Reaction given to 'weird' Tony Mowbray, Blackburn Rovers news | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit has given his reaction to the appointment of Tony Mowbray as the club's new head coach.

A new era is underway at Blackburn Rovers after Tony Mowbray returned for a second spell as the club's head coach.

It was a turbulent campaign for Blackburn in the Championship last season, but they managed to secure survival under the guidance of Michael O'Neill, who replaced Valerien Ismael at Ewood Park on a short-term basis in February.

After successfully leading the club to safety, Rovers reportedly offered O'Neill a three-year contract, but despite holding talks over potential additions to his backroom team, he opted against remaining in Lancashire in order to focus solely on his role as Northern Ireland manager.

A host of names were linked with Blackburn after O'Neill's exit, with Slaven Bilic, Russell Martin, Tom Cleverley, Marti Cifuentes and Dave Challinor all said to have been under consideration, but their managerial search came to an end when Mowbray's surprise return was announced on Friday night.

Mowbray previously spent over five years in charge of Rovers after taking over in February 2017, guiding them to automatic promotion from League One in 2018, but he departed in acrimonious circumstances in May 2022 after revealing that he had not had any discussions with the club over a new contract.

The 62-year-old has since had spells in charge of Sunderland, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, and after over a year out of work following his exit from The Hawthorns, he is now back in management after signing a long-term deal with Blackburn.

Blackburn Rovers fan reaction given to shock Tony Mowbray return

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When asked for his reaction to Mowbray's return, FLW's Blackburn Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst questioned why the club have turned back to a previous manager, claiming that his appointment represents a lack of ambition from the board.

"It's a bit of a weird one," Simon told FLW.

"He knows the club, he's got experience, and he knows what to expect from the owners.

"Clearly he feels he's got some unfinished business with the club.

"Part of me thinks it's a good move, but another part of me questions whether it really shows any ambition from the club.

"We just seem to be going backwards by getting someone in who we've had before.

"However, saying that, he did have a successful time at Blackburn, so here's hoping that he can come back in and take us up to the next step.

"Hopefully the club back him."

Blackburn Rovers, Tony Mowbray reunion is a gamble for both parties

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It seems that Bilic was Blackburn's first choice target to replace O'Neill, but after failing to agree terms on a compensation package with the Croatian, the club have opted for experience by bringing Mowbray back for a second spell.

There is no doubt that Mowbray is a more than capable manager at Championship level, and he is an incredibly popular figure at Ewood Park, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to recreate the success he enjoyed during his first spell.

After a disappointing stint at West Brom in his previous managerial role, Mowbray will be relishing the opportunity to return to the dugout, but like many Rovers bosses in recent times, he experienced his fair share of frustration with the hierarchy prior to his departure in 2022.

While the structure of the Blackburn board has changed slightly since Mowbray's exit, he is likely to have to contend with off-field issues and financial restrictions once again, so, for both parties, the reunion is certainly not without risks.