'That’s not a surprise' - Venky's budget news at Blackburn Rovers sparks response | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit has given his verdict on Tony Mowbray's admission regarding a lack of transfer funds this summer

Blackburn Rovers have appointed Tony Mowbray as their newest manager after Michael O’Neill’s departure at the end of the campaign.

The 62-year-old is back at Ewood Park four years on from his initial exit from the club, and he will be looking to improve on the team’s 20th place finish in the Championship.

The veteran coach originally took over the Lancashire outfit in February 2017, overseeing 108 wins from 267 games.

He went on to manage at Sunderland, Birmingham City and West Brom in the years since his exit from Blackburn.

But Mowbray is back, and he’s admitted that there won’t be bundles of cash for him to spend when the transfer market opens later this month.

Rovers will be keen to avoid another relegation fight next season, having just avoided the drop by five points this year under O’Neill.

Tony Mowbray’s experience will be key in summer recruitment

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When asked if the lack of funds in the transfer market will be a concern, FLW’s Blackburn fan pundit Simon Middlehurst claimed that it’s hardly a surprise given the way the budget has shrunk year-on-year over the last few seasons.

But he is optimistic that Mowbray’s experience can play a pivotal role in securing a couple of positive additions for next season, even with limited funds available.

“That’s not a surprise, to be honest,” Middlehurst told Football League World.

“We knew it was going to be the case, every season the budget has changed and it’s dropped significantly.

“So, it doesn’t surprise me.

“But Tony Mowbray’s experienced enough, he’s pulled some signings out previously out the bag, and he’s found us some gems.

“If anyone can kind of work through that, I’m pretty sure Tony Mowbray can.

“He knows what he’s doing, and he’s really, really experienced enough to be able to work around it.

“And hopefully he can find a few players to bring in.”

Mowbray was in charge when Blackburn suffered relegation to League One in 2017, but he oversaw promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt the following campaign.

He led the team to 15th, 11th, 15th and eighth place finishes before departing at the end of his contract in 2022.

The 62-year-old has not worked since April 2025, with his last two stints in management both only being short-term roles.

However, his return to Ewood Park will be welcome, as he was a favourite among supporters during his first stint in charge of the team.

Rovers will be hopeful that he can guide the side back to a competitive level, as they finished seventh in the Championship just 12 months ago.

A difficult campaign led to Valerien Ismael being dismissed in February, with the club at risk of being relegated to League One.

O’Neill took over on a dual-contract basis, remaining in his position as the Northern Ireland boss, and he led Rovers to a 20th place finish, five clear of the bottom three.

But he has made the decision to keep his sole focus on his international duty, which opened the door for Mowbray’s return.

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Tony Mowbray is the right man for Blackburn’s situation

Mowbray has so much experience in the game, and has proven himself as an adept coach with limited funds.

He knows the importance of younger players, and has a great track record of developing that kind of talent, which will be very useful at Blackburn.

Making use of the academy system could be key to turning things around for the Lancashire outfit, and Mowbray won’t be afraid to give opportunities to those showing good progress at underage level.

And he is someone that can be trusted to make use of limited spending power in the transfer market, so this could be the case of coming back at the right time for Rovers.