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Haha, be quite funny if they sacked him, but there's no chance. They won't be paying up a 3-year contract.

He has spent all season making excuses, and didnt look internally when this happened the first time. Fair play to him for having a go today though, not only at the embarassing pitch situation but also a little go at the structure of the club too with too many "heads of." He is spot on. Anyway, who do people want as the next manager? One thing Venkys and the board dont like, its stuff like this.

‘Normally, it would be someone else here to explain what's happened. We have a lot of 'head of' in the club’ You’ve noticed too, Val! As always, the manager has to front up for a load of senior people that earn big money but are accountable for nothing and to no one.

Anytime one, or preferably both, the bigot boys lose is a big smile day. COYP.

Ismael is no yes man, his track record should tell us that. I think he has been misunderstood by a few. He has had this 'transition' put upon him in the summer by somebody who knows nothing about the game and who is only interested in saving money. Gestede, Sufi, Talbot, Ismael, they are all taking the flak because of the decisions of one tosser. These people mentioned are not the problem, IMO. IMO, Ismael has gone along with the transition and the project because he believes the end goal at some stage down the line is the Premier League. Remember what Rudy said...we want to bring money into the club through sales first, then we will be in a better position to go for promotion down the line. Does this sound familiar? Despite Val's talk about the Academy, young players, development etc, his frustration has been evident this season as he realises, just the like two managers before him, the chances of the project bearing fruit. The crap we have to bring off the bench is costing us points and it's starting to piss him off. He isn't much different to JDT and Eustace, even though they may be better managers than him. The man wants to win and he knows this setup is shit. Listen to his comment below at 1:43. These are his real feelings, which he has since repeated once more after this: "We are playing to win games, a lot of teams invest a lot of money to make the Championship attractive for the fans, to have some great players. We need better quality. It's as simple as that". That quote says it all. He knows our transfer business isn't good enough. He is telling the hierarchy in clear terms to invest in quality to try and bring some of the fans back. Good on the man for speaking out today on the pitch farce. Valerian Ismael has never been the problem for me. I am backing the man as he knows the score here. I back him just as I backed JDT and Eustace. Sadly, he will be gone just like those two soon from the looks of it. The shadow dweller can f#ck off.

The future is pretty bleak if, due to their own incompetence, the club can't keep hold of managers of the calibre of Valerian Ismael.

Spot on Mr Ismael! It’s ridiculous that this club has a ‘head of’ every single thing yet is total chaos

He’ll be okay, he didn’t mention Suhail.

And it rains and the match is abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch in front of the world.

You could see from his walk down the tunnel that he was fuming. Good on him as I said in the other thread - he’s gone up in my estimation too. As an aside, Forshaw is now out for 5 weeks. When it rains (ahem).

England won 10 of Stokes’ first 12 games as captain (1 loss, 1 draw). Since then they’ve won 12 out of 27 (14 losses 1 draw). Other countries (as was inevitable) have worked out how to counter (or at least not be overwhelmed by) ‘Bazball’ Changes (not necessarily wholesale ones) are needed, hopefully Stokes and McCullum can see this.

We have a lot of heads of says VI. No communication to the coach what the plan is. I'll give him a few more months and he will be off like JDT and JE. Sounds a very unhappy bunny.

Good on him. But like you say, I’m amazed they’ve been able to push someone like Val (who also appeared to be one of their merry men) to this level. They (Venky’s and Suhail) really are something else.

Simply Red - Let Me Have It All

the start to the end of VI

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The hierarchy are now pushing the poorest of managers around to the brink. Absolutely incredible work tbh.

Like him or not Ismael has worked at a lot of proper professional football clubs in his time in football. Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Hanover, Lens, Nuremburg, Wolfsburg, Besiktas, West Brom, Watford. Coming here he was probably under the false impression that he was joining a club of similar standing in the game. After 6 months at it he'll be learning the hard way about now as to what he is up against.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25681585.valerien-ismael-sends-ewood-park-message-blackburn-rovers/ He has finally broke ranks with the morons in the boardroom, gone up in my estimation.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25681585.valerien-ismael-sends-ewood-park-message-blackburn-rovers/ He has finally broke ranks with the morons in the boardroom, gone up in my estimation.

Surely they could find a firm that’s willing to give a kickback.

No %s for agency fees when spending big on a new pitch though....

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/december/08/forshaw-ruled-out-of-oxford-encounter/ They’ve not even felt the need to describe Saturday’s game as abandoned.

The state of the pitch is just one of many symptoms of their lack of care. The whole stadium is a neglected, run down, shoddy mess, and sooner or later some other urgent remedial action will be needed elsewhere. They have absolutely no pride, nor do they care a jot.

He's not leaving with his chunky 3 year deal.