Debuting Blackburn head coach, Valerien Ismael, has come to the defence of Super Eagles attacker, Emmanuel Dennis, after he picked up a red card in his side's 1-1 draw against Norwich City, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old moved to Ewood Park on a six-month loan from Nottingham Forest after failing to feature for the Reds in over a year.
Since joining Blackburn, he’s been largely a fringe player as he continues his journey of a return to full fitness. However, his home debut lasted less than thirty minutes as he was given his marching orders in front of the home fans due to a double foul on Benjamin Chrisene.
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Valerien Ismael, like Dennis, made his home debut for Rovers in the EFL Championship. Despite the Nigerian's display today, the new coach defended him strongly.
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Valerien Ismael's post-match thoughts after his first game in charge.#ROVvNOR | #Rovers ⚪️
— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) March 1, 2025
“In the second half, the red card changed everything. I think we switched, we had momentum, and the red card happened, and we conceded, but with five minutes to go, we were able to come back with something, and it feels like a win. This is the mentality we need. A no-regret attitude,” the former Watford coach said in an interview with the club's official website.
“We gained more freshness and energy when we made the change, but then we got the red card. From my side, what I saw, he [Dennis], didn't really touch him [defender]. He wanted to play the ball, to compete for the ball, but that happened. It is what it is. We are ready to deal with these situations,” the 49-year-old concluded.
