arbitro

Ismael being sacked is a fanciful notion but it isn't going to happen. He is one of the Holy Trinity and just about wedded to the other two as you can be.

Another hugely disappointing result at 'Fortress Ewood' for the hardy souls that turned up. I really think that had we gone in 1-0 up at half-time we would have gone on to win it. Their equaliser, which was a terrific strike, should have been stopped at source. Franco had the freedom of the penalty area to score. That clearly gave them a lift and rocked our fragile confidence. In terms of actual play I thought we lacked any real tempo in our first half play but scoring the first goal is usually important in the Championship but we are doing our best to ruin that statistic. In the second half we played with a bit more zest without really creating anything. The winning goal was embarrassing from our point of view. Our right winger is on the left hand side, gets into a mix up with our centre half and Swansea counter with pace. What annoyed me was that Kargbo didn't make any attempt to track back and utilise his one asset, his pace. Unforgivable. We were denied an absolutely clear penalty and had a couple of half chances but trudging off Ewood after another defeat is a feeling I'm getting used to. In terms of our play we were a lot better than we were on Saturday (a low bar though) but our propensity to give away cheap goals bit he on the backside again. The game reminded me so much of the Birmingham match and if Ismael doesn't address this soon we will be in a real scrap, something that too many of our players don't seem to have the stomach for.

If you think it's acceptable then good for you.

It's always a good feeling to beat that lot and today was no exception. We started quite slowly and could have conceded in the first minute as Eze sloppily let a high ball bounce and just about recovered to get a challenge in with the help of some assistance from the keeper. However once we got a foothold in the game we were dominant and could easily have won by more although Burnley did miss a couple or dolly's. It was good to see Harvey Higgins looking fit and healthy. He showed some neat touches when he came on and was only denied a scoring return by a good save from the Burnley keeper who was outstanding. It was good to see our youngsters seemed to have an understanding of our disdain for that lot - no doubt aided and abetted by the locally born lads.

Whilst disrupting the preparation for a bit game by dismantling a process that has been used for years, not just by Rovers. There was also inconvenience to the Brockhall staff who had to stay behind to accommodate Ismaels vanity. Next week is an international break - surely be would have been better off celebrating then when there are no games to prepare for. If you think it is acceptable that is your right - I can tell you that a fair number of staff thought it was selfish.

You are missing the point.

I have been told that the first team didn't train until 15.30 yesterday which is almost unheard of particularly the day before a game. The reason I am told is because Ismael flew to France immediately after the game at Charlton and didn't return until yesterday afternoon. This was to celebrate his 50th birthday. If it is true I find it extremely surprising that he is allowed to change the routine so markedly so he can have a birthday bash.

In the space of six days we have yielded two goal advantages on three occasions. At any level of football that puts a big question mark against the quality of defending. I noticed Matty Litherland was missing last night again and he wasn't in either team last week when we had back to back games. Given that we are throwing away leads like confetti I can only think his absence is down to injury (although there hasn't been any mention of this anywhere).

Our heavy defeat wasn't the worst of the weekend.

https://eflanalysis.com/news/50m-case-cited-as-efl-urged-to-u-turn-amid-potential-legal-battle-after-blackburn-vs-ipswich-town-decision/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZnRzaANGIqdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtj5hOFRuPKVFq2tdtnyHSRo6oCo24T3bzxox6OJ8aU2rm-r6-U1n39_S8Io_aem_LrqTISBwlltqJp1j82L9Yg#Echobox=1758906714 Seemingly Burnley have got an on going case for compensation when Everton stayed in the Premier League at Burnley's expense despite financial irregularities.

I was told his debut was delayed as he had a holiday booked in Ibiza and he just never showed up again. The last they saw of him was when he was pictured signing on (along with two pints of lager on the table with the signing on forms).

This should evoke some pleasant memories for a few of us.

2026?

Trust me there were more Rovers fans at Charlton moaning about Ismael that there were moaning about the referee. He made a big thing about the referee allegedly 'winking and laughing' at Cantwell. I think this was simply a deflection tactic from Ismael after a wretched performance. If they have a complaint about what the referee had supposedly done then that should go through the official channels and not the media.

In an ideal world yes but football doesn't call into that category. The best managers can make the most of their resources but yesterday Ismael didn't and it contributed to the defeat. Whilst Carter is injured does that mean that Miller will start every game as our only right footed centre half? In my view it's cosmetic and illogical when it is to the detriment of the team.

Alebiosu was really struggling after he got hurt and Charlton sensed he was struggling and played a few balls in behind him. He seemed to recover a bit but then aggravated it making a challenge close to half time. At first it appeared to be a kick which can normally be run off but the sight of him with a protective boot on post match was worrying. On Tavares he looked like a little boy lost at times. He wanted too much time on the ball and was out muscled far too many times. Baradji simply has to get up to speed quickly. Having to rely on a player like Tavares will invariably end up in the same way.

I wonder if the Stasi will allow spectators at the Burnley game.

I know it's down to Ismael's thinking but in my view his rationale is flawed. Some of the best centre back pairings I have seen at Rovers haven't been a left/right foot combination. Faz and Keeley, Nelson and Samba and Hyam and Baath. Ismael will use inverted wingers but at centre half he wants something different. His logic is really flawed and contributed to our defeat yesterday in my view. It comes across as 'I know best' arrogance.

Tavares looked miles off it yesterday as did Pickering. What really grates with me is that last week there were two under 21 games and not one of the first team squad (who haven't had much game time) featured at all. If it was in Ismael's mind to start with Pickering then surely he should have at least got some competitive game time under his belt.

It wasn't out of necessity. We had McLoughlin on the bench who should have come on with Miller (who we signed primarily as a right back) moving to right back. Bringing on Tavares made us much weaker in midfield and Gardner-Hickman was given a real schooling by Campbell. Whilst that poor decision from Ismael didn't actually cost us the game It certainly made us so much weaker in the second half.

My anger and frustration from yesterday has just receded slightly after seeing Esteve score two own goals. Both were finishes that any striker would have been happy with 😂. Shades of Duffy.

There is a saying in football that goes 'they wanted it more than us'. It's a saying I have never really agreed with until today. We were second best in every position, hardly won any first or second balls, came second best in most challenges and very rarely got first contact on the ball from set pieces. I honestly hadn't a clue how we were set up tactically today. We were so narrow at times we left wide open spaces for Charlton to exploit. Miroshito went past Bell with ease early on. Great I thought, that is the route to a win today. How wrong I was because after that he spent more time in the middle offering no threat. The half time substitution baffled me. Putting Gardner-Hickman to full back when we had McLoughlin on the bench and Miller who is primarily a right back staying at centre half. I just don't but this two left footed centre halves tosh. Gardner-Hickman was like a fish out of water as he struggled pitifully. Car too often Toth and the centre halves played straight balls into midfield when players were facing their own goal and under pressure. It was rinse and repeat and Charlton couldn't believe their luck as we tried it as nauseam. I shake my head sometimes when watching Rovers. Twice in the first half we had opportunities to get Miller on long throws and get the ball in the box (it just wasn't happening from open play) and as he was running over and asking the bench Pickering took short throws and almost immediately we lost possession. I have no doubt in my mind that today was the kind of performance that if it happens often will get you relegated. We were physically and mentally weak and awful tactically. Today capped off an awful week to be a Rovers fan. The Ipswich fiasco followed by the LT nonsense and a horrible, wretched performance today from the team, the manager and his staff. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to support a normal club again.

They stand too.

This seems incredibly petty from the club and has Gestede and Pasha's grubby prints on it. It sounds like they wanted to 'buy' or control the Telegraph's reporting by inviting their reporter to travel with the team for the pre season training camp. The toys are well and truly out of the pram now. It's another new low from Rovers but in the bright side the uninformed idiots who lost on the LT website will be redundant. It's all very Trumpian.

I think Ismael speaks so well about the whole situation here.