Eustace…GONE

[Torgeir]

1 minute ago, davulsukur said:

No I agree, but I won't be able to help feeling bad of them for basically ditching us to form basically the same fucking team we have here, under the same manager.

We'll see what happens. Hopefully DCFC are relegated and we're promoted 😉

[dallydally]

1 minute ago, Torgeir said:

We'll see what happens. Hopefully DCFC are relegated and we're promoted 😉

Dream on. The writing is firmly on the wall!

[davulsukur]

Trending on X but as usual, for all the wrong reasons.

[booth]

15 years of Venky's appointments. The story so far.

Sam Allardyce - sacked allegedly by Jerome Anderson.
Steve Kunt - appointed allegedly by Jerome Anderson, his agent. Almost relegates the club from PL on first attempt. Second attempt relegated. Leaves by mutual consent after club officials beg him to stay.
Henning Berg - sacked after 57 days.
Michael Appleton - sacked after 67 days.
Gary Bowyer - barely any experience but steady, unsuccessful and probably had our best Championship squad - sacked.
Paul Lambert - left at the end of the season after broken promises by the club/owners.
Owen Coyle - would have relegated us himself if he'd not been... - sacked.
Tony Mowbray - couldn't keep us up. Relegated to L1 but promoted back to Championship in first full season - club left his contract to run out and left him in the dark.
Jon Dahl Tomasson - got us to 7th place, missing out on goal difference. At the end of the season he requests to be released from contract after club doesn't back him and January mistakes. They refuse. Around 8 months later they allow him to leave - left by mutual consent.
John Eustace - leaves us in 6th place for a club in 22nd place (relegation zone) after not being backed - release clause allows him to leave for Derby County.

 

[KentExile]

6 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Trending on X but as usual, for all the wrong reasons.

Good

Hopefully it shines a light on those who would prefer to remain under the radar

Edited 6 hours ago by KentExile

[Polky]

When Eustace has been flirting with Hull & PNE about their vacancies, he loses all sympathy in relation to the family reasons excuse.

Just be honest and slag off the board.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

No one comes out well of this particular paragraph of the tragedy that is Blackburn Rovers under Venky ownership.. 

Not the wretches themselves, not the stooges and patsies they've installed on the ground, not JE himself - who by the sounds of it has been trying to get out for some time despite it being quite clear what a shit show we've become.. 

The one common theme that will never, ever change under the Venky cloud is that the fans are ultimately the ones who get fucked.

The whole thing just makes me sad

[DaveyB]

It’s no secret that I’m not Eustace’s biggest fan, but I’m still disappointed that he’s gone - I would have liked to see how the season finished with him at the helm and I think parting ways at the end of the season would have been a better outcome for all involved (including Eustace who very likely will now spend next season managing in league 1)

And it goes without saying that this whole situation shows (once again) that the club is a binfire at the moment and isn’t sustainable in the long run. 

However, if what Elliott Jackson has written is true, then I have to say I’m glad we didn’t just cave in to whatever Eustace wanted. His preference for signing older players would have left us with an aging squad with no resale value and tbh they’re not even that good:
Batth is the one who has really worked out, but even then he’s playing better than I think anyone would have expected. McFadz couldn’t get a game, Weimann has chipped in with some important goals but his overall game isn’t great and he doesn’t have the legs for 90 minutes, Bamford - one good season in his entire career, hated by Leeds fans and made of glass - thank god that one was vetoed!!

And I think the expectation that Smzodics would have stayed with a pay rise is naive too - he was talking about wanting to move to the prem literally a couple of days after last season ended. All a bumper new contract offer would have done is to encourage every other player in the squad to knock on the door demanding more. 

In terms of what comes next - as a few others have already said, whilst Eustace has done well (and certainly outperformed what most of us expected) he isn’t irreplaceable - the last 3 managers now have all had us challenging around the playoffs with what, on paper, looks a poor squad and every year I see people on here saying that this is our best chance because the league is poor and it won’t be next season - but like I said it gets said every year, and every year (including last season) we’re in the mix in the first half of the season - so maybe we just need to accept that our players are perhaps better than we think they are and/or the quality of the league is just poor every year. 
We are in a fantastic position and who knows, maybe a new voice, some new ideas, a new manager bounce etc etc might just see us squeeze into the playoffs this year

[dallydally]

That boat has sailed a few weeks ago!

[JBiz]

3 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

Pitch me an idea…😉

Monkey tennis? 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

10 minutes ago, DaveyB said:

It’s no secret that I’m not Eustace’s biggest fan, but I’m still disappointed that he’s gone - I would have liked to see how the season finished with him at the helm and I think parting ways at the end of the season would have been a better outcome for all involved (including Eustace who very likely will now spend next season managing in league 1)

And it goes without saying that this whole situation shows (once again) that the club is a binfire at the moment and isn’t sustainable in the long run. 

However, if what Elliott Jackson has written is true, then I have to say I’m glad we didn’t just cave in to whatever Eustace wanted. His preference for signing older players would have left us with an aging squad with no resale value and tbh they’re not even that good:
Batth is the one who has really worked out, but even then he’s playing better than I think anyone would have expected. McFadz couldn’t get a game, Weimann has chipped in with some important goals but his overall game isn’t great and he doesn’t have the legs for 90 minutes, Bamford - one good season in his entire career, hated by Leeds fans and made of glass - thank god that one was vetoed!!

And I think the expectation that Smzodics would have stayed with a pay rise is naive too - he was talking about wanting to move to the prem literally a couple of days after last season ended. All a bumper new contract offer would have done is to encourage every other player in the squad to knock on the door demanding more. 

In terms of what comes next - as a few others have already said, whilst Eustace has done well (and certainly outperformed what most of us expected) he isn’t irreplaceable - the last 3 managers now have all had us challenging around the playoffs with what, on paper, looks a poor squad and every year I see people on here saying that this is our best chance because the league is poor and it won’t be next season - but like I said it gets said every year, and every year (including last season) we’re in the mix in the first half of the season - so maybe we just need to accept that our players are perhaps better than we think they are and/or the quality of the league is just poor every year. 
We are in a fantastic position and who knows, maybe a new voice, some new ideas, a new manager bounce etc etc might just see us squeeze into the playoffs this year

I agree with you about Sammi, there was no way he was staying once a Premier League club came knocking irrespective of what we could offer him.

[ruggles1995]

55 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

 I agree with nearly all of that. As I said earlier, yesterday’s meeting was just a PR exercise. He’d already made his mind up to go over the weekend. He knew that the people sat across the desk from him would be unable or unwilling to give him what he was asking for. He made them an offer they were always going to refuse. He’d been at Rovers long enough to know that. I’ve been on the planet long enough to know when I’m being played.

Reading between the lines he’d decided to move on in summer and he was just waiting for the right opportunity to come up. That’s why his name was constantly in the frame when vacancies arose.

None of the above excuses the chicken chokers and their underlings from most of the blame. Who can work for absentee owners and not lose the plot in the end!

Thanks for the Leeds and Leicester games. They’ll live long in the memory.

you say waiting for the right opportunity but there are "claims" he applied for the WBA, Cov and PNE jobs... if thats true sounds to me like he was trying to use some bargaining tactic. the PNE is the alarming bit, if thats true then id guess it was all just for bargaining, and that would also mean one of his concerns with geographic in terms of family was a complete lie, which probably is. 

I guess we will never really know. 

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I agree with you about Sammi, there was no way he was staying once a Premier League club came knocking irrespective of what we could offer him.

Maybe not, but if by that point he had already signed a new contract with a release clause of in excess of £15M then Rovers 1-  either get a larger fee, or 2-  it puts teams off bidding for him

I would guess it would result in option one of those two

Either way, a contract should have been waiting for him almost as soon as he walked off the pitch after Roves stayed up vs Leicester, well before any Prem clubs showed an interest

Edited 6 hours ago by KentExile

[M_B]

11 minutes ago, DaveyB said:

It’s no secret that I’m not Eustace’s biggest fan, but I’m still disappointed that he’s gone - I would have liked to see how the season finished with him at the helm and I think parting ways at the end of the season would have been a better outcome for all involved (including Eustace who very likely will now spend next season managing in league 1)

And it goes without saying that this whole situation shows (once again) that the club is a binfire at the moment and isn’t sustainable in the long run. 

However, if what Elliott Jackson has written is true, then I have to say I’m glad we didn’t just cave in to whatever Eustace wanted. His preference for signing older players would have left us with an aging squad with no resale value and tbh they’re not even that good:
Batth is the one who has really worked out, but even then he’s playing better than I think anyone would have expected. McFadz couldn’t get a game, Weimann has chipped in with some important goals but his overall game isn’t great and he doesn’t have the legs for 90 minutes, Bamford - one good season in his entire career, hated by Leeds fans and made of glass - thank god that one was vetoed!!

And I think the expectation that Smzodics would have stayed with a pay rise is naive too - he was talking about wanting to move to the prem literally a couple of days after last season ended. All a bumper new contract offer would have done is to encourage every other player in the squad to knock on the door demanding more. 

In terms of what comes next - as a few others have already said, whilst Eustace has done well (and certainly outperformed what most of us expected) he isn’t irreplaceable - the last 3 managers now have all had us challenging around the playoffs with what, on paper, looks a poor squad and every year I see people on here saying that this is our best chance because the league is poor and it won’t be next season - but like I said it gets said every year, and every year (including last season) we’re in the mix in the first half of the season - so maybe we just need to accept that our players are perhaps better than we think they are and/or the quality of the league is just poor every year. 
We are in a fantastic position and who knows, maybe a new voice, some new ideas, a new manager bounce etc etc might just see us squeeze into the playoffs this year

That paragraph sums up the situation going forward, said yesterday it's unusual for a manager at  this level to be taking over a club in such a high league position,it's usually a relegation battle.

Thanks for your efforts John, see you later. It's a cracking position for any new manager taking over who accepts the club situation. Any "bounce" would see us right in the mix.

[davulsukur]

11 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Monkey tennis? 

"Jet from Gladiators to host Millennium barn dance at Yeovil aerodrome. Properly policed. Must not, repeat, must not turn into an all-night rave."

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

Damning…

And that's from the LET so it must be even worse than what Jackson is making out.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, ruggles1995 said:

Firstly before anyone reads further, Im gutted hes gone, hes done a great job, it feels like a punch to the stomach. I hate venkys and I hate Waggot.

BUT, that being said, do 99% of clubs now not have someone that purchases players and the manager deals with what comes through the door? I know he didnt get the players he requested but Im not sure it works like that these days, anywhere. They've done it all on a shoe string yes, but they've actually bought in players for as close as he described as to what was needed on a shoe string budget. I cant get over the fact hes snaking around for other clubs and trying to use it as a bargaining tool at this point of the season. I think you see the season out then leave, his togetherness and no excuses motto is a bit of  2 fingers to everyone IMO. I FIRMLY lay the blame obviously on waggot suhail and venkys even more, this is a 15 year problem, BUT eustace should be doing this in the summer IMO, the fact hes asked himself for a new deal NOW is the odd bit. Where I a million percent point the finger at venkys and the crooks, I also am not letting Eustace off the hook here with this one at the same time. You deal with this after these 16 games are done or you deal with is when the playoffs are no more. I think if he signed the players he wanted he wouldn't of thrown his toys out the pram, he might even of found himself at a better proposition than derby county....

Yes players 1 million percent should of been in the door at the start of jan, but at the end of the day were 6th, and they have bought in attackers with pace. Whether they are up to the standard is yet to be seen, on paper they aren't but you have to see how the season pans out, surely thats what the people that are in charge of signing players are paid to do. The cronies behind the scenes are killing us, but I would say its a collective let down on all fronts within the club, and Il add Eustace to that. 

different clubs have different ways or different structures. Some head coaches have more of a say in recruitment then others. 

Reading between the lines Eustace wants more of a say than ever and he wanted certain types. Also I think he was promised when being interview for the job more of a say in recruitment then he got. 

Eustace wanted experienced Championship players in the summer and winter windows, yes he got some of his targets but others he didn't. He wanted Cooper but couldn't agree a deal, or Dembele who he wanted but others didn't want him. I think its clear that Eustace, Park, Owen and Gestede was never in line in terms of what we want, target markets, and who the targets should be. I think we seen a power struggle between Eustace and Park vs Gestede and Owen on transfer targets and we seen both sides have successes and failures. When you look at the January window aswell articles from Elliott Jackson in the last 2 days plus Nixon's articles and comments on the power struggle since the summer, Its seems Eustace had his own targets and I don't think he got any of them. He did refer to Karbgo signing as the club signing which seems to me he wasn't in favour of him coming in and probably thinking why didn't we sign Dembele instead. He was clearly unhappy with the slowest January Window and the fact we didn't sign his own targets. Rovers management clearly think they have bought in players with experience he wanted and think they have delivered what he wanted. I can see their point but looking at it from Eustace point of view, he clearly unimpressed with the lateness of the signings and short term nature of the signings plus I don't think Dennis and Woodrow was his own targets. I don't think he really wanted them either but accept them reluctantly. I also think Eustace knew that Derby job might come available and what their terms were being offered cos Derby wouldn't have approach us unless they knew Eustace would come. 

I think it is utter bizarre that this issue wasn't sorted on Sunday afternoon/evening post game and Eustace even gave them a chance to keep him and offered him a new contract and assurances he wanted. The Rovers management wouldn't give him what he wanted, so John Eustace has said he wanted to go Derby cos he has got the assurances he wanted over budget, contract, influence on transfer policy which will be what John Eustace will say are his reasons whilst Rovers management will say that they couldn't agree to John Eustace terms cos that doesn't fit the club management structure and transfer policy. 

Eustace clearly now felt all summer till now that what he signed up and what he was promised wasn't what was delivered but he delivered Rovers a good hard working team that is 6th but he feels that going to Derby is a better fit for him and his management ways. 

I am gutted we lose him, Gardiner and Downing but Rovers management team could have stopped all this and give him what he wanted. I didn't expected them to cos then they look weak. 

Its a mess and one that didn't need to happened. 

So, its now over to them to bring in a new head coach and assistant to work with Johnson, Lowe and Benson. He has a good overall squad and any new appointment need to hit the ground running. I would also say that it is important that any new head coach gets a good working relationship with Travis and get him on side. Also it is important that Rovers secure the future of Travis, Tronstad, Hyam and Brittain for the future of the team and club. overt to the Rovers management team to deliver. 

[islander200]

Be interesting to see how Eustace plays it at Derby 

We weren't in the relegation zone when he came here and Derby don't have Szmodic. 

I understand why Eustace has left but still think he has shit on the players. Plus spouting this "blackburn family " shit in nearly every interview yet behind the scenes he was showing an interest in every available vacancy. 

[...]

2 hours ago, Dan said:

Yeah you're right mate, I guess I'm just overcome with doom and gloom at the minute!

We all are. Hard not to be.

[den]

I’m not really bothered what Eustace has allegedly said or done. It doesn’t matter.
 

The big picture is the important thing and the direction that Rovers have been taken by these owners. It’s more than terrible. It’s turning fans against fans - and in many cases fans against a club they have given their lives to.

and what’s even worse is that club statement that tells me for sure, they don’t get it. They don’t give a damn. Waggott, Pasha, Venkys you all need to move on. Go find someone who wants to bring everyone together and drive the club as far forwards as they can. Some with a bit of passion and more importantly someone with real ambition.

[Displaced Rover]

I’d like to think we might reach a turning point here with some more press on the back of this. In reality it’ll all blow over as we limp to 14th in the Championship under whichever idiot agrees to come work for the charlatans in charge.

 

I continue to search for a reason Venky’s still own us - I can only come up with spite. I can’t imagine I’d want to chuck away 20m quid a year in pursuit of a vendetta but then again I guess that explains their quest for relegation…

 

[ruggles1995]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

different clubs have different ways or different structures. Some head coaches have more of a say in recruitment then others. 

Reading between the lines Eustace wants more of a say than ever and he wanted certain types. Also I think he was promised when being interview for the job more of a say in recruitment then he got. 

Eustace wanted experienced Championship players in the summer and winter windows, yes he got some of his targets but others he didn't. He wanted Cooper but couldn't agree a deal, or Dembele who he wanted but others didn't want him. I think its clear that Eustace, Park, Owen and Gestede was never in line in terms of what we want, target markets, and who the targets should be. I think we seen a power struggle between Eustace and Park vs Gestede and Owen on transfer targets and we seen both sides have successes and failures. When you look at the January window aswell articles from Elliott Jackson in the last 2 days plus Nixon's articles and comments on the power struggle since the summer, Its seems Eustace had his own targets and I don't think he got any of them. He did refer to Karbgo signing as the club signing which seems to me he wasn't in favour of him coming in and probably thinking why didn't we sign Dembele instead. He was clearly unhappy with the slowest January Window and the fact we didn't sign his own targets. Rovers management clearly think they have bought in players with experience he wanted and think they have delivered what he wanted. I can see their point but looking at it from Eustace point of view, he clearly unimpressed with the lateness of the signings and short term nature of the signings plus I don't think Dennis and Woodrow was his own targets. I don't think he really wanted them either but accept them reluctantly. I also think Eustace knew that Derby job might come available and what their terms were being offered cos Derby wouldn't have approach us unless they knew Eustace would come. 

I think it is utter bizarre that this issue wasn't sorted on Sunday afternoon/evening post game and Eustace even gave them a chance to keep him and offered him a new contract and assurances he wanted. The Rovers management wouldn't give him what he wanted, so John Eustace has said he wanted to go Derby cos he has got the assurances he wanted over budget, contract, influence on transfer policy which will be what John Eustace will say are his reasons whilst Rovers management will say that they couldn't agree to John Eustace terms cos that doesn't fit the club management structure and transfer policy. 

Eustace clearly now felt all summer till now that what he signed up and what he was promised wasn't what was delivered but he delivered Rovers a good hard working team that is 6th but he feels that going to Derby is a better fit for him and his management ways. 

I am gutted we lose him, Gardiner and Downing but Rovers management team could have stopped all this and give him what he wanted. I didn't expected them to cos then they look weak. 

Its a mess and one that didn't need to happened. 

So, its now over to them to bring in a new head coach and assistant to work with Johnson, Lowe and Benson. He has a good overall squad and any new appointment need to hit the ground running. I would also say that it is important that any new head coach gets a good working relationship with Travis and get him on side. Also it is important that Rovers secure the future of Travis, Tronstad, Hyam and Brittain for the future of the team and club. overt to the Rovers management team to deliver. 

This whole Derby thing though is starting stink, with the fact we are now being told "claims" he applied for WBA, Cov and PNE jobs! PNE isn't near the midlands, and they've probably got just as bad a budget as us! Obviously we dont know if these claims are even true I get that. If he held out and managed to get us in the playoffs, his stock becomes so high he could probably walk into any championship job, or not make the playoffs then resign on still a good job as hes done now. You cant tell me Derbys more attractive than most others in this league, he only played like a season for them, like 50 games? I'm not buying the location thing, and he could potentially could of got a better job interest if he got us in the playoffs. Like I have said in previous posts on this thread, I completely lie the blame on venkys and scrooges, but Eustace cant be getting off too lightly either, if this was done in the summer or when we are completely out the playoff picture then fine, its just starting to get too snakey with these claims of applying for any job on offer. Isn't starting to look like hes waited for the perfect job, seems more and more like a bargaining tactic. Hes thrown this current group of players under the bus. 

[TheRevAshton]

I'm just trying to switch off from it all now.

Every time I think of Rovers I genuinely feel sad... it's groundhog day, the same old shambles, rinse/repeat, death by a thousand cuts - but the worst part, is the reality that we're powerless and can't actually do much about it.

The owners don't care in the slightest and likely have no idea what's going on at the Club, Suhail will be telling them all is great regarding finances, and how great of a job he and Waggott are doing etc... Waggott will be retiring soon and couldn't give a toss, he'll stick it out another year before his minion Rudy takes over.

Who will they appoint when Eustace goes? I genuinely don't care anymore. Whoever it is won't stand a chance with this lot at the helm. Nothing will improve unless the new gaffer can somehow get playoffs in 15 games... and then go and win them! Just not happening is it.

In the summer it'll be the same old shady, disgraceful, penny-pinching behaviour by the board, despite the amount of money earned from player sales, and the large amount of players we'll require. Eustace will likely raid whoever he can from us for Derby, probably one (or both) of Travis and Tronstad... new manager will grow frustrated, possibly leave etc.

We know how it goes! I absolutely love this Club, but i'm just fed up with it all now.

Edited 5 hours ago by TheRevAshton

[JHRover]

5 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

I'm just trying to switch off from it all now.

Every time I think of Rovers I genuinely feel sad... it's groundhog day, the same old shambles, rinse/repeat, death by a thousand cuts - but the worst part, is the reality that we're powerless and can't actually do much about it.

The owners don't care in the slightest and likely have no idea what's going on at the Club, Suhail will be telling them all is great regarding finances, and how great of a job he and Waggott are doing etc... Waggott will be retiring soon and couldn't give a toss, he'll stick it out another year before his minion Rudy takes over.

Who will they appoint when Eustace goes? I genuinely don't care anymore. Whoever it is won't stand a chance with this lot at the helm. Nothing will improve unless the new gaffer can somehow get playoffs in 15 games... and then go and win them! Just not happening is it.

In the summer it'll be the same old shady, disgraceful, penny-pinching behaviour by the board, despite the amount of money earned from player sales, and the large amount of players we'll require. Eustace will likely raid whoever he can from us for Derby, probably one (or both) of Travis and Tronstad... new manager will grow frustrated, possibly leave etc.

We know how it goes! I absolutely love this Club, but i'm just fed up with it all now.

Fully agree, just a totally pointless existence isn't it. 

[islander200]

40 minutes ago, DaveyB said:

It’s no secret that I’m not Eustace’s biggest fan, but I’m still disappointed that he’s gone - I would have liked to see how the season finished with him at the helm and I think parting ways at the end of the season would have been a better outcome for all involved (including Eustace who very likely will now spend next season managing in league 1)

And it goes without saying that this whole situation shows (once again) that the club is a binfire at the moment and isn’t sustainable in the long run. 

However, if what Elliott Jackson has written is true, then I have to say I’m glad we didn’t just cave in to whatever Eustace wanted. His preference for signing older players would have left us with an aging squad with no resale value and tbh they’re not even that good:
Batth is the one who has really worked out, but even then he’s playing better than I think anyone would have expected. McFadz couldn’t get a game, Weimann has chipped in with some important goals but his overall game isn’t great and he doesn’t have the legs for 90 minutes, Bamford - one good season in his entire career, hated by Leeds fans and made of glass - thank god that one was vetoed!!

And I think the expectation that Smzodics would have stayed with a pay rise is naive too - he was talking about wanting to move to the prem literally a couple of days after last season ended. All a bumper new contract offer would have done is to encourage every other player in the squad to knock on the door demanding more. 

In terms of what comes next - as a few others have already said, whilst Eustace has done well (and certainly outperformed what most of us expected) he isn’t irreplaceable - the last 3 managers now have all had us challenging around the playoffs with what, on paper, looks a poor squad and every year I see people on here saying that this is our best chance because the league is poor and it won’t be next season - but like I said it gets said every year, and every year (including last season) we’re in the mix in the first half of the season - so maybe we just need to accept that our players are perhaps better than we think they are and/or the quality of the league is just poor every year. 
We are in a fantastic position and who knows, maybe a new voice, some new ideas, a new manager bounce etc etc might just see us squeeze into the playoffs this year

I can say that I'm happy we didn't bring Dembele in 

On the bench in the last game for Oxford.No surprise really he ends up out of the team at every club he is at.

Eustace has a right to feel aggrieved if he was led to believe his voice would be loudest when it comes to signing players,  but the recruitment was the same under JDT 

Going to be interesting to see how the players react and what's Said about Eustace departure by Travis etc