Three possible replacements for Tony Mowbray at Blackburn Rovers

Having failed to secure a place in the play-offs, losing 3-0 at home to Bournemouth in the penultimate week of the season in what was a case of last chance saloon for the Lancashire club, Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray announced his intentions to leave Ewood Park after over five years in the hotseat.

The 58-year-old has arguably overachieved this season, especially with key players like Adam Armstrong leaving last summer. But his contract is due to run out at the end of the season and there have been no talks of a renewal — leaving the door open for a fresh face to come in and shake things up at Ewood Park.

The task of guiding Blackburn back to the promised land of Premier League football will be no easy feat though, and when you consider that Ben Brereton Díaz could be on his way out the door this summer, the Rovers likely won’t be one of the favoured teams for promotion in the football betting odds.

That said, read on as we take a look at three possible replacements for Mowbray.

Gareth Ainsworth

Blackburn-born Gareth Ainsworth is now in his 10th year in charge of Wycombe Wanderers, but he has really impressed with the League One side this season — guiding the Chairboys to the third-tier play-offs, which has reportedly attracted the attention of Blackburn’s chiefs.

Even though Wycombe were relegated from the Championship last season, reaching the League One play-offs is an achievement that wasn’t exactly expected of the Buckinghamshire outfit before the campaign got underway, but it could be prove to

be a thorn in the side of Blackburn as promotion would likely see Ainsworth stay at Adams Park next year.

Daniel Farke

A man with plenty of experience in the Championship, Daniel Farke is believed to be interested in the Blackburn job. The German won the second-tier title twice in his four years with Norwich City, making the Canaries a decent bet in the Championship latest odds. But he was sacked back in November after another torrid spell in the Premier League.

Out of work after leaving Russian side Krasnodar due to the country’s ongoing invasion of the Ukraine, Farke is on the hunt for his next job and he is open to a return to the Championship. With a knack for promotion, the 45-year-old should be considered as a top candidate for the Blackburn job.

Derek McInnes

Perhaps not the most inspiring of candidates, Derek McInnes has spent the majority of his 15-year managerial career in his homeland of Scotland. In that time, he has taken the reigns at St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock — the latter of which is his current role, and he has managed to guide ‘Killie’ back to the Scottish Premiership since taking over in January.

The 50-year-old does boast a brief spell in the Championship on his CV though, managing to keep Bristol City afloat in the 2011-12 season. But he was sacked the following campaign after a 4-0 defeat to Leicester City meant his side were eight points from safety. It would certainly be a risky appointment, especially if Blackburn want to be challenging for the play-offs.

Lee Johnson, who was sacked by Sunderland in March, and Michael Appleton, who lasted just 67 days during his last stint at Ewood Park back in 2013, have also been linked with the role.