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I have said this from the very start. A town/city progresses if the local football club does well. the local economy grows with the growth of a football club. Blackburn itself has had a terrible decline within the last 15years, not a coincidence is it?

The squad we have is crap, so any manager would somewhat have their work cut out. Towards the end, all of the last 3 managers made it clear that they werent getting what they wish in the transfer market. Players signed against their will, the players they wanted not being signed, an unwillingness to spend and an unwillingness to trade, whatever that is. However Ismael seems to regularly double down on his involvement in our shoddy recruitment, and actively seems to want these crap players.

Yeah, this was one of my takeaways from recent matches, especially last night. Games are won/lost in midfield and we can't rely on players ilke Cantwell and Baradji to be that type of player in the middle of the pitch. Tronstad as the deep/holding player works well, but we need at least one Travis-style player in there - high energy, box-to-box.

I think the club will give him a stay of execution. I don't think that will be anything to do with what is happening on the pitch, how the players are feeling, alignment, projects or injuries. It will simply be because they don't want to make a decision of such significance, don't want to cough up the cash to pay him and Whitehead off, don't want to recruit a new manager and his staff or give assurances on funding, plans or transfers. As we've seen under this lot with various managers - Kean, Coyle, Mowbray, Ismael - they won't take action and respond to results. Managers are appointed and removed based on their willingness to put up with the situation and the flak that comes with it. Those that aren't - Allardyce, JDT, Lambert, Eustace - quickly head out the exit door.

But doesn't it just symbolise the state of the club? No one from top to bottom cares a jot about the club, aside from the fans. Our own players would rather watch another team (and their FORMER teammate) rather than being interested in how their current teammates are getting on. That is appalling behaviour from Carter.

@ruggles1995 you say that Baradji tried but I dont think he did at all, again. He was signed after a very strange career, being relegated from the Swiss league having been in the lower leagues in Italy before that. A Championship move should be an absolutely massive opportunity for him. He clearly has more ability than most of our signings but he just strolls around, doesnt bother running back, regularly gives the ball away dawdling and just is symptomatic of how we have been run down. Hes is one of our more talented players, we have plucked him from obscurity and he cant even be arsed. Another symptom would be that McLoughlin has regularly worn the armband and often (not last night) played in the middle of a back 3. Absolute crap.

We do but his absence is a symptom of the overall problem/culture at the club from boardroom to seemingly players now Which is lack of respect or care for the club that’s an academy player been at the club from 14/15 years of age. We’re in a dogfight and he’s at some other game on the same night we’re playing it’s a terrible look

I've seen plenty of despair from Ismael on the touchline when the camera focuses on him; shaking of the head at his players, visible frustration, etc. Yes, he's not animated, but he does subtly show those things. So I think you're right; he knows that these players cannot do whatever on Earth it is he wants them to do for him. I don't think Ismael is looking for the sack. From his point of view, if that happened here - at a club with low expectations from his superiors and with little pressure - then his days of managing semi-decent clubs is over. He will be aware of that, I'm sure. So in that regard, I don't think this is anything like the JDT situation. In fact, quite the opposite. He's not publicly complaining about the club. He's not having a go at recruitment. And it wasn't that long ago that he claimed everyone at the club was aligned. I think by that he only meant himself and Gestede, if I'm being cynical. The real question is whether the club deems a change necessary. I'm sympathetic with Ismael regarding the chaotic transfer window in summer, and the horrific number of injuries we seem to get every winter. However, that doesn't mean that I'm impressed with much of what I've seen on the pitch. It's whether the club is going to give him a stay of leave for the aforementioned reasons, or if he really has lost the players (if he ever had them in the first place).

And let's be honest if he was actually fit (big if I know but still) we'd be begging to have him back in the first 11.

Ive no idea why you keep focusing on his time at Barnsley as if he did anything other than an excellent job there. He finished 5th with Barnsley! A good job that has very much proved the exception in the career of a crap manager.

Maybe they’ve hoping to off load Pickering and they don’t want him getting injured ?

Regardless of who's in charge the squad is paper thin and like the pitch isn't up to standard. We will be in L1 next season.

In reality they are all for sale if a profit is involved.

Need to be careful about how we respond to this sort of stuff as a fan base. It could open up boycotters to criticism from either the club, pundits or other parts of the fan base. "See, all you're actually doing is costing local people paid work, next it will be kiosk staff and club shop staff, your boycott is damaging to local people" etc etc. None of it should wash btw, unthinkable what going from regular 25k crowds to regular 7k crowds has done to the whole town's economy and mood in the last 15 years.

Seems 50/50 to me... If Valerian Ismael gets fired | The Barnsley FC BBS Fans Forum

Wonder if he and Gestede get sacked? Pashas protection. They'll try to do something out of the ordinary I suppose due to the boycott and reduce the noise. He was losing before the injuries. Absolutely terrible managers. Barnsley fans didn't rate him either fyi.

If we don’t see a Corner Flag article from Rovers today then I’ve resigned to the fact we’ll be playing in L1 next season (and probably the next decade of seasons).

None of us wanted him in the first place. Crap manager and the best Gestede can get.

None of the systems have worked under VI because he hasn't the first clue how to coach us to attack, this season or last! No point being a possession based team if it's entirely in your own half i front of 11 men.

One of my mates who works as a steward, got sent this message.

They can, he is doing exactly what is wanted of him. We need to stop thinking this is a normal club where results are the be all and end all. Complete opposite here.

To be fair, we took no long throws in yesterdays game. We are making progress. Oh wait, Miller wasn't playing. My bad.

I think we have a few bigger problems than where Hayden Carter decides to spend his evening to be honest.

They've already given him a new set piece specialist coach and we are even more awful on that than before. What they are doing is flogging a dead horse and wondering why it won't drag the cart.