Valerien Ismael praises ‘outstanding’ and ‘brave’ Blackburn Rovers after going toe-to-toe with Sheffield United

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Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael gave a positive verdict of his side following the clash with Sheffield United at the weekend.

The final day of the 2024/25 season saw the relegation scrap go down to the wire, whilst the race for the Championship play-offs also threw up some surprises.

Millwall initially threatened a surprise result against Burnley, while Preston North End went ahead against Bristol City, which blew the race wide open.

The top-six outsiders Blackburn Rovers were ready to capitalise on this, and found themselves ahead at Bramall Lane after a goal from Yuki Ohashi, which sent the Rovers end into pandemonium.

Unfortunately, only minutes later, the Blades pulled the game back level with a goal through Anel Ahmedhodzic. Rovers still battled for the remainder of the game, showing integrity and desire to push for a winner that would have moved them into the top six, one thing that Blackburn boss Valerien Ismael praised his side for.

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Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael’s verdict on ‘outstanding’ showing against ‘strong’ Sheffield United

Blackburn Rovers’ resurgence this season came a little too late in hindsight, with their late flurry of four wins on the spin prior to the final day not being enough to claim a top-six place, despite notching a respectable point in the Steel City.

Nonetheless, Rovers boss Ismael was still full of praise for his side, who have undergone a significant improvement in recent weeks.

“It was an outstanding performance,” Ismael said.

“We knew how strong the opponent was, even with the massive change they made. You have to face them first, to contain the attack, you have to defend well.

“At some point, to be brave on the ball and to keep you alive into the game. Actually, the game plan until the goal we conceded was perfect. It’s exactly what we expected.

“To stay in the game, nil-nil, and we knew we would have our chance. After that, I think we conceded the goal too quickly. To have the possibility to make some change, and then the shape to be stronger.

“One bad decision and you get punished. But that is football actually. I think overall the performance was good.

“We finished strong. At the end, we put everything we had in attacking play on the pitch. We played only with one midfield player.

“We tried to have that lucky punch, but it was a close call. If you see the result, we knew before the game that something would happen. I take more positivity today.

“For sure, we are disappointed to pass the play-off. At least we built some momentum and we can keep on going for the next season.”

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Rovers fans have every reason to buy into Valerien Ismael’s optimism

Whilst on the surface it has been a rather disappointing season due to the club being unable to notch a play-off place despite their hot form to end the 2024/25 Championship campaign, there still is every reason to be optimistic at Ewood Park ahead of next season, which comes down to the coach they have in the dugout.

Despite a difficult start to his Blackburn Rovers tenure, Ismael did brilliantly to turn around his side’s fortunes and get them winning crucial games in the swansong of the season.

As Ismael says, hopefully they will keep going next season after building momentum in the final stages of the season.

Much of Blackburn’s season will rely on recruitment and the players that are kept around at Ewood Park, but with Ismael at the helm, they already have the foundations to build on.