Valerien Ismael praised his “honest” Blackburn team for staying calm after they brushed off going behind to beat Watford 2-1 and remain in the play-off picture for the final day of the season.
Rovers have hung onto the coattails of the play-off chasers but, despite their recent form, Mattie Pollock’s 47th-minute header threatened to derail their ambitions.
They refused to give up and overwhelmed Watford through a superb Todd Cantwell volley on the hour and Tyrhys Dolan’s seventh of the campaign – a clinical near-post finish – to turn the game around and move them to within one point of sixth.
The win is Blackburn’s fourth in succession and the first time they’ve come from behind to win a game since August.
Ismael lauded his players for not panicking after conceding first, and they go into next weekend knowing a win could result in a play-off berth.
He said: “The performance was right in the second half. We put ourselves in a good position, we’ve got a real chance now. One month ago, it looked completely different, with a lot of problems, injured players – seven key players were not available, we were losing games.
“Now we’ve got the turnaround with another brilliant performance in the second half. We stayed really calm after we conceded the goal.
“Two moments we had in the transition and in our build-up to finish well, were two great goals. We enjoy now the moment. It was our goal to win the game when we knew the result from Coventry and Luton before the kick-off so now it will be very interesting.
“The last couple of games, we made a lot of new situations – we won at Luton which was not the case in 50 years. We came from behind here, we scored four goals in the last home game against Millwall which had not happened this season.
“It’s great to have something really positive. It’s an honest group of players. They are always ready to fight and come back so we are now pushing for something that was unexpected a month ago.”
Watford’s form is the opposite of Blackburn. They’ve lost four on the spin in the Championship for the first time since November 2014.
Tom Cleverley branded the performance as “unacceptable” and said the culture needs to change.
He said: “For me, that was unacceptable. It was way, way short of the demands we put on the players and the standards we’ve set for large parts of the season.
“It was completely below the level in all aspects of the game and, for me, it has significance on how we can all enter the summer and prepare for next season so we ensure we don’t fall short next season.
“We’ve spent 10 weeks in the play-offs this year. Next year we want to spend the last week of the season in the play-offs but performances like that are unacceptable.
“It will be a significant performance because I think it’s clear we need to change quite a lot to make sure that doesn’t replicate.
“Obviously we’ve got some huge players in our team missing, so that’s an instant change. But I’ll start with the culture and environment for sure, which I feel needs to go up a level.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
