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Yeah a bright character who brought a bit of light relief for a spell if not goals and the type of player who needs a Eustace or an Allardyce to have any sniff of success. However truth be told very poor standard of player who didn't even use the physical talents he did have to the best of his efforts. Worse without doubt than Chris Brown or Luke Varney but got away with it due to fan bonding and plundering the odd goal last year.

They paid around £21 million.

I wrote some of my background down for something marketed as the Global Rovers Project and was in communication with club as a participant. To my knowledge this project never came to fruition. But perhaps it might be relevant to this thread, because, honestly, I don't even think I like football anymore. It feels perhaps a little childish but if I can't take pride and joy in watching Rovers, I don't wish to find a substitute. This is what I shared with the clubs communicators, and which got as far as being edited and formatted but never published: Disclaimers: this was written before we knew how shit Wahlstedt is, nor can I remember the questions to which I was answering. Nor is the response to question 7 applicable any longer and I might never have the chance with 10 As to how I became a Rovers supporter, I have to say I hadn’t much of a say in it. As far back as anyone can remember, my dad’s side of the family have followed the club. My grandad, who had something of a penchant for spurious tales, always told us that his grandfather, Harry Walmsley had been Vice President of the club. We had very little evidence to this, aside from a silver tankard dedicated to a Mr H. Walmsley, team dentist, of all things. To my dad and uncle, this was just one of my grandad’s many flights of fancy. However, not long ago, earlier this summer in fact, my dad was in contact with the club with a view to selling his match worn Terry Genoe jersey from the early 1980’s, since as chance may have it, neither the club or Terry himself were in possession of one. He was invited to meet the club archivists and have a tour of the stadium. He recounted the same ‘tale’ to the archivists, who in turn produced several documents proving my grandad to be right all along! So, you could in many ways describe the club as being part of my family. I suppose this ties very much into the above. The club feels like my home, and its brought me no end of pride and joy to see what might once have been a smaller unfashionable club reach the heights they have, when so many can say the same for the clubs they love, respectively. The club is Blackburn in many ways, and the intersectional work they do in the community, be it with multi faith fans, supporting social issues, or promoting grass roots football really make it a pillar of the community. My first match, or so I’m told, was a 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the 1992-93 seasons. Being 3 at the time I have no recollection of it but I’ll take my dad’s word for it (he’s a far more reliable narrator than the aforementioned grandad). I don’t truthfully remember much from 94-95 either, aside from Tim Flower’s red jersey and my Merlin sticker collection. My first real memories were of the 1995-96 season when my dad bought me my first season ticket. I hadn’t the slightest understanding what Kenny Dalglish’s now role was, but revelling in chanting ‘Championes’ from the Blackburn End nonetheless. Goalkeepers have always been my heroes. To begin with my dad was one, but more pertinently I adored Tim Flowers. I remember how he used to celebrate with the Blackburn End after every win, though why he was allowed to wear Uhlsport branded shorts over the club branded ones remains a mystery to me to this day. Next came John Filan, whose name I had printed on the back of my shirt, followed by a strange affinity for Alan Kelly, who in my mind at the time could do no wrong. I remember crying at the top of the stairs when Brad Friedel was bought to club to replace him, having not at all been impressed with at Liverpool. But then of course, the rest of that tale is history, and who could wish for a better goalkeeping role model than Brad As for my favourite memories, the most significant memory I have is the Worthington Cup Final, where Brad Friedel was of course, really began the course to legendary status. I remember the trepidation as we held on for the final whistle, I could not sit still for trembling. More prosaically I remember the matches where I got to sit with my grandad. My grandad, Barry Illsley, was commentator for Radio Hospitals for 50 years, and every now and again I was enlisted as support. He wasn’t particularly good at commentating; he once failed to distinguish Dwight Yorke from David Dunn, but to see how appreciated he was by the staff and his peers alike was deeply touching. Plus, I got to chat with Glen Keeley and Kevin Gallagher, and the pies in the press room were fantastic. Sadly, since I moved to Sweden in 2017, I’ve not had the opportunity to attend a match, home or away, but I follow the matches semi-religiously through a combination of the broadcasts available to international fans and the matches picked up by Viaplay (via Sky Sports). When I can I quite enjoy watching the latter matches in Gothenburg’s sports bars, where I’m frequently met with confusion as to why I’d want that to be shown over whichever Champion League match is being broadcast, but each to their own. I have a much pride as ever, unless I’m in Trelleborg. We don’t talk about Trelleborg. Many Swedes my own age and older are well aware of the club, and it feels like a lot of them appreciate the playing connections the club has had with Sweden in the past (apart from Trelleborg. And Sven Göran Eriksson). Yes, if my dad counts? We usually talk, quite ruefully of late, following every match. Otherwise, mostly via the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. I know there are Swedish Rovers supporters but Sweden is huge so I’ve yet to seen one in the wild, so to speak. To be quite honest, given the chance I tell people more or less exactly what I’ve recalled to you, which must be quite annoying. I do enjoy meeting Swedes familiar with the club though. Morten Gamst Pedersen and Tugay are always good conversation starters, though Patrik Andersson, the player we could have had, is a popular conversation topic with my father in law and relatives. I’m quietly confident Leo Wahlstedt will be the next big connection; I’m crossing my fingers that he wins SVFFs goalkeeper of the year for which he was recently nominated. I have no desire to force my interests on my children, but part of me is awaiting the day when both my daughter’s are old enough to go to a match at Ewood Park. Just to share with them, a fraction of the experiences my family and I have had - even if its just the once, would make me feel like I’d be making my grandad proud.

Give over, he chose to go into the season with only two strikers he was prepared to use, and it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility one or both would be injured or suspended at some point. Now unsurprisingly we can't score a goal for love nor money. That's entirely on him.

Plan Æ Ø Å as we say in Norway.

Been a Rovers fan ever since my Dad too me on my first game (think it was Keegan's second game as a Newcastle player) back in August of 1982. My Dad, his Dad, and HIS Dad were all stalwart Rovers fans, a lineage which goes back almost to the clubs foundation. Got a season ticket then, and had one pretty much all the way through to 2015/16 when I moved abroad, where I remained until January of this year. Despite the physical distance (and -6 time difference!) I still watched as many games as possible, via official and at times, erm, non-official means. I tried to attend games in person every time I was back for a work or personal trip. Over the years, and I guess because my visits were quite far apart, there was a marked difference at Ewood, both in terms of the dwindling attendance and diminishing atmosphere every time I went. Off the pitch and behind the scenes, we seemed to be on a downward spiral of incompetence and skullduggery. Fast forward to this summer. I had bought a flex ticket in January, and viewed it as a chance to meet with mates again regularly after so long away. The football was almost secondary - thankfully as there wasn't much to enjoy. Come this summer and I had all but decided against getting a full season ticket, but in the end I caved and signed up. I'm not sure I will again, and even now it's more of a chore to go to games than something to be enjoyed - no atmosphere in the ground, cluelessness off the pitch and on the bench, and nothing to see on it. It's a shell of the club I love, and while I'll always have it in my heart, it will not be difficult to find things that are more rewarding and productive to do.

Which again comes back to schoolboy planning and recruitment by the pair of clowns in head office. Before you take into account a head coach with a style that will lead to more soft tissue injuries and players not used to this league or that work load.

Let's end our discussion in agreement 🙂

How much have we got for him?

Yeah but anyone appointed by them will have to be aligned. He goes you really think Gestede and Pasha will appoint someone who will be demanding or try to get what they want through the media?No chance

We need someone in the Gueye mould in terms of his physical presence (albeit he was useless with it). The big Charlton striker the other week won literally everything hit up to him and would walk into our team.

But we can all agree that Ismaels far worst attribute is being aligned with those bastards?

Are we in the relegation zone? Have we been in the relegation zone much this season?If the answer is no why you so sure he will take us down? Have we or have we not had loads of injuries to key players this season? I think it's an extremely difficult job for any manager/head coach and I also believe 100% that we will get worse or similar to Ismael if its Gestede Pasha and Owen doing the choosing. A change of manager is not going to change our transfer policy and after what happened with JDT and John Eustace nobody of decent standing is going to come in here and work under the conditions Ismael is. Iv said plenty of times I don't think Ismael is a good manager, iv said I wouldn't cry if he does leave. But imo removing him will change nothing. The pressure needs to be on the owners ,Pasha and Gestede. Pre injury I thought Morishita was playing well

And no doubt they will.

A club whose league status is in serious jeopardy and has a squad in the state we have acts first to get quality in, and worries about nonsense like 25 man squads later when we know what we've got to work with. We can sit here until deadline day talking about who gets into the 25 - what matters is getting some quality in before another 4-5 games are wasted with us playing the reserves.

Just as a side note, what's Moreshita done? £2m and he's had a fraction of the effectiveness and output of Dolan who used to get stick on here every week. I really dont get you sticking up for Ismael. He record is abysmal, in certain respects "worst in 150 years" abysmal. There's nothing in his recent track record elsewhere to suggest he can turn things round and in my view if he stays we definitely go down. If someone else comes in they MIGHT be able to save us. It really is that simple a choice.

Gardner Hickman is not particularly good but we need him in the squad. Garrett is not of an equal standing. Although registering Garrett would surely defeat the purpose anyway.

Yes it's Ismaels fault we sold all our most experienced players. Ismaels fault the decent players in the squad weren't offered good enough contracts. Ismaels fault majority of our transfers were low cost and we shopped in weaker leagues. It's Gestede and Pasha dictating our transfer strategy ffs.

I miss Big Pape already! A ‘limited’ player but did a decent job last season. Wish him nothing but the best of luck.

Dionne Warwick - Reach Out For Me

Look at the budget ffs. What are you expecting from anyone paying around 1 million per player. Jdt and Eustace supposedly had final say on players aswell plenty of dross was signed in their times too. For me Gudjohnson, Morishita, Alebiousu have been good signings ,and Baradji looks like he will be a decent player mcloughlin and Miller passable as squad players but we need better for the starting 11 The rest shite agreed.

Garrett is shit. Sell Tavares too

Absolutely agree here - the point I was trying for was more that you absolutely know that there are people who have seen the success (purely from the marketing potential/tv deal/media coverage) of Wrexham and thought 'I want a piece of that' And I'd almost guarantee that anyone with ambitions to replicate Wrexham will have looked at Rovers as a possibility, for the reasons I outlined and more. Which suggests that there are reasons (presumably Venkys) that have prevented it. In many ways I think that new owners coming in to 'do a Wrexham' could be a massive red flag, knowing our luck we'd get someone who absolutely did not have the clubs best interests at heart first and foremost. Of course I could be completely wrong on all points.

Whose fault is that? He clearly didnt rate Gueye and signed 11 players in summer!