An appointed manager, three appropriate signings, a contract renewal with Grant Hanley, an amazing season ticket deal and a statement from Jordan Rhodes assuring fans that he is "happy to stay at Blackburn Rovers." It all sounds slightly too sensible for Rovers given the deterioration of the club since poultry giants Venky's took over in November of 2010.
The managerial appointment signified sensibility, responsibility and security with Gary Bowyer being the chosen man. Bowyer saved Rovers from relegation last season and is a far more suited leader compared to the likes of Kean (manipulative, dishonest and far too optimistic), Berg (excellent player, not so excellent manager with only one win in ten) and Appleton (very honest but tactically lacking.)
Since his appointment Bowyer has brought in three signings including Chris Taylor, a hungry winger, Alan Judge (former Rovers player) who is referred to by his Irish fans as "The Irish Messi" and goalkeeper Simon Eastwood. Grant Hanley has signed an extensive contract lasting five years. The length of the contract could potentially symbolise a clause along the lines of, if Rovers miss out on promotion he may be allowed to leave the club for a specified fee.
The season ticket deal was almost too good to be true. It represents a loyalty system whereby season ticket holders for next season will be rewarded with a 75% discount on the following years ticket provided the club achieve promotion. But it was Rhode's statement in the Lancashire Telegraph that was the icing on the cake. Being Rovers top asset it was destined that offers would be made, however his comments appear reassuring.
There is a dose of concern to be added to the mix however, after the Rovers Trust commissioned a financial analysis of the club leading to worrying figures which was published in the Lancashire Telegraph yesterday. The Trust forecast losses over £40 million this year and have expressed their concerns that Rovers could end up falling down the football league in a similar way to Portsmouth.
The worrying consequences of this are as followed: potential liquidation leading to administration, losing the clubs assets in order to cover costs, experiencing further relegation but more concerningly, it means complete dependency upon the naive and inept owners. Venky's most likely solution to the problem will be either to cover the debts with their business wealth or privatise the club which would allow them to do whatever they want with it.
In rare defence of the Venky's - they have shown that they can run a business. Their poultry business has experienced massive success and is effectively a monopoly in India. Transfer of business skills to running a football club has not been so successful. The only consolation on offer is that they can clearly run a business. This by default should suggest that they are capable of dealing with financial problems.
With the current board though - resolution of the financial situation seems currently unlikely. With compensation pay outs of up to £4.5 million predominantly at the fault of conflicting members of the board it is unlikely that a sensible plan will be followed. Secondly, the club has made the mistake of offering extremely uneconomical wage packets to players who simply are not worth it.
First and foremost it is imperative that the club either sell players, or if unsellable - cut wages. I say unsellable as it is highly unlikely that the players in question will find clubs offering similar wage packets as they are currently pocketing. Namely - Danny Murphy. The former Fulham skipper has infuriated fans for pretty much, the whole season. His inexplicable lack of performance in contrast with his also inexplicable wage packet of around £35-40k a week signifies one thing - he must go.
Other players such as Paul Robinson, Gael Givet and Morten Gamst Pedersen also recieve high wage packets in a similar region to Murphy's. The difference is, these three have earnt respect from fans. It will be a shame to see the likes of these three loyal servents leave the club but unfortunately it appears their time has come.
Jake Kean was a pleasing successor in goal, and Robbo has suffered injuries for the most part of the season. The bearded warrior stated his depression at the club and joked that if it wasn't for his family, he would have hung himself. It is unfortunate as Givet is not only an experienced defender, but he is passionate. When Hanley was unable to play, Givet filled the role with no complaints and played as wonderfully as he used to. Peds, no matter how loyal he has been to the club in his extensive stint - unfortunately he has little to offer on the field.
Other players are expected to receive interest such as Scott Dann and Martin Olsson, however with Hanley's new contract there is a possibility that Dann will want to continue the partnership. There is speculation about Nuno Gomes, who is on a similarly high wage packet to Murphy, although when Gomes was given the opportunity to play at the start of the season he established a great link up with Rhodes and scored a few too.
There is also the issue of the number of players who have been out on loan this season, it is unsure as to who will return and who will leave. It is a possibility that the likes of Rosado, Edinho, Paulo Jorge and Nuno Henrique (Kean signings) will leave after a highly unimpressive one appearance between all four.
Essentially, there are players who must leave to fund the losses. Whether they be fan favourites, loyal servants or poor contributors - players must go, especially with the financial fair play regulations being introduced.
While the financial situations may appear daunting, the most important thing is to give full backing and support to both Bowyer and the team. The season ticket deal hopes to attract former fans, and new fans (with a great offer for the younger fans) and I'd like to think that with support, high attendances and encouragment - promotion could be on the horizon next season.
