Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[Tomphil2]

20th in the second tier is in no way a natural level for Blackburn Rovers.

Our overall history doesn't back that up despite the docile few who seem to welcome it as normal stuff.

But.... and here's the thing 20th in this division is about right given the budget, standard of people running the club and owning it and the level of crowds they've reduced us to.

So you have to conclude it's THEIR level they've finally dragged us down to nothing more nothing less. Replace the name Blackburn Rovers with Crewe or Barnsley or Oldham and they'd all probably be happy and say yes this is where we should be.

Why don't they all fuck off and buy/run a club like that.

[Mattyblue]

19 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

He's picking these players and shoehorning them in because his job is give them Championship mins and create value.

That trumps EVERYTHING at Blackburn Rovers.

Exactly right. How many years of this and folk are still coming out with ‘why’s he not been sacked?’ ‘Why’s he still playing him in that position?’ ‘Why so many young lads on the bench?’

Because winning matches, I.e the whole point of professional football, is not the point here.

 

[Tomphil2]

6 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Exactly right. How many years of this and folk are still coming out with ‘why’s he not been sacked?’ ‘Why’s he still playing him in that position?’ ‘Why so many young lads on the bench?’

Because winning matches, I.e the whole point of professional football, is not the point here.

 

Yep Kean started it every time he referred to 'book value' instead of talking about points.  It continued under Bowyer 'squad value' and nobody did more shoehorning than ToMo 'creating value'.

Every gaffer who has dared put points as priority and team building in transfer windows hasn't lasted very long.

We are an agents vehicle that was part of the deal from the very beginning and its never gone away. Grow and sell grow and sell, a whol team if necessary.

Only difference now is it has become more of a necessity due to owners pulling up their bridge.

[jim mk2]

I don’t think they’ll sack him yet if at all but a couple of more defeats and any manager with any self awareness would realise their position is untenable and resign.

It has been noted elsewhere but this is where the decline in the influence of  local newspapers and local reporters hits hard. The press of years gone by would have calling for change in 150pt bold headlines long before now

 

[StHelensRover]

I don't fancy us to get anything at Swansea mid week. Would the club maybe try and sack him just before the Watford game to try and distract from the boycott? It might put some off some people who were on the fence about whether to boycott from participating.

It's an option for them to try and relieve some of the tension in the fan base, as they might see it. Not sure how many that would wash with though.

 

[sharpysharps86]

5 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

I don't fancy us to get anything at Swansea mid week. Would the club maybe try and sack him just before the Watford game to try and distract from the boycott? It might put some off some people who were on the fence about whether to boycott from participating.

It's an option for them to try and relieve some of the tension in the fan base, as they might see it. Not sure how many that would wash with though.

 

This is something I considered this morning, because if Rovers lose on Tuesday and go behind against Watford on Saturday, then whatever small number of home fans are attending for that game will surely turn...BUT there's no way the club would be willing to pay him off, so it'd have to be a mutual consent of some sort, and I just can't see that happening while Ismael has that long contract.

Its a deeply depressing situation because even if Ismael goes, which he absolutely should, we know the club is still rotten to the absolute core and the disdain they have for the fans is toxic.

[davulsukur]

19 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

I don't fancy us to get anything at Swansea mid week. Would the club maybe try and sack him just before the Watford game to try and distract from the boycott? It might put some off some people who were on the fence about whether to boycott from participating.

It's an option for them to try and relieve some of the tension in the fan base, as they might see it. Not sure how many that would wash with though.

 

Another abysmal performance and defeat on Tuesday, might just up the boycott numbers. 

Really wouldn't surprise me if the club did actually sack him in a desperate last ditch effort to quell the unrest.

The signing of Jorgensen helped a fair bit but all that work was undone after 3mins into yesterday's game.

[jim mk2]

From the Facebook page. I kid ye not.....

 

Genuine question for rovers ‘fans’ what are your expectations for this season?

We’re clearly in a transitional year. This is a rebuild with a largely new squad that needs time to gel, find the right formation, develop patterns of play, and grow together. The aim is to keep this group together and build on it next season. That appears to be the plan.

So why do we have a new team in the first place?

Because the club had little choice. Players like Travis, Brittain, Hyam, Szmodics and others wanted to move on. That’s football. They’re professionals, and like anyone in employment, they’ll go where the opportunity and pay are better. If they weren’t willing to sign new deals, the club was right to move them on rather than risk losing them for nothing.

Given all that, expecting instant success with a brand new squad just isn’t realistic.

Last season, when we went to Bramall Lane and missed out on the play-offs by a single point, there was no shortage of support. Tickets were in huge demand and everyone wanted to be there. That’s the easy part. Where was your boycotts then??

Real support is backing the team when things are difficult, during a rebuild, and when results aren’t perfect. This season is about patience, perspective, and getting behind a group that’s still finding its feet. Section of our supporters I actually think are the worst fans in the whole country I know every club has them but I think ours could be worst.

So again, what do fans realistically expect this season, knowing where the club is and why?

Below was less then 12 months ago, some of you are pathetic and need to pick up your dummies and toys and put them back in the pram…..

 

[KentExile]

Its this that winds me up the most

5 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Because the club had little choice. Players like Travis, Brittain, Hyam, Szmodics and others wanted to move on. That’s football. They’re professionals, and like anyone in employment, they’ll go where the opportunity and pay are better. If they weren’t willing to sign new deals, the club was right to move them on rather than risk losing them for nothing.

Why is there no thought that maybe, just maybe, we could offer them competitive wages before the tail end of the contracts and then they may stay?

[StHelensRover]

8 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

From the Facebook page. I kid ye not.....

 

Genuine question for rovers ‘fans’ what are your expectations for this season?

We’re clearly in a transitional year. This is a rebuild with a largely new squad that needs time to gel, find the right formation, develop patterns of play, and grow together. The aim is to keep this group together and build on it next season. That appears to be the plan.

So why do we have a new team in the first place?

Because the club had little choice. Players like Travis, Brittain, Hyam, Szmodics and others wanted to move on. That’s football. They’re professionals, and like anyone in employment, they’ll go where the opportunity and pay are better. If they weren’t willing to sign new deals, the club was right to move them on rather than risk losing them for nothing.

Given all that, expecting instant success with a brand new squad just isn’t realistic.

Last season, when we went to Bramall Lane and missed out on the play-offs by a single point, there was no shortage of support. Tickets were in huge demand and everyone wanted to be there. That’s the easy part. Where was your boycotts then??

Real support is backing the team when things are difficult, during a rebuild, and when results aren’t perfect. This season is about patience, perspective, and getting behind a group that’s still finding its feet. Section of our supporters I actually think are the worst fans in the whole country I know every club has them but I think ours could be worst.

So again, what do fans realistically expect this season, knowing where the club is and why?

Below was less then 12 months ago, some of you are pathetic and need to pick up your dummies and toys and put them back in the pram…..

 

Another post written using AI and pasted onto Facebook and a load of rubbish.

There is a decent chance of us getting relegated this season, that's not a transition that's a car crash. 

Was it posted by that 'Freddie' by any chance? King of the Venky Clappers. Does he get free hospitality or something for writing this mince? 

Edited 33 minutes ago by StHelensRover

[Jimmy612]

18 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

This is something I considered this morning, because if Rovers lose on Tuesday and go behind against Watford on Saturday, then whatever small number of home fans are attending for that game will surely turn...BUT there's no way the club would be willing to pay him off, so it'd have to be a mutual consent of some sort, and I just can't see that happening while Ismael has that long contract.

Its a deeply depressing situation because even if Ismael goes, which he absolutely should, we know the club is still rotten to the absolute core and the disdain they have for the fans is toxic.

Instinct/past experience leads me to suspect Rovers will win one or both of the next two, relieving the pressure and allowing Ismael some breathing space to limp on. It happened a lot during the Kean protest period… the Swans game (funnily enough) springs to mind, as does the Anfield/Old Trafford double header. Coyle too, had the occasional flurry of points to keep the pressure off. 
 

The question then will be, has VI and the squad turned a corner, or will a couple of wins or a win/draw paradoxically weaken our chance of staying up as we slump into another run of poor form with games running out. 

[Eternal Optimist]

Big if, but if Val was given the boot would good old Damien Duff be a good shout to be the next one in charge? 

[jim mk2]

4 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

Was it posted by that 'Freddie' by any chance? King of the Venky Clappers. Does he get free hospitality or something for writing this mince? 

Yes, I think it was him

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, Eternal Optimist said:

Big if, but if Val was given the boot would good old Damien Duff be a good shout to be the next one in charge? 

I would hope not, whoever replaces es Ismael will also be "aligned" & complicit in our further downfall (they would not be employed if they were not)

I like Duff, one of my favourite players for Rovers.  Him being aligned with the rats currently in charge makes me feel ill

Edited 28 minutes ago by KentExile

[Mattyblue]

‘It’s a season of transition’ is Venky-poligist bingo up there with ‘’oo else is gonna buy us?’, ‘twenty million’… and the old classic ‘they were badly advised’.

[simongarnerisgod]

wonder if the facebook happy clappers have considered,why would you break up a side that finished 7th and go into "rebuilding mode" surely the logical step would be to invest in 3/4 quality players,keep the ones who got you there and try to get into the play offs

the facebook lot really are bunch of simpletons

[den]

55 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

I don’t think they’ll sack him yet if at all but a couple of more defeats and any manager with any self awareness would realise their position is untenable and resign.

It has been noted elsewhere but this is where the decline in the influence of  local newspapers and local reporters hits hard. The press of years gone by would have calling for change in 150pt bold headlines long before now

 

Managers don’t resign any more Jim, why would they? Stay put and they’re guaranteed to receive their full contract value.

The owners have to sack them. They should sack him because the alternative is relegation. Even if they sack him I’ll have no confidence that they will bring someone better. That’s what 15 years of this lot does to fans.

[den]

The Facebook happy clappers would be better saying what their eyes are actually seeing on the pitch, rather than indulging in cliches.

[TugaysMarlboro]

There's a few reasons I completely deleted my Facebook account recently. That post only makes me feel more vindicated.

 

It reads like someone who may have started with a post 'in their own voice', then used AI to help them polish it, only to then get annoyed at the end of each paragraph.

Edited 4 minutes ago by TugaysMarlboro
Ironically, grammar

[jim mk2]

26 minutes ago, Eternal Optimist said:

Big if, but if Val was given the boot would good old Damien Duff be a good shout to be the next one in charge? 

Sources in Ireland say Damien is a bit of a volatile character; he made a sudden departure from Shelbourne shortly after winning the title citing various frustrations with how the club was run. I don't think he'd last 5 minutes at Ewood