Why Blackburn Rovers fans are being asked not to spend money against Millwall | OneFootball

It was a nightmare summer transfer window for Blackburn Rovers, which has led to supporters planning protests for Saturday's clash against Millwall.

After a disastrous summer transfer window and a poor start to the season, it seems Blackburn Rovers supporters are preparing to step up protest action against the club's hierarchy.

It is fair to say that Blackburn supporters have had a strained relationship with the club's owners, the Venky's, since their takeover back in 2010, and it appears that familiar frustrations are coming to the surface once again.

Blackburn Rovers endure nightmare summer transfer window after Tony Mowbray return

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Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship last season, with Michael O'Neill guiding them to survival after replacing Valerien Ismael in February, but the Northern Irishman opted against extending his short-term contract this summer.

After being rejected by O'Neill, Rovers brought Tony Mowbray back to the club for a second spell in June, with the 62-year-old making a surprise return to Ewood Park having previously had a five-year spell in charge between 2017 and 2022.

However, if Mowbray was hoping to find Blackburn in a better place than where he left them four years ago, that has not proven to be the case, and he has already experienced many of the same issues in the transfer market that his predecessors encountered.

With Sondre Tronstad and Ryan Hedges departing at the end of their contracts and Eiran Cashin and Taylor Gardner-Hickman returning to their parent clubs this summer, Rovers supporters were expecting a busy summer of transfer activity to help bolster their thin squad.

However, Blackburn instead made just four signings during a horror window, with Moussa Baradji making his loan move from Yverdon Sport permanent and Gady Beyuku, Jayden Fevrier and Sam Morsy also arriving in Lancashire.

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Blackburn made an impressive start to their season as they put in a spirited performance in a 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening night, with Raul Jimenez's 93rd-minute penalty denying them all three points in agonising fashion.

Rovers then picked up an eye-catching result against another of the promotion favourites as they beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Ewood Park in their second game, but it appears that may have been the peak for Mowbray's side as their lack of depth begins to bite.

After the victory over Boro, Blackburn have picked up just one point from their last four games, and discontent among the fanbase is growing after they surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 at home to Sheffield United on Tuesday night, with goals from Tom Cannon and Sydie Peck sealing the win for the Blades after Kristi Montgomery put the hosts ahead.

In a sign of the increasing desperation at the club, Rovers are currently exploring the free agent market for potential additions, with a deal for midfielder Ryotaro Ito believed to be close, while they also reportedly considered a move for former Leicester City striker Jordan Ayew, who has since joined Sheffield United.

While Ito's imminent arrival will be a boost for Blackburn, they still look incredibly short of the depth and quality needed to seriously compete at Championship level, and Mowbray admitted that the current lack of numbers is impacting the club's training schedule and his ability to fully implement his ideas as he looks to prevent his threadbare squad from sustaining further injuries.

Blackburn Rovers supporters preparing Rudy Gestede protest action against Millwall

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Rudy Gestede was a popular figure during his time as a player at Blackburn, scoring 35 goals in just 72 appearances during an 18-month spell at the club, but his legacy has been destroyed since his return in a boardroom capacity.

Rovers appointed Gestede as their Head of Football Operations in the summer of 2024, and many supporters believe the 37-year-old has been responsible for a host of failed transfer deals, as well as overseeing the recent underwhelming window.

As anger towards Gestede continues to mount, Blackburn fans are calling for new chief executive Steve Curwood to relieve their former striker of his duties, and it seems they are willing to take action in order to force him out.

The Blackburn Rovers Supporters Coalition released a statement on social media last week calling for fans to "abstain from parting with their money" during the home game against Millwall on Saturday, with the group determined to spread the message that "if the owners won't spend, neither will we".

While Rovers supporters staged outright boycotts of games earlier this year in an attempt to pressure the Venky's into selling the club, the upcoming set of demonstrations appear to be targeted towards Gestede specifically after his inaction in the transfer market this summer.

With Curwood still getting his feet under the table at Ewood Park after his arrival in June, it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to remove Gestede at this early stage of his tenure, but Blackburn fans are unlikely to rest until he is no longer in his post.