Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[roversfan99]

A regular criticism seems to be that he doesnt really have a plan B so I am not sure how adaptable he is.

He moved away from his blood and thunder long ball style somewhat at Watford and that was his least successful spell in English football.

Not being in a relegation battle doesnt mean that his time at West Brom or Watford wasnt unsuccsssful. Man City arent in a relegation scrap but they are still having a bad season. Lets hope we get more of Barnsley Ismael than West Brom or in particular Watford Ismael.

The key is to accept that this prior evidence that he can do well at this level and also there is evidence that there are chinks in his armoury and he can underachieve. Anyone shooting down any possible criticisms and suggesting that there are no concerns or equally anyone saying outright that its a terrible appointment are IMO lacking any semblence of balance.

I dont understand the idea of the Plymouth result speeding up the process. That suggests that either they didnt have any urgency or proactivity to begin with, quite likely, and/or they then rushed following a loss. 

[ben_the_beast]

Like most, I'm on the fence. 

One thing worth mentioning is his success at Barnsley was hugely dependent on Daryl Dike. West Brom then spent a small fortune so Valerian had his key man and he ended up never ever being fit. 

Step forward Big Mak. He will be absolutely key to Ismaels style of play, and if it clicks, we could see some success.

[joey_big_nose]

As he came from Watford as his last job and Beskitas, WBA before that he does not strike me as being particularly cheap by Championship standards. Probably on more money than the majority of managers in our league.

[yeti-dog]

50 minutes ago, TimmyJimmy said:

A loud pitiful gutteral groan.  A wailing cry of awfulness. I have no real words just sounds. What have we become and where are we going.  Is this club journeying up or down? Not the worst appointment we could make but the best? Really?! Toss a coin, there's two choices. It will work somehow or it won't. Doesn't exactly smack of a firm hand on the tiller guiding the club forward to ever higher achievements. Oh, here's one, he'll do.

Hail Mary ...

A little bit melodramatic don't you think?

[A Northern Horde...]

Let's hope for some of that new Manager bounce as it will come just at the right time...other than that it's a Meh! and here we go again folks!

 

[...]

OK OK... hear me out.

What if we got a really good manager, one on everyone's lips

....and he doesn't win a game? 

We get a middle of the road manager and he doesn't win a game.

Who do you point the finger at? Owners

Or its solely on the manager?

[Valconite]

As long as Hedges isn't guaranteed a starting place and Hedges, Weiman & Dolan aren't on the pitch at the same time then he will already be a step up.

Not my first choice but nothing we can do and hope it works out. A strange decision that long contract when you consider what has been going on with contracts in general.

Edited February 25 by Valconite

[chaddyrovers]

30 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

A regular criticism seems to be that he doesnt really have a plan B so I am not sure how adaptable he is.

He had a plan B against us when losing 1 nil bringing on 2 strikers and won the game 2-1

30 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He moved away from his blood and thunder long ball style somewhat at Watford and that was his least successful spell in English football.

 And won th9th in the league is his least successful spell. Hardly ground breaking is it. FFS

 

41 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont understand the idea of the Plymouth result speeding up the process. That suggests that either they didnt have any urgency or proactivity to begin with, quite likely, and/or they then rushed following a loss. 

It's allow Rovers management time to interview and recruit the right candidate to be our next head coach. What don't you understand? 

[NeilInBristol]

I'm happy with an appointment finally. I don't know the guy as much as others but glad we have a head coach now.

I'm hoping he will be better than our interim guys as he is more experienced.

He knows the championship and is a known manager not a completely unknown randomer that we could have ended up with.

If he gets us into play offs great. If he doesnt then that is likely on him 

 

Come on rovers 

[onlyonejackwalker]

For now, all that matters is the next ten weeks.

If he keeps us committed and focused that will suffice. We know the players will give their all.

We must put everything we have into finishing in the play offs. We need the players to regroup, energise and go again. 

I quite like this appointment. Wait till Beck, Tronstad and Ohashi are 100%. Plus the new signings ready to contribute. The squad will look strong.

As always its up to the players and if he keeps it simple that will do for me.

 

Edited February 25 by onlyonejackwalker
Sp

[Hasta]

11 hours ago, ... said:

 

 

 

Ok but just states the obvious that a new manager should be saying. Doesn’t give the ‘working class hero talk’ warmth that Uncle Tony did. In his first interview. Not that it did us any good long term.

Edited February 26 by Hasta

[yankfan]

Glad we got it sorted but let’s be honest until there are new owners whoever is hired will be sold a bag of lies and eventually want to get as far away as possible. 
 

Until then hopefully we get a new manager bounce in the next few matches and anything can happen from there. 

Edited February 26 by yankfan
Typo

[Upside Down]

44 minutes ago, ... said:

OK OK... hear me out.

What if we got a really good manager, one on everyone's lips

....and he doesn't win a game? 

We get a middle of the road manager and he doesn't win a game.

Who do you point the finger at? Owners

Or its solely on the manager?

Yes it's on the owners 100%.

The last two blokes were doing a great job until their positions were made completely untenable causing them to leave.

[roversfan99]

37 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

He had a plan B against us when losing 1 nil bringing on 2 strikers and won the game 2-1

 And won th9th in the league is his least successful spell. Hardly ground breaking is it. FFS

 

It's allow Rovers management time to interview and recruit the right candidate to be our next head coach. What don't you understand? 

I know that you cant possibly fathom that there are any risks or any red flags associated with him as a manager so there is little point debating. There are potentially encouraging signs from his past and potential concerns from his past but you as ever can only comprehend the former.

One result shouldnt have sped the process up either way, assuming it did. Because they should have already been doing the thorough process as urgently as they could. So either they wasnt, or they panicked upon the loss at the weekend and rushed.

Ive no doubt that youll be unable to comprehend that and will miss the point and say something like they were getting the right man which I am aware of. My point is, no individual match either way should have changed the speed of the process, whether that be a win slowing them down or a loss speeding them up. As that would be an incredibly reactive way of doing things.

[47er]

56 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

He had a plan B against us when losing 1 nil bringing on 2 strikers and won the game 2-1

 And won th9th in the league is his least successful spell. Hardly ground breaking is it. FFS

 

It's allow Rovers management time to interview and recruit the right candidate to be our next head coach. What don't you understand? 

Everything in the garden rosy then? Not a care.....

[chaddyrovers]

43 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I know that you cant possibly fathom that there are any risks or any red flags associated with him as a manager so there is little point debating. There are potentially encouraging signs from his past and potential concerns from his past but you as ever can only comprehend the former.

I know you can't do anything but focus on these possible red flags like you did all the time. Your own choice who also them given Luton position in the bottom 3. No red flags or risks when he left but you have no problem backing him for the job. Sacked in the playoffs and 9th. Watford is shit show given they had 9 head coaches in 4 and half years. Plus WBA sacking 2 managers in the playoffs. FFS. Maybe both clubs should have shown some patience and not be so trigger happy. 

I told you my concerns yesterday. What more do you want? 

[USABlue]

7 hours ago, yeti-dog said:

Give over, we heard you already on the closed thread.

He wouldn't have been my first choice but nor is he a pitiful appointnent. Many of the names mentioned might potentially fit that description ( Boateng, Boa Morte etc) but I think you're being a bit of a drama queen.

He/she wiuld probably have had the same opinion regardless of who we hired.  I find it amusing all these that bad mouth the new manager and the other top candidates never same to offer who they WOULD have wanted.

Personally I'd have given Duffer a shot but that is me 

Edited February 26 by USABlue

[DackDackGoose]

Willing to give him a try, ultimately not finished beneath the top ten in champ, which is something to be said considering the mad fickleness of the league. Said all the right things.. not trying to change tactics etc for last 12 games. Lets see

Be interesting if he brings woodrow and dennos straight in. Can imagine him falling out with cantwell.. heard it here first.

[Michael123458]

Back the manager going to be challenging like it would be for anyone but ffs see how first 2/3 matches go. RTID

[bigbrandjohn]

Aparently he is a disiplinarian. All I hope he doesnt throw his weight around and upset the karma of the team spirit. 

Interesting to see what happens to Dennis and him. 

As far as the style of play is concerned if we get to the play offs he can play 10 men in defence. It works well for our noisy neighbors. 

[RoversTilliDie]

Welcome to Ewood Valerien Ismiel (pardon the spelling) let's all get behind the new manager. It might kick-start the players into action, who will be playing for their places, under the new manager.

[Paul Mani]

Having had some time to read more about Ismael - his methods, past experience etc. I genuinely think it’s 50/50 that he works out. The comparisons between us and Barnsley are good, but there’s no doubt that he didn’t hit the heights at West Brom, and trying to analyse a managers performance at Watford just hurts my head.

It seems that Big Val, is a strict disciplinarian and whilst that’s a brilliant trait in many ways, IF it goes wrong, you can lose a group and it’s basically over. In a dressing room like Barnsley’s, or ours currently, where players aren’t earning what others at rival clubs are and have been written off, then you can forge an ‘us against the world’ mentality which drives everything. That’s what I think the board are hoping for…

Alternatively, if the wheels come off, he’s proven his teams can hit severe death spirals and im not sure we’d survive another in the Championship.

I hope this works out! 🤞🏽

[KentExile]

😞 

If the above gets us into the playoffs, and allows us to beat the dingles at Wembley for a spot in the Prem, which means that the Venkys finally sell us to get their money back, then he will rightly be hailed a hero.  

But that's a long shot, and It wont be pretty (unless he has had another tactical renaissance)

On the face of it, it looks like a disaster, and the story in the LT about him being a tactically inflexible disciplinarian with no plan B does nothing to brighten my mood.

But what am I thinking, 

Get behind the lads ffs!

Edited February 26 by KentExile

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

3 hours ago, Michael123458 said:

Back the manager going to be challenging like it would be for anyone but ffs see how first 2/3 matches go. RTID

That's all we can do as fans in our present situation.Have to fight Tooth and Nail for that play off spot.

[Tom]

31 minutes ago, KentExile said:

😞 

 

Could be effective with Gueye playing in Kargbo / Ohashi 

Not sure it’s any worse than 782 passes around the back with no aim which Pep has inflicted on us all 

Edited February 26 by Tom