ON THE ROAD: Blackburn’s plight is death by 1,000 cuts as they look to avoid relegation to League One with turmoil continuing

Legal battles, absent owners, budget cuts, valuable assets sacrificed and a manager who steps up.

It’s been a turbulent few weeks at Blackburn Rovers, with the former Premier League winners now battling to avoid another relegation to League One.

Under Jack Walker’s big spending, Kenny Dalglish’s side reached the top flight in 1992 and became English champions three years later. The contrast with Venky’s current owners could not be greater.

Rovers are languishing five points above the Championship relegation zone, boss Jon Dahl Tomasson recently left and homegrown star Adam Wharton was sold to Crystal Palace. That comes against the backdrop of financial problems with Venky’s – the poultry giants that bought Blackburn in 2010 – embroiled in a legal battle over an alleged breach of the currency law.

However, in November a Delhi High Court ruling allowed £11.5 million to be transferred to help finance the club. Venky’s hoped to be able to provide another cash injection in January, but the Supreme Court postponed the hearing until March 12. More than 5,500 Blackburn fans filled the away match at Preston on Saturday and familiar chants of ‘we want Venky’s out’ were broadcast.

Sam Gallagher scored for Blackburn in the 2-2 draw against Coventry on Saturday

Ian Herbert, of Rovers fan site BRFCS.com and the 4,000 Holes podcast, told Mail Sport: ‘Last summer Jon Dahl Tomasson suddenly had his budget cut. That came when Indian tax laws changed and Venky’s were told they could not send money to Britain without a court order.

‘Due to the court hearing scheduled for January, Rovers did not receive the usual working capital injection from Venky’s. Adam Wharton joined Crystal Palace for £22million and there are fears the money will simply be used to top up the club’s bank account and not reinvested in the team.

“Thomas Kaminski went to Luton last summer, so the quality of the squad feels like a death by a thousand cuts.

‘Venky’s have communicated with us very rarely, have no connection with the city and there was no clear reason for them to buy Blackburn Rovers. I fear that if Wharton’s money runs out in the summer, Rovers could end up in administration. The trial on March 12 is crucial.”

Venky’s pumped almost £200m into a Premier League club when they took control and promised to bring Champions League football back to Ewood Park. But Rovers fell out of the top flight in 2012 and only entered League One in 2017. There has been little progress, but there is a lot of chaos, a far cry from the glory days with the team Jack built.

Mark Atkins was part of Dalglish’s side that rose dramatically from the second tier to win the Premier League title. The former midfielder, who covered the match for local radio on Saturday, told Mail Sport: ‘If you did a survey on Venky’s, most supporters would want them out. The problem then is that someone would have to buy a football club that has so much debt, so you have to be careful what you wish for.

‘Venky’s put money into the club to keep the club going: £20m a year, I believe. If Venky stopped funding it, I don’t think Blackburn Rovers would be around much longer.”

Herbert countered that point by stating, “I have no idea who would buy my house, but until it goes on the market that remains unknown. The examples of Wigan, Bolton, Birmingham and West Brom show that there are options. Venky’s were prepared to keep the club afloat, but are now unable to do so due to the court order.’

Many Blackburn fans expressed their frustration with Venky’s, the club’s owners

There is a lot of concern at Blackburn given the debt the club finds itself in

Former Birmingham boss John Eustace recently replaced Tomasson and in this Lancashire derby he picked up his first point since taking charge. Rovers took a 2-0 lead thanks to clinical goals from Sammie Szmodics and Sam Gallagher, but Preston hit back before half-time through Robbie Brady and Emil Riis.

There have been complaints about ticket prices and dealings in the transfer market, with Rovers twice scoring deadline-day moves for highly-rated US international Duncan McGuire. With the desire for change growing, Herbert adds, “Right now, we’re just treading water at best.”