Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[metalrover]

JDT's style of play towards the end of his era clearly didn't work, but he persisted with it. We very nearly paid a heavy price for his stubbornness.

The passing out from the back gave me heart attacks, we clearly didn't have the players for such style of play.

[MarkBRFC]

7 hours ago, metalrover said:

JDT's style of play towards the end of his era clearly didn't work, but he persisted with it. We very nearly paid a heavy price for his stubbornness.

The passing out from the back gave me heart attacks, we clearly didn't have the players for such style of play.

In his first season it very much worked, and probably would have secured a top 6 finish if he had been backed by a couple of quality players in January.

The mistake was continuing to play that way at points in the following season when our side was weaker and we had various injuries etc.

[DE.]

Always felt like JDT's attitude was 'this is what I told you I would do, this is the project you said you'd support. If you choose not to do so, the consequences are on you, and I'm not changing my ways to compromise."

Some of that would have been fuelled by the fact he offered to leave in the summer and was forced to stay. He was essentially telling them this won't work, but the geniuses in charge decided to keep on going anyway. 

[roverblue]

JDT was out his depth in the championship, massively naive and just tried to outscore the opposition regardless of their quality. Made for some entertaining performances but also some total disasters. Unless he was given two incredible centre backs the quality of Van Dijk it was never going to work.

Ismael I still think will be gone once we get a few injuries and bad results pile up with our squad depth so poor. He seems a bit too fiery and mental to just stand in an interview and keep his mouth shut. Selling Hyam I imagine massively pissed him off.

[roversfan99]

JDT certainly had flaws but he clearly wasnt "out of his depth."

[Andy]

Yeah, JDT's 'flaw' was not having the quality of players to work with, who could execute his style of play.

That said, a few players developed hugely under him.
And a few others spoke very highly of his coaching ability and tactics (Szmodics, Wharton, etc).

Had he been backed in the transfer window (Undav / O'Brien), we'd have returned to the Prem.

[frosty]

16 hours ago, roverblue said:

JDT was out his depth in the championship, massively naive and just tried to outscore the opposition regardless of their quality. Made for some entertaining performances but also some total disasters. Unless he was given two incredible centre backs the quality of Van Dijk it was never going to work.

We finished 7th in his only full season - nobody has done better in 13 years - and were 7th in mid-December of his second before a nightmare, er, 10 games just before he left. 

Scoring 52 and conceding 54 across a 46-game season also doesn't scream 'just trying to outscore the opposition regardless of their quality'. To be honest a lot of games that season involved very few clear chances for either team. We only had one period of doing that IMO, towards the start of his second season (before he left we were just a bad team full stop as he'd given up and we had Garrett, Moran, Telalovic etc starting). 

Edited 15 hours ago by frosty

[Tomphil2]

As already pointed out to make the most of his style he needed an entire back line of quality and a really good box to box midfielder to put next to Sonny.

With reasonable backing he would probably have built that, O'Brian was to be another cog in that wheel.

[Blow-in]

I said at the time, in season 2 I think he had completely lost interest and was forcing their hand to either fire him or agree to release him.

Not particularly professional but he was dealing with Arseholes so probably didn't feel like being Mr. Honourable.

[B16Rover]

Season two JDT was malicious compliance.  If you want to play the kids, increase their value and pad their 'transfer stats' like playing out the back.  Here it is, to the nth degree.  

If you don't like it, let me go, as I asked for in Summer when you pulled the rug.

[Mattyblue]

Out of his depth, ridiculous statement as his first season showed.

The only folk out of their depth were the no marks in club ties JDT had to deal with on a daily basis.

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, B16Rover said:

Season two JDT was malicious compliance.  If you want to play the kids, increase their value and pad their 'transfer stats' like playing out the back.  Here it is, to the nth degree.  

If you don't like it, let me go, as I asked for in Summer when you pulled the rug.

Bullseye.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, B16Rover said:

Season two JDT was malicious compliance.  If you want to play the kids, increase their value and pad their 'transfer stats' like playing out the back.  Here it is, to the nth degree.  

If you don't like it, let me go, as I asked for in Summer when you pulled the rug.

It certainly looked that way. I can’t say as I blame him.

[chaddyrovers]

On 17/09/2025 at 14:28, roversfan99 said:

I see that Elliott Jackson is today pushing a narrative that the fans should be "all in" on Ismael.

Where do people stand on him at the moment? Amidst the shit storm of what happened off the pitch in the summer, the only thing that really seems to be discussed (understandably) is whether he is truly genuinely happy, whether he can be happy or whether hes towing the party line sat on his long contract.

He has obviously had some big difficulties as do all of our managers under these twats. But how convinced are people that he is the best man to take us forward?

I certainly am not "all in" on him personally, obviously I back him and desperately hope he does well as he is the current manager but I would say I am 30-40% convinced that hes any good. There have been glimmers of promise and a lot of mitigating factors but a lot to do to fully convince me personally. Hopefully he can really change my mind by putting a run of results together starting from last Saturday.

all about results. 

he is straight talker and he rebuild this squad into more of his own style. 

Many unknowns on those new signings but impressive away games like Watford away will keep coming hopefully

Only 1 away goal conceded in 3 away games

Also making Cantwell captain has been inspired decision 

Edited 2 hours ago by chaddyrovers

[London blue]

6 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

all about results. 

he is straight talker and he rebuild this squad into more of his own style. 

Many unknowns on those new signings but wins like Watford away will keep coming. 

Only 1 away goal conceded in 3 away games

"All about results"

Apart from when results are poor, when you decide it's about how honest he is and how he needs time.

I'm sick to the back teeth of you and your hypocrisy.

[RevidgeBlue]

33 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Only 1 away goal conceded in 3 away games

3 successive home defeats to start the season off.

[roversfan99]

31 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

all about results. 

he is straight talker and he rebuild this squad into more of his own style. 

Many unknowns on those new signings but impressive away games like Watford away will keep coming hopefully

Only 1 away goal conceded in 3 away games

Also making Cantwell captain has been inspired decision 

Obviously its all about results.

And his overall record so far isnt particularly good here. I would interpret being all in as being fully confident in the ability of the manager without any big doubts.

I was all in on Eustace, but only once he had proven his ability shown by results. Hopefully Ismael will oversee results that lead to a similar level of confidence. But he hasnt and I am not sure if he will.

Would it be safe to assume that telling me that its about results before cherry picking random positive statistics, picking out individual decisions and telling me what you think about his media presence, that you are very much "all in" on Ismael?

[chaddyrovers]

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Obviously its all about results.

And his overall record so far isnt particularly good here. I would interpret being all in as being fully confident in the ability of the manager without any big doubts.

I was all in on Eustace, but only once he had proven his ability shown by results. Hopefully Ismael will oversee results that lead to a similar level of confidence. But he hasnt and I am not sure if he will.

Would it be safe to assume that telling me that its about results before cherry picking random positive statistics, picking out individual decisions and telling me what you think about his media presence, that you are very much "all in" on Ismael?

Neither was John Eustace. 

2 away clean sheets in the last 2 away game in 2 solid away performances. Can't take that away from Ismael. Should be on 9/10 points right now

Norwich played well but we could a grab a point with better finishing and Birmingham should have 3 points. 

I suggested Cantwell being made captain before he was cos he is our best player and Warnock did it with Tarabet. 

 

[chaddyrovers]

27 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

3 successive home defeats to start the season off.

Only 2 home league games played so far

[davulsukur]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Neither was John Eustace. 

2 away clean sheets in the last 2 away game in 2 solid away performances. Can't take that away from Ismael. Should be on 9/10 points right now

Norwich played well but we could a grab a point with better finishing and Birmingham should have 3 points. 

I suggested Cantwell being made captain before he was cos he is our best player and Warnock did it with Tarabet. 

 

But we're not, because it's all about results! 

[chaddyrovers]

1 minute ago, davulsukur said:

But we're not, because it's all about results! 

Granted but 6 points from 5 games is decent/ok given that squad overhaul we did. Its a gamble from us but let's see where come Christmas time

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Neither was John Eustace. 

2 away clean sheets in the last 2 away game in 2 solid away performances. Can't take that away from Ismael. Should be on 9/10 points right now

Norwich played well but we could a grab a point with better finishing and Birmingham should have 3 points. 

I suggested Cantwell being made captain before he was cos he is our best player and Warnock did it with Tarabet. 

 

You said it was all about results correctly so its irrelevant surely how many points you think we "deserve" to have. Results show 2 wins and 4 losses this season. 4 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses last season. So overall, 6 wins in 17. 9 losses. Simple as that.

You avoided my question and seem reluctant to say whether you are all in on Ismael and if you are fully confident in him.

[chaddyrovers]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

You said it was all about results correctly so its irrelevant surely how many points you think we "deserve" to have. Results show 2 wins and 4 losses this season. 4 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses last season. So overall, 6 wins in 17. 9 losses. Simple as that.

You avoided my question and seem reluctant to say whether you are all in on Ismael and if you are fully confident in him.

Results show 2 wins and 3 losses in 5 league games yes league games. 

Cos its the same question every time. Its about results in the league. Simple as. We should be on 9 points if it wasn't 2 poor pieces of play from us.

[roversfan99]

😂 so it is about the objective matter of results, but only upon the removal of lost cup games and having added on additional points that we subjectively "deserved" but didnt get due to poor play. Ok then. 

You could surely say that all losses were suffered due to poor play.

Yet its not enough evidence even when youve twisted the results in your favour to just say that you are all in on the manager. 

[chaddyrovers]

45 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

😂 so it is about the objective matter of results, but only upon the removal of lost cup games and having added on additional points that we subjectively "deserved" but didnt get due to poor play. Ok then. 

You could surely say that all losses were suffered due to poor play.

Yet its not enough evidence even when youve twisted the results in your favour to just say that you are all in on the manager. 

Cup game results doesn't have bearing on my Ismael's job here. 

My view on Birmingham game and we didnt get what we deserved from that game based on the overall game not just cherry picking like yourself. 

Ismael will be judged on results. So far we had steady/ok start