Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[philipl]

My profound thanks to Mr Ismael for delivering the coup de grace today and avoiding any prolonged agony. 

[JCRovers]

Beginning to think that Ismael was hired because he's a 'yes-man', willing to take the owners' side over the team just like Gestede. The way he has talked negatively about the players' previous performances this season (not creating many chances in the win against Leeds for example), talking about how he wants the team to have more possession without having any clear ideas on how to "penetrate" the opposition as he likes to describe it, and how quickly he has demolished the defensive stability being built by Eustace makes you wonder what the board was thinking when offering him a 3-year contract. Pathetic.

I'm more certain now than ever that there's gonna be a massive player turnover this summer and with a significantly weaker squad, the team will head into next season being one of the favorites for relegation. Our luck in managerial appointments are over for now and I seriously doubt the board will sack Ismael before it's too late. 

Edited March 15 by JCRovers

[RoversClitheroe]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:54, JCRovers said:

Beginning to think that Ismael was hired because he's a 'yes-man', willing to take the owners' side over the team just like Gestede. The way he has talked negatively about the players' previous performances this season (not creating many chances in the win against Leeds for example), talking about how he wants the team to have more possession without having any clear ideas on how to "penetrate" the opposition as he likes to describe it, and how quickly he has demolished the defensive stability being built by Eustace makes you wonder what the board was thinking when offering him a 3-year contract. Pathetic.

I'm more certain now than ever that there's gonna be a massive player turnover this summer and with a significantly weaker squad, the team will head into next season being one of the favorites for relegation. Our luck in managerial appointments are over for now and I'll seriously doubt the board will sack Ismael before it's too late. 

Expand  

They don't want promotion surely.

Who's selecting the team?

Edited March 15 by RoversClitheroe

[sharpysharps86]

Yeah, Ismael is already proving a lot of us right.

If there isn't a break clause in that big old 3 1/2 year deal I'd be staggered, especially given how cheap the club does things.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he's gone in the summer and circus will continue onto the next stop.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Took just four games to destroy our hopes after a Season of Progress and Hope.

Edited March 15 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[booth]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:55, RoversClitheroe said:

They don't want promotion surely.

Who's selecting the team?

Expand  

Course they don't.

They don't want promotion because it would mean some work and investment has to go back in. Hence three years of sabotage.

[simongarnerisgod]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:55, sharpysharps86 said:

Yeah, Ismael is already proving a lot of us right.

If there isn't a break clause in that big old 3 1/2 year deal I'd be staggered, especially given how cheap the club does things.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he's gone in the summer and circus will continue onto the next stop.

Expand  

be gone by christmas along with our best players in the summer firesale

[booth]

  On 15/03/2025 at 18:00, simongarnerisgod said:

be gone by christmas along with our best players in the summer firesale

Expand  

If that happens then he's resigning as Suhail doesn't sack people, he just lets their contracts run down or has a girly strop when other teams take them. As we saw with JDT he doesn't even let them resign without a large dose of petulance.

[Exiled_Rover]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:55, sharpysharps86 said:

Yeah, Ismael is already proving a lot of us right.

If there isn't a break clause in that big old 3 1/2 year deal I'd be staggered, especially given how cheap the club does things.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he's gone in the summer and circus will continue onto the next stop.

Expand  

We're cheap, but we're not savvy. Why would Ismael sign a contract with a break clause in our favour in it?

[alcd]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:55, RoversClitheroe said:

They don't want promotion surely.

Who's selecting the team?

Expand  

Wagsail - and their paymasters Venkys - WANT relegation as the losses in L1 are lower. that's ALL their interested in.

[alcd]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:55, sharpysharps86 said:

Yeah, Ismael is already proving a lot of us right.

If there isn't a break clause in that big old 3 1/2 year deal I'd be staggered, especially given how cheap the club does things.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he's gone in the summer and circus will continue onto the next stop.

Expand  

Would Ismael resign if all the remaining 8 matches are lost? I doubt it and certainly not without a payoff.

[davulsukur]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:55, sharpysharps86 said:

Yeah, Ismael is already proving a lot of us right.

If there isn't a break clause in that big old 3 1/2 year deal I'd be staggered, especially given how cheap the club does things.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he's gone in the summer and circus will continue onto the next stop.

Expand  

I wonder (more hope i guess), if there is a break clause for this summer. Giving him a 3 year deal was ludicrous and considering the short term nature of how they operate, it goes well against their current trend.

Not a cat in hells chance they sack him and pay him up for 3 years. It's all about cost savings, so there must be something that's weighted heavily in the clubs favour.

[martonrover]

Absolutely terrible appointment and ridiculous length of contract.

Shove your season tickets where the Sun doesn't shine.

 

[BRFC4EVA]

Pathetic pound shop appointment. 4 of the easiest games this season against dross opposition as seen us pick up 1 point via a 97th min equaliser. 

Playoffs completely gone, all that hard work to waste. But waggot gets a pay rise. Absolute scumbag. 

Get Ismael, waggot, pasha, Sohail and the venkys out of our fucking club. I am done.

[RoversClitheroe]

Don't listen to his post match interview, it will make you sick

[Mercer]

  On 15/03/2025 at 18:29, martonrover said:

Absolutely terrible appointment and ridiculous length of contract.

Shove your season tickets where the Sun doesn't shine.

 

Expand  

Totally agree.

We are in Jim Iley category here - think Jim won ONLY 2 GAMES OUT OF 20 games or so.

Ismael makes even Coyley, who won about 12 (33% win record), look like Pep.

We are in mega trouble with this appointment - I think his position is already untenable.  This could get very, very toxic in record time.  The clowns and Ismael need to reach a mutual agreement for his immediate departure. 

[martonrover]

  On 15/03/2025 at 18:44, Mercer said:

Totally agree.

We are in Jim Iley category here - think Jim won ONLY 2 GAMES OUT OF 20 games or so.

Ismael makes even Coyley, who won about 12 (33% win record), look like Pep.

We are in mega trouble with this appointment - I think his position is already untenable.  This could get very, very toxic in record time.  The clowns and Ismael need to reach a mutual agreement for his immediate departure. 

Expand  

In a funny way he's actually doing us a favour, because it's going so badly that the heat is being turned up on the owners and their hired goons.

[simongarnerisgod]

couple more defeats and he`ll lose the dressing room,it looks like it`s only a matter of time judging by the performance and mannerisms today

[DE.]

  On 15/03/2025 at 18:42, RoversClitheroe said:

Don't listen to his post match interview, it will make you sick

Expand  

Just made me bored tbh. Turned it off after two minutes as his monotone voice was doing my head in and it was nothing but excuses. Thought Dolan was onside (wrong), thought it was our most 'complete' game whatever that means. Wanted the penalty to stand even though it was the correct decision not to give it. Stopped watching when he started blaming injuries as well. That was only two minutes in and the interview went on for over five minutes. Can't imagine it got any better. 

Edited March 15 by DE.

[Waggy76]

  On 15/03/2025 at 17:58, booth said:

Course they don't.

They don't want promotion because it would mean some work and investment has to go back in. Hence three years of sabotage.

Expand  

Also publicity and being in the public eye again.

They don't want  the big media boys around , skeletons in the cupboard .

[Waggy76]

  On 15/03/2025 at 18:56, simongarnerisgod said:

couple more defeats and he`ll lose the dressing room,it looks like it`s only a matter of time judging by the performance and mannerisms today

Expand  

I watched the players at Stoke in the tunnel on Sky before the game.

They looked fed up , no encouraging each over at all .

I think , he has already lost the players.

[NeilInBristol]

The difference between JE and VI 

JE was making gold out of sh**

VI was unemployed 

 

Derby paid Rovers to get JE out of his contract 

VI was unemployed and has now cost us promotion 

 

Stupid yes man situation again

[NeilInBristol]

  On 15/03/2025 at 18:28, davulsukur said:

I wonder (more hope i guess), if there is a break clause for this summer. Giving him a 3 year deal was ludicrous and considering the short term nature of how they operate, it goes well against their current trend.

Not a cat in hells chance they sack him and pay him up for 3 years. It's all about cost savings, so there must be something that's weighted heavily in the clubs favour.

Expand  

He was free. His contract was probably cheap because he was unemployed and no one else wanted him as you can see by the past few games. Utter useless.

He probably signed for 1/4 of what JE was on which is why they gave him a long contract 

[M_B]

  On 15/03/2025 at 19:20, NeilInBristol said:

The difference between JE and VI 

JE was making gold out of sh**

VI was unemployed 

 

Derby paid Rovers to get JE out of his contract 

VI was unemployed and has now cost us promotion 

 

Stupid yes man situation again

Expand  

This situation is 4 months in the making, not 4 games.

[Hasta]

  On 15/03/2025 at 19:31, M_B said:

This situation is 4 months in the making, not 4 games.

Expand  

3 wins in 5 before he rocked up.

But it's actually since Jan 1st when Eustace wasn’t even slightly backed when it started.

Edited March 15 by Hasta