[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[joey_big_nose]

No club can stay in the PL for any length of time without substantial investment Topman. If you believe we can, then I think you're kidding yourself.

The teams who spend most, win most. The teams who spend least, win least. There's a real correlation between expenditure and success.

There is a corrolation but not a difinitive one. We have routinely finished above teams who spend vastly more than us and look like we will again this year. Some clubs have spent incredible fortunes (Sunderland over the last three years, Newcastle, Spurs under Ramos) and achieved little.

To be honest I would say that stabiliity, good development and planning alongside sound management are all more important than outlay on players. If we can keep our good record in these areas then I think we have a decent chance going forward.

What I am worried about is that we will blow these vital attributes apart by destabalising the club ownership in the hope of getting a few million to spend. It is a gamble.

[RibbleValleyRover]

There is a corrolation but not a difinitive one. We have routinely finished above teams who spend vastly more than us and look like we will again this year. Some clubs have spent incredible fortunes (Sunderland over the last three years, Newcastle, Spurs under Ramos) and achieved little.

Because they have spent it on dross. Sunderland being a great example of spending huge amounts money on complete crap.

Just because recent history has shown that clubs around us spend their superior budgets on crap doesn't 100% guarantee next season that will be the case. What happens if one season they get it right?

[Hughesy]

Our drop from Europe to relegation fight has coincided with selling our better players and taking money out of the squad.

Our drop coincided with one thing - Paul Ince!

Sam is taking us back to where we belong - with minimal spend.

As for the more you spend, the more success you have - whats the excuse for Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham, Sunderland etc then?!

[alexanders]

There is a corrolation but not a difinitive one. We have routinely finished above teams who spend vastly more than us and look like we will again this year. Some clubs have spent incredible fortunes (Sunderland over the last three years, Newcastle, Spurs under Ramos) and achieved little.

To be honest I would say that stabiliity, good development and planning alongside sound management are all more important than outlay on players. If we can keep our good record in these areas then I think we have a decent chance going forward.

What I am worried about is that we will blow these vital attributes apart by destabalising the club ownership in the hope of getting a few million to spend. It is a gamble.

Very good post JBN.

Blackburn Rovers is a very well-run business. I just hope that IF we get new owners they are equally proffesionall at long-term planning and running a business as we are today.

[broadsword]

Where we belong? What are you on about? We're a town team from a poor area, punching above our weight.

Spurs are having more success now that they have Redknapp, Pompey were a lot more successful when they were spending money they didn't have. Spending more money doesn't guarantee anything, you have to spend it in the right way. But if 75% of the clubs in this division were spending significantly more than us, we'd struggle, because they couldn't all cock it up.

A half-decent manager + stacks of cash -> success.

[DasGelb]

As for the more you spend, the more success you have - whats the excuse for Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham, Sunderland etc then?!

The point is: It´s no guarantee that success will come if you spend lots, BUT you cannot reach the top without spending! Huge difference there.

[Hughesy]

A half-decent manager + stacks of cash -> success.

Ranieri, Benetiz, Houlier, Keegan....are you sure about that?!

Pompey - spent lots of cash & won the FA Cup, they are still in the Semi's this time.

I agree Money helps alot - but I dont agree that if we dont spend as much as everyone else that we would get relegated - From 7th downwards, its about the quality of your scouting netwrok & your managers eye for a bargain, rather than about who's got the biggest wallet.

[joey_big_nose]

Because they have spent it on dross. Sunderland being a great example of spending huge amounts money on complete crap.

Just because recent history has shown that clubs around us spend their superior budgets on crap doesn't 100% guarantee next season that will be the case. What happens if one season they get it right?

Well I would say that's complete tosh. Sundeland have bought extremely good players - Cana, Bent, Cattermole - these guys are all clearly much much better than our incomings (Nzonzi, Diouf, Kalinic!?!). Plus Bruce is clearly a very competant manager as his track record has shown.

So why are they doing so badly? Injuries have playerd a part, and bad luck, but there s something else going on.

Same with Ramos at Spurs - he bought very good players with proven records. He did not buy 'dross'. Why then did he struggle? Well you can point to his lack of the back staff that he had at Seville, and his lack of English but there is something else.

Personally i would say structure, development and stability are vital to get the best out of your players, and that is what these guys had/have problems with - often brought about by the expectation and pressure that comes with large investment and big salaries.

Rovers on the other hand are very good at providing a stable structured environment for the players and manager to work in. It should not be underestimated and endangered lightly

Of course we want to kick on up the table, but if in the process to add to our transfer budget we undermine the infrastructure that has allowed us to punch above our weight we are being extremely stupid.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I agree Money helps alot - but I dont agree that if we dont spend as much as everyone else that we would get relegated - From 7th downwards, its about the quality of your scouting netwrok & your managers eye for a bargain, rather than about who's got the biggest wallet.

The main issue is how the money is spent, big money spent wisely will always beat a bargain signing approach. More money = more potential players to choose from.

[broadsword]

So money does help then?! Benitez, Houllier - both won trophies for Liverpool. Benitez is currently making a pig's ear of the job, that is due to him, and not the amount of money that's been spent. Keegan (first time around) and Ranners - didn't do a shoddy job, they were hardly floundering around in mid-table.

Pompey have been lucky this time around with their run, you seriously can't tell me their team is as good as it was 2 years ago. They won't win it this time I'm sure.

Whether or not we can get to eigth or whether we will be perpetual relegation battlers will be down to the wealth of the Premiership. If there's enough clubs with resources, who use it right, then we would be doing well to finish 14th.

Put it this way, all 11 of the clubs above us have spent more than us, while we have flogged off our best players. It's brutually simple. Of those clubs, the ones with duff managers have so much more money they can't help but be miles ahead. The only ones that have spent more that are behind us are Sunderland and that's Bruce's first season. He's a bit of a donut, but a decent manager, I'd expect them to start getting it right next season. Newcastle will be joining the division next year, and look like they finally have someone who can manage. No doubt even with Sports Direct up the creek they'll still be spending more than us.

So I would expect 14th/ 15th next year, judging solely upon the criteria of relative transfer budgets and squad strength. That's not being negative, just pragmatic, and isn't intended as a criticism of Allardyce.

[joey_big_nose]

Brian, I don't think anyone is saying that money is not a crucial factor, just that it is not the only factor. If for the sake of investment you undermine other key areas then you are onto a loser, as has been shown across the league repeatedly - Pompey, Newcastle. Leeds, Southampton, West Ham....

Personally from my point of view I would take less money with more stability than more money with greater unpredictability. The stakes are massive and we play a much much smarter game if we slowly develop what we have than jump into trying to revolutionise the club.

[broadsword]

Yes, it's not the only factor, you do need an infra-structure in place. But I don't think we can rely on clubs with money continuing to make that mistake.

For a net-selling club to make the top 8 is really going to require some doing.

[Parasyte]

Is there actually any more news on this story now? Or is it just serving an opportunity to have the same 'debating' as at least three times on the past?

[gumboots]

Is there actually any more news on this story now? Or is it just serving an opportunity to have the same 'debating' as at least three times on the past?

I don't think there's any news on anything Rovers related. It's a bit like the close season when all we do is speculate and wonder what's going to happen , only it's worse because other clubs are playing and we're not involved in anything at all. We haven't even got a good controversy from last weekend to discuss or a bit of angst about relegation. I personally can't get worked up about this weekend's game because it's Spurs. I hate them and their manager, hope we win, don't in all honesty think we will and that's about it really. Boring couple of weeks Rovers wise.

[T4E]

Don't think it is a great option, but it isn't as bad as you seem to think. Plenty of clubs in the football league are owned by supporter's trusts (Brentford as one example). The only downside is that you have to live within your means while the clubs around you can go into all of the debt that they want - but isn't that already happening?

The whole point if wanting/needing a takeover would be to strengthen our position. I'm sure we could stay afloat if run by a supporters group, but we certainly wouldn't be able to sustain PL football, let alone move forward. Any idea that you can break down and come to the conclusion that we're in better hands with the trustees is a bad idea.

[BPF]

Wow, this takeover story died even quicker than usual...

[broadsword]

... but still the prevailing sense of total doom and gloom.

[PAFELL]

Wow, this takeover story died even quicker than usual...

There was nothing NEW to report at all. It is common knowledge Rovers are up for sale. Because of that the club / Rothschilds will be searching all over try to find a decent buyer. So there was no news, speculation, to even get excited about or even moan about.

[nicko]

There was nothing NEW to report at all. It is common knowledge Rovers are up for sale. Because of that the club / Rothschilds will be searching all over try to find a decent buyer. So there was no news, speculation, to even get excited about or even moan about.

I think you will find that there was...and there is...

The price is now less than before.

And the effort to find a buyer stepped up.

[Hughesy]

I think you will find that there was...and there is...

The price is now less than before.

And the effort to find a buyer stepped up.

Anything new happened since your last article?!

[nicko]

Anything new happened since your last article?!

I left out the price - but someone else heard the samefigure and posted it elsewhere. That tells me the figure is correct.

The Arab chap who was approached has another business deal on just now and is considering the Rovers idea...but I am not holding my breath. By the sounds of it there have been at least THREE interested parties in recent weeks. That is an unusual amount of activity behind the scenes.

I do think there is [obviously] more chance of finding a buyer if the price is at its current level. And, of course, that could yet drop.

There are other people out there who want to buy a Premier League club, so it's a matter of the right people getting together. I know there is a Chinese group hovering around - but I haven't heard of any contact between them and Rovers. Yet.

[rebelmswar]

For some unknown reason I am scared of the prospect of over-seas owners.

[gumboots]

For some unknown reason I am scared of the prospect of over-seas owners.

You and quite a number of other people. It's not an unknown reason either - it's because most of those clubs in the hands of foreign owners recently have had it all go pear-shaped. For every Chelsea or current City takover there's a Portsmouth or similar round the corner. It's not just foreign owners either. It's everyone who invests in a football club as a plaything they hope to make money out of. There is no real money to be made largely because however much cash you put in there's always another player who could just make your squad a bit better. Look at Real. They spent fortunes, still haven't got it right and will end up spending again if they can scrape together the cash. Clubs either have to be a plaything that you expect no real return on except the pleasure of owning a club and if possible seeing it improve, or you have to run it as a business but accept relegation and possibly further relegation as a consequence. So far nobody, foreign or homegrown, seems to have found a way of putting the 2 together

[Shabani]

I just hope to God it's someone like Randy Lerner

[gumboots]

I just hope to God it's someone like Randy Lerner

But Villa are still in debt and will probably have to sell to buy this summer if rumours are to be believed. Yes, he's a stable-looking owner, but even he is probably finding it harder and harder to finance the aspirations of manager and fans. You can never have enough