"Cheap option" - Blackburn Rovers issued Valerien Ismael warning despite good run | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn fan pundit believes Valerien Ismael is still not the right fit for Rovers, despite their recent upturn.

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...

Blackburn Rovers continued their recent upturn in form on Easter Monday with a 1-0 victory away at high-flying Sunderland.

Tyrhys Dolan netted the only goal of the game to claim all three points for Valerien Ismael’s side, and consign Sunderland to just their third defeat of the season at the Stadium of Light.

Rovers have now notched three straight wins in the Championship, a run of form that has come at the perfect moment for Ismael, who has come under plenty of pressure during the early stages of his reign at Ewood Park.

The Frenchman stepped into the dugout after John Eustace left to join strugglers Derby County, and has received plenty of criticism so far.

Valerien Ismael is thought to be the wrong fit for Blackburn

Much of the criticism directed towards Ismael in the early stages of his time at the club came as a result of frustration with the board.

Eustace left the club and cited a lack of backing from the board as one of his main reasons for doing so. There was understandably discontent from the fans that the club had allowed such a promising young boss to slip through their clutches.

As a result, it was always going to be a difficult situation for any new man to walk into. However, Ismael hasn’t really helped matters, both with results on the pitch and also his own actions at times.

After Rovers claimed their first victory of his reign against Luton before Easter, the former Barnsley chief was accused of not celebrating with the fans.

However, with Blackburn now beginning to show signs of getting back to their best, we asked FLW’s resident Rovers pundit, Simon Middlehurst, whether opinions on Ismael are starting to change.

He said: “I still stand by my opinion that he’s the wrong man for the job. I do feel that Rovers went for the cheap option in replacing John Eustace.

“Yes, we’re on a good run of form, but he doesn’t seem to connect with the fans as well (as Eustace). It’s great that the form has changed, but I think that’s possibly more down to the players than him.

“My personal opinion is that a few players are putting themselves in the shop window, Tyrhys Dolan for example. His contract is up at the end of the season, and he’s had a few good games lately, there’s probably a few others as well that are the same.

“I thoroughly believe that this good run of form that we’re having is more down to the players than Ismael himself.”

The start of next season could be pivotal for Ismael

Given the way that his Ewood Park reign has begun, it is no exaggeration to say that the early part of next season could already be crucial in deciding where Ismael’s future may lie.

Although his Blackburn side are improving of late, going winless during his first six games certainly didn’t help his reputation among the fanbase.

Ismael has had success in the Championship in the past, having led an unfancied Barnsley side to the play-offs back in 2021/21, but after then stepping up to West Brom and lasting just seven months, there were understandable concerns when Blackburn appointed him.

Rovers were sat inside the Championship play-offs when the 49-year-old took charge, which perhaps meant that fans were expecting a more reputable name to come into the club.

With the contracts of Dolan, Andreas Weimann, Danny Hedges and Danny Batth all set to expire at the end of the season, Ismael could be left with a rebuild on his hands over the summer.

This would allow him the opportunity to mould the team in his image a little more, but, given the frustration that was felt when he took over, you get the feeling that he needs a positive start next season, otherwise he could quickly find himself under pressure.