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All. About. The paycheck

Ismael is only here to do what this regime wants, and that is to downsize the club to a manageable level for them. Plenty more work to do after the first relegation is confirmed, whether that this season or next season.

Ismael knows he's been left with a squad that isn't good enough, he knows there's no proper backing in January, he knows the 'project' is doomed and he knows he's at the end of his tenure here. Even if you ignore the other nonsense and results, he's a coach that tends to last a maximum of 12 months at a club (30-40 games) before he moves on. He's reached that point here now. This notion that he's suddenly going to be here long term and deliver success after 8 clubs in 8 years before coming here was fanciful to say the least but sums up the ineptitude of those running the club and handing out 3 year deals. He needs putting out of his misery for all our sakes but he won't, because the vile people owning and running the club don't care, they'd rather he suffered, we suffered and we get relegated than be proactive and do the right thing. Nice people though yeah.

He looks exactly how JDT did when he'd realised the game was up.

Won’t be sacked and no chance he will resign as past behaviour indicates the club would want paying off. We are going down and then the word will be continuity 🫣

There are still enough defensive options available to make a better fist of it but the system and tactics are all wrong. Sets up to just make use of busy high pressing forwards and the shaky defence has no protection at all. His answer is just keep swapping people around because defensively he hasn't got a clue. Whole thing needs to change and become negative as Eustace did and prioritise clean sheets now. Even when your defenders aren't that good if you give them help and protection in front of them things will improve.

What would be the comp on sacking VI now? Interested to know...

He looks like a man who wants to be sacked. The body language, the demeanour, shows a man who does not want to be in the job. His position is unsustainable and he knows it. In days gone by a manager in that situation would have resigned by now - no question - but the payoffs are so lucrative these days they hang on. The club should put him out his - and our - misery

If he goes it will be February again so that the new guy has no influence on the squad and they promise them a rebuild (downgrade) in the summer.

You shouldn't be watching another team when your own team - the one that pays your wages - is playing. We were playing on Sky+ so why was he not at home watching that? Clearly has no interest.

As it stands, if Tronstad becomes unavailable the centre midfield first choices are Forshaw and T G-H. Has there ever been a worse midfield in the club's history? And when Forshaw breaks down (as always) the back up is Montgomery (out till March) and Tavares (out till March at earliest and completely useless).

All the time you have a fox in the henhouse, you are going to have a problem. I'm obviously referring to Rudy, who since arriving here has been allowed far too much power and is acting like some sort of dictator. I don't rate Ismael one bit. His manner and lack of passion on the touchline is enough for me. I do ask myself though, if, and how much is Rudy involved with team selection and tactics etc? Too many things don't add up to me. In the absence of Travis, Tronstad was always captain. It was the logical choice. I know his contract is up this year, but I still fully expected him to take the armband when Travis left, but no, it goes to Cantwell, then McLoughlin, then Miller?? Rumours Harry Leonard was shown the door. You could argue the club decided he was too injury prone and we should cash in whilst we can, yet those injuries don't seem to have hounded him this season? Tyjon has been completely overlooked. Involved with England youth, has Arsenal circling but despite all the hype of him being the youngster to break through this season, he's not been involved. I understand Gueye had been poor this season, but with the injury to Gudjohnsen, just maybe he was a better option than Henriksson? Why did Ismael persist with Axel out of position? Why does he persist with De Neve & TGH? Not saying Waggott was in anyway our saviour. Crikey, we had some questionable moments when he was here, but I feel its gotten a whole lot worse since he left. Ismael looks broken and about to crack. I sense he knows he can't turn this around. He is out of his depth, but he has limited control of the outcome. I think he'll leave by mutual consent within the next month, if not sooner.

No way should DeNeve be included in the 25 squad. The tea lady would do better (if she hasn't already been sacked).

More dull excuses from Val after the game. It's either referees or injuries. Well, what about 2 home wins all season. Is that down to referees and injuries? Oh and the inability to organise a team or instil any sort of fight or passion into a group of players? Or maybe sidelining experienced pros like Pickering and Ribiero for De Neve? I suppose that's down to the referees. He's never a manager and he wasn't before we appointed him...yet he was deemed the best man for the job They gave him a THREE year deal despite his horrific managerial record. He would have absolutely taken an 18 month deal so why offer 3 years? 🤔

Not really. VI is part of the "project" to downsize the club (and more importantly the losses). Sacking him would cost money.

How many people were actually in the home sections at Swansea last night ? It resembled Ewood can't have been more than 9 or 10k actually in there but it didn't bother the team they still showed up and did their jobs. All this talk of lack or crowds affecting players is bollocks they melt every time there's a good crowd anyway.

No club announcement yet. Strange.

The lack of ideas and quality is a painful watch. Even at 1-1 at ht if felt like watching a non league side. I can probably count on 1 hand the amount of succeeded passes. My opinion on it: Toth - got to be claiming the first goal, its being headed cleared at 2 yards out. Also you can see hes struggling with his knee now and again (Still better than pears with one leg). Archeson - can put his body on the line but with the ball at his feet nowhere near comfortable enough. Young needs a loan. Oriordan - hes better than Mclloughlin and needs to start every game. McLoughlin - so poor, not the best at playing out, loses it 50% of the time. Hinckman - 1/10, hes is never in a million years a right wing back and ive no idea how he lasted 90 mins there. Not sure he made a succesful pass, just clipped it to nobody or passed the ball back to swansea, dreadful decision making through out. Powell - too lightweight and not ready. Good set up for the goal, but wind could blow him over. Too early for him for me. Tronstad - easily MOM. Needs help. Baraji - Tried, but in this formation i feel for him and tronstad because it kids football stuff everyone just chasing all over the place with massive gaps. Doherty - Shows nice touches on it, but a little non existent, again to early for him probably, maybe better having minutes here and there. I think their 3rd goal which came form a corner was a result of him giving it away twice in succession on swansea 18 yard box. New Signing up front - off that 1 showing not up to speed. Good poachers goal, but all round play looked off the pace. Games hopefully improve him. Looks like he needs minutes. Yuki - 1/10. Apart from running he offers absolutely nothing. Cant hold it up, hes weak, hes slow, and makes too many wrong decisions. I will say he probably needs a rest due to the amount hes played. De neve - should never play left wing back, or anywhere for that matter. Needs releasing, hes only ever looked ok once playing left wing being direct and crossing, but for this level, nowhere near it. Manager - should get the sack. Has no tactical ability. He cant seem to have a plan B. And Plan A almost seems like watching kids football. We can all sit and say injuries are a problem which they are, but for me when I watch us we seem to just be sprinting all over the pitch, theres never a hold of defensive shape, or traps set, its just a you need to sprint to that player as soon as possible, its literally just like watching kids football with no shape or plan to what their doing. Its just kick and charge football. You cant expect players to do this every week and not rotate, which he never was doing in the first place. Injuries for me are on his poor lack of playing style running like headless chickens and lack of rotation. The whole situation for me is totally on him.

As said i can't see anything wrong with it. What's he meant to do?

I woke up about 4-30 this morning with Rovers on my mind. Where do we go from here ? If we get relegated again it won’t be like the last time. We won’t come flying back. I fear by the time that the better players are available again it will be too late. I’ve seen us get relegated before when we appeared to be hopeless but at least the board then had the nous to appoint a succession of really good managers to get us out of the mire. Oh for a Ken Furphy, Gordon Lee, Jim Smith, Howard Kendall today. All really imaginative appointments. Even a Bob Saxton or a Don Mackay. The current board is a board in name only. They are clueless.

If they had anything about them at the club, Gestede would be asked to desperately move on De Neve, Henriksson and Tavares now. Then bring in 3 replacements that can play at this level, along with a LWB. The other option is you tell all 3 they won't be registered and bring in the players who can play anyway. Either way it's been made clear that signing players should not be Gestede's responsibility.

I have made the mistake of listening to this guys interview on Radio Lancs from last night, I cannot comprehend how he can sit there and talk about how everything is set to be fine when the injured players return (no time frame on the majority of them). There was no mention whatsoever of incomings, none! When asked about the system, injuries are the reason for the system and it isn't going to change. In a club were there is no accountability, our injury list is extremely handy for many people in power.

At least two more, then we will beat Sheff Wed and will crow on about it for weeks. Followed by another long period without a win.

I’m ok with it. He wasn’t in the squad and had played for the 21s the day before. He’s made the short trip to watch a friend play.

Ian, you have openly admitted that you are missing more and more matches and need a side event to make it worth your while. Begs the question as to what the attraction was of a Tuesday night winter fixture in deepest Wales 😂 I used to work in Swansea and so was considering it but after the Ipswich performance and then recalling the woeful performance that we put in there last season in Lowe’s last match, common sense prevailed !