Valérien Ismaël: Blackburn Rovers Head Coach

[DutchRover]

I wonder if the wise men are now panicking that Ismael has started winning and explicitly stated he wants Tronstad and Brittain as key players and to renew them. With all their doubling-down behind him during the slide they don't have anywhere to go if they want to pretend to maintain credibility.

[philipl]

36 minutes ago, DutchRover said:

I wonder if the wise men are now panicking that Ismael has started winning and explicitly stated he wants Tronstad and Brittain as key players and to renew them. With all their doubling-down behind him during the slide they don't have anywhere to go if they want to pretend to maintain credibility.

Credibility.

Lost when they fired Allardyce

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, philipl said:

Credibility.

Lost when they fired Allardyce

I think it is more : Lost, not by the fact they fired Allardyce, but by whom they replaced him with .

[roversinmyblood]

After the superb performance yesterday and the way the team celebrated and seemed together, do you think that they have bought into the manager’s way of playing?
Do you also feel like they have got over Eustace and like VI? They seemed very happy yesterday.

[chaddyrovers]

@roversfan99 do you see yesterday the style of play that Ismael wants to play now? 

Before you asked my opinion has changed yet on Ismael but performance like second half against Sheffield Wednesday, Luton away and Millwall at home. we seen 2 different styles, attacking and pressing against Millwall and more compact against Luton. I want to see more of this before changing my opinion. 

2 minutes ago, roversinmyblood said:

After the superb performance yesterday and the way the team celebrated and seemed together, do you think that they have bought into the manager’s way of playing?
Do you also feel like they have got over Eustace and like VI? They seemed very happy yesterday.

I think its was very telling the exchanged between Ismael and Tronstad when he came off or similar with Ohashi. The players seem to have a very good connection with Ismael yesterday. 

[rigger]

11 minutes ago, roversinmyblood said:

After the superb performance yesterday and the way the team celebrated and seemed together, do you think that they have bought into the manager’s way of playing?
Do you also feel like they have got over Eustace and like VI? They seemed very happy yesterday.

Lets see who signs new contracts.

[roversinmyblood]

10 minutes ago, rigger said:

Lets see who signs new contracts.

Yes, that will be the real test, although if they don’t sign that could be more indicative of disliking The board and Venkies rather than VI.

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

@roversfan99 do you see yesterday the style of play that Ismael wants to play now? 

Before you asked my opinion has changed yet on Ismael but performance like second half against Sheffield Wednesday, Luton away and Millwall at home. we seen 2 different styles, attacking and pressing against Millwall and more compact against Luton. I want to see more of this before changing my opinion. 

I think its was very telling the exchanged between Ismael and Tronstad when he came off or similar with Ohashi. The players seem to have a very good connection with Ismael yesterday. 

Well we dont know if that will specifically the way we play in general going forward.

Its easy when we win a game to assume that is exactly how we will play going forward. We didnt play like that against Luton for example.

A very good win yesterday albeit in a dead rubber, long way to go before we can assume that will be consistently replicated as the style we play.

I read absolutely nothing in him shaking the hand of Tronstad at full time. Irrelevant.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Well we dont know if that will specifically the way we play in general going forward.

Its easy when we win a game to assume that is exactly how we will play going forward. We didnt play like that against Luton for example.

Listen to Ismael's comments and the way we played yesterday is what he wants played most of the time..

 

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

A very good win yesterday albeit in a dead rubber, long way to go before we can assume that will be consistently replicated as the style we play.

Yesterday game wasn't a dead rubber for me. Points to play for, winning games and playing for the fans. 

Addressed the long point above. 

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

I read absolutely nothing in him shaking the hand of Tronstad at full time. Irrelevant.

Wasn't talking about full time but when Ohashi and Tronstad were sub and that Ismael took time to speak them for around 15 secs for Ohashi and around 20/25 secs for Tronstad. Very clear to see

Edited Saturday at 16:08 by chaddyrovers

[roversfan99]

42 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Listen to Ismael's comments and the way we played yesterday is what he wants played most of the time..

 

Yesterday game wasn't a dead rubber for me. Points to play for, winning games and playing for the fans. 

Addressed the long point above. 

Wasn't talking about full time but when Ohashi and Tronstad were sub and that Ismael took time to speak them for around 15 secs for Ohashi and around 20/25 secs for Tronstad. Very clear to see

Again, its not about what people say. Lets see how we actually play on the pitch.

[Tricky]

9 hours ago, philipl said:

Credibility.

Lost when they hired Kean

Fixed

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Again, its not about what people say. Lets see how we actually play on the pitch.

we witnessed how they played yesterday and clear pattern of play but you seem to be denial over it 

[Upside Down]

On 19/04/2025 at 20:56, philipl said:

Credibility.

Lost when they fired Allardyce

They've never had it to lose.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

On 19/04/2025 at 20:13, chaddyrovers said:

we witnessed how they played yesterday and clear pattern of play but you seem to be denial over it 

Be careful to judge off one game. We can go back to the Middlesborough game to give you the total opposite view.

[MarkBRFC]

On 19/04/2025 at 20:13, chaddyrovers said:

we witnessed how they played yesterday and clear pattern of play but you seem to be denial over it 

Do you still want Ismael out?

[chaddyrovers]

54 minutes ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

Be careful to judge off one game. We can go back to the Middlesborough game to give you the total opposite view.

Sheffield Wednesday second half and The Millwall game we witnessed a clear pattern of play to see. 

Luton we had to dig in and grind that result out. Some times you have to do that

[chaddyrovers]

51 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Do you still want Ismael out?

I answered that point near the top of the page. 

[dingles staying down 4ever]

9 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Sheffield Wednesday second half and The Millwall game we witnessed a clear pattern of play to see. 

Luton we had to dig in and grind that result out. Some times you have to do that

Something went on at half time of the Wednesday game that saw a change in the players mentality that has been carried over. What that was we dont know but Id say the style of play hasn't changed a great deal from Eustace's day to be honest.

Time will tell if this is prolonged or not

[USABlue]

On 19/04/2025 at 04:04, rigger said:

I think it is more : Lost, not by the fact they fired Allardyce, but by whom they replaced him with .

My feelings too.  In hindsight it seems like no one wanted Sam gone but I recall there was plenty of folks on here wanted him gone due to the dire footy on display.  Sadly none of those (I was one) that wanted Sam gone dod not expect such a ridiculous appointment as the wee gem.  Had we swapped Allardyce for a top manager maybe things would have been different.

[USABlue]

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC said:

Do you still want Ismael out?

Just for the fact he came in and bowed to the wishes of Maggot by avoiding the dreaded playoffs.  He could have handled it better though perhaps even maintaining some demand for season tix.

[Mattyblue]

Comfortable Premier League club with 25,000 average crowds, but yeah, dire, wasn’t it…

[Wheelton Blue]

7 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Comfortable Premier League club with 25,000 average crowds, but yeah, dire, wasn’t it…

This is what people forget.

We've become so conditioned to watching and putting up with shite, that we've forgotten how it was before they darkened our doors.

[oneandycrawford]

4 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

This is what people forget.

We've become so conditioned to watching and putting up with shite, that we've forgotten how it was before they darkened our doors.

I know when I was watching us in the Allardyce years I got the pragmatism but that didn't stop some of the football being fairly dull. My biggest issue was the way he effectively threw games against bigger teams to focus on those he saw as direct competitors. Achieved the result he wanted but took away from the fans the feeling that we could compete and enjoy giving the occasional bloody nose to the bigger teams. 

Ultimately though most of the blame lies with the Walker family. I think a fall back down was becoming inevitable under them but the big issue was the way they exited and handed us over to the bunch of shysters we've been saddled with ever since.

[Mattyblue]

They were one TV deal away from PL revenues exploding - they could’ve tripled their money,.

They sold the club and Jack’s legacy down the river for fuck all.

Edited yesterday at 10:35 by Mattyblue

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, USABlue said:

My feelings too.  In hindsight it seems like no one wanted Sam gone but I recall there was plenty of folks on here wanted him gone due to the dire footy on display.  Sadly none of those (I was one) that wanted Sam gone dod not expect such a ridiculous appointment as the wee gem.  Had we swapped Allardyce for a top manager maybe things would have been different.

What made you think that people who had never seen a game of pro football before would have the nous to appoint a top manager?