Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[Upside Down]

27 minutes ago, rigger said:

Do you get a box with it ?

That's and extra two hundred quid mate

[RoverPedro]

Okay, so ill be a brave one and admit I went to this. I got a freebie so thought, why not. 

There was about 30 people there. No idea who was business club or paying punter. 

First part was talking about his career, family etc etc. His time at Rovers so far. He came across as very family oriented, and actually seemed a nice bloke. He was asked about transfers and broadly gave same answers as what he's given to Radio Lancs. We are trying to bring pkayers in, hard in Jan. Usual stuff. But categorically said there was budget. 

Spoke about how important academy is. Hes impressed with how well litherland and Pratt have done. 

Change of tactics. Data showed we played much better in 352, more attacks and better pressure. We are 8th in chances created apparently but obvs we don't have enough quality to convert. (My opinion)

Home form, said needs to improve, again that's obvious, but we are again something like 8th in the away league table. 

Someone asked a question about the pitch. Is it fixed? Fans found it embarrassing. He said owners weren't happy, experts have been employed but can't do anything until end of season. Players were annoyed. Saw it points lost and we are talking in a more positive manner if they had finished as they were when game abandoned. 

I personally asked a question about player contracts, I said that we have lost too many players for far less than their market value due to club not getting on with offering contracts until it's too late. Have we offered contracts to Cantwell and even Alebiosu so we aren't in same position in future as this affects pur potential dealings in transfer windows with less mo ey than we should have. He said Hyam and Brittain situation was too far gone when he came in and so they needed to be sold so we could recoup. (I didn't get chance to ask why Hyam was so late a sale). Alebiosu and Cantwell have been offered contracts. So he says. And others but didn't name them. 

Said boycott talk doesn't affect players who are here and wouldn't affect players in terms of attracting them to club.

There wasn't too many hard hitting questions on the whole, as expected. And you are never going to get the full picture from these things. But overall he came across well. 

However, results business and whilst we have been decimated by injuries it isnt good enough what we are seeing at the moment. 

[KentExile]

17 minutes ago, RoverPedro said:

Alebiosu and Cantwell have been offered contracts. So he says. And others but didn't name them. 

 

Thanks for the report, much appreciated.  and just to state, I am not trying to shoot the messenger (so I hope you do not take this next line as as such).

Offering these players contracts is one thing, offering them contracts at anything like a competitive Championship wage is something else entirely

Edited 10 hours ago by KentExile

[MarkBRFC]

13 minutes ago, RoverPedro said:

Okay, so ill be a brave one and admit I went to this. I got a freebie so thought, why not. 

There was about 30 people there. No idea who was business club or paying punter. 

First part was talking about his career, family etc etc. His time at Rovers so far. He came across as very family oriented, and actually seemed a nice bloke. He was asked about transfers and broadly gave same answers as what he's given to Radio Lancs. We are trying to bring pkayers in, hard in Jan. Usual stuff. But categorically said there was budget. 

Spoke about how important academy is. Hes impressed with how well litherland and Pratt have done. 

Change of tactics. Data showed we played much better in 352, more attacks and better pressure. We are 8th in chances created apparently but obvs we don't have enough quality to convert. (My opinion)

Home form, said needs to improve, again that's obvious, but we are again something like 8th in the away league table. 

Someone asked a question about the pitch. Is it fixed? Fans found it embarrassing. He said owners weren't happy, experts have been employed but can't do anything until end of season. Players were annoyed. Saw it points lost and we are talking in a more positive manner if they had finished as they were when game abandoned. 

I personally asked a question about player contracts, I said that we have lost too many players for far less than their market value due to club not getting on with offering contracts until it's too late. Have we offered contracts to Cantwell and even Alebiosu so we aren't in same position in future as this affects pur potential dealings in transfer windows with less mo ey than we should have. He said Hyam and Brittain situation was too far gone when he came in and so they needed to be sold so we could recoup. (I didn't get chance to ask why Hyam was so late a sale). Alebiosu and Cantwell have been offered contracts. So he says. And others but didn't name them. 

Said boycott talk doesn't affect players who are here and wouldn't affect players in terms of attracting them to club.

There wasn't too many hard hitting questions on the whole, as expected. And you are never going to get the full picture from these things. But overall he came across well. 

However, results business and whilst we have been decimated by injuries it isnt good enough what we are seeing at the moment. 

Wonder how @Rossy Rover got that Ellie Youan was coming in from that?!

[BRFC.]

18 minutes ago, RoverPedro said:

He said Hyam and Brittain situation was too far gone when he came in and so they needed to be sold so we could recoup. (I didn't get chance to ask why Hyam was so late a sale). Alebiosu and Cantwell have been offered contracts. So he says. And others but didn't name them. 

 

Alebiosu and cantwell being sold in the summer then. 

[KentExile]

1 minute ago, BRFC. said:

Alebiosu and cantwell being sold in the summer then. 

As was already expected

I'd add Toth to that,

all greedy, obviously 😉 

Edited 10 hours ago by KentExile

[RevidgeBlue]

17 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Thanks for the report, much appreciated.  and Just to state, I am not trying to shoot the messenger (so I hope you do not take this next line as as such).

Offering these players contracts is one thing, offering them contracts at anything like a competitive Championship wage is something else entirely

Was about to post similar - if it is indeed correct that Alebiosu, Cantwell etc have been offered new deals then presumably they aren't competitive offers otherwise the first we would have heard of it was when it was reported they'd re-signed. So the whole process is basically pointless unless they are prepared to be competitive.

Many Thanks for the report though. I was mildly encouraged to read the owners were allegedly annoyed about the pitch. Let's see if that annoyance translates into remedial action in summer as promised.

Id have been even more encouraged to hear him concede that the owners  were also annoyed with the performance of him, Pasha, Gestede, and League position etc.

 

Edited 10 hours ago by RevidgeBlue

[Mattyblue]

30 people. So in reality a handful at best of the general public (i.e non-business club members) went to a Q&A with the manager.

Says a lot.

Edited 10 hours ago by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

I feel like managers always come across well at events like this. They always say the right things.

They always suggest that contracts are on the table, until they start getting signed, nothing changes. We have key players like Toth and Cantwell with 18 months left, but there are also much easier deals to be done for some of the youngsters. None have been done.

Same with transfers. Its just hot air until they happen.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

His record is shit..get him gone.

As for our so-called Owners being annoyed with the Pitch?.....🤣

They dont give a fook.

[roversfan99]

The owners arent happy that a pitch they refused to fund the overhaul of is costing us?

[MarkBRFC]

Ismael just another taking the fans for fools.

Cantwell and Alebiosu new contracts, don't make me laugh.

Owners not happy with the pitch, good grief.

[RoverPedro]

8 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Ismael just another taking the fans for fools.

Cantwell and Alebiosu new contracts, don't make me laugh.

Owners not happy with the pitch, good grief.

I never said I believed him. Im just relaying what was said. 

[RoverPedro]

21 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I feel like managers always come across well at events like this. They always say the right things.

They always suggest that contracts are on the table, until they start getting signed, nothing changes. We have key players like Toth and Cantwell with 18 months left, but there are also much easier deals to be done for some of the youngsters. None have been done.

Same with transfers. Its just hot air until they happen.

Completely agree. I suppose it's something we can hold them to though in future as its obviously quite a while before Alebisou and Cantwell are out of contract and if they dont sign then it's obvious we were never serious about the offers

[RoverPedro]

33 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

30 people. So in reality a handful at best of the general public (i.e non-business club members) went to a Q&A with the manager.

Says a lot.

It was quieter than I expected it to be. But as we were walking in, we said it was such strange timing to hold this when we are so crap at the minute

[roversfan99]

18 months until Cantwell is out of contract, unless he has an unreported option to extend. So he may need selling next summer.

Toth is also in the same boat.

I will never believe when they say anything will change regarding contracts. Until it does.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I will never believe when they say anything will change regarding contracts. Until it does.

💯

[K-Hod]

The owners won’t even know about the pitch, guarantee it.

Their pal Suhail will have seen to that.

[lraC]

8 hours ago, rigger said:

Do you get a box with it ?

Yes of course.

[Tomphil2]

Did the owners ever even have the pitch issue put to them ?

Remember various people have admitted they've never asked them for extra transfer funds because they didn't want to rock the boat.

Waggot allegedly costed it up but was he just window dressing and prepping fans with excuses for more players sales and commission for his mates ?

IF he did was it then kyboshed by you know who or the V's numerous finance people on the board ?

If you're someone wheeling and dealing at this club you don't wan't a huge lump of extra budget going towards a new pitch there's bugger all to be made from that in percentages. Asking owners for more money when your job is based on cost cutting and running within decreasing budgets doesn't look good on you either.

Clubs is owned by clowns but the people they have running it are shysters imo.