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Post by luckycharms on Jul 9, 2012 14:29:00 GMT
So nothing new. Congratulations to QPR on the signing of Park
But really, Fernandes let his enthusiasm get the better of him again. No reason to tweet prematurely about the stadium last week and couple that with a big announcement this week if all it was is a signing. If I was his PR man I'd be dreaming about throttling his pudgy neck every time he goes overboard on Twitter. The QPR PR office must be a nightmare to work in.
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Post by luckycharms on Jul 7, 2012 13:22:56 GMT
Had a top sports journalist in the back of my cab last night and he confirmed that Tony fernandes is the front for the Malaysian Government. He isn't. What he may be is a front for Malaysian politicians and just one channel among many they use to re-invest their wealth which they gained through decades of asset stripping national public wealth. This in itself is no secret. Many of the most successful of the current breed of entrepreuners operating in Malaysia are suspected to be fronts for storing away untold billions of their political patron's wealth. Fernandes however is distinguished by being a very competent and professional businessman as opposed to the usual idiots who set up companies with political money, find themselves useless and incompetent and have to be bailed out by the Govt using public money (to save said politician's money) |
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Post by luckycharms on May 23, 2012 9:35:22 GMT
Much better than Warnocks usual Cornwall tour. Big step up for the club. Will be interesting to see if those stadiums sell out, you would think they might as it's not everyday a Premier League team plays in Malaysia or Thailand. Sabah in economic terms is a backwater. Other then a few urban centres like Kota Kinabalu development elsewhere is sporadic. The migrant population both legal and illegal either equals or has long since surpassed the locals. The infrastructure is a few years behind the rest of Malaysia. I'd expect a lot of fans to come in from Peninsular Malaysia and International fans rather than many locals to be honest. |
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Post by luckycharms on May 23, 2012 9:29:03 GMT
Very clever of Fernandes. Completely bypassing Peninsular Malaysia, the capital KL and the current political uncertainty and potential upheaval therein.
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Post by luckycharms on May 22, 2012 5:57:37 GMT
Stadiums cost a huge amount of money to design and build. And have a long lead time to income generation. When Fernandes bought into the club he stated that his goal was to turn it into a self-sustaining business model over time. It is most likely that the club itself would borrow the money to build a new stadium rather than the owners reaching into their pockets. The owners may lend the money to the club interest free to ease its financial burden but ultimately, the loan needs to be repaid. Which means ticket prices would have to increase. Fernandes has an airline, hotel chain, energy drink product (EQ8) and F1 team to finance and grow as well as our club so we can only speculate as to how much of his resources (US$470m net worth) will be directed to Loftus Road going forward. All businessmen talk a good fight but this recession is set to continue for at least another 2-3 years and I wonder how well his businesses are performing collectively. Tony is supposed to be one of a three party consortium but I have not heard anything about the other parties. Nor any talk from the Mittal camp regarding significant investment sums. So it will be interesting to see what happens over the next three months. The two other members of the consortium are Ruben Emir Gnanalingam who is the CEO of Westports Inc. one of the largest shipping terminals in West Malaysia. His father is owner of course. Family wealth purported to be between 200 million to 360 million pounds. Kamaruddin bin Meranum is Fernandes's partner in Tune. Estimated wealth between 200-300 million pounds. Curious thing is, despite being a Malay billionaire ( 1pound = 5 rm) virtually nothing is known of him nor is he lauded by the local mMalay-centric media. then there are the various interlinked partners. In Malaysia, the relations between politics and business are murky at best. There have been reports that 1.5 trillion RM has been stripped from Malaysia and every year, it is estimated that 20 billion RM is leaked (euphemism for 'stolen') from public funds and projects. So that are a lot of people here with unearned money who want to invest their ill-gotten gains somewhere relatively secure and with someone they can trust with a proven track record. Make of that what you will. |
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Post by luckycharms on May 15, 2012 20:00:40 GMT
Still undecided. He went above the manager and started publically talking of possible player targets, offered Barton amongst others to NWPerhaps. Although media reports would suggest it was Neil Warnock who pushed for Barton and Fernandes who wanted Scott Parker of his beloved West Ham, desperate for a marque signing to open the floodgates, agreed. www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/09/11/2661379/qpr-manager-neil-warnock-we-wanted-scott-parker-and-craig www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/110655.html Concerning the finances. Fernandes has a bit more money than his reported wealth. Same with Reuben. It's nothing illegal. They have several measures in place to ensure if anything catastrophic happens to their core businesses, they won't be reduced to begging on the streets of KL. Maybe I'm the one over reading, but ever since day one of his QPR adventure, Fernandes has always been about building infrastructure and from the early days he's gone on about the youth academy, training ground and new stadium. Personally i think these aren't just benchmarks or goals, these are markers in a schedule. Once the new stadium is in place I can see Fernandes being more amenable to selling his shares to the Mittals or whomever. He'll definitely get more money that way. If he intends to sell. So, i see him being around barring any unforeseen circumstances, for the next 5-10 years. Only selling when QPR's stock rises sky high (e.g. winning Cups, the League, the European Championship) or the stadium is in place or both. The thing is, Fernandes will try not to leave QPR FC in a worst position then when he bought it. That would sully his brand and image. |
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Post by luckycharms on May 1, 2012 10:20:13 GMT
The whole share swap deal had been secretly negotiated without any input from the MAS unions. Leaks started to appear on the internet and this riled up the MAS employees. There reports of MAS employees harassing AirAsia staff and acts of petty vandalism even in the local papers.
Also the unique situation in Malaysia (maybe not so) is that MAS is not just a national carrier subsidised by the Government, but (open secret this) it also subsidises the largest ethnic group in Malaysia, the Malays whose support is crucial in the general elections. The party that wins the Malay vote wins the country.
Malay observers have been against the share swap deal because it is seen to benefit only the elites in both companies at the expense of the MAS employees who are mostly Malays. Of course business observers believe that the deal would benefit both companies. It doesn't help matters that many of the old guard elites here regard Fernandes as a bit of rebel and do not want his pro-business professional approach to win out over the crony-nepotism subsidy system currently in place here. Fernandes would pay short shrift to local interests.
That the MAS unions have gone to the PM has likely caused the current U-turn. This PM has no backbone to speak off. He's facing harsh questions from the veterans and others in the elite leadership who think he is useless as a leader. Expect him to do what he thinks is the most popular thing.
Bottomline: will this be a set back for Fernandes? Not really. He can still get something out of this. The real set back may occur if the Opposition comes to power. Then all bets are off
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Post by luckycharms on Feb 12, 2012 14:56:22 GMT
Interesting. I dont necessarily disagree with the substance (that Fernandes will sell to the Mittals). More the timing. I think this eventuality is on the cards, but not in the immediate future. Firrstly Fernandes is his own man. There seems to be an implicaton that just because his wallet is much less smaller than Lakshmi Mittals' that he will just roll over whenever the latter beckons. His self-promotion pretty much proves his massive ego. This notion that he is just a frontman is amusing to say the least, and rather patronising. One would think that Fernandes whose wealth is relatively less would be even more ruthless in ensuring it doesn't disappear compared to Lakshmi Mittal who can easily lose double the amount of Fernandes's money and not bat an eyelid. (I think ArcelorMittal reported a 1billion pound loss recently - no sweat for Lakshmi  ) Secondly, QPR is not an integral part of Mittal's marketing campaign for his other businesses. ArcelorMittal is separate from QPR. If the Club suffers a few setbacks it does not adversely affect Mittal's other interests. Or his personal reputation This is not the case with Fernandes. He's gone on record time and again that QPR FC is a promotion vehicle for his other businesses. He has put himself forward and tied QPR with his own personal brand and connected it to all his other companies. The man thrives on all the publicity he's been getting ever since he bought QPR. Remember the Air Asia slogan ' The Airline with Balls"? Also the special offers to travel to Malaysia/Langkawi for QPR supporters. The success of QPR is now inimically tied to his own brand and reputation. If his football venture is deemed a failure the repercussions for his own name, credibility and reputation among his partners and among his audience in SE Asia is immense. Fernandes has also clarified his earlier tweets back when he was warning Warnock (most assumed he was going to leave) in which he will only step down as chairman but will not relinquish his shares in QPR FC. And why would he? He sees the potential that the club and team have. The team are not relegated yet. Would Fernandes risk his investor's money (assuming he put them into QPR) and stay the course or sell up and minimise his losses? He can stay on with the near certain guarantee that if he is forced to sell the Mittals will be ready buyers, or he can risk it further (knowing the Mittals are around anyway) and keep his word that he will remain for the long haul. Yeah, the second option looks likelier. Finally, rumour monger really should pay attention to how Fernandes conducts his business. Example: On the recent announcement Air Asia X is closing its European and India routes. On the surface this seems a setback for Fernandes. But Fernandes is the single largest individual shareholder in MAS (Malaysia Airlines) with 20% and sits on the board of directors along with his wing man Din (Kamaruddin). MAS will now take up the Air Asia X slack (gap) to Europe. 1) This soothes the feathers of local MAS defenders who feared that Fernandes intends to cannibalise MAS (playing into local xenophobic politics/this is an election year) 2) Allows Air Asia X to focus on core markets in Asia and promotes synergy between both airlines which, bottomline is to Fernandes's benefit. Long term if he can revitalise the national carrier along with his own airline he will have mended relations with his detractors in Malaysia, build even more special relationships with other elite cliques in the country and will be profiting from the success of two airlines. Based on this example of how Fernandes conducts business to assume that he will sell up now is premature I feel. Nothing is ever black and white. (massive disclaimer: Obviously this is all opinion/speculation and not a prediction. If Fernandes throws in the towel early I'd fully expect this post to be mocked for making unproven assumptions  ) |
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Post by luckycharms on Jan 10, 2012 18:56:06 GMT
Great post luckycharms and welcome. There was alot of stuff in that post. But what umped out at me were comments that Fernandes's dealings could possibly come under investigation, suggestions of insider dealings, Fernandes possibly being made a scapegoat and relegation could lead to his backers losing faith. Which all kind of indicates that the security that we think we have as a club isn't really that secure and we are potentially only a few votes away from a swift withdrawal of funds and departure of TF from the board. Is that how it reads to anyone else, or is that just me? The thing is, many so-called successful Malaysian entrepreneurs have had to start out by establishing rather close relationships with the ruling coalition's politicians and cliques. It's a quid pro quo. You approve my contract, I will give you some shares etc, etc Fernandes is a very capable businessman. He just had no money in the beginning. Like many others, he had to engage with some of the most ruthless and corrupt politicans in Malaysian history (no exaggeration) in order to be allowed to do business. This is a major criticism levelled by the Opposition who intend to completely clean out the government and review the various governmental and business transactions that have taken place. I can assure if this happens no Malaysian Minister, or member of Cabinet will be safe. They are all in on it. And along with their enablers like Fernandes Thank you luckycharms for the initial post & your follow up. I appreciate that your views regarding his position if we are relegated are speculation, but you obviously have a lot more knowledge of Fernandes than we do. Thanks but my knowledge is more due to being his fellow countryman and taking an interest in his public persona. Fernandes represents the moderate, progressive, inclusive, business friendly face of Malaysian society. Some of his detractors would love nothing better than to seize his assets and turn Malaysia into Iran/North Korea Mark II I imagine and hope that Bhatia and Saksena and Mittal are not exactly dupes and that they will be carefully watching things. Of course the Mittals are watching him. Probably nodding behind the scenes too haha Personally speaking i think he persuaded the Mittals of his future vision for the club and they broadly agree. Why fire Warnock, the man Amit Bhatia brought in and considers a friend and now hire Hughes and get ready to splash the cash? Fernandes is a charmer, but he always backs up his charms with a solid plan and a proven track record of guaranteeing success in his business ventures. Back when he started Air Asia he had nothing. It's an open secret here in Malaysia that Fernandes bought the licence (and the debt) at the nominal price of 20p or whatever it was because he'd met the PM of the time, convinced him he could make a low cost airline a success and bobs your uncle. All he needed to do the next day was to be there when the banks open and sign his name for the loans. There was of course a certain reward provided ahem ahem for said PM. Allegedly. I read also how people are impressed with Phil Beard the CEO. Would such a highly intelligent man have come onboard if Fernandes hadn't sold him on the viability of his ideas? But like i said earlier, if it all goes belly-up he'll cut his losses early and sell up to the Mittals. |
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Post by luckycharms on Jan 10, 2012 15:13:41 GMT
First thanks for the warm welcome and kind replies. I would name you all but this isn't Oscar night sharky to answer your questions: I'm no soothsayer nor do I have some special insight into the man. Before, I was sure he was sincere in that he will stay on despite relegation. He even tweeted in the affirmative to paul finney. Now though... He'll likely step down as chairman for one. People talk about Asian values and 'saving face' as a cliche. But, sadly, it's true. Fernandes has drawn his line in the sand. Over and over he repeats that he will step down or walk away if he has failed ( we really need to know what he defines as 'failed') Because of that we now see him throwing caution to the wind. As Phil Beard said at your AGM the number 1 priority is to stay up at all costs. And he and Fernandes mean it. If they fail to secure Premier League survival despite Hughes and whoever he signs, Fernandes will act the martyr (as he said he would in his tweets if he thought he had failed) and walk away. Will he sell up to the Mittals? This will depend less on relegation but the manner of it and surrounding circumstances. He is not dumb. Being relegated on goal difference (a few goals or less) or by one or two points is hard done by but not something to fire oneself over. It's the perfect opportunity to bond with fans (" we gave it our all, but fell short. But we still gave it everything") repair the damage over Warnock and he will be assured that at least, the team (the players, management, fans, staff, the club) fought and struggled and were hard done by. That implies potential for the future. Fernandes is always looking for that. He knows that a fighting spirit supported by a willing Board can get QPR back up easier (and faster). This is something worth investing in. He may step down but still keep his investment in QPR. However a note of caution. Fernandes is exposed more than most businessmen because his business is so diversified and spread out. He depends on cheap oil to fly his planes and cordial/cosy relations with the ruling government in Malaysia and elsewhere. Oil prices and the Malaysian political scene are currently subject to a high degree of instability at the present time. He doesnt have the billions of the Mittals. He may not have the favour of the Malaysian govt if the Opposition comes to power (GE mooted in 2-3 months) Everyone talks about the miracle he did after 9-11 yet still making Air Asia a success. No one on any board has yet asked "how did a nobody music executive get a licence to run a low-cost airline and the bank loans to finance it?" Had QPR been relegated on its present form ( few wins, off-field issues, lack of initiative and fighting grit), I can see him cutting his losses and selling up and blaming himself for his failure though like the good PR man he is. A QPR fan is still a potential customer in the end. He'll never buy West Ham as long as the current owners are in charge. No way will he trust them with his or his backers money. |
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Post by luckycharms on Jan 10, 2012 13:04:13 GMT
Hello
Firstly apologies if this has already been addressed in another thread and please merge this thread accordingly.
This will likely be one of my few posts here. I admit to being a Fernandes watcher and not really a QPR fan. I have been following this board and others since he took over your club and would like to give some of my views
At first I wasn't expecting him to fire Neil Warnock. Fernandes had said in the early days of his takeover that he was all for stability. And I believe him. Firing and hiring upper and middle managers is a recipe for disaster in business. I thought no way would Fernandes make a mistake so elementary and at the same time alienate many of the fans. He's always been an astute PR man and this action goes against every fibre of his being.
Also Fernandes made it clear as well that he was in it for the long haul which included relegation. Look how he has stuck with his rather mediocre( one is being kind) Formula One team.
One would think that if he was staying put inspite of the threat of relegation, then why fire a popular manager mid way through the season?I believe something in Fernandes changed.
Looking back I'm sure that Neil Warnock was the victim of an unfortunate series of circumstances. The terrible on-field results were one thing. But notice how Fernandes tweeted praise during the 3-1 loss to Spurs. Fernandes spoke about how he knew Neil was the man when he saw the changes and substitutions.
That appealed to Fernandes's own aggressive nature. He revels in going all out, making changes when things don't work. In being master of one's fate rather than leaving it to chance. That's been how he conducts business. Rightly or wrongly, Fernandes has always seen the ability to make changes as a mark of success.
When Neil stopped being adventurous, Fernandes stopped with the praise.
Also, Fernandes is actually under intense pressure back home. For the first time ever, Fernandes is under sustained scrutiny and criticism not only from the Opposition (which par for the course dont trust him due to his coziness with the ruling leadership) but also certain sections of the ruling coalition itself. The airport tariff spat between Air Asia and MAHB (operators of Malaysia's airports) and the proposed merger between Air Asia and MAS (the national carrier) have seen him come under intense questioning, not to mention insults being hurled his way.
The reason is that Fernandes is linked with one of the many political/business cliques that run the government of Malaysia. To the public they act as a united front, but among themselves these cliques compete no-holds barred style for tenders, contracts, grants and subsidies. The opposition would say that these cliques in government all share one aim, to strip public assets in Malaysia till everything is privatized. A few years back the deputy Finance Minister even suggested that Malaysia would be bankrupt by 2019. A rare and (never repeated) admission.
The AA - MAS merger threatens those cliques that have been sucking up all the public money funnelled into MAS. Many of these cliques are now attacking Fernandes using racial slurs and fear mongering. There are allegations from those within government that the merger is nothing more than 'insider trading'.
It's come to a point that back in December Fernandes had to to deny local media reports that he was resigning as CEO of Air Asia.
Fernandes is also aware of the political uncertainty at the moment. Contentious general elections are around the corner. People are predicting the ruling coalition could lose or win with a bare majority. If they lose power Fernandes's dealings could be under investigation - even from when he first acquired Air Asia back in 2001. If the ruling coalition survive with a bare majority the calls from reactionaries will get stronger to halt the merger - Fernandes could still be made a scapegoat by ultra nationalists in the ruling coalition regardless.
This may have compounded Neil Warnock's situation. I'm not saying Fernandes reacted under pressure and struck out at the only available target, but seeing his club and investment under threat with all the crap back home to deal with certainly did not help his mood when he flew in.
And it must be said that Fernandes is all about image and reputation. It's everything to him. Back home Tony Fernandes is regarded as the pinnacle of professionalism, the highest standard and dependable. People knew when Tony is around that means business, serious business.
That's how he became successful. A highly persuasive man with a plan who can convince some powerful people back home to finance his business. Since then everything he touches turns to gold. What happens to a man whose reputation is about delivering success, when QPR is relegated ? It will be a stain on his reputation. More importantly, people who used to trust him with their money may start to think twice. Is he losing his touch? Did he miscalculate?
And make no mistake. Fernandes is backed by some powerful people. But only because he's never had a business venture fail on him. Din and Rueben are not the only ones with a stake.
Some posters on other boards suggested that the Malaysian govt would bail him out if things get unglued here at QPR. Well, that's not quite correct. Let's just say that Fernandes knows the people who have been funneling Malaysia's public asset into their own pockets. If they want, they can bail him out. But don't count on it. And yeah, it's kinda the same thing.
Worse case scenario for Fernandes : QPR is a failure (up to him to define what a 'failure' is) his investments go up in smoke, the ruling coalition loses the election and instead of bailing him out he could face an investigation or two.
This may explain why (other than on-field results, off-field rumoured shenanigans,) he took the seemingly hasty step of firing Neil Warnock mid-season. His image, reputation and likely his credibility as a businessman was at stake. He had to be seen to be in charge of the situation, not at its mercy. He had to act like he was master of his own destiny, not react to whatever happened after the fact. He had to do something (in his mind) to stop the losing streak and stop relegation -despite earlier suggesting that he would continue with plans even if QPR fell.
Neil Warnock was not fired for not being able to deliver the results. He was fired for not being able to deliver results at this exact time when Fernandes needed it to shore up his flagging image.
Again apologies for the massive length and any spelling mistakes made. English is not my first language.
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