Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[arbitro]

Mr Aloof dismisses signing a free agent out straight away. Hyam was sold on the last day of the window giving us no time to buy a replacement (I'm not saying we would have spent btw) so the only option was a free agent.

We all knew Wharton and Carter are so susceptible to injury and yet he still wouldn't consider it, 'no way' he said.

His argument about getting up to speed is nonsense in my view. Signing someone in early September would have seen them fit by the end of that month, a month when the number games we played really began to take their toll.

His arrogance is going to be one of his undoings and is likely to cost us dearly.

[Mattyblue]

Standard script with managers that toe the line here, used to always hear ‘getting up to speed’ nonsense from TM too.

[Bronzed A Donis]

Yet we will sign a player injured ? How soon will he be up to speed if ever.

[JHRover]

We aren't going to sign experienced free agents because it isn't 'the project', we aren't paying competitive wages and our budget is probably maxed out from the summer.

The accountants and Suhail will not authorise and extra wage or two on the payroll.

If that means we get relegated off the back of it, then so be it.

It will be the same approach in January unless they can offload people first to raise money, despite Nixon's nonsense about investment coming, which is simply an attempt by the regime to buy time and get them through the next three months.

That's why Ismael is saying this.

 

[JHRover]

It would also be a clear acknowledgment of failing on the part of Gestede to now go out into the free agent market in bring in someone like Craig Dawson to see us through.

After spending the last 6 months talking about a project, recruitment, way of doing things, exciting times, bright new future and heaping praise on themselves and the owners for their investment and bringing in 10 new players in the summer, if they now accept that they've left us short and that we need to take emergency action to bring in defensive reinforcements it would basically mean them accepting that whatever they did over the summer wasn't enough.

Not going to happen. It will be square pegs in round holes until at least January and to hell with the consequences. 

[Kjell]

Why sign anyone in January? They will not not be up to speed before April. Suhail has found a human 'fax machine excuse' in the loyal servant Ismael.

[roverblue]

On 09/11/2025 at 08:36, RevidgeBlue said:

He's never quitting, he seems full square on behind the "transition".

Agreed, this was the ideal time for him to have a dig at the Hyam sale and he passed it up.

[MarkBRFC]

Why would Ismael quit?

He will milk this gig for as long as he can because he won't get another at this level.

[davulsukur]

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC said:

Why would Ismael quit?

He will milk this gig for as long as he can because he won't get another at this level.

Correct, his record in England post Barnsley has been shite.