JHRover

They have decided, or have convinced themselves in a desperate bid to find an excuse to justify their non-efforts, that areas outside of Blackburn with Darwen are 'off limits' due to some supposed rule of the League that we can't market our club in other rival clubs towns. Yes it's that crazy, it is nonsense, even if it was true, which it isn't, it would probably break numerous laws, yet the executive at Rovers hide behind it because it is an easy and ready made excuse to throw out there to cover for their laziness and small minded approach. That way they can just focus everything on BWD, makes everything so much easier. Which is why we have the ludicrous situation of Accy Stanley going into schools and marketing themselves in places like Rishton and Ossy, and nothing at all from Rovers.

I think that's the whole plan. All the talk about rebuild, signing new players, strategies, plans, new ideas, ways of playing - it's all baseless fancy talk to cover for the real agenda which is that the majority of the current crop will either be out of contract (due to the club refusing to offer new terms), want to leave (due to the club being a joke) or the club will want to sell (to raise money to pay the owners bills). Sounds a lot better than the truth of the matter though, which is that cost cutting is the only aim, signing a load of new players is the inevitable result of that approach.

After finishing 7th on goal difference in the first season under an exciting ambitious new head coach, our highest points tally in this league since relegation in 2012, and missing out on an FA Cup semi final at Wembley due to a lasp gasp defeat away at a side that won automatic promotion that season, our CEO goes public with his target for the new season which is to survive in the Championship and expects credit for relaying the pitch and hiring (not buying) a new team bus. Totally and utterly bonkers but a perfect snapshot into the mentality and ambitions of the people working down there. Equally ludicrous is that after making those comments he wasn't immediately axed and shown the door. Any engaged ambitious owner would not have tolerated such but this lot know that they can keep their heads down, not rock the boat and they're on a lifetime gravy train ride. Another 2 years on and they're still going, managed to avoid relegation, pay has gone up, owners must be happy with things, what's not to like? Who cares if we've flogged or soon will flog all our remaining quality and assets, our fanbase has shrunk further, our two last managers have walked out in disgust and in doing so we've lost a shot at promotion. These are all immaterial insignificant issues to these people.

Have we had any of that at any time in the last 15 years? We've scratched at the surface under well meaning but restricted people. Communication improved briefly under Alan Myers, we seemed to have the outline of a workable footballing structure under Mowbray and then JDT/Broughton. They've dabbled with 'next generation' with stuff like the Ewood Express, though positive I do think the actual scale and impact of these efforts are actually quite limited and in comparison to other clubs it is nothing at all special. Accy Stanley make greater efforts with their school shirt initiatives. But ultimately because of the owners these limited efforts have achieved minimal success and have collapsed or broken down in a relatively short period of time. And that will continue under the latest incarnation under Gestede and Ismael.

I'm pretty confident they will be able to scoop together upwards of £5 million if they get things right this summer. Brittain, Travis, Tronstad, Carter, Hyam and one or two of the academy lads, probably Harvey Higgins top of the list. They'll also have their fingers and toes crossed that Adam Wharton gets bought by a big club and then they've a sell on fee to trouser, which at those sort of figures will probably take care of the annual losses in one swoop. Not only that but they will be able to boast about the Rovers' academy and how good it is that he's got a move to a giant club, utterly failing to read the room and recognise how totally ridiculous they are having bundled him out the door mid-season in the first place. In theory sales of 2-3 of those above ought to significantly cut the wage bill again particularly when we factor in the departures of Sigurdsson and Dolan on top, but one thing that never seems to drop very much is the old wage bill / outgoings. It seems whatever savings we make on that front are quickly matched by costs somewhere else....

Yep. Focus your attentions on Gestede, Ismael, players, recruitment, budgets, transfer targets, changes in the academy Don't focus your attentions on Venkys, curtain twitcher or Waggott

The nonsense Gestede has been spouting about budgets, recruitment, summer transfers and plans, all carbon copy of what has been said ahead of the last 3-4 summers. They've shown what they are all about and this year will be no different. They're going to come out with more and more of this stuff as they become increasingly desperate. Only the totally naive would believe them or give them the benefit of the doubt. They're going to dismantle the foundations that served us so well under Eustace, slash the wage bill and then worry about the rest after that. Bored with it now.

Indeed. Whilst any positive change seems a long way off, and getting shut of one or more of the stooges seems by far the easiest option, I think it is important that the focus needs to be on the owners, not their stooges. I predict that in the coming months they will probably turn on each other and Waggott/Gestede will be sacrificed in a desperate bid to protect the owners and their dogsbody from further grief. I hope if that happens people don't see that as job done and a new era being born. The aim/target here must be to remove the root cause of our ills - the owners - and the rest follows quickly. Removing the symptoms of the disease - the stooges - just sees the problems come back again later in a different form. The roots have to be pulled out or it is at best a temporary reprieve. People near me last night suggested that they'd be content if we removed Waggott/Gestede and then got the owners back involved somehow so that they came to games and spoke to fans. No no no. Too late for that.

I found this photo on the Rovers website of the directors box in the late 90s just after Brian Kidd was appointed manager. An interesting comparison almost 30 years apart. The seat once occupied on matchdays by Jack Walker occupied now by Steve Waggott, and old Bob continues to sit there in silence.

I remember a few years ago, before Waggott was here and when the owners had gutted the club and board to the point where Mike Cheston, financial director, was effectively the only active director in the UK. Then they had, under League rules, to host Supporter Consultation meetings where fan groups could grill those running the club on various subjects. Poor old Cheston wasn't very good at this and made a number of concerning admissions and gaffes. Then one meeting they rolled out Bob Coar. Quite surprising given he has (supposedly) no active hands on involvement in the club and I think this is the only time I have ever seen him attend forums or such meetings. It was there that he ended up threatening legal action against fans. After that I don't think he appeared again.

I'm pretty sure he has been moved along the row so he is now sat directly next to the curtain twitcher. In previous photos and footage he is sat much further away. It occurred to me that this might be deliberate and an attempt to portray a 'united front' and a more comprehensive image of 'the board'. Heaven knows what goes through Coar's head and why he has willingly gone along with this regime for 15 years allowing his name to be carried along with it. I can only assume that he's happy with the ownership and fellow board members.

So after Derby, Stoke, Portsmouth and Cardiff all being handed a 3 point boost by Rovers in their survival bids next up it is Luton's turn to cash in their bonus. A tough place at the best of times, a must-win game for them, a dead-rubber for Rovers, and a dismal record against those down in the bottom third, I can't see any other outcome than a comfortable win for them.

A significant drop off from the 'usual' numbers for a midweek game. Blackburn End very empty as I'd suggest over 1000 vote with their feet. Suppose the club might point to school holidays etc. But if those people aren't turning up on a nice evening for a game they've already paid for then alarm bells should be ringing. But all this lot will worry about is what increase to impose in May to make up the shortfall. An added picture of the filth covered Venky signs on the Riverside. A perfect representation of their ownership.

Perhaps yes, I was thinking along the lines of they had his wages earmarked for cuts and they made damn well sure he was moved out of here regardless of what manager or player wanted. I think Eustace would have liked to have kept him and the player himself would have preferred to stay until the summer and suspect all manner of dirty business was taking place to make sure that didn't happen and probably contributed to Eustace's departure soon after. These weird and suspicious things keep on happening at Venky Rovers usually around the back end of transfer windows.

I suspect one day we will get the truth of what happened with him and his departure and it won't paint the club in a good light whatsoever.

Ismael's average tenure in the last decade has been 26 games (or thereabouts). By the time we get to the summer he will be half way through that here. Unless something remarkable happens in the next 6 games his points return is going to be somewhere between rubbish and barely believably bad levels. What sort of crackpot organisation would then hand him cash and opportunity in the summer to 'overhaul' the squad when in all probability - due to his track record and results to date - he won't be here for much longer?

Do I remember correctly that Waggott mentioned arranging a fixture against Queens Park FC? I'm sure he mentioned doing something with Darwen FC and someone else. I bet none actually happen, just came up with something to make it sound like he's doing something.

Even if Eustace's primary motivation in moving was money, which I don't believe but I suppose it could be true, I'd like to know why it is that a club that was in administration only a couple of years ago, a club that was in League One last season, a club owned by a local non-billionaire, a club we were warned we would 'end up' like if Venkys left, a club up to their necks in relegation trouble 'not knowing what league they are going to be in next season' could offer our manager more than we were paying him. And even if they could, and our wage offering was being comfortably beaten by Derby's offer, why none of the owners, representatives, Waggott thought it was appropriate, or necessary, to immediately and urgently offer him an improved deal bettering that of Derby in an attempt to keep him here. Of course the short termism at this club comes back to bite it in the arse in spectacular fashion. I don't expect Eustace's demands were unreasonable - clarity on the future, new contracts for his key players, maybe an improved/extended deal for himself, a plan for the summer, some sort of backing. Presumably the regime thought themselves clever denying him this, and some satisfaction was felt as the money from Derby cleared into the accounts, but of course in saving themselves time, effort and money here the medium to long term is going to go tits up big time. So far, in the space of a couple of months, they've chucked away another play-off push, when even mediocre form since February would have kept us right in the mix, they've caused a rebellion in the fanbase and this has forced the curtain twitcher and other stooges out into the open, those interviews have confirmed the suspicion for everyone to see that these three are totally untrustworthy and out of their depth running this club, their latest lame duck manager is overseeing an epic collapse in performances and results which shows no sign of stopping, if it carries on like this then our Championship status will be in major jeopardy by September, ticket sales are going to collapse, and those players we do want to stick around in the summer and beyond I would expect are getting their agents to work on getting the hell out of here. So hats off to them. For what required a few reasonable demands to be met for Eustace they've ushered in a catastrophe that is going to take some turning around. So unnecessary, it would have been so easy just to improve Eustace's deal and address his reasonable concerns. Now that chaos has been chosen by the regime they've got to live with the consequences - and it is going to cost them dearly both in terms of plummeting ticket sales and pressure on their positions.

If what has been claimed about Lowe is true, that he is unmovable due to being the owners inside man, and I believe it is true, then I'd rather be was nowhere near running the first team. I think JDT and Eustace felt the same which is why he was shifted out of the way and possibly one reason why neither of them lasted too long.

This side of things interests me. Why has he suddenly, after all these years, assumed a public persona? We know that he has been heavily involved since at least 2015. In a decade since there have been no interviews, a couple of photos of him sat next to Waggott and that's it. Now all of a sudden he's volunteering to do hour long sit down interviews and he's apparently overseeing the commercial operation. It's just a very odd recent shift in his approach. It also doesn't make much sense to me that he's now seemingly tasked with overseeing operations and commercial activity and 'reports' to Waggott on this yet continues in his other role as Venky representative/communicator. I always assumed that his anonymity and silence in the shadows was enforced by the owners, because they didn't want one of their gang being exposed and publicly scrutinised after their experiences back at the start of their ownership. Then with this I ask myself whether it was all his decision to remain silent and run things from the shadows, and he has chosen now to be the time to emerge. Why now? We've technically been in worse situations during his time - relegation to League One, League One, a very close relegation battle last season. No appearance or comment from shadow man. I'm linking his emergence to his new job title as 'COO' which has only happened in the last year. I am however convinced that he is the biggest issue in the corridors of Ewood - far bigger than Waggott or Gestede - and I am also of the belief that it is he who has ensured there is no link between manager and India. I remember Broughton and JDT wanting to go out to see the Indians but it was scuppered by someone - I think he enjoys being the only point of contact to India - but nonetheless the Indians are the root of all this. They have to go and the regime collapses quickly at Ewood.

We might 'do a Derby' Not sure that sounds too bad these days.

I suppose there will probably be a few thousand of their supporters but other than that this could be the lowest home league attendance in many a year.

The name of the game for Waggott and Suhail is to keep their own gravy train rides going with minimal aggro/hassle/attention on them whilst meeting their 'targets' i.e. getting people buying tickets. Much of what has gone on over the years is about deluding the fans into thinking there is a plan, strategy, future, ambition. There isn't, most are realising that now, but the art of the con is to keep people focused on whichever fall guys they have installed - Mowbray, Venus, Broughton, JDT, Eustace, Park, Owen, Gestede etc. These people are effectively used by the two stooges as human shields to handle the fans, players and media whilst the two stooges go about doing whatever it is they are tasked with doing by the owners. They've got away with it since Mowbray went - they were lucky in the first place with him because he handled all the press etc. and his journey to nowhere kept people distracted. When he left the trouble started more because they needed someone to fill that void whilst putting up with the Venky nonsense - not easy. Broughton and JDT gave up on it quickly after realising the truth, as did Eustace and Park. They have got themselves into a real tight corner now with Ismael because results and performances are both consistently atrocious. They've tried diverting attention onto next season and the fabled 'rebuild' which we all know by now is just another opportunity to slash the wage bill and sell a few more assets, but the problem they have is that we are 6 games into Ismael with another 6 to come and results are unrelentingly bad, almost unheard of for a new manager walking into a top 6 side. Ordinarily I'd say zero chance of this guy getting sacked any time soon, but part of me thinks that with the way results are and the direction things are going with the fans, and most importantly the heat and focus on the boardroom, these two stooges will not be able to cope with it and would do anything to turn the attention away from them and India. We saw it with JDT's departure - the minute he turned the media focus onto the shadow man and India he was out - they don't like it - and won't like what is happening right now and will know if results continue like this it will only get worse. They're deluded enough to think that a managerial change will provide a sideshow to divert attention away from the other stuff. In some cases they will be right.

The end goal is to be rid of them and then hopefully get an ownership and executive that runs the club properly. This is something that all the money in the world does not make up for. We are not consistently losing £20 million a year. Off the top of my head we have done so a handful of times. Usually it is several million less than that and the last few years will be nowhere near that thanks to player sales. Whatever the owners have put in over the last couple of years must be minimal when taking into account what they've brought in from sales. We are also forgetting that promotion to the Premier League is the reason an investor would get into this and if achieved more than makes up for several years of funding Championship losses. We go into League One, which is a matter of time under this 'model' of management, the pool of potential buyers dries up considerably. I can just see it now - the naysayers and those who have for some unknown reason convinced themselves that 'nobody would buy us' despite all available evidence suggesting that in all probability there would be interest - will watch us slide into the lower leagues under Venkys, shrivel up into a husk of a 3rd or 4th division club and then eventually far less people would be interested in buying so 'point proven'. They are not owed £140 million. That is their tab for the last 15 years. Their bill that they have allowed to rack up. A competent engaged owner would not need to find £20 million a year. Far less than that if they improve commercial and ticketing/income and manage player trading better rather than running our assets out of contract. Does such a person exist? Birmingham, Huddersfield, Wrexham, Hull, West Brom all say 'hi'. The way out of this is that the owners go, and then we take it from there on the long road to recovery. It might not be quick or easy but ultimately is necessary for the long term health of the club.

I don't think so. He will be 23 at the start of next season and his only real experience has been loans at Bolton in League One, Dundee in the SPL and Rovers in the Championship. He is getting another Championship club at best. I can't see very many paying more than £3 million for a Championship LB. If we were a sensible club with any sort of strategy or investment then he'd be top of the list for an offer, but we saw with Harrison Reed that we've no interest in making these players permanent and prefer to put them in the shop window so that a rival club can move in and buy them the year after. I suspect he will end up at a Middlesbrough, Stoke, West Brom etc. I suppose we will see on that.