Blackburn Rovers: Valerien Ismael & 53-year-old set to battle for manager vacancy | OneFootball

Valerien Ismael and David Wagner are the frontrunners for the Blackburn Rovers job, with a decision thought to be imminent.

Blackburn could have a new manager in place in the coming days, with Valerien Ismael seen as the favourite to land the job ahead of David Wagner.

Rovers are on the lookout for a new boss after John Eustace made the surprise decision to join relegation-threatened Derby County despite Blackburn sitting in the play-off places.

Since his exit, the side recorded back-to-back victories, but a 2-0 defeat to Swansea City on Saturday prompted some to call for a new boss to come in.

Valerien Ismael emerges as frontrunner for Blackburn job

And, it appears a decision could be close, as Sun reporter Alan Nixon revealed that they could make an announcement on Eustace’s successor by Tuesday.

He claims that the search has been narrowed down to two contenders - Ismael and Wagner, but it’s the former West Brom chief who is ‘favourite to get the nod’ as it stands.

It’s said that further discussions will take place with the candidates before they hope to make an announcement.

Blackburn need to get a new manager in place

You do have some sympathy for the Blackburn hierarchy as they wouldn’t have expected to lose Eustace with the team challenging for promotion to the Premier League.

But, all successful clubs should have contingency plans in place, and there’s a spotlight on the club now as they look to bring someone in.

On paper, Ismael would appear to be a decent fit. He has Championship experience, which could be an important factor considering they are appointing someone mid-season.

He has a clear style of play that focuses on defensive organisation and pressing from the front, so you could argue it’s a decent option to build on the good work that Eustace did.

It’s a similar story with Wagner, who also has a promotion on his CV from this level, so it’s understandable that he is in the frame as well.

Of course, some will point out the negatives attached to Ismael and Wagner, but we know that the owners at Blackburn aren’t prepared to spend the sort of money that some rival clubs will, and that strategy could come in for fierce criticism if the season doesn’t play out in the way the fans want.

So, a big few months await, and it will be intriguing to see how things play out for Blackburn.