There's a lot of absolute tosh being put out on this thread imo. People are letting their personal dislike of the owners cloud their judgement and they simply aren't thinking objectively or rationally. I'd summarise it as follows: 1) Overall, the last eleven years have been terrible despite phenomenal financial backing from the owners. 2) However IF we had a top class management team in situ at Ewood both in the dug out and behind the scenes we'd be far better off with Venky's financial backing than without it. (Or any other potential owner of equivalent wealth - trouble is there aren't any of those about) 3) I'm led to believe that changes are in the offing at the Club. However, and this is just purely my personal opinion, there is absolutely no point fiddling around at the edges and doing a bit of window dressing. If we are to prosper major change is necessary: I.e. - the best manager and coaching staff we can attract need to be brought in - a competent CEO needs to be brought in. - Players need to be looked after based on their ability, our better players should earn more than the rest of the squad and the squad as a whole needs to be a lot leaner. If the other players aren't up to it they need to be cut adrift far sooner, not simply be given deal after deal because they have families and mortgages to pay etc. - We also need to concentrate on our Academy not concentrate on selling it. And on the progression of our own youngsters into the first team. Not that of other Club's youngsters who are in the main no better but deemed to be so because they've been offloaded by a PL Club.. - A complete revamp of the commercial side of the Club is needed. We need to increase revenue rather than just simply look at cutting costs by downsizing the operation all the time. - There needs to be a massive effort to re-engage with the fan base as a whole and I think that this is only possible with a change of manager who will fire the fans' imagination, an innovative CEO, a change to a more attractive pricing policy and an acknowledgement that those on the ground at the Club got it badly wrong at the worst possible time over the last couple of years. I'm led to believe that one or two of these sort of changes are already being implemented and there's a lot more planned. Who knows whether the changes will be wide and far reaching enough at the end of the day? I think if we haven't seen any noticeable change in 18-24 months then it's fair to assume it's unlikely to happen. Let's not chuck the baby out with the bathwater in the meantime though.

Not been counting. Once? And the Berg thing was a Civil dispute about contractual matters, nothing whatsoever to do with criminality or illegality - but as an intelligent chap I'm sure you're more than well aware of that already and are just stirring things.

That old chestnut again. Eleven years of innuendo and not a shred of evidence that's the case.

I agree with the point on loyalty, however I think this translates to him being allowed to see his contract out rather than being awarded a new deal. (Unless we're in imminent danger of going down). At least I bloody well hope so as 1864 said.

Because they can (comfortably) afford to fund the losses and apparently it is in their culture that it involves a severe loss of face if you allow one of your businesses to go to the wall. They don't use insolvency as a business tool like we do in the West. I know that doesn't help us if the operation isn't being properly run here on the ground, but there you are, those are the basic reasons they're still here I reckon.

Correct. You can't undo what has happened in the past but If they won't make the necessary changes going forward their considerable financial input will continue to go to waste. If they did however........

Going back to yesterday's game we got a glimpse of the future without Nyambe - and it wasn't particularly pretty. My first thought was that surely we must have an actual RB from the Academy who could cover in an emergency, I wasn't even aware Pike had gone out on loan which seems crazy given Nyambe's and JRC's injury records. Failing that Carter has already filled in there this season and done well, why not leave him there and put Magloire in his natural position at CB? Or is that too simple?

Agreed, I think it's nonsensical talk to say that anyone would CHOOSE administration as an option. If it's something that's forced on us as a matter of financial necessity years down the line then that's a different issue. Someone above also said how good it would be to see us play at Chorley and Bamber Bridge, I couldn't disagree more, who the hell wants to see us turning out at places like that? At present we have multi billionaire owners who have repeatedly backed us financially up to the limit currently allowed by the footballing authorities. We also still have a fine infrastructure. (as long as Waggott is prevented from selling it off ) Theoretically therefore all we're really lacking is an ambitious and capable manager in the dug out and competent management behind the scenes on the ground at Ewood. I think the Club is at a bit of a tipping point really. In my view the Coventrio needed dispensing with last season and failure to do so has probably lost us any lingering chance of retaining the players whose contracts have been allowed to run down. It is well within the owners' powers to provide us with a top class manager, coaching staff, and boardroom. If they are prepared to do that then there could be exciting times ahead. Certainly preferable to the prospect of administration, not the easy or instant fix it's glibly being portrayed as. If it happened we MIGHT bounce back to a degree but with no resources there'd, be no guarantees, we might not.

I know you're being sarcastic, but you're right they are. And the bloody shambles with the players' contracts shows exactly why they are necessary!

Nice to see you taking your contrarian "the Club can do no wrong stance' as normal Ben. If you were to read all my posts regarding Brereton since he arrived at the Club you'd actually have seen my view conttrary to most that there always looked like there was a glimpse of a player trying to get out and that Mowbray's handling of him has been all wrong. More to the pont as another poster said, if BB had had his contract attended to when it should have been (which was before his upturn in form) it neendn't have cost the earth and we wouldn't be in this desperate position. And regardless of his form at that point he was still a £7m asset. Same goes for all the out of contract players. I'm not sure why you're trying to defend the indefensible.

Yes, that was about to be my next point, no wonder we can't afford to give Nyambe et al what they want when we're paying Leeds a small fortune to hire a player they seemingly want off the premises. Plus what we're paying the other 3.

"Only"? JFHC - what a complete waste of money that is! Edit: No wonder Prem League Clubs love us - see us coming a mile off!

So we sign a 7m player, barely play him for 18 months, then when he finally starts coming good, we haven't kept an eye on his contract and he ends up walking out for next to nothing. Only in Mowbray and Waggott land

It's a bugger when you (chaddy) can't remember what you've previously posted!

It's a very fair question. The only explanation I can put on it is that the new appointments have been made by Venky's and the mob down at Ewood don't feel like advertising the fact. As for the positive steps, it's still very early days and you would hope the Club would release information in a managed way in due course as and when appropriate.

What is annoying is that in a pre match interview on Talk Sport rather than give BBD some credit for his hat trick on Saturday he opted to big up Gallagher's imaginary qualities saying he wouldn't have liked to play against him when he was a centre half etc. Quite. He might have cracked a rib laughing.

We're on Virgin. Thanks.

Red button on Sky not loading up for me. Anyone else having the same problem?

Can't disagree with any of that. Actions speak louder than words as they say so we'll have to see what happens over the coming months.

Should it not be outside where everyone can see it? Did they ever change the policy whereby young fans who had purchased were to be left off it?

I agree with everything you've said above except the last four or five lines. IF we were properly run on the ground, and admittedly it's a massive "if" I can't see any way in which we'd be better off without Venky's financial backing than with it.

Not sure anyone has had "a St. Paul conversion". I'm still of the view that massive change is needed and the proof of the pudding will be in the eating where all that is concerned. Think 1864 is as well. The point is, there does seem at least to be a recognition behind the scenes that where we're currently at is nowhere near good enough and there do appear to be changes starting to be implemented and in the offing. Whether it all comes off of course remains to be seen but at least it doesn't seem to be a case of "This is our level and all we're entitled to expect" etc which you might have thought if you were listening to the manager towards the end of last season.

With respect that's ridiculous. Surely it's better than letting a false assertion you know for a fact to be untrue go unchallenged and be allowed to gain traction?

Think you're missing the point completely on this one. 1864 is offering his opinion on the basis of him having sought out and evaluated concrete information received. It's not a case of someone passing an opinion based on pure speculation and pretending to be ITK.

Disagree. If for example someone on the mb says "The owners haven't got a clue what is happening down at Ewood and/or simply don't care" and someone else has concrete information to prove that that isn't the case then I think it's fair game to offer the alternative opinion. That doesn't mean to say that you're always at liberty to divulge exactly why you hold that view.