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Dec Neve gets my vote. He's less effective than Powell.

Im a bit confused by these messages. Does that mean concessionary outlets will be closed altogether because they're worried about the possibility of a really low crowd? Other than walk on sales I've still no idea how the Club can have any real clue in advance about how effective the boycott is going to be. Surely from their point of view they SHOULD staff as normal in case the boycott call has little effect - and if it is a really low crowd, well then, c'est la vie. That's what you'd imagine would happen at a normally run Club anyway.

No, Miller is not back for Watford.

I wonder how the money saved on bar staff compares to one day of Gestede’s salary.

This makes me angry and is nothing more than emotional black mail. Rovers could bring them into work. They chose not to cos they are on zero hour contracts. No one wants to see individuals suffer, but Venkys have caused unemployment by getting rid of over half club staff in their tenure. By getting rid of them jobs would no doubt be created in ground and local community if crowds return.

Andy Kim - Rock Me Gently

Great article. All these definitely seem to be turning the tide on the boycott in my opinion.

They will never sack Ismael. For one, it would mean Rudy Gestede has to admit he has made a mistake. Nothing about Rudy's character tells you that is possible. By all accounts he is a bit of a bully and is the direct cause of plenty of long standing staff members leaving. His interactions on social media and his interviews with other media really do portray a man weak of confidence - unable to be criticised, learn a lesson or be questioned. It is the very worst type of person to be in management. You often find with these type of managers that nothing is dealt with proactively as confronting the possibility of their own mistakes is more uncomfortable than being judged by others. Rudy is a symptom of a disease, for sure, but he is a killer. He will take this club down with him and be paid all the way. His character has been questioned many times. Neil Warnock being one of them, after Gestede refused to play and commit for Boro. He had his attitude questioned here and at Villa. Rudy will go down as one of the worst things to happen to this club during the Venky reign. First, fans will point to his less than impressive success ratio in the transfer market - a man who is wedded to a data driven approach, constrained by a model of low wages, low spend but ultimately completely unable to generate a successful and functional team. More importantly the fans will point to his divisiveness - Rudy has followed a period of relative success for Rovers and has been the 'director' (loosely) responsible for dismantling a competitive Championship side. More than any that has come before him, he has had room within the FFP window to develop a squad capable of that extra mile. Instead it appears Rudy has sought revenge - first, with the sale of players who have supported staff members over himself, and then with the effective freezing out of other players, such as Pickering or Tyjon. To me, Rudy comes across as resentful. He has then hired a head coach which completely went against the style of play our squad has developed since Mowbray, delivered that head coach a series of players not good enough and now shows an unwillingness to act, instead pointing to data and perceived future success which comes across arrogant and stupid in equal measure. All of this is divisive in nature and his contempt for the fans has been very clear. Rudy Gestede is not, and has never been, here for the success of Blackburn Rovers; Rudy Gestede is here for the success of Rudy Gestede. He has been told that if he absorbs the pressure and is a good boy who does not try too hard to be ambitious then he will continue to earn a 6 figure salary here. All of the above is why Ismael will not be sacked. And if he is, it will be too late. Gestede will not accept he has made a mistake; the mistake will be the fault of the fans, the pitch, the weather. It will not be and never will be Rudy Gestede's mistake to make.

As much as I don't rate Pears, history is telling us the replacement will be even worse!

On the one hand, I'd like us to sell Pears, on the other hand any team that sends scouts to look at signing Pears and is in desperate need of a keeper will surely make a bid for Toth instead.

Is Miller back for this one? TGH at RWB is pure nightmare fuel.

No chance the club bounces back straight away with how it is run these days. Recruitment will continue to be mostly miss rather than hit, Suhail and Gestede will continue to dig themselves a bigger hole, and if Ismael is still in charge then I imagine the players he's left with will have been gutted of all confidence by him. Club needs a mass overhaul, like what Ipswich got when they got new ownership and brought in McKenna.

Normally I'd agree, but it's a bit difficult to get these occasional pressure cooker type wins when you're generally not even registering a shot on target!

Oh yeah it went swimmingly of course 😂. Cap in hand back to Chris Wilder. just wouldn't be at all surprised is all.

I'm not sure. Last time we dropped down, the squad was probably too good for League One and we got the right manager at the right time, everything aligned/clicked and we managed to bounce back straight away with a little bit of smart investment as well that summer. I think that was quite unusual and we got very lucky with how things fell. It was a great season, our record ever points haul I think. Our only enjoyable season under the Venkys, and we never should have been down there. I think the chances of that happening again are slim. Some big clubs in the last 20 years have spent ages trying to get out of that division and it will be our turn this time. Bolton, both Sheffield clubs, Leicester, Leeds, Forest, Bolton, Huddersfield, Charlton, Sunderland. All had to spend a fair while down there when on paper they're all big enough clubs that you would expect them to bounce straight out. Now consider our hapless owners, I think we'll be stuck there for years.

And look how well he did!

No you're completely wrong it's all the fault of referees and the EFL who just hate us, nothing to do with actual football, tactics, signings, fitness, nouse and guile.

If Ismael does leave, a thought has just crossed my mind that the club might go for Ruben Selles. Sheffield United did after all hire him as their head coach because he supposedly aligned with their AI-led data driven approach to signing players.

I agree with what he's saying, even stinking, doomed teams like Wolves and Sheff Weds this season will get the odd result (an unexpected draw or better), it's just the law of averages, it will happen. Our one win in thirteen was against an in form Millwall team, a result we didn't expect. We will continue to pick up occasional wins between now and the end of the season, because that's just football. The problem is that each one of these results will be held aloft by the club as a sign we're about to change our fortunes, but I'm not convinced we are. I think we'll finish 21st by the skin of our teeth. The timing of these one-off wins depending on when they fall act like a pressure valve which will probably keep him in the job. Especially if they're home wins. I'm not happy about this, I want him out, but we're probably stuck with him if he isn't getting sacked this week.

Well, we lose when we play Toth as well, but I know what you mean.

Did anyone pre sale to the clowns think we'd be having these conversations. Fucking Venkys and spivs they came in with😡

And then negotiations would have been led by Swag and Broughton and so if we were bad then, just imagine what we will be like now ! Unfortunately, they still managed to get that one across the line, depriving us of seeing a generational talent in his beloved blue and white for a while longer.

I wonder if Stoke would fancy Pears? I’m sure master negotiator, Rudy Gestede can get a good deal. Johansson ruled out for months, signed Bazunu on loan and he’s been ruled out for six weeks 🫣

Not having a go Glen but, if you have heard all the calls in full then why can’t they be released so that the wider Blackburn Rovers fan base can listen ?