I think you are right. When Rich Sharpe spoke at the Rovers Trust meeting in early June he seemed convinced that we would make 6 decent signings ( including loans) that would impact the 1st team. He had spoken to Mowbray that day and all seemed optimistic after the trip to India. It seemed that Mowbray had a definite list of targets at this point. I think it was implied that the budget was better than last year ( bearing in mind the sale of Steele mostly paid for Dack ). Since then, Venky's have had a lot to deal with in India - the Indian stock exchange has placed the company under ASM ( additional surveillance measures ) due to some irregularities in share dealings. Nothing illegal, but it has had a drastic affect on their share price which is plummeting ( down over 50% in a few weeks ). They are also nervous of an upcoming election which may reverse the beef ban in India and will affect their business. So the EFL transfer window is probably not on their agenda at the moment and any extra money leaving the company to pay for Rovers players would not be too popular with Venky's shareholders. We are way down their list of priorities and it will always be the case. There may be other reasons why we have not signed the players Mowbray hoped to get in before the Austria trip but I bet Communication with Venky's and release of funds is a major problem at the moment.

I'd take league 2 with new owners who actually care about the club and build from there. Current situation is a complete sham. Venkys out.

the site seems to have sprung back into life. Rovers history page has some interesting bits

Just surfing the net and came across this: http://www.venkyschicken.com/ It's a bit naff but maybe they are actually taking an interest - or possibly trying to cash in on our success last season? No idea if it is new or not.

Been an open secret for weeks on the Oxford message boards. At least 3 weeks ago it was described as a 'done deal' Seems that he has shown promise for a long time but never held down a regular place under any of 4 different managers at Oxford. Had a few spells out injured too. See how it goes.

Rich Sharpe gave a talk at the Rovers Trust meeting a couple of weeks ago. He said he regularly talks to Tony Mowbray and seemed to have knowledge of the players on the managers radar and the budget promised for transfers ( if it materialises! ). However, he is professional enough not to start spouting details of what he knows. He would lose the manger's trust and maybe derail any ongoing discussions. Seems like a nice guy and a real Rovers fan.

What if they admit that they never have board meetings ? will that give you confidence the club is in good hands? The whole purpose of these meetings, I believe, is to talk about the workings of the club off the pitch. To give the supporters a chance to ask questions about how things are run behind the scenes. Honest answers from the club could help increase the fans' trust in the owners. If done correctly it is an opportunity to build bridges. If the whole evening is taken up by the manager talking about the playing squad and hopes for the coming season there is little point in having the meeting. It's a chance for us to ask the questions we want and, possibly more importantly, a chance for the club to be open and honest and engage with the people who care about the club.

Add Cairney to the list but the 'cash in' on him happened so quickly there was no talk of him being unsettled. In fact he said himself he has happy at Rovers. I'm sure it will happen again in the future. Has Lenihan signed a new contract yet?

Being realistic, I am sure Lenihan's agent will be telling him not to sign anything. at this point. If he has a good season and plays at international level then the offers will come from far and wide when his contract runs out. Unless Venky's come up trumps with a big new contract very soon I think he will be gone in 12 months.

Are these rumours, stories or discussions ?

I think you are right about Lenihan. I can see him running his contract down unless we offer a big rise which is unlikely. He has made the Ireland squad and a good season could give him a lot of options this time next year. It would be good to see Chapman and Armstrong return but I would think Jack Payne could possibly be a cheaper option. He has 1 year left on his contract at Huddersfield so they may want to get rid while they can still get a fee. Not as good as the other two players but I can see him being considered. Fits with Venky's 'young and hungry' mantra

I have the same worries. Venky's share price has plummeted since Tony went to India. It's possible other issues will take priority over Rovers' transfer budget. Hopefully not.

I would say cautious rather than negative - but thanks anyway. To me, a stated aim of being 'youthfully competitive' is not particularly ambitious. If we sign 5 youngsters who send us racing up the league table I will be more than happy.

I sometimes wonder if Tony has been given a directive from above and doesn't have a free hand at the moment. Mowbray has also said he wants to give last year's squad a chance at playing in the championship as a reward for their great work and attitude last season. If we sign youthful players good enough for the first team then some of last years team will have to drop out. We have a few youthful players of our own who are knocking on the door. Last year we borrowed a couple of youngsters from the premiership who were no better than the ones we had ( from West Brom and Liverpool ?). I think the quote from Tony (above) is very carefully composed and it gives grounds for optimism but doesn't really promise much.

I remember Gavin Friday the singer from the Virgin Prunes. A fellow countryman of yours. Turning the thread on it's head, how did Emile Heskey get 62 England caps?

Another 5% wiped off today as soon as the market opened. Then suspended. Don't think they will be answering Tony's phone calls at the moment

Yes that's right. Cattle slaughter and the sale of beef were banned in many states in India. So Venky's made massive profits from extra poultry sales. Share prices rose accordingly. There could be indications of a change in legislation which will put beef back on the menu so speculators are selling Venky's shares while they are still relatively high. The worst that is likely to happen that the shares return to pre beef-ban levels ( when Venky's decided they needed to sell Cairney, Gestede etc !)

I honestly don't know what is happening. I have a friend in India who keeps me updated on these things. He works in financial markets and can't explain it either. Seems to be a rush to sell. Forecasts for the long term are mixed. Some analysts advise sell others say hold. Not many advising buy at the moment which suggests further falls. I think that report is from about 3 months ago when share price was maxed out.

Venky's (India) shares currently have a 5% circuit limit. That means trading is suspended when a change in share price reaches this limit on any given day. Today the share price dropped 5% in first 6 minutes of trading then suspended. Share price down 30% in 30 days. Expect a 5% drop each day for some time to come.

I notice Venky's (India) share price has been on a steady decline over the last month - almost 25% down since 1st May. May be a bad time to be asking for transfer budget.

Maybe he fancies waiting for a chance back at his hometown club - Barcelona!

I'm sure they would sell plenty of shirts if they had the word 'OUT' underneath Venky's. I'd buy one for sure

It may not hurt them as such but how does it benefit them in any way at all? Even mega rich people don't like wasting large amounts of money on things they have no interest in. There must come a point when they say enough is enough

I don't think that was how you explained it on the podcast unless I am missing something

It's been a very interesting thread - well done to Herbie and PLJPB for enlightening us all. If we had owners that we could trust and communicate with, there would be no need for us to worry. If the Venky's investment is £130 rather than £250 then that is less than £20m per year. A drop in the ocean in corporate Venkyland and probably less than the club's income from other sources. Given that the losses and outgoings are not itemised for us to see, I would not be surprised if the £130m is not offset by some of the incoming transfer profits and TV money. Maybe they have actually spent very little at all! Venky's admit they bought Rovers as an advertising vehicle for their company. They have no interest in football or Blackburn or the fans. Why would they keep throwing money at a failed venture? Maybe we can't use the term 'stripping' but the assets Rovers had in 2010 have all but gone and the money has not been reinvested. What does the future hold now that we can't top up the coffers with money from player sales?