3 Valerien Ismael replacements Blackburn Rovers must move for ASAP ft Tony Mowbray | OneFootball

We look at three managers who should be in the frame for the Blackburn Rovers job after the sacking of Valerien Ismael.

Blackburn Rovers are on the hunt for a new manager after parting company with Valerien Ismael.

Ismael took over at Ewood Park last February following John Eustace's move to Derby County, and it is fair to say it was an eventful year in charge for the Frenchman.

Despite a nightmare start to his tenure, Ismael almost guided Blackburn into the play-offs last season, with his side only missing out on the top six on the final day, but the Lancashire outfit have spent much of the current campaign in and around the relegation zone.

After a run of eight games without a win, Rovers have slipped to 22nd in the table, three points from safety, and Saturday's late 1-0 home defeat to promotion-chasing Hull City proved to be the final straw for Ismael, with the 50-year-old departing by mutual consent on Monday, along with his assistant Dean Whitehead.

As Blackburn begin the search for Ismael's replacement, we look at three managers who should be under consideration.

Tony Mowbray

It is no secret that Blackburn supporters have become increasingly disillusioned with events both on and off the pitch in recent times, so the return of a popular figure such as Tony Mowbray could be the perfect way to reunite the club.

While Mowbray was unable to save Rovers from relegation to League One after taking over in February 2017, he led them back to the Championship at the first attempt before stabilising them back in the second tier, overseeing a number of play-off pushes before his departure in May 2022.

Mowbray has been out of work since being sacked by West Bromwich Albion in April following a disappointing second spell at The Hawthorns that saw him win just five of his 17 games in charge, but that was a rare setback in an otherwise impressive managerial career.

As Mowbray did not leave Ewood Park on the most amicable of terms, it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to work under the current ownership again, but the 62-year-old is believed to be one of the names in the frame to replace Ismael.

Gary Rowett

Blackburn's squad on paper may be better than their current league position suggests, but with their Championship status hanging in the balance, they may need to call for a survival expert such as Gary Rowett.

Rowett was sacked by Oxford United in December with the club languishing in the relegation zone, but the 51-year-old defied the odds last season to keep the U's in the division in what was their first appearance in the second tier for 25 years.

Given that he was operating on one of the lowest budgets in the league, it was always going to be tough for Rowett to build on his initial success at the Kassam Stadium, but his side were still firmly in touch with safety at the time of his exit, with many feeling his dismissal was somewhat harsh.

Having also managed Birmingham City, Derby County and Millwall in the Championship, Rowett is a safe pair of hands with extensive knowledge of the level, and while his appointment may not necessarily excite Rovers supporters, he could well be the most sensible option.

David Wagner

It has been less than a year since Blackburn last conducted a managerial search, and David Wagner was one of the names in contention to replace Eustace before the eventual appointment of Ismael.

Wagner has been out of management since being sacked by Norwich City in May 2024 after his side were comprehensively beaten by Leeds United in the play-off semi-finals, but while his departure was welcomed by the Carrow Road faithful, the Canaries' fortunes have declined significantly since the German's exit.

The 54-year-old has a promotion from the Championship under his belt, having led Huddersfield Town to the Premier League in 2017, while he has also managed two big European clubs in Schalke and Young Boys, albeit his record was mixed in those roles.

Wagner is currently the head of youth development at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, but the opportunity to return to senior management with Rovers may appeal to him, and he has reportedly emerged on the radar of the Championship strugglers for the second time in 12 months.