Rudy Gestede, Blackburn Rovers news sparks reaction - 'The sooner he’s out of the club the better' | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn fan pundit has given his verdict on Rudy Gestede's position at the club

Blackburn Rovers are going into the summer searching for a new manager after surviving relegation to League One.

Michael O’Neill oversaw the end of the campaign, guiding the Lancashire outfit to survival by five points.

Rovers finished 20th in the table, falling from their seventh place position from 12 months ago, when they missed out on the play-offs by two points.

O’Neill oversaw five wins and five draws to help the club survive the drop, but he departed Ewood Park with the conclusion of the season, giving his role as Northern Ireland boss his sole focus.

Valerien Ismael was dismissed in February amid the team’s slide down the table, and Blackburn are again searching for a new head coach.

Rudy Gestede will be heavily involved in the decision-making process of finding a successor as part of his role as the head of football operations.

Rudy Gestede is not a popular figure at Blackburn

Gestede has revealed that he has held talks with Ligue 1 sides regarding a potential role following his time at Blackburn.

He initially joined the club in his off-field role in June 2024, and he’s been an influential figure behind the scenes in that time.

When asked about his potential exit, FLW’s Blackburn fan pundit Simon Middlehurst claimed that it would be a more than welcome development for the club.

He believes the former striker is an unpopular figure among supporters, and that they would even be willing to band together and pay for his plane ticket to France if that meant he left Ewood Park.

“That’s probably some of the best news Blackburn fans have heard in a long time,” Middlehurst told Football League World.

“It’s no secret that we’re not a fan of Rudy Gestede and the way he’s gone about business, the way he’s conducted himself towards the club and the fans.

“So, if there’s clubs coming in and interest in his services, then go for it.

“We’ll send him over there.

“I’m sure Blackburn fans will all chip in and pay for his plane ticket across!

“The sooner he’s out of the club the better.”

Blackburn finished seventh last season, but fell to 20th this campaign, avoiding relegation by five points.

They were helped by Leicester City receiving a six point penalty deduction for breaching the profit and sustainability rules, as that was the gap between the two clubs after 46 games played.

It remains to be seen who will be in charge of Rovers when the season gets underway, but it is still early days in the summer yet.

The transfer window will also be a key time for the new head coach to come in and shape the squad to their liking, and they will work alongside Gestede to identify any targets.

Gestede spent a season-and-a-half as a player at Blackburn from 2014 to 2015 before joining Aston Villa.

He contributed 33 goals from 66 appearances in the Championship for the club, helping them finish eighth and ninth in the table.

Rudy Gestede departure wouldn’t be the worst thing for Blackburn

Gestede has not been a popular figure during his time at Blackburn, and their decline to a relegation battle this year hasn’t helped matters.

If he is going to turn things around, then this summer represents a great opportunity to do so because the next managerial appointment will be crucial.

Blackburn have to get it right this summer in order to climb back up the Championship table, otherwise they’ll be at great risk of going down.

Given his unpopularity among the fans, they would likely be delighted to see him go to France, which would be an unusual step up in his career given how things are going at Ewood Park.