Blackburn Rovers sent clear message about Damien Duff replacing Valerien Ismael at Ewood Park | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn fan pundit doesn't think that Damien Duff would be a good replacement for Valerien Ismael

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers are on the hunt for a new manager after Valerien Ismael was dismissed amid all the chaos on transfer deadline day.

The Frenchmen lasted just under a year in charge at Ewood Park, and had to deal with a rather tumultuous summer transfer window off the back of a steady seventh-placed finish last season, and it's shown throughout the ongoing campaign.

Blackburn are currently three points adrift of safety, having not won in their last eight Championship games. They do have a massive home game against bottom club Sheffield Wednesday tonight, however, and will be hoping to have climbed above West Brom come the end of the day.

Ultimately, while the rearranged clash at Ewood Park, following the initial match's abandonment, is a priority for Rovers, there'll be plenty of focus on hiring the right man to steer the club to safety in the final 16 games of the campaign.

Rising up the bookmakers' odds is Damien Duff, who spent the majority of his playing career at Ewood Park, having come through in the English game there after moving from his homeland, Ireland.

He's been out of work since he stepped down from his first managerial role as Shelbourne boss in the League of Ireland following a successful near-four-year stint, where he led the club to its first league title in 18 years in 2024.

Blackburn Rovers warned against Damien Duff hire

Despite going on to represent the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Fulham in European competitions and win Premier League titles, Duff is regarded as a legend at Ewood Park.

However, FLW's Blackburn fan pundit, Simon Middlehurst, doesn't feel that the sentiment should be enough to warrant him the job, citing his relative inexperience as a manager in England as the reason why.

"I could see it happening, but at the same time, I think it would be too much of a gamble," he said.

"He did a great job at Shelbourne and won the League of Ireland with them, but no disrespect to the League of Ireland, the Championship is a completely different level.

"I think at this stage of the season, we've got some big games coming up that could potentially save it, and we need someone who has experience of the English game at a managerial level."

Along with their game against Sheffield Wednesday at Ewood Park tonight, Blackburn also hosts West Brom and Portsmouth, the two sides directly above them currently, and travel to the Kassam Stadium to take on Oxford United, who are below them.

They all happen between March and the end of the season, and have the potential to be massive six-pointers in the relegation battle.

Therefore, Middlehurst hopes that a more experienced head can come in this month and have them in the best position to win those games when they arrive.

"We need someone to come in, steady the ship, and get the squad playing together to hopefully improve the performances," he continued.

"Unfortunately, I don't think that Duff can be that person at this stage of the season."

Blackburn Rovers need experience duirng relegation dog fight

Ultimately, while a Duff appointment may help lift the negative mood at Ewood Park and give an initial boost to performances and results, there's a likelihood that this will only be short-lived, and the toxic atmosphere will quickly build once again once the novelty has worn off.

As Middlehurst said, these next few months are vital for Blackburn in their quest to remain a Championship club come August, and they'll need a steady, experienced head to man the ship and churn out positive results.

And while there's no doubt that Duff likely has a future in management in England after his success at Shelbourne, throwing him right into the thick of it in a relegation battle wouldn't be the right environment for him to thrive in.

Blackburn fans would love to see the 46-year-old in the Ewood Park dugout at some point in the coming years, but for now, they'd be better off searching for a more experienced manager.