Blackburn Rovers could use Valerien Ismael factor to pull off potential Tyrhys Dolan U-turn | OneFootball

Rovers' recent form could potentially convince Tyrhys Dolan to re-think his situation ahead of next season.

Blackburn Rovers must use their recent upturn in form under Valerien Ismael as a way of potentially convincing Tyrhys Dolan to make a crucial U-turn ahead of next season.

The winger is out of contract at Ewood Park in the summer and the suggestion at the moment is that he will be departing the club.

After John Eustace left the Lancashire outfit to join Derby County in the middle of February, Ismael endured a fairly rocky start to life at the club. However, a run of four straight wins in the league has helped to bring the positivity back of late.

Dolan has been a crucial part of Rovers’ recent upturn, and the club must use the recent promising signs as a way of enticing the 23-year-old to pen a new deal, rather than head elsewhere.

Valerien Ismael has turned Blackburn Rovers' fortunes around - Tyrhys Dolan has been central to that

The loss of an exciting young coach in Eustace undoubtedly represented a huge blow for Blackburn.

The former Birmingham City boss had been left frustrated by the lack of backing he was receiving from the board, as he tried to secure a spot inside the top six for Rovers.

His departure sparked anger from the fans towards the club’s owners, Venky's, with many blaming them for the loss of Eustace. As such, when Ismael first walked through the door, he was greeted by a fairly spiky and negative atmosphere.

That wasn’t helped by the fact that he was perceived as a cheap option by some supporters, who struggled to warm to him in the early stages of his tenure. Now though, with the team performing well on the pitch, the feel-good factor is beginning to return to Ewood Park.

Dolan has been central to that turnaround, having notched three goals and an assist in his last five outings. The attacking midfielder has been excellent of late, and with seven goals and six assists to his name in the league this season, it has been the strongest campaign of his senior career in terms of raw numbers.

Ismael has seemingly unlocked the playmaker in recent weeks, and has Dolan playing like the gamechanger that everyone knows he can be on a regular basis.

Blackburn have to use their upturn to convince Tyrhys Dolan to re-think contract options

If Dolan does ultimately leave Blackburn in the summer, then his recent form will only add to the bitter taste that is sure to be left over.

Losing a player with so much potential is bad enough, but especially when he has begun to show signs of that potential shining through.

However, Rovers must instead use their recent run of games as a way of attempting to convince the winger to stay put.

Ismael admitted recently that he feels if Dolan’s decision comes down to the type of environment he wishes to play in, then Blackburn will have a chance of retaining their star man.

The Frenchman told the Lancashire Telegraph: “We give him the love he needs. He knows the environment he has. He knows the way we want him to play. We suit him perfectly.

“If he’s playing and he enjoys his environment, then we have a good chance. If it’s about money, big money, then I’m not sure that we are in first place.”

With that in mind, Ismael must surely be attempting to persuade Dolan that their recent form provides reason to stick around.

With plenty of room to improve at the age of 23, and with the level of performance he has hit at times this season, the winger is sure to have plenty of suitors at the top end of the Championship if he does decide that he wants to leave Blackburn.

However, if Ismael and his team were able to carry their current form over and make a confident and impressive start to the next campaign, then there is absolutely no reason why they couldn’t compete in the upper reaches of the division themselves next term.

If Ismael and the board can make that point clear to Dolan, it could have a crucial say in his decision-making over the next few months.

Having developed Dolan into a first-team quality player almost single handedly, the possibility of losing him on a free transfer will surely be extremely concerning for Blackburn. As such, it makes sense for them to try anything in their power to change Dolan’s mind.

It may require some summer investment if they are to convince him that they are capable of competing next season, but if that means he signs a new deal, any potential outlay would surely be worth it.