Ben Brereton Diaz

[Bigdoggsteel]

6 hours ago, LordBaltimore said:

I think if BB had scored that goal aginst Brazil that went off of the crossbar he would probably have been issued his own postage stamp (for anyone who still uses them).

Brereton should have been in the starting line up.  Alexis Sánchez had been sidelined with [another] injury and tried hard to recover in time for the 2nd round.  For as much as Alexis doesn't want to stay away from the pitch, Chile's coach Lasarte should have had the balls to keep him on the bench or even off the squad entirely.  He was not in any condition to play and Brereton would have made more of an impact early on.

Chile did well the 1st half (goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, widely viewed as a "flop" in England ,has been superb).  They frustrated Brazil with possession but Chile didn't have enough up front.  And all that went to waste just 1min into the 2nd half, after BB had come in for Malexis after halftime.  Brazil played a man down the last 42mins but you wouldn't have known it. 

BB's team mates again came in for some heavy criticism post game for not passing him the ball enough.  Chile's inablity to center a ball or successfully threaten towards the end of the game was beyond infuriating and speaks to the lack of attack on this Chile team (and part of reason BB parachuting onto this team out of nowhere has caused such a stir).

As always in South America and especially when Brazil/Argentina are involved (even more so if VARzil hosts), there was some shady shit afoot, from a Chilean perspective.  The ref was Argentine and logic dictates he has no reason to favor Brazil but the number of times he seemed to hand free kicks after a Brazilian flop were too many to count.  Legit fouls for Chile were ignored. 

Brazil was in an unusually theatrical mood, even for Brazil, and was often rewarded for it.  Neymar handed out a slap to the face away from the ball to a Chilean player, which could have been a red, but it was ignored (the Brazilian origin of the TV feed ensured no replays were shown).  There seemed to be a possible penalty against Charles Aranguiz for Chile around minute 69:43 and both the ref and VAR ignored it and Brazilian feed once again did not even show a replay.  

It felt like Brazil was there for the taking and once again it did not happen for Chile, who played better than expected. 

The important thing is for Argentina to not win the Copa América and that Messi never lifts a trophy with his adopted country (many Argies say he's really Catalan after all this time).

If that header went in, we would have been fielding £20 million bids for him. 

[LordBaltimore]

The unusual story of how BB ended up in South America this winter [July is winter in Chile].

How Blackburn Rovers Season Ticket Holder Helped Make Ben Brereron A Chile Star

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19418434.blackburn-rovers-season-ticket-holder-helped-make-ben-brereton-chile-star/

[simongarnerisgod]

having played amongst some of the worlds best players and not disgraced himself,big ben should come back into pre season absolutely bouncing and be ready to start the season with a new found vigour and intensity,however i suspect our master man manager moggadon will have his confidence back to zero after a few hours on the training ground,he could make a lottery jackpot winner feel miserable

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

having played amongst some of the worlds best players and not disgraced himself,big ben should come back into pre season absolutely bouncing and be ready to start the season with a new found vigour and intensity,however i suspect our master man manager moggadon will have his confidence back to zero after a few hours on the training ground,he could make a lottery jackpot winner feel miserable

Agreed. He will do something ham fisted in an attempt to ground Brereton. Maybe he will keep him out of the starting 11 for a few games at the start of the season and put it down to being away with Chile. Whereas as some managers would see this as an opportunity to get more from a player, I suspect Mowbray will find a problem in it and complicate the situation. Be prepared! 

[Stuart]

4 hours ago, LordBaltimore said:

The unusual story of how BB ended up in South America this winter [July is winter in Chile].

How Blackburn Rovers Season Ticket Holder Helped Make Ben Brereron A Chile Star

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19418434.blackburn-rovers-season-ticket-holder-helped-make-ben-brereton-chile-star/

That Mark bloke went from hero to zero in that article. Started the ball rolling on his Chile connection and then turned on his fellow supporters: “I know what Rovers fans can be like” and that fans being locked out was some kind of blessing.

Until this Summer/Winter, Brereton has been a dreadful disappointment yet has had no grief from the stands. Nada. If anything we have been too soft and allowed standards to fall (pushed).

On the one hand, the Chilean interest is wonderful and a huge boost to Ben and to Rovers, and could even be a revenue source. On the other hand, if he doesn’t continue his new form that comes with improved confidence then it could be very short lived. If Mowbray remains manager, we may even be better selling while his stock is high. Now, under a better manager, and played in the right way, he could be a huge asset - particularly if there is an Armstrong-shaped hole to fill.

BBD taking his opportunity should be a huge source of embarrassment to The Flipchart Scribbler. He couldn’t get this kind of form out of him in two years!

[booth]

6 hours ago, LordBaltimore said:

The unusual story of how BB ended up in South America this winter [July is winter in Chile].

How Blackburn Rovers Season Ticket Holder Helped Make Ben Brereron A Chile Star

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19418434.blackburn-rovers-season-ticket-holder-helped-make-ben-brereton-chile-star/

“I know what Blackburn fans can be like.”

What? Expecting more for £7m, like a bleeding defence and a manager who hasn’t been lobotomised? There was much more to the Brereton signing than the lack of quality on the pitch.

Probably never get the chance to compete again in this league - but hey Big Ben is beloved in Chile. That’s the main thing right.

[simongarnerisgod]

4 minutes ago, booth said:

“I know what Blackburn fans can be like.”

What? Expecting more for £7m, like a bleeding defence and a manager who hasn’t been lobotomised? There was much more to the Brereton signing than the lack of quality on the pitch.

Probably never get the chance to compete again in this league - but hey Big Ben is beloved in Chile. That’s the main thing right.

it`s modern day britain,criticism is`nt allowed and anyone under 30 is as fragile as bone china,  plus the guy is a teacher,which makes him more left wing than arthur scargill,he obviously has`nt spent any time in the real world

[LordBaltimore]

12 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

it`s modern day britain,criticism is`nt allowed and anyone under 30 is as fragile as bone china,  plus the guy is a teacher,which makes him more left wing than arthur scargill,he obviously has`nt spent any time in the real world

Which real world is that?  Is education or are educators not valued in England or UK?  Asking as a foreigner.

[bluebruce]

20 hours ago, LordBaltimore said:

Brereton should have been in the starting line up.  Alexis Sánchez had been sidelined with [another] injury and tried hard to recover in time for the 2nd round.  For as much as Alexis doesn't want to stay away from the pitch, Chile's coach Lasarte should have had the balls to keep him on the bench or even off the squad entirely.  He was not in any condition to play and Brereton would have made more of an impact early on.

I appreciate the very specific scenario you're describing, but someone saying in all earnest that Brereton should have been in the starting lineup for Chile instead of Sanchez feels like the most concrete evidence that we are all living in a simulation 🤣

Hell, even on my Football Manager game (a simulation) - where I sold him to Everton for 11 million, which seemed far-fetched - he has ended up signing for Vancouver for just under 1 million, aged 23 now.

[bazza]

One thing I have learnt from this topic is how he pronounces his name. I called him Bre-re-ton, like the Lancashire village of Bretherton.

He calls himself Breer-ton. So now we know.

[AllRoverAsia]

15 hours ago, LordBaltimore said:

Which real world is that?  Is education or are educators not valued in England or UK?  Asking as a foreigner.

Comparing the UK to 'other places' imho most of the rest of the world would be an interesting discussion to have but probably best not on a football thread.

As a Brit who has spent years working and living abroad there is nowhere like it, in my experience. I'll leave it at that.

[laughatthedingles]

23 hours ago, Stuart said:

That Mark bloke went from hero to zero in that article. Started the ball rolling on his Chile connection and then turned on his fellow supporters: “I know what Rovers fans can be like” and that fans being locked out was some kind of blessing.

Until this Summer/Winter, Brereton has been a dreadful disappointment yet has had no grief from the stands. Nada. If anything we have been too soft and allowed standards to fall (pushed).

On the one hand, the Chilean interest is wonderful and a huge boost to Ben and to Rovers, and could even be a revenue source. On the other hand, if he doesn’t continue his new form that comes with improved confidence then it could be very short lived. If Mowbray remains manager, we may even be better selling while his stock is high. Now, under a better manager, and played in the right way, he could be a huge asset - particularly if there is an Armstrong-shaped hole to fill.

BBD taking his opportunity should be a huge source of embarrassment to The Flipchart Scribbler. He couldn’t get this kind of form out of him in two years!

“No grief from fans” - do you remember him being reduced to tears at Birmingham away?

[laughatthedingles]

22 hours ago, booth said:

“I know what Blackburn fans can be like.”

What? Expecting more for £7m, like a bleeding defence and a manager who hasn’t been lobotomised? There was much more to the Brereton signing than the lack of quality on the pitch.

Probably never get the chance to compete again in this league - but hey Big Ben is beloved in Chile. That’s the main thing right.

Is it his fault if he took time to adapt or should the criticism of the fee be aimed at the club/ Mowbray? Criticise someone for not trying, absolutely, not for being young and not quite ready. 
 

Lads through the academy get more chance to shine/ are given more allowances is the point I would say.

[roversfan99]

42 minutes ago, laughatthedingles said:

“No grief from fans” - do you remember him being reduced to tears at Birmingham away?

 

39 minutes ago, laughatthedingles said:

Is it his fault if he took time to adapt or should the criticism of the fee be aimed at the club/ Mowbray? Criticise someone for not trying, absolutely, not for being young and not quite ready. 
 

Lads through the academy get more chance to shine/ are given more allowances is the point I would say.

Was the 'Brereton breaks down heartbroken' story from St Andrews ever confirmed or questioned or is it a myth? And if it did happen, what in particular caused it? What specifically that day upset him so much?

The criticism WAS/IS aimed at Mowbray, always has been and rightly so, no idea why you are keen to imply otherwise, especially in regards to the fee and how else it could have been spent.

If a player isnt ready, or isnt up to it, but is trying, are they now exempt from criticism on a message board by the way?

I would argue that Brereton based on his first 2 years of performance, in which lets not beat around the bush, he looked well, well out of his depth, got more appearances in the squad than perhaps warranted because of his price tag, so you could easily argue that it went in his favour.

This continued rubbish about how nasty our fan base is keeps cropping up, totally bizarre. Brereton has not been unfairly treated, in fact, there is a particular and noticeable desire to see him specifically do well.

[JacknOry]

Nobody at the game, on here, said that ever transpired. He wasn't crying because of abuse. You read the wrong media.

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, laughatthedingles said:

“No grief from fans” - do you remember him being reduced to tears at Birmingham away?

Which turned out to be nonsense.

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 hours ago, laughatthedingles said:

“No grief from fans” - do you remember him being reduced to tears at Birmingham away?

Was that even true? After how he played here, as our biggest signing in some time ,can you imagine the grief he would have gotten at other clubs? I would say fans were extremely supportive and patient

[47er]

Will Brereton's every touch of the ball next season result in cries of "OLE" (pronounced olay of course!).

[LordBaltimore]

Blackburn Boss Tony Mowbray On The Benefits Of Ben Brereton's Chile Impact

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19419161.blackburn-boss-tony-mowbray-benefits-ben-breretons-chile-impact/

 

Some BBD fanboy from Chile put together this compilation of Brereton in action at Copa América.  It has the eye-rolling title of "The Reason Ben Brereton Made The World Fall In Love With HIm" (the reason BB enamoured the world).

 

[booth]

21 hours ago, laughatthedingles said:

Is it his fault if he took time to adapt or should the criticism of the fee be aimed at the club/ Mowbray? Criticise someone for not trying, absolutely, not for being young and not quite ready. 
 

Lads through the academy get more chance to shine/ are given more allowances is the point I would say.

If you read my post you wouldn't have needed to ask that question.

When Mowbray bought him we needed players, not a high stakes gamble. Silly signing when our mission, so we were told, was promotion. Mowbray has probably thrown away our last chance of that and his attempts at lowering expectations confirm that he knows it.

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 hour ago, booth said:

If you read my post you wouldn't have needed to ask that question.

When Mowbray bought him we needed players, not a high stakes gamble. Silly signing when our mission, so we were told, was promotion. Mowbray has probably thrown away our last chance of that and his attempts at lowering expectations confirm that he knows it.

"These Blackburn fans remember the likes of Sutton and Shearer, banging them in"...( their expectations are too high...sense of entitlement blah blah)

It's called "re-definition" in the trade and is just a way of misdirecting people from the unpalatable truth of his and Waggott's mismanagement and rightful supporter dissatisfaction.

The trouble is that our illustrious owners didn't even have the guts to sack Kean, so......

 

[booth]

19 hours ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

"These Blackburn fans remember the likes of Sutton and Shearer, banging them in"...( their expectations are too high...sense of entitlement blah blah)

It's called "re-definition" in the trade and is just a way of misdirecting people from the unpalatable truth of his and Waggott's mismanagement and rightful supporter dissatisfaction.

The trouble is that our illustrious owners didn't even have the guts to sack Kean, so......

 

Unlike the "real fans" who couldn't give a flying f*** about the clubs debt or league position.

Ra, ra f***ing ra... F*** off and support your local pub team you parochial tw**s.

[Leonard Venkhater]

16 minutes ago, booth said:

Unlike the "real fans" who couldn't give a flying f*** about the clubs debt or league position.

Ra, ra f***ing ra... F*** off and support your local pub team you parochial tw**s.

You've lost me

[booth]

10 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

You've lost me

The types who still think it's jumpers for goalposts. You mention the club debt and all you get back is, "it'll be reyt, get behind the manager."

The point is, the Brereton signing goes much deeper than just a disappointing signing. My opinion, but last season was our last chance. If only we'd had a manager who had built sensibly instead of gambling on a lad who on the whole has been a failure.

That's no reflection on how Ben Brereton may develop, he may turn out to be a very good player. For me though, his signing (and the £5m on Gallagher) damaged any chances of us competing for the play offs in this league. Said it at the time and I still believe it now.

I keep waiting for Mowbray to prove me wrong but then he'll go and play one of them at full back, or sign a crocked defender on more silly money.

[tomphil]

Completely agree that barring a miracle Mowbray over the last few years has blown what slim chance we had at cracking the top 6.

Managed to make it all about himself and this daft 'footballing philosophy' and nice guy image looking after all under his charge.

Now it looks like a case of cut back and start again, yet with him still in charge managing something more within him and his pals capabilities. Namely a club in the mid 3rd of the Championship perennially. Yet still costing it's ownership -15 million per year and it's rapidly dwinding fanbase higher ticket prices.

Sickening really but they are on the cushiest number in football and they know it.

Edited July 7, 2021 by tomphil