Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[wilsdenrover]

39 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I wish he hadnt offered to reduce the transfer budget to compensate although I understand its just him stressing the importance.

It should be either or. We badly need new players and a suitable pitch. 

I’m surprised he thinks there is a transfer budget. 

[aletheia]

Really dislike conspiracy land but with this club’s lack of communication it’s hard not to get embroiled.

Did Val already know that no new money would be forthcoming in January and thus his plea for a pitch remedy instead of transfer money is straight out of the club playbook as Rev says?

His rant seemed a little long for that to me -he just seems embarrassed and doesn't want blame attached to him.

Edited 1 hour ago by aletheia

[DE.]

Sounds he's losing the will to be the human shield who absorbs blame whilst the real culprits hide in the background. It's what he signed up for, granted, but I doubt he envisioned being grilled over not being able to play games at home when it rains. 

[Tomphil2]

He's not daft, this time next year when we are struggling again no doubt having decimated the squad further to cut costs he's already got his excuse in.

Then Gestede will say fans should be grateful the owners provide a pitch fit to play Sat/Tues.

Edited 1 hour ago by Tomphil2

[RevidgeBlue]

30 minutes ago, aletheia said:

he just seems embarrassed and doesn't want blame attached to him.

That's all it is for me.

"Nothing to do with me guv" as far as the fans are concerned and a "Don't worry here's how you can sort it out - I wont complain" message to his employers.

Edited 1 hour ago by RevidgeBlue

[blondie]

Venky's Dictionary

Transition: Cost Cutting

Transparency: Hide behind the Manager/ Fans Forum minutes debacle.

Alignment: Agree or lose your job.

[rovers11]

Much like those before him, VI clearly not happy with how the club is run and he's now struggling to hide his annoyance at what, quite frankly, is a joke of a club.

Let's face it, if we were a well run club then VI wouldnt be here in the first place. However, if he gets offered another job, he'll be off like a shot, just like our previous two managers. Sadly for VI, he won't be very in demand so I suspect he'll have to suffer through the pain like the rest of us.

[rovers11]

2 hours ago, Mike Graham said:

VI is well and truly having a go now.  This is from Radio Lancs / LT…..

Valerien Ismael says Blackburn Rovers must invest in Ewood Park's pitch after labelling the Sheffield Wednesday abandonment 'embarrassing'.

It is the second time this season that Rovers have been unable to complete a home fixture due to heavy rainfall. Understandably, the 36-year-old Ewood Park surface has come under scrutiny after the weekend.

Ismael has called on those in charge at Rovers to provide a clear plan of action to prevent any further issues. He believes money must be invested to provide peace of mind to staff, players and supporters.

"I am not the right person to give you an explanation," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Normally, it would be someone else here to explain what's happened. We have a lot of 'head of' in the club. Groundkeeping or someone from the board to give an explanation.

"I am like you, I'd like to understand. Like the players, like the fans. Why has this happened again? We were in a good position, especially when we spoke about creating something positive with the fans in home games after the Ipswich game.

"Now to be ahead, four points in two home games, would be great for us. Especially with a lot of games. Now we are sitting there with a situation that has happened again and I think everyone has the right to have some clarity, some guarantees, why has this happened again?

"What is the plan? Especially in the near future to make sure that money is invested to renew the pitch. It's as simple as that. I want guarantees I can do my job properly, the players need guarantees to do their job properly and the fans when they pay to see a game, they want to see a full 90 minutes and not have to go home with a big frustration.

"I am sitting here not knowing exactly what the next step is. It's not my job to explain that. Someone else has to stand up and show up and explain to the people why it's happened again."

Ismael conceded his is concerned whether Tuesday night's fixture with Oxford United will go ahead. Heavy rainfall has been forecast this week which is causing the head coach further concern.

"We have had no meetings," he continued.

"We had an explanation of what will happen the game in terms of rescheduling the game. It's another game on the schedule, another load for the players.

"My problem is this is happening again since Ipswich. I want a clear plan, clarity as to what the problem is and what the plan is. 'We can't renew the pitch now but in the summer we'll invest but this is the solution'. This is what is missing: a clear plan.

"It will happen again. If you see tomorrow, we see the forecast. The weather won't be nice. We don't know and that's terrible.

"It's pressure on your mind to see it's a home game, a rainy day and you don't know what will happen. It's a long-term issue which we have to think about.

"We need clarity. The players, the staff, the fans, the EFL. Everyone needs a reliable answer to make sure this embarrassing situation can't carry on."

Remarkably, Ismael even said he would sacrifice money to spend in the transfer market to ensure the Ewood Park pitch is rectified.

"I think it's an emergency call now.

"This is something we can control. You can't control the weather but you can renew the pitch. It's something you can control. It was a problem before me, it's a problem now and I hope it won't be a problem in the future anymore.

"If I can do anything to help, I will do it. If I can influence it, if we have to save money in the transfer market to add money to get a new pitch, I'd be the first person to do it. If I have to sacrifice that for the better of the club and the pitch, I will do it.

"I want to see everyone happy. Fans coming into the stadium and seeing the game until the end. I want to see my players getting their reward throughout the 90 minutes.

"If it's something I can do, I'll do it. We need a clear plan on the table for everyone to follow and understand."

Oof this is the first time I've seen thr full quotes. Good on VI for speaking up, but this won't go down well at all with the club. Venky's mantra has always been toe the line or you are out. They banned the local newspaper for similar reasons.