"Probably the concern" - Blackburn Rovers: EFL expert delivers Valerien Ismael view | OneFootball

Jobi McAnuff has given his reaction to Valerien Ismael's appointment as Blackburn Rovers head coach.

Pundit Jobi McAnuff believes former Watford manager Valerien Ismael is a sensible appointment for Blackburn Rovers, and he has backed him to make a short-term impact at Ewood Park.

Blackburn had been on the hunt for a new head coach after John Eustace's shock departure to Derby County earlier this month, and a host of names were linked with the job, including the likes of Gary O'Neil, Aitor Karanka, Carlos Carvalhal, Raphael Wicky, Richie Wellens, George Boateng, Luis Boa Morte, Pep Ljinders and David Wagner.

However, after an extensive search, Ismael was named as Eustace's successor on Tuesday afternoon, and he has signed a long-term contract to keep him in Lancashire until the summer of 2028.

Ismael has been out of work since being sacked by Watford last March after winning just 12 of his 40 games in charge at Vicarage Road, and he has previously managed Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion in the Championship, as well as having spells in Germany, Greece, Austria and Turkey.

The Frenchman inherits a Rovers side sitting sixth in the table, one point clear of seventh-placed Coventry City, and he begins his reign with a huge home game against fellow play-off hopefuls Norwich City on Saturday.

Jobi McAnuff reacts as Blackburn Rovers appoint Valerien Ismael

McAnuff believes that, as Ismael's style of play is relatively similar to Eustace's, it may be easier for the Blackburn squad to adapt to his demands, and while he admits that the 49-year-old is not the most ambitious appointment, he insists that he is a sensible choice in Rovers' current position.

"I'm not underwhelmed - purely from a Blackburn ownership and recruitment model," McAnuff said on the BBC's Football Daily podcast.

"It's a manager who's out of work, so they're clearly not going to have to pay anything.

"It's somebody who knows the division, how well he's done in his last couple of gigs is probably the concern for Rovers fans, but I would caveat that and say he had a pretty good start at West Brom and then things really tailed off.

"We're talking about a short impact, between now and the end of the season. His remit is to try and get that team in the play-offs.

"You know what he's all about, I look at the style of football, I think that's another tick.

"It's not somebody who is going to come in and change things dramatically from what John Eustace was doing – it's a group of players that will understand roughly what he wants to do.

"It ticks a lot of boxes. Is it the most ambitious signing? No, but it makes sense. It fits within the framework of where Blackburn are right now."

Valerien Ismael appointment is a gamble for Blackburn Rovers

After doing an outstanding job in his first Championship managerial role at Barnsley, where he led the club to the play-offs having initially inherited them sitting just outside the relegation zone, Ismael has struggled to replicate that success elsewhere.

As McAnuff said, Ismael's time at West Brom quickly turned sour after a bright start, and his Watford side were incredibly inconsistent throughout his tenure, so there is no doubt that he is a risky appointment for Blackburn.

Ismael is certainly capable of making a short-term impact, which may be enough to guide Rovers into the play-offs this season, but there are question marks over whether he is the right man to take the club forward, and it is a surprise that he has been given such a long contract.