Championship club sack manager before one year anniversary after eight games winless streak

Blackburn Rovers have parted company with head coach Valérien Ismaël following an eight-match winless run that has dragged the club into serious relegation danger in the Championship.

Ismaël, who was appointed last February, guided Rovers to a seventh-place finish last season, but this campaign has taken a sharp downturn. Blackburn now sit 22nd in the table, three points adrift of safety.

In a club statement, Rovers confirmed the decision, thanking Ismaël and his assistant Dean Whitehead for their service and wishing them well. The club added that the search for a new head coach is under way and that no further updates will be given until an appointment is made.

The 50-year-old’s final game in charge was Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Hull City. Across his 43 matches at the helm, Ismaël recorded 11 wins, 11 draws and 21 losses.

Goals have been a major issue for Blackburn this season, with just 26 scored in 29 league games — the second-lowest total in the division, better only than bottom side Sheffield Wednesday.

That problem has been particularly evident during the recent winless streak, in which Rovers managed only four goals and collected just three points from draws against Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton.

Ismaël’s exit comes just a day before Blackburn are due to host Sheffield Wednesday at Ewood Park.