Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[lraC]

58 minutes ago, Jimmy612 said:

To be honest, I don't suspect it is true in reality.  Even if Owen did decide Ismael wasn't right for the job (I have no evidence whatsoever that this is the case), do you really think he'd get it past RG and more importantly, SS?  AO won't have any direct comms with the owners, and I'm pretty sure SS wouldn't be wanting to approach the owners to tell them the manager they selected is a failure. 

There was lots of chatter last April that there was a clause in VI's contract that it could be terminated within something like... 5 or 6 months. I remember Glen Mullan banging that drum quite incessantly.   Is it beyond the realms of possibility that other clauses could have been inserted to protect the club from paying more or less full compensation?  I know lots of people will say, this is Suhail you're talking about, but if nothing else, he doesn't like parting with his bosses money.  I can't imagine VI would have held much negotiating power given his pretty abject managerial record. 

Pretty much as I see it that.

[jim mk2]

So what does Adam Owen actually do? What is the function of a "technical director"? This appears to be a non-job to me, but one for which I'm sure he's well paid

Clubs used to be a simple. There was a manager, who managed the team (obviously), a trainer, and a secretary. They had one of two assistants, but that was about it. 

Now I'm told (usually by Chaddy) the game has changed and the we have to have "directors of coaching", "technical directors", "heads of recruitment", specialist coaches for forwards, defenders, goalkeepers, free kicks, corners and throw-ins, a huge number of people at great expense who, it seems to me, add no value whatsoever 

 

[davulsukur]

1 hour ago, Jimmy612 said:

I remember this being included in the last fans forum minutes

DM asked RG that while he had stated he thinks we will have a good season, what if we don’t? Since Steve Waggott left the structure at the club is unclear and if there is a decision to be made on the future of the head coach, who is responsible for that?

SS stated it would be the owners decision, but they would propose it.

DM asked specifically who would propose this as it is unclear where people’s remit starts and ends, and it was unclear who was assessing the performance of RG/SS or VI.

RG stated that AO was responsible for assessing all coaching staff at the club, which extended to ValerienIsmael.

The problem we have here is that Gestede, Owen, Ismael and maybe even Pasha (although I suspect he's chucking the rest under the bus right now) are all in it together. 

The appointment of the Ismael himself, the dross we've signed, the shocking performances all down to these clowns collectively. 

They won't be in any hurry to bin Ismael off, or sell any of the poor signings in desperate hope it all clicks and we suddenly start winning games. 

It's a collective failure and they're coming up with all the excuses as to why it's not working.

[den]

7 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

The problem we have here is that Gestede, Owen, Ismael and maybe even Pasha (although I suspect he's chucking the rest under the bus right now) are all in it together. 

The appointment of the Ismael himself, the dross we've signed, the shocking performances all down to these clowns collectively. 

They won't be in any hurry to bin Ismael off, or sell any of the poor signings in desperate hope it all clicks and we suddenly start winning games. 

It's a collective failure and they're coming up with all the excuses as to why it's not working.

yes. Excusing it rather than dealing with it.

[davulsukur]

22 minutes ago, den said:

yes. Excusing it rather than dealing with it.

Yep.

"We have too many players out injured"

"When they're back, we'll be fine"

"Too many refereeing decisions are going against us"

"We were beating Ipswich when the game was called off"

"We were beating Sheff Wed when the game was called off"

"The data shows we should be higher in the league than we are"

"We're in a period/season (adjust based on length of shambolic performances) of transition"

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

So what does Adam Owen actually do? What is the function of a "technical director"? This appears to be a non-job to me, but one for which I'm sure he's well paid

Clubs used to be a simple. There was a manager, who managed the team (obviously), a trainer, and a secretary. They had one of two assistants, but that was about it. 

Now I'm told (usually by Chaddy) the game has changed and the we have to have "directors of coaching", "technical directors", "heads of recruitment", specialist coaches for forwards, defenders, goalkeepers, free kicks, corners and throw-ins, a huge number of people at great expense who, it seems to me, add no value whatsoever 

 

Football management has become a “ jobs for the boys “ lads club.

[K-Hod]

In layman’s terms- too many Chiefs, not enough Indians’.

Hang on a minute, perhaps not the best analogy 😅.

[London blue]

Seems like it's lack of accountability by design.

No clear accountability means mistakes go unpunished and root causes are not identified.

If your feet are under the table (SS, RG... AO TBC?) then blame is shifted onto the next mug.

Rinse, repeat.

[RevidgeBlue]

3 hours ago, Jimmy612 said:

To be honest, I don't suspect it is true in reality.  Even if Owen did decide Ismael wasn't right for the job (I have no evidence whatsoever that this is the case), do you really think he'd get it past RG and more importantly, SS?  AO won't have any direct comms with the owners, and I'm pretty sure SS wouldn't be wanting to approach the owners to tell them the manager they selected is a failure. 

There was lots of chatter last April that there was a clause in VI's contract that it could be terminated within something like... 5 or 6 months. I remember Glen Mullan banging that drum quite incessantly.   Is it beyond the realms of possibility that other clauses could have been inserted to protect the club from paying more or less full compensation?  I know lots of people will say, this is Suhail you're talking about, but if nothing else, he doesn't like parting with his bosses money.  I can't imagine VI would have held much negotiating power given his pretty abject managerial record. 

If there was a break clause in Vi's contract allowing him to be sacked after 6 months it should have been activated after he blew us almost instantly out of the play off reckoning.

The fact it wasn't activated then doesnt inspire any confidence that they'll act now either.

[RoverDom]

Trouble is football is now an industry worth billions so everyone is looking to get that extra few % out of the teams. Maybe hiring a specialist defensive coach seems like a pointless non-job waste of time but it could be one of those fine margins that make a real difference. The cost relative to the potential reward is decent.

There are clubs were these modern structures work and work well. Then you get clubs trying to copy it...badly. Like us. People employed in roles with fancy titles but all the power is concentrated in one person. 

 

 

[Tomphil2]

Technical Director suggests he's the one who implements the football style throughout the club and focuses maybe on working with  DJ and the coaching staff on improving individual players via their data.

Might be wrong of course but what else would he be doing and Gestede saying AO 'assesses everybody including VI doesn't mean a great deal at Rovers because he'll report to Gestede and Suhail.

So Rudy is slyly passing the buck there the Tech director won't be able to hire or fire or sign or sell anybody he just gives his reports and opinions to those above him.

Edited 6 hours ago by Tomphil2

[had.e.nuff]

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

In layman’s terms- too many Chiefs, not enough Indians’.

Hang on a minute, perhaps not the best analogy 😅.

definitely too many indians

[GHR]

4 hours ago, London blue said:

Seems like it's lack of accountability by design.

No clear accountability means mistakes go unpunished and root causes are not identified.

If your feet are under the table (SS, RG... AO TBC?) then blame is shifted onto the next mug.

Rinse, repeat.

Indeed. A change of topic entirely but the US President Harry Truman used to have a sign on his desk reading 'The buck stops here'. That would be like garlic to a vampire down at Brockhall.

[dallydally]

Get rid of Isma! End of......

[Dreams of 1995]

I think I am done with this seasons squad until Valerin is sacked. He is the worst manager we have had since Venkys arrived - yes, I am counting Owen Coyle in that.

It is so obvious to all that we are simply not coaching our players properly. They are all consistently making the wrong decision. Ok, some are not good enough but the fact this is team wise is a symptom of a lack of technical coaching

He is a coach who runs his players in to the ground. It is evident there is not the technical side of coaching which is developing the transition, the patterns of play, the attacking flair. It is all about huff and puff and a moment of individual brilliance

It is not helped with an amateur director of football. We have two people running the football side who are simply not good enough. Rudy is a self serving idiot who has alienated long standing staff members; his signings, almost to a man, poor. The squad is so imbalanced that it would take a head coach with real nouse to make a tune out of it

And we do not have that. We have a manager with no plan B. He is out of his depth here. I just can’t take watching any more of his football. It is negative in every sense of the word. I really don’t like him. Even under Coyle we looked like we could score. 1 win in 13 - if he isn’t sacked by tomorrow then this club is finished this season. To a man they are disgraces. Suhail, Rudy and Val - the death of this great club 

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

I think I am done with this seasons squad until Valerin is sacked. He is the worst manager we have had since Venkys arrived - yes, I am counting Owen Coyle in that.

It is so obvious to all that we are simply not coaching our players properly. They are all consistently making the wrong decision. Ok, some are not good enough but the fact this is team wise is a symptom of a lack of technical coaching

He is a coach who runs his players in to the ground. It is evident there is not the technical side of coaching which is developing the transition, the patterns of play, the attacking flair. It is all about huff and puff and a moment of individual brilliance

It is not helped with an amateur director of football. We have two people running the football side who are simply not good enough. Rudy is a self serving idiot who has alienated long standing staff members; his signings, almost to a man, poor. The squad is so imbalanced that it would take a head coach with real nouse to make a tune out of it

And we do not have that. We have a manager with no plan B. He is out of his depth here. I just can’t take watching any more of his football. It is negative in every sense of the word. I really don’t like him. Even under Coyle we looked like we could score. 1 win in 13 - if he isn’t sacked by tomorrow then this club is finished this season. To a man they are disgraces. Suhail, Rudy and Val - the death of this great club 

Yeah great post. Nothing else to be said.

I never wanted VI in the first place and have been banging the Ismael out drum for a long time. I dont know what else to say - it's completely ridiculous now.

Surely it must be obvious to even Pasha and Gestede by now that we're finished unless they try something different. Maybe they couldn't care less. Who knows?

Perhaps Paul M is realising why I've been the "anti -chaddy" for so long. Even Im getting fatigued by trying to highlight the bleedin' obvious all the time. Starting to feel a bit like I dont care.

Fuck 'em all.

But when the feeling of despair wears off tomorrow - still bring in a new Head Coach and let's at least TRY to stay up.

[Tom]

Praying for a miracle and he goes.

If so I’m sticking a tenner on that young up and comer over at Morecambe, he’s certainly making waves there 

[jim mk2]

This is getting silly now, we cannot carry on like this. There is no reason not to sack him

[Dreams of 1995]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Yeah great post. Nothing else to be said.

I never wanted VI in the first place and have been banging the Ismael out drum for a long time. I dont know what else to say - it's completely ridiculous now.

Surely it must be obvious to even Pasha and Gestede by now that we're finished unless they try something different. Maybe they couldn't care less. Who knows?

Perhaps Paul M is realising why I've been the "anti -chaddy" for so long. Even Im getting fatigued by trying to highlight the bleedin' obvious all the time. Starting to feel a bit like I dont care.

Fuck 'em all.

But when the feeling of despair wears off tomorrow - still bring in a new Head Coach and let's at least TRY to stay up.

Whats the answer, Rev? It has to be the sacking of the manager. You can’t do anything else if you are Rudy or Suahil

From a fan perspective - it is just another gap. This is a board and owners who STILL have not appointed a CEO

The truth is, Rudy Gestede has to go as well. Let’s get something straight here - Mr Broughton was sacked after putting together a squad who got 7th and making a profit on player trading. Rudy has decimated a squad and put together a rag tag bunch of European misfits who neither have a resale value or even a purpose in this league. Say what you want about Broughton but bring the man back

Me and you know the truth though, they won’t get rid. Val may go but Rudy will stay. He isn’t the man to speak out - he will stay silent and back these owners, whose only care about this club is what sum of money they need to transfer at the end of season

This is just another symptom of their crap ownership. Best we can hope for some tell us. This isn’t the best anyone can hope for. It’s a disgrace. We all deserve better. Anybody who says we do not deserve better than this shambolic set of clowns is not a real supporter of this football club

[rog of the rovers]

It’s not entirely his fault, injuries certainly have been a hindrance, some dodgy decisions gone against him/us too…but let’s be honest.

It’s never felt right.

 

[roverblue]

You get the feeling he isn’t even under the slightest bit of pressure from those in charge. They don’t care if we go down. 

[KentExile]

6 minutes ago, rog of the rovers said:

It’s not entirely his fault, injuries certainly have been a hindrance, some dodgy decisions gone against him/us too…but let’s be honest.

It’s never felt right.

 

but is is, and always has been aligned

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[Trinidad Rover]

There is no case for him to keep his job.

The challenge at Rovers is he is accountable to nobody. Certainly not the fans. He is aligned.

Pasha, Gestede and Ismael will be sitting down to work out how best to communicate what is happening to our ever benevolent 'owners'. 

Fans stopped mattering at this club a long time ago.

We are rotten to the absolute core. How very, very sad this is.

Edited 1 hour ago by Trinidad Rover

[Athlete]

He has to go and at least try a new manager bounce

But with the crap weve got even if we got  Enrique or Guadiola we may not get the bounce

[lraC]

It’s a very poor set of players, with and even worse manager. A recipe for disaster and it’s plain to see even for those with the rosiest tinted glasses.

surely Thats it now and he either steps down or is sacked.

He looked dejected at the end.