character and would they fit into the team. John Williams and Tom Finn, in conjunction with the Walker Trust, did the sums – and the negotiations. If a player the manager wanted could be brought in at the right price he was signed. Exactly as it should be.
Of course no manager can run a club. But he MUST be allowed to run the team.
I agree, we have the most pathetic management team in our history and that, combined with the Venky’s, isn’t going to get us out of the almighty mess we are in.
I’ve said it many times before but a precursor to appointing a manager would be to appoint an experienced John Williams-type ceo. Only then can we start to rebuild the club, put a strong management team in place without any outside interference or self-interested ‘advice’ and make a ‘football’ decision on the appointment of a new manager.
I think the fans talking of further boycotts are fearing yet another catastrophic decision. And with the appalling management team we have – all submissive to Venky’s – who would expect them to get this one right? Well, it is their last chance. If they don’t, it will be curtains.
The above article is one of the best Andy Cryer has written and it would pay Shebby and Venky’s to take heed.
10:12pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Rovers1975 says...
I am of course assuming you're a dingle. You may just be football fan with an opinion but as far as I'm aware the only people that are as obsessed with Rovers as Rovers fans are dingles. Try harder sunshine ;)
10:15pm Thu 18 Oct 12
alfa111 says...
11:40pm Thu 18 Oct 12
kazluvsrovers says...
why are they taking so long to appoint someone?
I can see it coming a mile off, they are still waiting to see how Eric Black does over the next 3 games, they wont spend any money, it is such a farce!!!!
5:42am Fri 19 Oct 12
whappen says...
This kind of nonsense usually ends with an out of court settlement. Of course, Venkys don't do usual, so I suppose anything could happen.
6:35am Fri 19 Oct 12
ghost of sceptic says...
Small town club small town ambition no one cares you are Burnley!
7:53am Fri 19 Oct 12
alfa111 says...
10:11am Fri 19 Oct 12
benal13 says...
11:09am Fri 19 Oct 12
RespectTheK-Dog says...
The judge will take one look at that ridiculous performance of Shabby at the fans meeting and award Kean his contract paid up.
5:23pm Fri 19 Oct 12
peely says...
9:34pm Sun 6 Jan 13
Capatain Sensible says...