1 minute ago, JHRover said:

Yes we are. This time last year we had 2 more than we do now. I don't really care what he was doing, and presumably we weren't paying him to sit around doing nothing, it is less than we had before.

I thought Ismael mentioned wanting to add to his staff once the season was over?

Maybe Ismael doesn't want a big coaching staff or wants to more of coaching himself or is changing Johnson role within the set up. 

Hughes and Allardyce only had a number 2, first team coach, fitness coach and GK coach. 

Ismael has on his staff Whitehead has number 2, Johnson has first team coach, Benson as GK coach whilst we have Karl Hodges and Adam Yates in the fitness area of staff 

15 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Exactly. Nixon 'broke' the news weeks ago, Ismael had to answer the question after the game on Saturday and it's been reported in the Telegraph. Still no official announcement from the club, which is what I would kind of expect but hey since when do we operate by industry norms?

They offered Lowe a different role, which he is reported has not taking. So probably trying to sort of his exit terms

Hopefully someone at the Fans Forum is asking this question for yourself 

6 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Ismael paving the way for Travis and Tronstad to leave.

His demeanour in the BBC Lancashire clip seemed frosty but hard to tell if hes already getting pissed off as he seems to just be like that all the time.

People will jump to the defence of the club by saying we moan when we let players run their contracts down and moan when we sell. To me, the issue wouldnt be selling them. Its again, how has it got to this? Why werent contracts offered earlier? Why do so many people want to go elsewhere?

Didn't realise you were body language expert? the things you learn 

6 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Have we moved on? We are all still talking about it. And the club still has a massive hole in the position where he played.

Yes, I am sure he, like Brittain, Tronstad, Travis all are just being individually unrealistically greedy.

Has anyone said they are being unrealistically greedy? They are key players in this squad and they should be reward with contracts to reflect that. 

5 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

For me it’s not how good or not he is.

It’s how much worse his replacement would likely be. 

Why don't we wait until to see who sign as right winger

5 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Neither of them are ready for more than just an occasional substitute appearance.

based on what? 

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Feels like Gestede being a total novice is really shining through. Clearly has lots of ideas about random targets from here there and everywhere but these contract situations were always the elephant in the room and he seems happy to just push them to the back of the priority list. The likelihood of these situations overtaking this summer was always high and it was avoidable.

 

who says Gestede is picking random targets? why do we have have lead scouts like Piotr Sadowski and Michael Cairney doing what? are these not scouting and finding these players that fit how Ismael wants to play and the profile of player he wants? Also you don't factor in the role Adam Owen is playing in the recruitment of new signings and behind the scenes? 

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Elliott Jackson said that Ismael hinted that we would potentially go with Alebiosu and Montgomery at right back.

That would be ridiculous but it would be cheap and help them to hit the arbitary academy minutes target so wouldnt surprise anyone.

Maybe Ismael rated both players far more you do . I can't comment on Alebiosu quality but I think Montgomery is someone we need to develop but I think he would be better in box to box midfielder role with his ability to get up and down the pitch. Just for record and to be crystal clear Yes I would sign another right back with championship experience with similar attitudes to Brittain to play the role that Ismael wants from his right back role. Montgomery did very good provide that width and getting high up s quickly

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Still no talk of Ismael bolstering his coaching staff?

Remember we were already 1 down after Downing and Gardiner left for Derby with only Whitehead coming in with Ismael. Lots of talk about Adam Murray coming but he's gone to Kidderminster instead. Now with Lowe out the door we are 2 coaching staff down on last season.

No wonder they prefer this model. A lot cheaper.

are we really one down given that Eustace sent Lowe scouting the next opposition and wasn't actually coaching anyone. Maybe Ismael doesn't want 2 first team coaches but is happy with Whitehead as number 2 and Johnson as first team coach. 

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

So am I right in thinking that there is still no announcement from the Club on the future of David Lowe, who apparently has left according to Ismael but the Club hasn't had the decency to announce it yet.

Also after the appalling statement confirming the departure of the previous CEO after 7.5 years the club is yet to announce a replacement, timescale, update or indeed who is running the club in Waggott's place at the current time?

Communication eh?

Ismael confirmed the Nicko's story from about 2 weeks about David Lowe leaving us post game. 

Whitehead and Johnson did the pre match warm ups with the outfield players

I would imagine they are sorted out Lowe's payment 

on the CEO position, probably a question will be asked by someone at the Fans Forum tonight, Wouldn't be surprising if they are still interviewing or waiting for that person's notice period before the appointment is made publicly. 

6 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

How do you know when he knew he wouldn’t be staying?

I think it was obvious a few months ago he was leaving but also we knew that GB tried 2 years to get Dolan contract situation sorted 

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I suspect he very much is better than whatever we have offered him.

well he is earning nothing right now. and you don't know what we offered but it would have been then he was earning in the last 18 months/2 years. 

1 hour ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Rumoured to be Coventry City. 

fake rumour on twitter

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC71 said:

Holding off getting a 'regular' season ticket for now, as weekday games are a bit of a faff to get to due to work.  Last season I got the flex ticket, which having just moved back to the UK in Jan was a perfect solution.  I thought I read somewhere (or maybe I imagined it?) that there was talk of doing a 15-game ST or something similar - is this based on anything factual?

Its something Rovers would like to do in the future but its need new ticketing scheme in place 

Brilliant from England. Can't beat test cricket. 

Never write this team off. 

Leach or Dawson for Bashir. Maybe Atkinson for Woakes. Good 9 days rest now

You attending today's forum meeting @K-Hod? 

3 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Where has this notion that Dolan was previously offered a new deal or refused to entertain a new deal come from?

I'm going to call BS on that one. He signed one new deal after being at the Club and there's no way he would have refused to sign another improved deal a while ago.

Go and read Gregg Broughton comments about Dolan during his interviews. 

1 hour ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

Top fan - showing your true colours 

regardless of the venkys madness any ‘fan’ who backs against the team quite frankly isn’t a fan 

Exactly 1000% correct there. 

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Dolan always had it in mind to leave even 2 years ago.

This helpless narrative is exactly what the club will be wanting spread. I suspect it was a case of the offer not befitting what he felt a player with a number of years of Championship experience should be getting. Im not having that he decided unconditionally to run down a deal with 2 years left on the tiny contract he would have signed not longer after joining.

GB tried and tried yet Dolan didn't want to talk cos he was changing agent. Maybe that was the sign he was lining up his next move. 

He now still no move line up unlike BBD did when he left us. Maybe his demands are too high as the Turkish club chairman or those supposedly interested clubs havent materialise into actual offers. Whichever it is he has gone from us and we moved on now. 

51 minutes ago, Rover84 said:

Boro linked to Gilchrist this morning

Maybe they are moving from Brittain perhaps

2 hours ago, Tomphil2 said:

WOW TWO WEEKS .....

Given he has know for months he was leaving Rovers this season why hasn't he got a club yet. I know that doesn't fit with your narrative on here 

1 hour ago, Rover84 said:

Lost Batth who was the difference maker between all our centre half’s and so far not replaced. Brittain is going, Dolan has gone. That’s our right side of play completely gone, The side where most of our attacking threat has come from. Players need time to integrate and there is inexperienced holes all over the pitch. How can you not see what’s unfolding here. 

I am fully aware of all that but we still lots of experienced players here and we will bring another right side attacker who will cut in with the right back provide the width that side.

I would sign another right back like Drameh and move Montgomery to midfielder to be box to box midfielder 

33 minutes ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

Dolan didn’t entertain talks with Broughton either 

GB tried and Dolan didn't want a new contract. Think he wanted/knew he was leaving on a free 2 years/18 months ago

28 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

Yes it's where Venky's always recruit our gaffers from haven't you noticed yet ?

Would you like to tell us the last time Blackburn Rovers sourced a well performing manager from another club ?

Even Derby managed to do that AND pay compensation.

Its where are CEO or/and DoF recruit from. It's been along time. Probably from Hughes from Wales. Ince flopped here after his move from MK Dons. King Kenny, Hodgson, Allardyce, Berg, Lambert, Mowbray, JDT, Eustace and Ismael Were all unemployed when they joined us. 

So after Eustace who would you gone for? Employed head coach and who please? 

22 minutes ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

Impressed enough to take the job and salary on offer 

none of this information is new to the world 

Ismael said last season he knew everything that happened before him and he wanted this job. Time people gave up this notion he came into this job without knowing what he was walking in when he accepted the job

7 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

So what he was on the scrapheap and unlikely to be touched by any half decent Championship outfit anytime soon.

You don't know the real situation until you've been in the building a while i would have thought that was rather obvious, if in doubt write to Mr J Eustace esquire, Derby.

So was Lambert, Mowbray, JDT and Eustace on this scrapheap as you call it

https://x.com/SebEcrivainFoot/status/1944659463480164506?s=19

8 minutes ago, Rover84 said:

Carter and Wharton Injury prone. Leaving 25% of the spine with championship experience. Doesn’t look good at all. 

Hyam, Travis, Tronstad, Cantwell plus Ribeiro or Pickering at left back..add Hedges. Plus hopefully someone like Dramah at right back. More experience to replace Brittain 

But if we want to play Ismael's way we also need to sign the players who fit that style. Ismael wants pace, athleticism and ability to get up and down the pitch

9 minutes ago, Old Codger said:

The Andy Crawford 'smokes his own exhaust' story repeats itself!

I always knew it would, one day.

Next thing you know, we'll be treated to pictures of Tyrhis 'training alone on the beach'..

Shameful, on the part of the faceless bastards behind the scenes at Rovers.

Don't look on Ty Dolan's Instagram account then? 🤣

5 minutes ago, Old Codger said:

I ruddy hate click bait.

Why can't someone just say that he has gone and where he has gone to. 

Wankers.

He hasnt signed for someone. 2 weeks after officially leaving here he is without a club and training on his own. Wonder why he hasn't got a club yet

8 hours ago, Rover84 said:

Bringing players in from abroad needs to be done over a few windows to try balance the squad. We are losing a lot of experience here. Half of our starting 11 have experience in the championship and a few are injury prone. Lose 1-2 players through injury and we will struggle massively. The depth of the squad will filled with unknowns and kids. It’s a big ask for any manager to deal with this situation. There’s no excuse, there were some good players available on a free snapped up by our competitors. Slow off the mark again

We have been bringing players from overseas in the last 3 windows.

We still have plenty of Championship experience. Hyam, Carter, Wharton, Pickering , Cantwell, Hedges, Forshaw, Travis and Tronstad. Would include Brittain but looks like he is off to Boro which i am disappointed and gutted about. 

Ismael talks about the profile of player he wants and each signing fitting that. 

8 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He got out the next time he tried it. I hope the 8 he got with it count tomorrow.

If I was  bowling and a batsman played that shop I’d be thinking - “ Keep playing that one son, you’ll be back in the pavilion in a minute “.

But no comment on Root though? The way he got out was similar to Brook? 

23 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

So here's a thought exercise for everyone.

Assuming Brittain is the last 'starter' to leave, what would you do in Gestede's place? Where do we need strengthening? Who needs shipping out? 

For mine:

• Sell Pears
• Sell Buckley
• Assess Duru or loan him out and bring in another RB
• Bring in a starting CB (possibly loan)
• Bring in another CM
• Bring in a RW (probably loan)
• Bring in a GK to challenge Toth

So even conservatively (I wouldn't expect to challenge for the Playoffs with that squad, unless that loan RW was sensational) we're 5 players short. 

I agree with Selling Pears and Buckley. 

I would sign

• similar type of right attacking full back with similar qualities to Brittain 
• Bringing in keeper to complete,
• sign Ethan Pye from Stockport cos I don't see Kapuadi and he didn't look live he wanted to leave after today's post game celebrations 
• sign a right winger permanent 
• bring in a striker on loan

20 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The ESC rules, mainly.

but we can get sign players from overseas who don't need ESC like we have with De Neve or Gueye 

5 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

And therein lies the problem with being owned by chicken overlords.

what the problem with looking overseas like we always have? 

5 minutes ago, Hasta said:

I have moved on. There is more chance of Brittain signing a 4 year contract than you explaining yourself.

I did explained my comments about football being a squad game and that every player a squad player apart from around 4 or 5 players who are key players 

38 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

Had a break from reading and posting on here for a few weeks. Came back on today to try and gauge the mood/optimism for this season amongst others.

As time has gone on, I'm starting to feel pretty worried about this season. It feels like this division is going to be very strong with no one nailed on for relegation.

I think we will finish around 10th - 12th this season