SuperBrfc

I think we'll have too much for Pompey tomorrow. We look a different team altogether on the road. Baradji is just getting into his stride and if he's paired with Tronstad, I can see us dominating the midfield. Even if he's on the bench, Tronstad and TGH are a good enough pair for tomorrow afternoon. Morishita, Cantwell, Ohashi. There's plenty for Pompey to worry about, I'd say. There's talk about their vociferous crowd from some of the fans and from Val too. They do have good support, true. Their team isn't much cop though. I think this is going to be better than the Deepdale showing. Come on, Moussa. This game is there for you to dominate. Pompey 0-3 Rovers.

He is a proper manager, but just like those before him, he has realised this isn't a proper setup. I agree with the bolded. He absolutely should be insisting on both. It should never be an either/or situation at our level and especially not with so called billionaire owners. The fact he has made such a suggestion is, IMO, quite likely due to the "woe is us, we can't spend, we need to cut costs" kind of vibe around the place. What are the chances that Ismael has been hearing a lot of that lately i.e we've got limited funds, player x, y and z are too expensive to sign, we need to cut the wage bill, yada yada. That lot crying about funds. It would be easy to conclude in that scenario that we can't do both, hence the suggestion he has put forward. It feels like a desperate suggestion from someone who wants the situation resolving quickly, rather than a Mowbray type thing. That's just my view though. It would not happen at any normal club.

His offer to remedy the pitch immediately even if it takes something off the January budget are the words of a man desperate to fix the situation. He is showing more urgency and desire to resolve this than any of the hierarchy are doing. He doesn't want the fans, the players and staff to lose out because of the incompetence and lack of knowhow of bastards like the shadow man. A common theme around this club is the notion "that's too expensive, we can't do that". All he has done is offered a begrudging compromise. I.e take it out of the January budget if you have to, but fix this now! I do not think this is some sort of ploy where he is distancing himself from blame and giving his superiors an easy get out.

I knew it wouldn't be long before Ismael revealed his true feelings. Fair play to him. I'm calling it early...I think Lee Bowyer is going to be our next manager. He has the right connections and he has Championship experience. He has just left Montserrat and is out of work. I'm not saying I want him, but just making an early prediction based on certain patterns.

Ismael is no yes man, his track record should tell us that. I think he has been misunderstood by a few. He has had this 'transition' put upon him in the summer by somebody who knows nothing about the game and who is only interested in saving money. Gestede, Sufi, Talbot, Ismael, they are all taking the flak because of the decisions of one tosser. These people mentioned are not the problem, IMO. IMO, Ismael has gone along with the transition and the project because he believes the end goal at some stage down the line is the Premier League. Remember what Rudy said...we want to bring money into the club through sales first, then we will be in a better position to go for promotion down the line. Does this sound familiar? Despite Val's talk about the Academy, young players, development etc, his frustration has been evident this season as he realises, just the like two managers before him, the chances of the project bearing fruit. The crap we have to bring off the bench is costing us points and it's starting to piss him off. He isn't much different to JDT and Eustace, even though they may be better managers than him. The man wants to win and he knows this setup is shit. Listen to his comment below at 1:43. These are his real feelings, which he has since repeated once more after this: "We are playing to win games, a lot of teams invest a lot of money to make the Championship attractive for the fans, to have some great players. We need better quality. It's as simple as that". That quote says it all. He knows our transfer business isn't good enough. He is telling the hierarchy in clear terms to invest in quality to try and bring some of the fans back. Good on the man for speaking out today on the pitch farce. Valerian Ismael has never been the problem for me. I am backing the man as he knows the score here. I back him just as I backed JDT and Eustace. Sadly, he will be gone just like those two soon from the looks of it. The shadow dweller can f#ck off.

Surprising, if true. Then again, this lot can find the money when it suits. 20k a week for Fleck supposedly. 20k a week for Dennis. We can sign proper players on that money. They choose not to. A project wish of a biscuit and orange juice seller who knows nothing about football. He wants to develop players though. Yeah. Sure.

'Please cut out...' I doubt that part will be mentioned, Rev.

Exactly. 'The specialist also worked for Man City and Man Utd, Madam. We found one of the best in the business at our end, Madam. But sadly, the rain...' I'm interested in knowing what the reaction, if any, has been like in Pune today. Maybe Glen has heard something on that.

It looks like the drainage specialist is the new angle. A "wee gem" is that one. I can imagine the opposition kicking up a huge fuss were this to happen again and they were winning at the time. I'm all for it. I want more of this because I want the spotlight on these people.

Ah! So the drainage specialist might be the one to blame. I had a feeling people were being harsh and unnecessarily blaming Suhail. It appears Suhail did all he could. He got a drainage specialist to look into it. Thanks, Alan.

This lot think they are smart and clever but they are actually thick and are exposing themselves. Let them carry on, it's only a matter of time. The truth always wins in the end and I think that's what we are seeing taking place now.

I'm glad. Really glad. It's embarrassing, but this kind of thing is needed to bring the spotlight on to the issues here. The bigger picture and aim is getting the club out of this lot's clutches. I hate the regime, not my club. Understand this, Rudy. This is a 15 year problem. You and Yasir are not the problem, for me. This isn't about either of you. This club does not recover nor succeed, until Pasha and Venky's have gone. The sporting media needs to ask a simple question tonight: "Why were Blackburn Rovers able to play in torrential rain at Ewood Park for many years during the Premier League era, without a problem, but now have to call games off?". Utterly embarrassing, but a fitting summary of this 15 year circus.

I wouldn't mind us signing Gardner-Hickman on a cheap deal. He has been better than I expected him to be. A decent player in the middle who works well alongside Tronstad. I'm probably in the minority on this, but I like the player and think he is more effective than Travis.

Yeah it was a bad 'un. I can understand why Carbone was so incensed by it. What a goal by Carbone, by the way. One of the best opposition goals seen at Ewood for sure. Just to add on the weather front...it is storm like wind and rain out there in Blackburn right now. I've just been drenched getting back home from town. If this carries on throughout the evening, I think the game is at risk of being called off.

I think tomorrow's the day we finally see out a 1-0 win, accompanied with frustration about why we couldn't do that in the previous two games. There's enough about our first 11 and recent performances to suggest things are going to pick up soon, IMO. A nostalgic look back on this fixture from 1997. 20 minute highlights: