Blackburn Rovers urged to avoid Wayne Rooney as new development emerges | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn Rovers pundit gives his take on the news that Wayne Rooney could potentially replace Valérien Ismaël.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Former Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney has emerged as a shock candidate for the Blackburn Rovers job should Valérien Ismaël depart Ewood Park.

This is according to TalkSport, who understand that the 39-year-old would be a prime candidate for the potential vacancy.

So far his career has been something of a failure, with a difficult but battling spell at Derby County being marred by dreadful spells at Birmingham City and the Pilgrims.

The Blues suffered relegation to League One last season after a disastrous campaign in which they plummeted from sixth place under John Eustace to 20th in just 83 days following Rooney’s appointment. Meanwhile, Argyle are staring down a similarly bleak prospect, with Rooney’s shortcomings prior to his sacking at Home Park threatening to send them the same way.

The speculation surrounding the Ewood Park hotseat comes as no surprise, given Ismaël’s difficulties since taking charge in February. Rovers have managed just one win in eight under the Frenchman, with their play-off ambitions all but evaporated.

Blackburn urged to avoid Wayne Rooney appointment

To gain a Rovers perspective on the latest developments, Football League World has spoken to their resident Blackburn pundit, Simon Middlehurst, who insists that Rooney must be steered clear of at all costs.

"Personally, I don’t think it would be a great appointment if Ismaël were to be sacked," Middlehurst told FLW.

"The board would need to move quickly and appoint a manager who’s proven to get the fans back onside.

"As a player, undoubtedly a great player, a world-class player, with an excellent record. As a manager, though, it hasn’t been great. He struggled at Plymouth, and albeit there were off-field problems at Derby when he got them relegated, I don’t think his record in America was much better.

"I personally don’t think it would be a great appointment. If Ismaël goes, the board needs to bring in someone established, whose record speaks for itself – Rooney would not be the way forward for that."

Wayne Rooney needs to earn his next job

Having a big name in football and valuable contacts was always going to push Rooney up the managerial ladder, but after three unsuccessful stints, he now needs a reset in a more modest role.

Compared to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, he has achieved little success, and his underlying statistics make for bleak reading.

As suggested by fellow Manchester United compatriots Roy Keane and Gary Neville, turning to an academy-style role may be more suited to his talents with the youngsters likely to look up to him.

For Blackburn, it would be a rash appointment that would offer little in the way of direction. They are a team in need of experience, and given their financial constraints, they require a manager capable of delivering results under pressure.