Kevin Gallacher was a striker with Blackburn Rovers who formed part of the Premiership winning title side and he has spoken out about his concerns about the club and his fear that it is ‘going into the abyss’. He argues that Steve Kean’s position as manager has become ‘untenable’.
Kevin Gallacher was a striker with Blackburn Rovers who formed part of the Premiership winning title side and he has spoken out about his concerns about the club and his fear that it is ‘going into the abyss’. He argues that Steve Kean’s position as manager has become ‘untenable’.
Protests against Kean as Blackburn were beaten at home by Bolton were as virulent as they have ever been, leading Everton manager David Moyes to walk out at half time in protest. The League Managers’ Association has also spoken out in support of Kean, but then they are hardly likely to call for one of their own members to go.
In any event Kean has gone home for a pre-arranged break and there is no apparent sign of an imminent change of manager. It appears that the owning family is split on what they should do with the family matriarch and company chair still standing by her appointed man.
However, even if Kean goes, Venky’s will remain in charge and the question is whether they know what they are doing. Gallacher argues, ‘They don’t understand the game and they don’t understand the people of Blackburn.’
Gallacher’s most interesting comment about Venky’s is that ‘I don’t see what they’re coming into it for.’ It’s not going to help them sell more chickens in India where football lags way behind cricket in popularity. Admittedly, football has considerable potential there and the glamour of the Premier League has certainly made its mark.
However, Formula 1, [grass] hockey and boxing also have substantial followings. Indeed, Venky’s are involved in the latter sport through their Mumbai Fighters. Bouts staged in a shopping mall attracted considerable interest and this would certainly seemed a better way of raising their prestige in the domestic market rather than investing in a football club which, for all its merits, does not have a high profile globally.
It should also be noted that Venky’s have a wide range of interests which include pharmaceutical and healthcare products, as well as everything related to chickens. In short they are quite a sophisticated conglomerate in some respects, but arguably family owned companies are prone to indulge whims if they have spare cash.
If Venky’s saw reputational gains in India, they are in risking of losing them if they get Blackburn relegated through their perceived incomptence.