Jordan Rhodes =Loans Manager

[aletheia]

16 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Don’t take this personally Mike, you’ve never been in an academy, you’ve never done the YTS, you’ve never been on loan, or played at multiple levels of the EFL, you’ve never been transferred, you don’t have connections throughout the league through family, network and former employers and finally you’ve never had the responsibility of playing for championship level teams on a regular basis. All of those things make his experience a hell of a lot more important than your own and all of those things should be useful to a club that has an u21 / u18 setup absolutely chock full of players.

Edit - apologies for the large text but whenever I try and type more than two sentences here these days, a pop up crashes the screen and I have to start again.

Great website lads.

Just a few points:

-He is 'loans manager.' RG has stated that we are not interested in those, so why is he required?

-the club is cost cutting -why not give the role to someone in-house (if it is even required?) Given, that we won't be having any loans, it should be a straightforward job.

-the timing is curious no?

[JBiz]

4 minutes ago, aletheia said:

Just a few points:

-He is 'loans manager.' RG has stated that we are not interested in those, so why is he required?

-the club is cost cutting -why not give the role to someone in-house (if it is even required?) Given, that we won't be having any loans, it should be a straightforward job.

-the timing is curious no?

Quote for the first?

A loans manager is regarding outward going loans from my experience. This isn’t about Jordan going to find us loans for the first team, that’s the scouting teams job. A loan manager from my experience finds places suitable for your younger players to get experience.

[aletheia]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/september/03/rhodes-returns-in-new-rovers-role-/

He will also be tasked with building and maintaining strong relationships with loan clubs and will link in with the scouting department by attending matches and assessing potential player targets, to support the club's broader recruitment strategy.

Edited 2 hours ago by aletheia
clarity

[JBiz]

10 minutes ago, aletheia said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/september/03/rhodes-returns-in-new-rovers-role-/

He will also be tasked with building and maintaining strong relationships with loan clubs and will link in with the scouting department by attending matches and assessing potential player targets, to support the club's broader recruitment strategy.

“the former fans favourite will identify and arrange appropriate loan opportunities, both domestically and abroad, to ensure placements align with the club's player development pathway”

Main responsibility - Clarity! Aka outgoing loans to clubs where it suits a “philosophy”.

[aletheia]

I can read thanks -can you? See the latter part of the club's statement.

edit It would be interesting to know what the new 'pathway' and 'philosophy' is.

Edited 2 hours ago by aletheia

[JBiz]

1 minute ago, aletheia said:

I can read thanks -can you? See the latter part of the club's statement.

Linking with scouts is an additional responsibility aka scouting. Doesn’t mean he is in charge of who is coming here on loan, is that what you’re suggesting this means?

[aletheia]

No.

 

[Mike E]

1 hour ago, JBiz said:

Don’t take this personally Mike, you’ve never been in an academy, you’ve never done the YTS, you’ve never been on loan, or played at multiple levels of the EFL, you’ve never been transferred, you don’t have connections throughout the league through family, network and former employers and finally you’ve never had the responsibility of playing for championship level teams on a regular basis. All of those things make his experience a hell of a lot more important than your own and all of those things should be useful to a club that has an u21 / u18 setup absolutely chock full of players.

Edit - apologies for the large text but whenever I try and type more than two sentences here these days, a pop up crashes the screen and I have to start again.

Great website lads.

Which leads me nicely to my next point:

Why Rhodes, specifically? Why not literally any ex-Rover? There is nothing Rhodes has done of merit to be ‘an excellent appointment’, even compared to a bog-standard EFL coach such as (for example) a promotion for David Lowe.

[KentExile]

1 hour ago, aletheia said:

Just a few points:

-He is 'loans manager.' RG has stated that we are not interested in those, so why is he required?

-the club is cost cutting -why not give the role to someone in-house (if it is even required?) Given, that we won't be having any loans, it should be a straightforward job.

-the timing is curious no?

The job of a loan manager is to source and manage outgoing loans, which they are interested in.  not the guys who come here on loan, which we are apparently not particularly interested in anymore

It was managed in house by Stuart Jones last season, he left

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[Mike E]

5 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Its to source and manage outgoing loans, which they are interested in.  not the guys who come here on loan, which we are apparently not particularly interested in anymore

It was managed in house by Stuart Jones last season, he left

Could’ve been given to David Lowe? Or Stuart Jones’ replacement.

[KentExile]

3 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Could’ve been given to David Lowe? Or Stuart Jones’ replacement.

I was under the impression that that it was offer to Lowe, and he turned it down

Rhodes is Stuart Jones replacement

Stuart Jones had not been managing the academy for over a year before leaving,  His previous role managing the academy was taken up by Paul Gray

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[Mike E]

I’ll put it this way. If it were common knowledge we were advertising for one, who on here would have thought ‘I bet Jordan Rhodes would be perfect for that’?

Edited 1 hour ago by Mike E

[JBiz]

Just now, Mike E said:

I’ll put it this way. Rovers have had the ‘Loan Manager’ vacancy for a couple of months (based on Jones’ departure).

If it were common knowledge we were advertising for one, who on here would have thought ‘I bet Jordan Rhodes would be perfect for that’?

Nobody, but to compare his adequacy to the role to your own, is tantamount to the pub favourite “my Granma would’ve scored that”

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, Mike E said:

I’ll put it this way. Rovers have had the ‘Loan Manager’ vacancy for a couple of months (based on Jones’ departure).

If it were common knowledge we were advertising for one, who on here would have thought ‘I bet Jordan Rhodes would be perfect for that’?

It was, I posted the advertisement on here in June

Here it is

https://jobs4football.com/job/loan-manager/

It was also advertised on Rovers website

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[Mike E]

3 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Nobody, but to compare his adequacy to the role to your own, is tantamount to the pub favourite “my Granma would’ve scored that”

Well at least you understood the post then.

2 minutes ago, KentExile said:

It was, I posted the advertisement on here in June

Here it is

https://jobs4football.com/job/loan-manager/

Thank you, hadn’t really known that. Don’t really understand how it relates to Rhodes being appointed.

[KentExile]

7 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Thank you, hadn’t really known that. Don’t really understand how it relates to Rhodes being appointed.

My response was specifically at the part of your comment which I highlighted in bold

Edited 58 minutes ago by KentExile

[wilsdenrover]

19 minutes ago, KentExile said:

It was, I posted the advertisement on here in June

Here it is

https://jobs4football.com/job/loan-manager/

It was also advertised on Rovers website

It would be interesting to know if Rhodes has a one year contract as per the ad and the minimum qualifications stated in it too.

 

Edited 51 minutes ago by wilsdenrover

[sharpysharps86]

5 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

It would be interesting to know if Rhodes has a one year contract as per the ad and the minimum qualifications stated in it too.

 

By the end of that contract he'll be taking over as head coach on a rolling deal, because nobody else will want it. 😅

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

By the end of that contract he'll be taking over as head coach on a rolling deal, because nobody else will want it. 😅

You must imagine Ismael has the patience of a saint if Rhodes won't be taking his job until June 😉

Most of our head coaches don't last much beyond Christmas these days

[aletheia]

Do we know why Stuart Jones was sacked after 13 years service?

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, aletheia said:

Do we know why Stuart Jones was sacked after 13 years service?

The official line is that he resigned before January and worked his notice, 

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24868253.blackburn-rovers-blow-key-member-staff-set-depart/

 

https://trainingground.guru/jones-steps-down-as-blackburn-academy-boss-after-13-years/#:~:text=Head of Academy Stuart Jones,Head of Academy in 2017.

 

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/05/stuart-jones-/

Edited 34 minutes ago by KentExile

[KentExile]

19 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

It would be interesting to know if Rhodes has a one year contract as per the ad and the minimum qualifications stated in it too.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-rhodes-10719b362/

 

UEFA B Qualified Coach
PFSA Level 2 Qualified - Talent Identification in football, Player Identification in football, Performance Analysis in football
Simms Level 2 Qualification - Certificate in counselling skills

 

https://jobs4football.com/job/loan-manager/

5. Qualifications Required

• Proven experience in a scouting/recruitment position within an elite sporting environment.
• FA Talent ID certification.
• UEFA B Licence or higher (desirable).
• Multilingual abilities (desirable).
• Full UK driving licence and the ability to travel nationwide.

[aletheia]

Such an exit of seasoned staff, on and off the field. So that's a refreshing new broom or something rotten in the state of Denmark. The last decade and a half could provide a clue.

[Atko's Engine]

Of all the things to criticise the club for, I'm not sure this is one of them. 

Rhodes has just retired, & clearly has a solid relationship with Gestede (which is good for consistency, regardless of what we feel about Gestede). It's a good way for him to start his post-playing career & he clearly has experience to call on from his own career that loanees will be able to relate to & benefit from, and will have good knowledge & contacts at League 1 level specifically that can help find suitable clubs for young players to move to for experience; no doubt finding appropriate clubs for our emerging talent will be his very first priority, given that only 3 are out there currently.

I'm actually quite pleased with this appointment, though proof will be in the pudding...

[JBiz]

@KentExile thanks for the research!