There is one red flag with Blackburn Rovers moving for Gary Rowett | OneFootball

Gary Rowett has emerged as one of the favourites to take charge at Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers remain on the hunt for a new boss at Ewood Park following the dismissal of Valerien Ismael, and have sounded out several potential candidates, including former Oxford United boss Gary Rowett.

For Blackburn Rovers fans, it has thus far been a far from enjoyable campaign, with the club languishing towards the foot of the table and in real danger of facing the drop to League One.

Their summer window showed signs of decline following the departures of key assets such as Dominic Hyam, Lewis Travis, and Callum Brittain, as well as experienced heads such as Danny Batth and Andreas Weimann, both leaving to link up with former boss John Eustace at Derby County.

The additions of the likes of Lewis Miller, Ryan Alebiosu, and Andri Gudjohnsen, whilst all have played well under the circumstances, have failed to alleviate the side's obvious lack of quality.

The former Premier League champions are among the lowest scorers in the league, and are unlikely to be jumping for joy at the prospect of former Oxford boss Gary Rowett coming in and taking the reins, with the Englishman known for his pragmatic style of play.

Rowett began his coaching career with Burton Albion, with the club in League Two, and made his way through the divisions, earning the top job at Birmingham City in October 2014.

He’d guide the Blues to safety and stabilise the club for two years before his shock dismissal led him to take charge of Derby County in March 2017, where he’d guide the Rams to the play-off semi-finals in his first full season in charge.

A disappointing spell at Stoke City followed, where he oversaw over £50 million worth of spending, before four years of top-half finishes with Millwall in the second tier led him to the Oxford job, with a brief return to Birmingham between then.

With Oxford, Rowett replaced Des Buckingham at the helm and once again did what he does best and led the club to safety in their first season in the Championship, though after a slow start to the 2025/26 campaign, he was sacked and replaced by Matt Bloomfield.

With a record of five wins, seven draws, and 11 defeats, Rowett was dismissed from his duties at the Kassam Stadium, failing to take the club to the next step as the U’s would have hoped, with an average of 1.14 points per game across his stay with the club, the worst of his career to date.

Having appeared as a serious candidate to take charge at Ewood Park, with Alan Nixon reporting that Blackburn are expected to hold talks with Rowett, they must take into account his underwhelming end at Oxford, and what they may look like under his stewardship.

Blackburn simply cannot afford to get this next appointment wrong, with their Championship status hanging in the balance, and must ensure that if Rowett is indeed the person they decide to go forward with, they have done their due diligence in coming to that decision.

Gary Rowett is one of the numerous potential candidates who could take charge at Blackburn Rovers

Rowett is not the only contender for the hot seat at Ewood Park, with the Lancashire-based outfit sounding out numerous candidates ahead of making a decision.

Slaven Bilic, according to a report by TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook, has told Blackburn’s hierarchy that he does not want to become their new manager in the middle of the campaign, putting him out of the running.

Bradford City boss Graham Alexander has distanced himself from the Rovers job, with the Preston North End legend flying with Bantams in the third tier at the moment.

As per Alan Nixon, former Stoke City boss Michael O'Neill has also emerged as a potential candidate for the vacant role left by Ismael, having developed a strong reputation for his time in charge of his native Northern Ireland.

Blackburn face competition from Leicester City for the signature of Rowett, with the Foxes also on the hunt for another boss after the dismissal of Marti Cifuentes, and should make their decision on the Englishman sooner rather than later if they are to get him through the doors.

The 51-year-old has a proven track record of keeping teams up and hitting the ground running upon his arrival, though his latest stint with Oxford is somewhat of a blemish on his CV.

Whether it’s Rowett or someone else to take charge at Ewood Park, Blackburn simply must get this next appointment right to preserve their Championship status for another year.