Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[Herbie6590]

2 hours ago, sharpysharps86 said:

If Rovers lose tomorrow then Ismael will have had a worse start in 6 league games than Owen Coyle, who managed 2 points from his first 6.

I can't think of any examples where a new head coach / manager can come back from such a bad start and make a success of things, especially in the basket case circus environment that is Rovers.

Long time ago but this always stays in my memory…

[oneandycrawford]

50 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Long time ago but this always stays in my memory…

It continued after that. I was at the game away at Millwall in Nov 79 where we lost 1-0 due to Keeley (I think) giving away a penalty in the 85th minute. Apart from thinking 'at least we're going to get out alive now' it seemed like we were going nowhere but the rest of the season was awesome as everything suddenly clicked. 

Don't know whether that means we should give Ismael the time or just that Kendall had a plan that the board could see and supported him to achieve it. Even if Ismael has a plan the current set of deadbeats in the boardroom don't have the capability or desire to back him anyway.

[Herbie6590]

13 minutes ago, oneandycrawford said:

It continued after that. I was at the game away at Millwall in Nov 79 where we lost 1-0 due to Keeley (I think) giving away a penalty in the 85th minute. Apart from thinking 'at least we're going to get out alive now' it seemed like we were going nowhere but the rest of the season was awesome as everything suddenly clicked. 

Don't know whether that means we should give Ismael the time or just that Kendall had a plan that the board could see and supported him to achieve it. Even if Ismael has a plan the current set of deadbeats in the boardroom don't have the capability or desire to back him anyway.

I reckon we’d kill for October & November’s form though now…👀

[Waggy76]

13 minutes ago, oneandycrawford said:

It continued after that. I was at the game away at Millwall in Nov 79 where we lost 1-0 due to Keeley (I think) giving away a penalty in the 85th minute. Apart from thinking 'at least we're going to get out alive now' it seemed like we were going nowhere but the rest of the season was awesome as everything suddenly clicked. 

Don't know whether that means we should give Ismael the time or just that Kendall had a plan that the board could see and supported him to achieve it. Even if Ismael has a plan the current set of deadbeats in the boardroom don't have the capability or desire to back him anyway.

Arnold ,Keeley ,Faz, ,Kendall , McKenzie , Noel and a young Garner , far superior players to what we have today.

Plus Crawford scored the best part of 20 goals . Metcalfe and Parkes were no slouches either !

[Herbie6590]

2 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Arnold ,Keeley ,Faz, ,Kendall , McKenzie , Noel and a young Garner , far superior players to what we have today.

Plus Crawford scored the best part of 20 goals . Metcalfe and Parkes were no slouches either !

And of course, in a division lower…

[StHelensRover]

2 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

Long time ago but this always stays in my memory…

Way before my time so I can't say a lot, but it looks like 4 defeats in the opening 10 league matches. If it goes badly tomorrow will be 5 defeats in opening 6 matches for La Roi Valerien 👎

[oneandycrawford]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

I reckon we’d kill for October & November’s form though now…👀

There can't be many teams who've gone from 20th in early Nov to 2nd by the end of the season! And a cup run where we got to Round 5 beating a Div 2 team away, a Div 1 team and taking Villa to a replay only a year before they won the League! Funnily the cup run coincided with the amazing league form. I know many other people on this forum hold the view that a good cup run can help turn form around.

[MarkBRFC]

7 minutes ago, oneandycrawford said:

There can't be many teams who've gone from 20th in early Nov to 2nd by the end of the season! And a cup run where we got to Round 5 beating a Div 2 team away, a Div 1 team and taking Villa to a replay only a year before they won the League! Funnily the cup run coincided with the amazing league form. I know many other people on this forum hold the view that a good cup run can help turn form around.

Yep. Drives me insane when i see folk say they are glad we are out of the cup or "play the youngsters" etc.

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

And of course, in a division lower…

It wasn't the year after 

[Herbie6590]

16 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

It wasn't the year after 

My point (clumsily made) is that I reckon that 3rd tier team is superior to today’s 2nd tier one.

Wasn't McKenzie a club record signing? 🤔

 

[Trinidad Rover]

Oh oh. Not a good look in his interview today.

Bayes challenged him on not going over to applaud fans in Portsmouth last week and he said he did - essentially saying fans are lying.

Strange start.

 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Trinidad Rover

[martonrover]

1 minute ago, Trinidad Rover said:

Oh oh. Not a good look in his interview today.

Bayes challenged him on not going over last week and he said he did - basically saying fans are lying.

Strange start.

 

 

Seems like a hard - faced kind of guy.

He’s probably already concluded the situation is hopeless, given the toxicity, and has a mindset of, “F*ck you, I’m going to make over a million pounds here, come what may”.

[Mercer]

10 minutes ago, Trinidad Rover said:

Oh oh. Not a good look in his interview today.

Bayes challenged him on not going over to applaud fans in Portsmouth last week and he said he did - essentially saying fans are lying.

Strange start.

 

 

Watched the interview.

Said he made 'steps  towards the fans to applaud' followed by "I know my job" which seemed a put down for Bayes.  Didn't see the incident so can't comment but from what I've seen of the bloke, I don't like him - more importantly, I don't trust him.  You get a gut feel about folk and my stomach churns when I see / hear Ismael - IMO, he's bad news all round.

[Tomphil2]

4 hours ago, Mercer said:

So really we could have reemployed Coyley, the previous 'outstanding candidate', who still lives close to Brockhall and we would have been better off!?

Have you ever listened to those Under the Cosh podcasts ?

To a man every player who experienced him here thinks he's a complete tit, nice bloke but football wise...a tit.

[Mercer]

4 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

Have you ever listened to those Under the Cosh podcasts ?

To a man every player who experienced him here thinks he's a complete tit, nice bloke but football wise...a tit.

There was a degree of irony in my post which seems to have flown over your head!

[Tomphil2]

15 minutes ago, Mercer said:

There was a degree of irony in my post which seems to have flown over your head!

You are a known fan of his so it's hard to spot.

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, Tomphil2 said:

You are a known fan of his so it's hard to spot.

I am not a fan of Coyle.

He was terrible for Rovers but he does have a promotion to the PL with Burnley on his CV to his credit - something Ismael does not have.

Have met the guy at events and he's always been pleasant.  Can only take folk as you find them. 

[K-Hod]

32 minutes ago, Mercer said:

I am not a fan of Coyle.

He was terrible for Rovers but he does have a promotion to the PL with Burnley on his CV to his credit - something Ismael does not have.

Have met the guy at events and he's always been pleasant.  Can only take folk as you find them. 

Then why do you call him ‘Coyley’, as though you know him personally?

[Mattyblue]

Merce is more of a Wee Dougie man…

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, K-Hod said:

Then why do you call him ‘Coyley’, as though you know him personally?

The same reason many other folk on this site and other social media refer to sporting personalities in a 'familiar' way - simple examples, posters on here referring to Travis as 'Trav' and Buckley as 'Bucko'.  There are countless others.

52 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Merce is more of a Wee Dougie man…

Wee Dougie is a real canny lad.  What a Sporting Director - a talent spotter supreme.  If I had the money to buy Rovers he would be my first appointment.

Edited 19 hours ago by Mercer

[chaddyrovers]

12 hours ago, arbitro said:

Of course there has been the occasional press but it's futile unless there is intensity.

Have you noticed a drop in the intensity?

Yes for sure, we lacked tempo in our passing and pace of our game, when we play quick tempo we look much better team, this was the case under Mowbray, JDT and Eustace. 

[Neal]

Played around a few clubs when i was younger, Bolton, Halifax, Bamber Bridge... There are just fellas you can tell think the sun shines out of their own arse and think they're the bollocks because they weren't shit for a brief period of their mostly shit career... He's one of those. The type of fella we'd be calling a prick behind his back, taking the piss out of him and I can guarantee the players will be doing the same in private. An unlikable, arrogant, knob head befitting the absolute wankers who run us... Already at it with the us vs them type of approach... He's perfect for them. 

Edited 17 hours ago by Neal

[martonrover]

2 hours ago, Neal said:

Played around a few clubs when i was younger, Bolton, Halifax, Bamber Bridge... There are just fellas you can tell think the sun shines out of their own arse and think they're the bollocks because they weren't shit for a brief period of their mostly shit career... He's one of those. The type of fella we'd be calling a prick behind his back, taking the piss out of him and I can guarantee the players will be doing the same in private. An unlikable, arrogant, knob head befitting the absolute wankers who run us... Already at it with the us vs them type of approach... He's perfect for them. 

“Siri, find me the least appropriate head coach to follow on from John Eustace “.

[SuperBrfc]

The appointment of Ismael shows the absolute folly and blight on football as a whole that is the obsession with data. Gestede revealed that Ismael was picked because he exceeded all "data metrics" and because of his CV. What effing data metrics? Can he get a club promoted to the Premier League? Has he ever done so before? That's the only "metric" they should be considering.

When challenged on how poor our results have been under Ismael so far, Gestede admitted this, but said performances have been good. Suggesting we have been unlucky. To back up this claim, he reeled off a string of pointless pieces of data such as: increased penalty box entries, more possession, better xG than before and others that I can't remember. The point is, data was a big factor in them choosing him and it's another reason they will cling on to him no matter the results. "Look at the xG, things are going to turn around soon", will be the cries from the hipsters. "It's a journey, look at the stats, we're improving". No, mate. Show me the League table.

These data merchants are clutching at straws. Nothing trumps the eye test, and the eye test is showing Ismael to be a dud who plays dismal football.

Data is the reason we no longer have flying wingers in the game as a whole. Data is the reason why Pep has ruined many a player at Man City. Data is the reason why flair is being coached out of players. It makes me laugh (not in Rovers case) how clubs rave about their data models, data analysis and how they employ it, but those clubs achieve relatively stuff all in the actual game.

People in the game falling over themselves over some flimsy data metrics, while their team itself achieves little on the grass. Brighton being one example. They win stuff all but get huge plaudits for selling players on. The game has gone mad. Somebody needs to buck this trend and get the focus back on actually winning things again.

[Upside Down]

46 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

The appointment of Ismael shows the absolute folly and blight on football as a whole that is the obsession with data. Gestede revealed that Ismael was picked because he exceeded all "data metrics" and because of his CV. What effing data metrics? Can he get a club promoted to the Premier League? Has he ever done so before? That's the only "metric" they should be considering.

When challenged on how poor our results have been under Ismael so far, Gestede admitted this, but said performances have been good. Suggesting we have been unlucky. To back up this claim, he reeled off a string of pointless pieces of data such as: increased penalty box entries, more possession, better xG than before and others that I can't remember. The point is, data was a big factor in them choosing him and it's another reason they will cling on to him no matter the results. "Look at the xG, things are going to turn around soon", will be the cries from the hipsters. "It's a journey, look at the stats, we're improving". No, mate. Show me the League table.

These data merchants are clutching at straws. Nothing trumps the eye test, and the eye test is showing Ismael to be a dud who plays dismal football.

Data is the reason we no longer have flying wingers in the game as a whole. Data is the reason why Pep has ruined many a player at Man City. Data is the reason why flair is being coached out of players. It makes me laugh (not in Rovers case) how clubs rave about their data models, data analysis and how they employ it, but those clubs achieve relatively stuff all in the actual game.

People in the game falling over themselves over some flimsy data metrics, while their team itself achieves little on the grass. Brighton being one example. They win stuff all but get huge plaudits for selling players on. The game has gone mad. Somebody needs to buck this trend and get the focus back on actually winning things again.

Data is only any good as a check and balance to what you're seeing on the pitch.

Some players flatter to deceive and they get found out once their data shows what they actually do.

Some players appear to do very little but the data can prove otherwise.

It's a tool, nothing more.

Unfortunately, many talentless people are using this as a way to give themselves some false credibility in the football world by conning the many uninitiated into believing that these people know what they're on about.

I'm certainly not naive enough to be fooled by some bullshit statistics when the team loses a game by playing shit or are sitting in the bottom three.