Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[Roverthechimp]

29 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

 

"I can't complain that any of the problems I speak about internally aren't taken seriously - sometimes we want things to happen quickly but you have to accept sometimes the rhythm of things going in some kind of direction."

Sounds like jazz not a professional football club

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

But you dont take into the market of who is available and not. Plus match fitness and UK based. 

For example, if Wrexham's Striker Ryan Hardie is only available for loan given the fact, he is championship experience, know the league and can hit the ground running. Surely you would be interest even if it just a loan or loan to perm deal? 

You can come up with hypothetical examples of players we might be able to borrow from Wrexham, but the people who sadly are employed by our club make things up as they go along.

[DE.]

37 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

 

"The Frenchman replaced John Eustace at Ewood Park in February, eventually taking them to within one place of the Championship play-offs last season."

A lesson on how phrasing can distort reality. We were in the playoff positions and he took us out of them. That description from the BBC makes it sound like he guided us to the brink from the outside. 

Can't complain with Ismael's response to the letter, mind. Correctly pointing out that the issues run much deeper than his tenure and isn't just about disappointment in the current campaign. Granted you could argue he's saying that to shirk his own responsibility for current fan unrest, but at the same time he isn't wrong. 

Edited December 19 by DE.

[StHelensRover]

8 minutes ago, Roverthechimp said:

"I can't complain that any of the problems I speak about internally aren't taken seriously - sometimes we want things to happen quickly but you have to accept sometimes the rhythm of things going in some kind of direction."

Sounds like jazz not a professional football club

This team isn't Miles Davis but it is Miles Off It

[Cherry Blue]

2 minutes ago, Browjd said:

Just watched the interview. He looks knackered, frustrated and it feels all too familiar...Doesn't get the 4 signings he wants and is gone by mid Feb is my guess...

Nervous too. Clear there's no future for Pickering and it worries me when he speaks of "adjusting the squad". Working with what he has with no incomings because his hands are tied but he wont admit it. I'd give him until the close of this season because at the moment he's employed.

Also sounds like he's saying it isn't his job to speak with owners and admits it "completely different" at Rovers compared to other clubs. imo its not working. Speak up venkys I can't hear you!

[RevidgeBlue]

9 minutes ago, DE. said:

"The Frenchman replaced John Eustace at Ewood Park in February, eventually taking them to within one place of the Championship play-offs last season."

A lesson on how phrasing can distort reality. We were in the playoff positions and he took us out of them. That description from the BBC makes it sound like he guided us to the brink from the outside. 

That's a disgraceful comment from Bayes. It took Ismael one full game and eight minutes of his second to unravel all Eustace's good work.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

You can come up with hypothetical examples of players we might be able to borrow from Wrexham, but the people who sadly are employed by our club make things up as they go along.

My example was a fair and realistic on what Rovers will be looking at and weighing on options and going for the targets. 

I hope we get them in early and they can have instinct impact we need them to get us up the league

1 hour ago, Cherry Blue said:

Nervous too. Clear there's no future for Pickering and it worries me when he speaks of "adjusting the squad". Working with what he has with no incomings because his hands are tied but he wont admit it. I'd give him until the close of this season because at the moment he's employed.

Also sounds like he's saying it isn't his job to speak with owners and admits it "completely different" at Rovers compared to other clubs. imo its not working. Speak up venkys I can't hear you!

at least he has spoken directly to the owners and I hope this does help bringing in the signings we need in January and to re-shape this squad and give us another striker and centre back options. 

on adjusting the squad point, players will need to leave in order to bring players and also to register them within the 25 man squad. Players like Gueye, Pickering, possibly De Neve will move on I imagine. 

[JHRover]

Not sure how I feel about a guy who has won 1 all season at home and taken us to the cusp of the relegation zone getting 'backed' in January. 

Of course 'backing' has lots of different forms and unless we are suddenly going to spend money on both fees and Championship level wages we are going to be shopping in the same aisle as the summer.

We could sign 5 on 1st January and that would qualify as backing. But if they are more dross like the summer there's little credit for that.

Of course it would be typical for these owners to suddenly release funds to support Ismael in January after doing zilch to support the last 3 managers who had all dragged us into promotion contention.

Suspect the Stooge in the shadows is nervous and plans to use the early days of the January window to dilute fan anger by shuffling the deck with players. Getting Pickering out will naturally free up space for a couple of cheap incomings and unfortunately a lot of the support base will lap it all up as evidence of Venkys backing the club and about how they're doing nothing wrong.

[B16Rover]

Has anyone done the Val doing the Love Actually carollers scene yet?

[roversfan99]

52 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

My example was a fair and realistic on what Rovers will be looking at and weighing on options and going for the targets. 

I hope we get them in early and they can have instinct impact we need them to get us up the league

at least he has spoken directly to the owners and I hope this does help bringing in the signings we need in January and to re-shape this squad and give us another striker and centre back options. 

on adjusting the squad point, players will need to leave in order to bring players and also to register them within the 25 man squad. Players like Gueye, Pickering, possibly De Neve will move on I imagine. 

You are still speaking consistently as if we are operating as a normal, functioning club.

[chaddyrovers]

52 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

You are still speaking consistently as if we are operating as a normal, functioning club.

I didn't mention about the club normal functional or not, I just comment what Ismael said, his phone call with the owners and how/when he wants signings coming in. 

All you do is nit pick and slag me off, why do you even comment on my posts? You demand I and others answer your questions but can't/wont show the same when people you asked questions. 🤔

[Tomphil2]

Speaking directly to the owners usually means they've placated someone with another pack of lies.

[Mattyblue]

15 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

All you do is nit pick and slag me off, why do you even comment on my posts?

Pot, kettle.

[B16Rover]

Joint 3rd now if every game finished bang on the 90th minute

Unsure if that's a reflection of Val or squad depth 

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Say what you want about the manager but you can’t knock how he’s changed the mentality of the players. Every week we lose a key player, half the first team are missing, some look to be playing carrying injuries, some are being asked to play out of position etc. Yet every one is giving 100% for the shirt and they’re getting results we shouldn’t really be getting. Like yesterday, top goalscorer missing, best attacking threat away in Africa yet we go to the 2nd placed club in the league and arm wrestle a result.  There’s no sign of players feeling sorry for themselves like we’ve seen from struggling Rovers teams in the past.

[simongarnerisgod]

i don`t mind val,he`s doing an ok job considering the morons who run the club don`t want any success,i do think he`ll get fed up and leave at the end of the season though,a mutual termination or he`ll find another job,the rovers manager position is a chalice so poisoned it will kill your ambition stone dead

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Say what you want about the manager but you can’t knock how he’s changed the mentality of the players. Every week we lose a key player, half the first team are missing, some look to be playing carrying injuries, some are being asked to play out of position etc. Yet every one is giving 100% for the shirt and they’re getting results we shouldn’t really be getting. Like yesterday, top goalscorer missing, best attacking threat away in Africa yet we go to the 2nd placed club in the league and arm wrestle a result.  There’s no sign of players feeling sorry for themselves like we’ve seen from struggling Rovers teams in the past.

He has united the players and the dressing room. Also think Cantwell has a big part in that. Ismael is very quick to praise to him for his off the pitch leadership. 

the players clearly understand what Ismael wants tactically 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

He has united the players and the dressing room. Also think Cantwell has a big part in that. Ismael is very quick to praise to him for his off the pitch leadership. 

the players clearly understand what Ismael wants tactically 

He’s got Cantwell probably playing as well as he has for a long time. Inspite of him being not 100%  I reckon if we had more senior players back Cantwell would maybe be on the bench. That strapping isn’t just for keeping his leg warm.

[chaddyrovers]

8 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He’s got Cantwell probably playing as well as he has for a long time. Inspite of him being not 100%  I reckon if we had more senior players back Cantwell would maybe be on the bench. That strapping isn’t just for keeping his leg warm.

Good man management skills there. If Cantwell is fit, he starts

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Good man management skills there. If Cantwell is fit, he starts

I don’t think he’s 100% fit but he’s turning out anyway.

Edited 4 hours ago by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Andy]

He's a funny one.

The away performances and results (over a half season, not just a few fluke results) tell me that he knows how to set up a team.

But then the home performances & results show that he hasn't found a way to win games where we have to take the initiative.

There's no question that the players are playing for him and, whilst it's a bit Marmite, I like his honest, direct answers on most things. I can deal with honesty, it's the generic football manager speak that sends me to sleep.

So he's nowhere near to be being in the 'useless piece of shit' (Kean / Coyle) group.
But he's clearly not as savvy as the likes of Eustace or JDT in terms of getting a tune out of a group.

You do also have to take into account how we're being run by criminally-inept administrators.
I think I lean more towards the 'he's actually doing alright in the circumstances' column, though the home form needs to pick up - and quickly.

Edited 3 hours ago by Andy

[philipl]

On 10/12/2025 at 23:28, LDRover said:

Heard some interesting stuff from a trusted ITK tonight on the going on down at Brockhall - it may be known to some on here so apologies if that's the case.

First team played the u21s in a behind closed doors friendly and lost 7-0....yes 7-0.

Ribeiro went over the top on one of the youngsters with a late challenge and ended up gripping the young lad even though it was he who was being a nob.

All food in the canteen is now halal and this has not gone down well.

None of the current 1st team backline are rated by any of the under 21s or the non first team coaches - especially the new recruits.

 

Jaw dropping!

Not the halal report but everything else- perhaps explains why the players coming in from the Academy are doing so well.

 Back to Ismael, no denying he is capable of setting a team up well, motivating them when things look bad and making astute subs. He also has had a fair share of cock ups and struggles at Ewood in a two thirds empty stadium, rancid atmosphere and a variable playing surface cum swimming pool.   

 

Edited 3 hours ago by philipl

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

Jaw dropping!

Not the halal report but everything else- perhaps explains why the players coming in from the Academy are doing so well.

 Back to Ismael, no denying he is capable of setting a team up well, motivating them when things look bad and making astute subs. He also has had a fair share of cock ups and struggles at Ewood in a two thirds empty stadium, rancid atmosphere and a variable playing surface cum swimming pool.   

 

This last section is going to need some explanation. 

Have you been spending time in some dark corners of the internet recently?

[roversfan99]

Im not sure he has fully united the dressing room. I think youd have to go back to the Murphy/Etuhu days where it was clear that 100% wasnt being put in.

But we have had problems of players not training properly this season according to Ismael himself, seemingly wasters like Gueye and Tavares. Also Kargbo not bothering to track back leading to a goal, public comments about Carter's preparation.

There have definitely been performances full of grit and real character but also ones showing a real fragility. I certainly wouldnt be able to commit to bigging up Ismael's man management as a positive.

There is certainly a lot of merit to the argument that he has been left with a poor and imbalanced squad, even if he has seemingly played a big part in endorsing the players hes been left with. And he isnt in the Kean and Coyle category. But I certainly havent been impressed with or warmed to his management overall.