Blackburn Rovers Owners Venky's Have a Spine? Who Saw That Coming?

Did I miss something?

Since when did Venky’s grow a backbone?

Blackburn’s bumbling owners and board finally actually put a modicum of pressure on boss Steve Kean by saying that a three-game losing streak would mean curtains for the highly popular Rovers boss.

Since Kean was appointed in the middle of the 2010-2011 after Sam Allardyce was given the sack, Blackburn has not exactly lit the world on fire.

While they recorded just under the same amount of points after Allardyce was sacked—though in nearly ten more matches—Kean was able to keep the Rovers job on a permanent basis.

Fast forward a year and the club, rather than challenging the midtable ranks, instead flirted with disaster for the entire season, winning only eight matches and drawing seven in 38 league contests.

During the 2011-2012 campaign, the natives grew restless and demanded that Kean be sacked nearly week in and week out. Supporters took the skies, protested before and after matches and tried whatever they could to drive home the point.

Kean never helped himself with outlandish statements after wins that seemed to indicate that bigger and better things were to come.

So when Venky’s came out over the weekend, I almost fell out of my chair reading the statements. I cannot imagine what Blackburn fans did to celebrate the news.

Let's take a look at what Shebby Singh, global adviser and director of football at the club, said.

Per ESPNSoccernet:

"

Speaking at a fans' forum, Singh said: "If, after three games, we have dropped nine points, then we'll only have a 50-percent chance of getting promoted."

Asked then if he could dismiss Kean, he replied: "If we lost three games on the trot, definitely. Yes."

"

And via BBC Sport:

"

Singh, a former Malaysian international player who was brought to Ewood Park by the club's owners Venky's in June, added: "I was possibly one of the worst critics [of Kean] last season.

"I'm sure the manager didn't like me much, but I say it as it is.

"I am working with the infrastructure that is already there and people need to prove to me that they can do their jobs."

Asked if he has the power to sack Kean, Singh said: "Yes. If the results are not forthcoming, I put the pressure on the manager and the players."

"

While the fans were cheering, I have a feeling several of them looked at their mates and wondered why such spine was now being shown as opposed to when the club needed it last term.

Perhaps the influx of new players might have something to do with it?

Blackburn have been busy in the transfer market, adding players such as Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu, Leon Best, Nuno Gomes and recently Colin Kazim-Richards on loan, while the club are also linked, per Soccernet, with Huddersfield forward Jordan Rhodes.

While the club have brought in several players on free transfers, it’s likely they haven’t come with cheap wage packets, and Venky’s are probably looking for some return on their investment.

Quite why they have decided that now is the time for that strategy, however, does lead to a few more questions than answers.

It almost makes me wonder what club fans would want more—a quick dash to the top of the Championship table or a three-game slump to dispose of one of their most beloved club figures.