Blackburn Rovers appointing 49-year-old is a risk - West Brom and Watford warnings are there | OneFootball

The appointment of Valerien Ismael would be a gamble for Blackburn Rovers after his poor spells at West Brom and Watford.

Blackburn Rovers are still searching for a new manager following the shock departure of John Eustace to Derby County earlier this month.

Despite Blackburn sitting in the top six and Derby languishing in the relegation zone, Eustace made the surprise decision to swap Ewood Park for Pride Park, and a lack of support from the board is believed to have been a key factor behind the 45-year-old's departure.

David Lowe has been in interim charge of Rovers since Eustace's exit, but after picking up back-to-back wins against West Bromwich Albion and Plymouth Argyle in his first two games, his side suffered a 3-0 defeat at Swansea City on Saturday.

Goals from Zan Vipotnik, Myles Peart-Harris and Liam Cullen sealed a deserved victory for the managerless Swans, and while Blackburn are still in the play-off spots, they are now only one point clear of seventh-placed Coventry City.

The comprehensive defeat in South Wales appears to have accelerated Rovers' hunt for a new manager, and with two candidates remaining in the frame, an appointment could be made in the next 48 hours.

Valerien Ismael and David Wagner in contention for Blackburn Rovers job

A host of names have been linked with the Blackburn vacancy over the last few weeks, including the likes of Aitor Karanka, Carlos Carvalhal, Raphael Wicky, Richie Wellens, George Boateng, Luis Boa Morte and Pep Ljinders, but the picture is now starting to become much clearer.

After Karanka was ruled out of the running last week, it was claimed that the £600,000-per-year salary that is on offer at Ewood Park is not viewed as attractive by former Premier League managers such as Gary O'Neil and Steve Cooper, despite the fact that bonuses would be included.

Journalist Alan Nixon revealed on Sunday night that Rovers are now deciding between former West Brom and Watford manager Valerien Ismael and ex-Norwich City head coach David Wagner, with an appointment expected imminently.

Ismael has been out of work since being sacked by Watford in March, and he is thought to be the favourite to land the job as things stand, while Wagner was dismissed by Norwich in May, despite leading the Canaries to the Championship play-offs last season.

With Wagner also reportedly under consideration by Scottish giants Rangers as a potential long-term replacement for Philippe Clement, all signs are currently pointing towards Ismael taking over at Ewood Park, and that may be a concern for Blackburn supporters given his recent managerial record.

Recent Valerien Ismael trend will ring Blackburn Rovers alarm bells

After spells in Germany, Greece and Austria, Ismael took his first steps into English football management when he was appointed as head coach of Barnsley in October 2020.

The Tykes were sitting just outside the Championship relegation zone when Ismael arrived, and he inspired a remarkable turnaround at Oakwell as he led his side to a shock fifth-placed finish, but they were beaten by Swansea City in the play-off semi-finals.

Ismael's success at Barnsley earned him a move to West Brom in the summer of 2021, and he enjoyed an excellent start to life at The Hawthorns as he went unbeaten in his first 10 league games, but a subsequent decline in form saw him depart in February 2022 after the club dropped out of the play-off places.

The 49-year-old made a swift return to management as he took over at Besiktas just over a month later, but despite winning eight, drawing seven and losing three of his 18 games in charge of the Turkish side, he was sacked in October 2022.

Ismael came back to the Championship when he landed the Watford job in the summer of 2023, and just a few months into his tenure, he was surprisingly handed a new contract, despite the club sitting 20th in the table at the time.

The Hornets' bold decision to back Ismael looked to have paid off following an initial upturn in form, but it did not last long, and after a run of just two wins in 14 games, the Frenchman was dismissed in March 2024.

Since leaving Barnsley, Ismael has not spent longer than 10 months in any managerial role, and his last two jobs in the second tier at West Brom and Watford have left a lot to be desired, so he would be an incredibly risky appointment by Blackburn.

Ismael may be able to make a short-term impact at Ewood Park, and that could be enough to secure a play-off place for Rovers, but there are huge question marks over whether he is the right man to lead the club forward long-term.