Oxford United (h) - 09/12/25

[Wheelton Blue]

The state of the pitch is just one of many symptoms of their lack of care.

The whole stadium is a neglected, run down, shoddy mess, and sooner or later some other urgent remedial action will be needed elsewhere.

They have absolutely no pride, nor do they care a jot.

[wilsdenrover]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/december/08/forshaw-ruled-out-of-oxford-encounter/

They’ve not even felt the need to describe Saturday’s game as abandoned.
 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by wilsdenrover

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, B16Rover said:

About what Tavares will cost in full.  Dare I say the pitch so far would've got us 6 points more than Sidnei

No %s for agency fees when spending big on a new pitch though....

[wilsdenrover]

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

No %s for agency fees when spending big on a new pitch though....

Surely they could find a firm that’s willing to give a kickback. 

[roverblue]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25681585.valerien-ismael-sends-ewood-park-message-blackburn-rovers/

 

He has finally broke ranks with the morons in the boardroom, gone up in my estimation.

[JHRover]

Like him or not Ismael has worked at a lot of proper professional football clubs in his time in football. Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Hanover, Lens, Nuremburg, Wolfsburg, Besiktas, West Brom, Watford. Coming here he was probably under the false impression that he was joining a club of similar standing in the game. After 6 months at it he'll be learning the hard way about now as to what he is up against. 

[Rogerb]

We have a lot of heads of says VI. No communication to the coach what the plan is. I'll give him a few more months and he will be off like JDT and JE. Sounds a very unhappy bunny.

[G Somerset Rover]

You could see from his walk down the tunnel that he was fuming. Good on him as I said in the other thread - he’s gone up in my estimation too.

As an aside, Forshaw is now out for 5 weeks. When it rains (ahem).

[SuperBrfc]

32 minutes ago, roverblue said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25681585.valerien-ismael-sends-ewood-park-message-blackburn-rovers/

 

He has finally broke ranks with the morons in the boardroom, gone up in my estimation.

Ismael is no yes man, his track record should tell us that. I think he has been misunderstood by a few. He has had this 'transition' put upon him in the summer by somebody who knows nothing about the game and who is only interested in saving money.

Gestede, Sufi, Talbot, Ismael, they are all taking the flak because of the decisions of one tosser. These people mentioned are not the problem, IMO.

IMO, Ismael has gone along with the transition and the project because he believes the end goal at some stage down the line is the Premier League. Remember what Rudy said...we want to bring money into the club through sales first, then we will be in a better position to go for promotion down the line. Does this sound familiar?

Despite Val's talk about the Academy, young players, development etc, his frustration has been evident this season as he realises, just the like two managers before him, the chances of the project bearing fruit. The crap we have to bring off the bench is costing us points and it's starting to piss him off.

He isn't much different to JDT and Eustace, even though they may be better managers than him. The man wants to win and he knows this setup is shit.

Listen to his comment below at 1:43. These are his real feelings, which he has since repeated once more after this:

"We are playing to win games, a lot of teams invest a lot of money to make the Championship attractive for the fans, to have some great players. We need better quality. It's as simple as that".

 

That quote says it all. He knows our transfer business isn't good enough. He is telling the hierarchy in clear terms to invest in quality to try and bring some of the fans back.

Good on the man for speaking out today on the pitch farce.

Valerian Ismael has never been the problem for me. I am backing the man as he knows the score here. I back him just as I backed JDT and Eustace. Sadly, he will be gone just like those two soon from the looks of it.

The shadow dweller can f#ck off.

Edited 2 hours ago by SuperBrfc

[Mattyblue]

‘Normally, it would be someone else here to explain what's happened. We have a lot of 'head of' in the club’

You’ve noticed too, Val!

As always, the manager has to front up for a load of senior people that earn big money but are accountable for nothing and to no one.

 

[Tomphil2]

5 hours ago, roverblue said:

I think the drains beneath the pitch are blocked or broken/compacted as the river level wasn't high enough for it to be an issue and I think the Groundsmen said the same at the Ipswich game.

Basically needs digging up and a new drainage/pitch going down.

I'm sure he said it was just the sheer amount of rain that fell in such a short time during the Ipswich game.

Seems to me they are flailing around for excuses down there all the time because nobody is accountable and nobody will say to those in power 'look we told you so'.

There was a reason a few years ago that Waggot costed it all up, they knew it's a problem that isn't going away and will only get worse.

 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Ismael in rocking the Boat shocker?

[rigger]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Has the Club and its employees gone into total lockdown...lost at Sea?

It's like the Marie Celeste.

[Dreams of 1995]

Someone get into that headwall and block the bloody thing some more.

If Oxford is abandoned, Val is going to hit the roof. Would be cracking to see him floor Rudy and Pasha.

Can't believe I am saying it, but him walking would not be a bad thing either. The Club only feel shame when it is in the press - see the LT ban. Us talking on here or telling them they are crap from the stands doesn't matter. Val walking on the back of crap facilities along with the JDT / Eustace situation piles on more pressure

Whilst writing that I realised there's absolutely nothing I would not do to get rid of the Rao family. Must be one of the worst things to ever happen to Blackburn as a town, let alone the Club 

[aletheia]

Interesting.

Not his biggest fan but well done Val. "You're not pinning this one on me, it's various Head ofs responsibility."

Usually results in a sacking if you challenge the hierarchy.

[Old Codger]

3 minutes ago, aletheia said:

Interesting.

Not his biggest fan but well done Val. "You're not pinning this one on me, it's various Head ofs responsibility."

Usually results in a sacking if you challenge the hierarchy.

The cracks are certainly appearing in the wafer thin paper that has been used to disguise the reality of our club's plight by the faceless, useless, pointless, feckless ones.

Way past their sell by, IMO. 

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Well said VI. Without a plan or anyone taking responsibility for resolving the problem we will be in serious trouble. If the game against Oxford gets abandoned I’m pretty sure we will be made to play elsewhere by the EFL. 
 

Tomorrow, for only the second time in the last few seasons, I won’t be making the 100 miles round trip to Ewood. Saturday’s fiasco has contributed to my decision as I’m not prepared to battle through traffic on the M62/M66 in the vain hope that we will finish a match. 
 

 

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, roverblue said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25681585.valerien-ismael-sends-ewood-park-message-blackburn-rovers/

 

He has finally broke ranks with the morons in the boardroom, gone up in my estimation.

Sorry, he's let himself down massively, and made his criticism relatively worthless, by giving them  an "out" saying that as far he's concerned they can knock the cost of any pitch improvements out of the January transfer budget.

I'm sure he knows the cost of expenditure on the ground doesn't count towards FFP calculations.

Fuck off Ismael and take the rest of them with you.

Edited 1 hour ago by RevidgeBlue

[aletheia]

1 minute ago, RevidgeBlue said:

they can knock the cost of any pitch improvements out of the January transfer budget.

Yes I wondered about that phrase. Does he already know how they are thinking and accepting it?

[TugaysMarlboro]

6 minutes ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

Well said VI. Without a plan or anyone taking responsibility for resolving the problem we will be in serious trouble. If the game against Oxford gets abandoned I’m pretty sure we will be made to play elsewhere by the EFL. 
 

Tomorrow, for only the second time in the last few seasons, I won’t be making the 100 miles round trip to Ewood. Saturday’s fiasco has contributed to my decision as I’m not prepared to battle through traffic on the M62/M66 in the vain hope that we will finish a match. 
 

 

And who can blame you. No-one has communicated anything about Saturday's fiasco and furthermore they haven't communicated about any plans to guarantee the Oxford game will go ahead for the full 90+.

I won't travel 15 miles at the moment, never mind the 100 you put in, They don't deserve your support.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by TugaysMarlboro

[aletheia]

1 minute ago, TugaysMarlboro said:

haven't communicated about any plans to guarantee the Oxford game will go ahead for the full 90+.

Isn't that down to the ref? Don't know what time they make a decision.

Heavy rain forcast from 1 in the morning tonight until 1pm tomorrow. If that plays out, then all tomorrow afternoon for it to dry out. Who knows?

[Penwortham Blue]

5 minutes ago, aletheia said:

Isn't that down to the ref? Don't know what time they make a decision.

Heavy rain forcast from 1 in the morning tonight until 1pm tomorrow. If that plays out, then all tomorrow afternoon for it to dry out. Who knows?

We are all left in the dark, many more will make their own minds up like Uddersfelt Blue and TugaysMarlboro.

[Rochdale_rover]

4 hours ago, TimmyJimmy said:

Agree totally that the drainage system needs updating. It's a close season job. Right now we need an intermediate solution and it's surely not rocket science.

The pitch is only a 105 x 69 meter surface FFS.

The Problem.

Turf and soil have capacity for holding water beyond which the ground is 'waterlogged' and new rainfall sits on top.

The Solution.

Stop it from being waterlogged. No dry turf is going to get beyond its capacity with 90 minutes of match time rainfall no matter how hard it rains.

Cover the playing surface days before and move the water falling on the covers. The pitch is raised and water falls downwards (are you sitting comfortably children). Wherever it pools buy a small made in China pump and move somewhere, anywhere, away from the pitch. It'll find its own way to natural drainage (witness Nuttall St isn't under water).

It's like you need to talk to these 'directors' like 6 year olds. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE PASHA/GESTEDE!!

A 105 x 69 meter surface to look after and we piss 6 points up the wall because we hadn't realised rain in Blackburn could be an issue.

Give me strength. Oxford, stay at home, it's goning to rain hard and we're f'ing clueless.

 

I Can make tarpaulin covers to cover the full pitch for around 50k

Could even print them with the rovers badge on.

 

Or fcuk off venkys may look better 

 

[Tomphil2]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Ismael in rocking the Boat shocker?

Let them straight off the hook though by saying he wouldn't moan if future transfer money went on the pitch instead.

The best pitch in league 1 !

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, SuperBrfc said:

Ismael is no yes man, his track record should tell us that. I think he has been misunderstood by a few. He has had this 'transition' put upon him in the summer by somebody who knows nothing about the game and who is only interested in saving money.

Gestede, Sufi, Talbot, Ismael, they are all taking the flak because of the decisions of one tosser. These people mentioned are not the problem, IMO.

IMO, Ismael has gone along with the transition and the project because he believes the end goal at some stage down the line is the Premier League. Remember what Rudy said...we want to bring money into the club through sales first, then we will be in a better position to go for promotion down the line. Does this sound familiar?

Despite Val's talk about the Academy, young players, development etc, his frustration has been evident this season as he realises, just the like two managers before him, the chances of the project bearing fruit. The crap we have to bring off the bench is costing us points and it's starting to piss him off.

He isn't much different to JDT and Eustace, even though they may be better managers than him. The man wants to win and he knows this setup is shit.

Listen to his comment below at 1:43. These are his real feelings, which he has since repeated once more after this:

"We are playing to win games, a lot of teams invest a lot of money to make the Championship attractive for the fans, to have some great players. We need better quality. It's as simple as that".

 

That quote says it all. He knows our transfer business isn't good enough. He is telling the hierarchy in clear terms to invest in quality to try and bring some of the fans back.

Good on the man for speaking out today on the pitch farce.

Valerian Ismael has never been the problem for me. I am backing the man as he knows the score here. I back him just as I backed JDT and Eustace. Sadly, he will be gone just like those two soon from the looks of it.

The shadow dweller can f#ck off.

Im sorry I dont agree.

VI had barely been in the place 5 minutes before RG said the play offs weren't the priority.

 There's no way whatsoever imo Ismael was told one thing before joining only for them to say the complete opposite immediately afterwards. He's never stopped banging on about how "aligned" he is with the "project" or "transition" since he joined and no-one with half a brain cell could believe it would  possibly work. I dont think he's stupid.

Now,  he's probably realised the current situation with the pitch is completely beyond the pale, even by Venky's standards. So he's come out with some mild criticism which will make him look better with some of the fanbase, but suggested a solution which won't hurt or impact the owners in any way  but which will make the situation for the Club worse overall.

I.e. deducting the cost of any pitch improvements from the transfer budget. From his point of view those two things should be completely separate and non -negotiable.

Edited 45 minutes ago by RevidgeBlue