[Archived] Mike Cheston Interview

[Stuart]

Indeed, he sounds like he has been appointed by an Administrator, not that he is an actual board member of the club, with ideas on strategy and future direction.

Quite concerned about the answers to those questions. A politician's answers. Glowing in his appreciation of Pasha's communication skills. I hear see anything but another yes man, sadly.

[OJRovers]

I like how the only thing that you pick is the word "Unrealistic". Please note the I stated from the beginning I am not a Venky's supporter but once again the negative nancy focuses on what he wants to rather than taking the whole context of the message as a whole.

What part of investing more money when we aren't even breaking even makes sense to you? What part of increasing your debt with owners who certainly don't seem to care looks like a viable solution to you? If they ask the club to repay the loan then already I doubt we would be able to afford to do it now, so why increase further when we definitely won't be able to do it.

But your right that is comedy gold and makes no sense....

Why increase further? Because they currently have 2 options (assuming they aren't selling):

1) Stop investing. With no money and a badly run club this means we'd likely go down to League One = ZERO RETURN ON THE £100m

2) Invest a bit and get a competent management structure in place = MORE DEBT, BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME RETURN IF WE GOT TO THE PL

The worst outcome for the fans is Option 1 - which is what they are doing.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

It's clear what the plan is:

ALL aspects of the club are to be downgraded,we are to 'live within our means'?..austerity and cutbacks.

There will be minimum funding made available so we just survive in this league,drip fed.

There is now zero ambition from the people at the top,we are simply going nowhere.We have been thrown in the dark corner of the room to be forgotten about.

A club in complete Limbo...f'kin great.

[gumboots]

I'd argue with that. The squad is threadbare, the season ticket revenue will drop. We're going down, if not this season then next

[J*B]

I'd argue with that. The squad is threadbare, the season ticket revenue will drop. We're going down, if not this season then next

100/1 with Paddy Power to be relegated in successive seasons. Lump on.

[roverstdt]

Can't believe the LET didn't ask the question they have posed in the next article...

Why sack bowyer if this is the approach we are taking??

Was he known for using the youth? Bringing through academy players?

Why increase further? Because they currently have 2 options (assuming they aren't selling):

1) Stop investing. With no money and a badly run club this means we'd likely go down to League One = ZERO RETURN ON THE £100m

2) Invest a bit and get a competent management structure in place = MORE DEBT, BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME RETURN IF WE GOT TO THE PL

The worst outcome for the fans is Option 1 - which is what they are doing.

I have given up on the fact investing money will get us to the EPL it didn't work before so how and why would it be any different now?

[davulsukur]

Of course it can work, you just don't give clowns like Kean, Shaw, Singh the money to do it.

If you invest properly and not in your Danny Murphy's, Dickson Etuhu's and 15 Portuguese no marks etc it can work.

[DE.]

Of course it can work, you just don't give clowns like Kean, Shaw, Singh the money to do it.

If you invest properly and not in your Danny Murphy's, Dickson Etuhu's and 15 Portuguese no marks etc it can work.

Soon it'll be the only way to get up. The teams coming down will continue to get stronger as the PL TV deals increase, and won't have to sell their best players straight away. Teams running on a budget like Rovers won't stand a chance.

[roverstdt]

Of course it can work, you just don't give clowns like Kean, Shaw, Singh the money to do it.

If you invest properly and not in your Danny Murphy's, Dickson Etuhu's and 15 Portuguese no marks etc it can work.

Track record proves they won't hire anyone different than Kean, Singh, Appleton, Shaw, Berg, would you like me to go on?

[CAPT KAYOS]

'' 1 We will also need the support of the fans in every way. 2 We need the club and everyone associated with it pulling in the same direction. 3 We've got a lot of issues to deal with, so let's try and work in a concerted way. 4 We'll certainly do our best at the club to address any shortcomings we have, such as communication."

1 Of course you do - like the very help most tried to give at the beginning and were totally ignored

2 Everyone - who is left ? - see #1

3 YEP - YOU and the LOONS do - mostly created by the loons in the first place

4 HA HA HA HA HA !! ... just fell of my arse watching the drum going around

.. off again for another session of circular motion with the washing machine

[davulsukur]

Track record proves they won't hire anyone different than Kean, Singh, Appleton, Shaw, Berg, would you like me to go on?

They had Paul Lambert in the managers role ready to oversee a summer overhaul of the playing squad. Let him be in charge of recruitment and the finance director in charge of the finance.

[gumboots]

'' 1 We will also need the support of the fans in every way. 2 We need the club and everyone associated with it pulling in the same direction. 3 We've got a lot of issues to deal with, so let's try and work in a concerted way. 4 We'll certainly do our best at the club to address any shortcomings we have, such as communication."

1 Of course you do - like the very help most tried to give at the beginning and were totally ignored

2 Everyone - who is left ? - see #1

3 YEP - YOU and the LOONS do - mostly created by the loons in the first place

4 HA HA HA HA HA !! ... just fell of my arse watching the drum going around

.. off again for another session of circular motion with the washing machine

Do you have a very dirty job, have loads of kids or are you money laundering so as to be able to buy rovers when venkys leave?

[Exiled in Toronto]

It sounds very much like he is the top man now. All CEO's come from some functional background or other so I don't understand the angst over his being Finance, it's the most common background for CEO's anyway. I was assured on here Shaw came in one day a week and was a complete lightweight and that Myers had been off sick for months, so in reality Cheston was probably doing mostly what he's doing now, with a much better chance he will actually reads things he signs.

Anyway, I'm sure this will be a minority view so I'd better get painting the protest signs,

"What do we want? A fully functioning, autonous Executive team covering all key business disciplines!"

"When do we want it? As soon as a comprehensive recruitment search and interview process can be implemented after first identifying key roles and responsibilities!"

That should get the mob rampaging down Nuttall Street to boot in the Boardroom windows

[CAPT KAYOS]

1Do you have a very dirty job,2 have loads of kids or are you 3money laundering so as to be able to buy rovers when 4 venkys leave?

1 no sorry

2 just the 2

3 wish I had money

4 Oh how I wish

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Of course it can work, you just don't give clowns like Kean, Shaw, Singh the money to do it.

If you invest properly and not in your Danny Murphy's, Dickson Etuhu's and 15 Portuguese no marks etc it can work.

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.

It sounds very much like he is the top man now. All CEO's come from some functional background or other so I don't understand the angst over his being Finance, it's the most common background for CEO's anyway. I was assured on here Shaw came in one day a week and was a complete lightweight and that Myers had been off sick for months, so in reality Cheston was probably doing mostly what he's doing now, with a much better chance he will actually reads things he signs.

Anyway, I'm sure this will be a minority view so I'd better get painting the protest signs,

"What do we want? A fully functioning, autonous Executive team covering all key business disciplines!"

"When do we want it? As soon as a comprehensive recruitment search and interview process can be implemented after first identifying key roles and responsibilities!"

That should get the mob rampaging down Nuttall Street to boot in the Boardroom windows

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)

[A cup of beans]

Reading MCs quotes, the deluded optimists, the dispassionate, or outsiders who dont care, will be thinking:

"Everything is fine. Rovers fans should be grateful Venkys are still keeping us going, and are trying to improve things on and off the field."

It's mostly the same six year old spin ,on rotation, its offensive.

I may feel torn come August time if, as is looking increasingly more probable :

1.Rovers are under the management of a former legend

2. Rovers have a team made up mostly of young hungry youth players who give everything for the shirt.

On one hand, my connection to the squad will strengthen (as opposed to the current bunch of shirkers) my desperation for everyone to do well will be confused with optimism.

Venkys may argue; weve only just avoided relegation with the current wage bill, and wouldnt have done any worse with the youth.

Misjudged.

Id love Rovers 2016/17 to become the Blackburn Babes, but, in the cold light of day, the likelihood of us even being competitive is slim.

[booth]

Urgh, can we not upload attachments on here?

[Exiled in Toronto]

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'm not saying it's positive, although personally I'd much rather have him calling the shots than a one day a week shelf salesman, a Malaysian tv pundit, a megalomaniac programme editor and a slimy agent, who were his last four predecessors. But I can't see that it's a grab the pitchforks issue compared to the much bigger problem of lunatic owners.

[booth]

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)

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

[West Yorks Rover]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Mike Cheston is scouring the jobs vacant sites on a daily basis.

Why on earth would anyone with talent want to work for this lot, that's assuming he is any good at his job of course.

[booth]

Yeah you have to ask yourself some pretty serious questions when you repel Derek Shaw into wanting out.

[roverandout]

really? unrealistic ? hahahahaha message board gold straight from the venky chicken sausage propaganda factory. This is why im boycotting because the Rovers Fans have traken over the asylum.

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

[Rover_Shaun]

It's clear that the club has a plan. The plan is no plan whatsoever

We're right royally fkd and this article of clueless tripe confirms it.

[roverandout]

The guy is simply spelling out the truth - You cannot Keep on buying mercenaries that take the club for a ride - that path has been well and truly trodden and led to the current situation.

Clubs can gamble for a year or and risk financial penalties if they get to the promised land as accounts are always a year or so late to be published - but not year on year - so yes clubs have to then operate within FFP.

There are a couple of issues hidden in this statement that no-one has picked up on yet! - firstly the monies owed to Venkys is now £100m - in the last published accounts the figure was £87m

The club also owed another 18m that was not interest free to other parties, This statement confirms the venkys loan has now grown a further 13m to 100m - I would hazzard a guess the other debts have rose too - even if only to say 20m.

To run the club within its means - realistically is going to mean dramatic cutbacks - last published accounts show turnover was just 22.4m and that included the 6m(or8m as mentioned by another poster) tv monies - since then prices attendances etc has also dropped - so turnover may only now be 15m or so at best.

There are many costs to take into account - wages being the highest which will need not just reducing but to a much lower level than FFP guidelines as your turnover is so low. 15m wages was a figure some poster suggested on here - no way however can the club afford that of 15m turnover - a more realistic figure to aim for is 10m - thus the need to introduce youth into the team.

A 10m wage structure allows say 30 squad members to average 5k per week salaries and leaves 2m or so for other wages(ie directors/managers/c

oaches etc) - this is what operating within the clubs means will result in.

Some things to add on that - player sales will help - and that is what most championship clubs now have to rely on.

The most important thing that will help is the fans - The club need your support now more than ever - the more monies the club can raise itself from commercial activities as well as fans will go directly into funding the club - On the other side to that the less it raises the more cutbacks will be needed.

So stay away fans need to know that by not supporting the club will directly effect the clubs ability to operate.

It may seem like Venkys are stopping putting monies in - but they are not doing that - they are simply not allowed to put as much monies in as the club currently needs running on ts current strategy - so yes somethings have to change. The owners are still supporting you and are not calling in any loans and are in fact putting more money in(as shown by the owners debt now being 100m from 87m)

The more you support the club - the more funds it will generate - simples.

You have a great youth set up right now - there is no better time.

As for anyone wanting administration/liqui

dation and a fresh start - are they aware the club could cease to exist aka Rangers (more locally Accy a good few years ago) - all history rewrote as it would maybe be a new club starting again. At best if the club was kept in current guise (i.e. admin not liquidation) then all of its players would be free to leave and find other clubs including all your youth team prospects.

LT COMMENT

A whole load of DRIVEL

Was he known for using the youth? Bringing through academy players?

I have given up on the fact investing money will get us to the EPL it didn't work before so how and why would it be any different now?

Please go away and sit in your mistress' lap, you are Desai's lapdog?

[perthblue02]

Live footage from the Ewood Boardroom