Miller11

Random thought Gueye is a better player than Ismael is a manager.

I think every single Charlton player who started their last game would make our first 11. They battered us in the reverse fixture and were probably the most dangerous looking opponent we’ve faced. Seems as though they are on something of a resurgence at the moment and will start really pulling away from us in the table tomorrow. Toth Miller O Riordan Pratt Gardner-Hickman Powell Tronstad Cantwell Montgomery Ohashi Hedges Just a few changes for the sake of it really

Make no mistake, this is the lowest point of the entire wretched Venky’s ownership. Even in the Kean/Anderson days there were at least some people at the club with the right intentions. These are now practically non-existent. The old argument of “hardworking staff behind the scenes” is dead. They have either been forced out already or are so scared of being so that they are beaten into submission. There might be the odd one, but by and large Suhail has created a culture of fear. The people with the most power at the club - Suhail, Gestede, Yasir Sufi - all have their own agendas, none of which are about a successful football club. We’ve got a poor manager who I hope does his usually trick of giving up when the going gets tough. And do we have a single player who ticks all these three boxes: Likeable, up to standard, resilient enough to play a full season? It’s little wonder apathy has completely taken hold, but we really need to get angry. It’s harder and harder to keep caring, but let’s keep our hatred for those responsible burning. Now is the time to make a stand by whatever means we can.

Easiest day he’s ever had at Ewood

Maybe rather than Gueye not running enough this lot have all been running too much. We looked like we’d been playing for 3 hours from the first minute.

In the 150th celebration planning meetings (😂😂😂) there was initially loads of talk about a series of murals around the town. There was a lot of positivity from fans, Jamie Holman, Waggott, and the Community Trust. Loads of locations were discussed and some gable ends offered. Phil Reilly put his usual dampener on things a bit, but it seemed like it would genuinely happen. By the time of the last meeting it had been downgraded to one mural on the side of the Watson Ramsbottom building in town. Yasir was very pleased with himself for securing the services of whoever did the Bielsa mural in Leeds. I asked, not unreasonably I don’t think, what the subject of the mural would be. I was condescendingly told that “we can’t interfere with the artistic process, it’s up to them”. Anyway, to the surprise of nobody, absolutely nothing has come of it.

I can’t agree that Bannan was poor for them. He lifted his fellow midfielders several notches and they completely won the battle against our lot. He still covers a frightening amount of ground, always an outlet, and while he may have misplaced a couple tonight his passing range and vision is superb. Tronstad couldn’t cope with him. It’s took Baradji half a season to get fit enough to start a game, but he wasn’t match fit enough to end it - started brightly but faded quickly. Cantwell was far too casual and generally off it. How many times can one player drag a shot wide. Australia must be hitting a sparse time in terms of player development. Miller is so technically poor and unable to pass a simple ball I’m astonished he’s a regular at international level. McLaughlin is a downgrade on Hyam, Baath, Sanderson and McFadzean. I love Ohashi, but he was woeful tonight. Clearly not enough left in the tank for him to do his usual running round like a man possessed. That ordinarily hides a multitude of sins, but his finishing was beyond dreadful tonight and his general play not much better. Henriksson is shit. And it’s a real indication of how far we’ve fallen in just 12 months when Hedges is one of our main men. I know Gueye isn’t very good, but he’s looked a competent option when starting games (when he first signed and a spell after Christmas last year). He’s never looked good coming off the bench, but to drop him completely from the threadbare squad suggests arrogance on Ismael’s part or interference from above. Not dropping Pears for Toth is weak management. Litherland and Pratt both look like useful members of the squad, but that may have a lot to do with the dross around them, but they don’t look out of place. Hopefully more to come from them.

Rob Coar thinks we still print a matchday programme.

The Ewood brain trust will have had their heads together coming up with an official party line and appropriate direction for the blame to be passed. My money is on it being Waggott’s fault for stitching the pitch prior to last season. I can’t believe any of our fans are calling for a points deduction. Not only do we need as many points as we can get, why would anyone think this would remotely bother anyone at the club apart from us fans? The accumulation of points on the pitch is far from the top of the clubs list of priorities. If he was given a choice between a 10 point deduction and a £100,000 fine, which do you think Suhail would opt for? It wouldn’t be the same choice you’d make.

“Significant cost”

The entire point of football is for a team to try and win games to finish as high up the table as possible. Unfortunately Rovers this seems to be quite a long way down the list of priorities. How can they expect attendances to be anything other than pathetic while this is the case.

It’s a definite goal scoring opportunity given how shit of a goalkeeper Walton is. It’s a shame we didn’t capitalise on the couple of idiotic errors he made playing it out really poorly. We really ought to have tested him more. On that, I wish we’d be a bit braver when Alebiosu picks the ball up. He literally ALWAYS manages to get a cross over. When we see that is happening Hedges should be steaming in at the far post and one of the midfielders should bust a gut to get in the box. Really frustrating how we don’t commit more men forward.

Was the penalty incident the one in the first half where we got a free kick on the edge of the box? It looked outside the area from where I was. Haven’t seen a replay though.

Rather than writing lists about referees I’d much rather Ismael tried a bit of self reflection. Of course he won’t though, Ewood is an accountability free zone from the top down. And while everything always remains someone else’s fault, and beyond their control, the best we can hope for is muddling along in the Championship. Predictably we went to pieces late on. Why try and defend so deep with such a limited back 3? Was anyone expecting a blood and thunder performance from Tavares or Baradji to help solidify things? Why DeNeve and not a full back? Gueye was crap, but we didn’t give him much of a chance… it’s hard to close down 2 thirds of a pitch and half a team on your own. Miller spotting Cantwell’s smart run but kicking the ball like a 7 year old on a windy Blacksnape instead of sitting it up in the corner was the moment that killed us.

I think a better mantra is “Don’t believe most of what comes out of Blackburn Rovers employees mouths”

Second only to the obvious.

Feels like points thrown away today. Worth remembering it’s less than 2 years since they came to Ewood and we completely humbled them. The trajectories of our two clubs in that time are polar opposites. Dropping points is a big concern and we need to pick up plenty over the next month. We haven’t accumulated enough to survive our customary New Year collapse.

I’d be tempted to drop Ohashi a bit deeper and give Gueye a start, particularly if we are going to be smashing aimless balls upfield again. Forshaw has to start for me… what a sorry state of affairs.

Pears - should be grateful to be playing at all Alebiosu - played primarily in Scotland (not for Rangers or Celtic) McLoughlin - Started his career at Cork City Pratt - must be pinching himself he’s not still at Victory Park Miller - From a country where it’s not even the most popular form of football, also Hibs Hedges - Flint, Orient, Stevenage, Yeovil… Gardner Hickman - Unwanted by Birmingham Montgomery - See Pratt Morishita - A possible exception Ohashi - Jumped at the chance to play in England having been in Japan all his career Gudjohnsen - he’s not his father If any of the above can’t properly motivate themselves playing at Ewood Park for Blackburn fucking Rovers then they should just give up.

Absolutely this! Nothing is ever the owners, Suhail, Yasir or Gestede’s fault. Ismael fits right in. Slopey shouldered liars.

There’s a few posts on here that seem to be hinting at the crowd (or lack of) being to blame for our awful home form - a disgraceful insinuation. Lets be honest, a hell of a lot of those who went to PNE did so for an evening out with the football a sideshow - certainly shouldn’t be using that as a benchmark for home support. Quite frankly it’s an absolute miracle we get the attendances we do given we’ve had to put up with 15 years of hell. The powers that be at Ewood hold us all in utter contempt, and shame on any Rovers fan who is buying into this narrative they are none too subtly trying to spin. They don’t give a shit about increasing the attendance or atmosphere, they only care about increasing revenue but are too incompetent to try anything other than milking the few of us that are left. I can take the bad results and performances (I had very low expectations this season), but I’m being pushed to the absolute limit by the owners, Suhail, Gestede, Ismael and Sufi. We are a husk of a club because of those people. The detachment the fanbase are feeling is totally unsurprising, and while terrible results don’t help the problems run much deeper.

Has Ismael blamed the fans yet? They’ve been planting that seed all week.

I don’t know. Forshaw has nearly 100 premier league appearances to his name. Don’t think many other of this cobbled together rag tag bunch have enough quality to do that in their careers.

This seems very reminiscent of when Mola and Garrett were seen as the answer at Turf Moor. Carter spent about 20 minutes on an exercise bike in the tunnel against Derby. Obviously worked a treat. Wonder if Baradji will be subjected to the same.

Even if he does I expect we are on a hiding to nothing with him. He’s been built up in the minds of the supporters, and the words of the Ewood brain trust, to be the answer to all our problems. Unless he’s extremely good he will no doubt divide opinions in the extreme. Half of us will see him as a pointless signing and waste of money, half of us will cling onto any positive shoots he shows and advocate for patience. Pretty desperate for a player who didn’t even have a Wikipedia page til well after we signed him!