Blackburn manager hunt: Ex-Burnley hero installed as shock new favourite
Blackburn Rovers’ search for a new manager could be about to head down a hugely unexpected route.
The Championship strugglers are on the hunt for a new boss after parting company with Valerien Ismael earlier this week, after a run of nine games without a win in all competitions saw the Frenchman lose his job.
Blackburn are among the favourites to be relegated from the Championship at the moment, despite them notching an invaluable 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
The Lancashire outfit are in serious danger of dropping into League One as they currently sit outside the drop zone on goal difference alone, and they could be about to turn towards a shock candidate to help them out of trouble.
Graham Alexander new favourite for Blackburn job
Football Insider revealed on Wednesday that Robbie Savage was a top contender for the Blackburn job, but the Forest Green Rovers boss has since distanced himself from any suggestions of the move.
The former midfielder was keen to detach himself from any suggestion of him moving to take the reins at Ewood Park, and that has seen a selection of fresh candidates come to the fore in recent days.
The likes of Mark Hughes and Slaven Bilic have been linked with the vacant position, but the new favourite has now emerged in surprise fashion.
Bradford City chief Graham Alexander has seen his odds slashed to take over at Blackburn on Friday, with the 54-year-old now priced at odds of just 5/2 for the job by one major bookmaker.
Alexander has Bradford battling for the play-offs in League One after they were promoted from League Two last year, and he has now become the joint-favourite for the Blackburn job alongside Gary Rowett.
The former defender enjoyed a lengthy spell at Burnley during his playing career, as he made over 150 appearances for Blackburn’s bitter rivals, and became a hero as part of the squad that helped them achieve promotion to the Premier League in 2008-09.
Alexander’s EFL managerial record
Bradford are going well under Alexander this term, after he led them to the first automatic promotion of his managerial career last season.
The Bantams returned to the third tier in dramatic fashion thanks to a stoppage-time goal on the final day of the season, and they are already competing to go back-to-back.
| League | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
| League Two | 203 | 84 | 55 | 64 | 41.38% |
| League One | 178 | 79 | 47 | 52 | 44.38% |
| Scottish Premiership | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 32.61% |
| National League | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 54.35% |
That has unsurprisingly seen their boss attract attention from elsewhere, and Blackburn are now keen to offer Alexander the chance to step into the top two tiers for the first time as a manager.
He has done excellent work in the lower reaches of the EFL in recent years, and boasts a win percentage of over 40 per cent in both League One and League Two.
His Turf Moor connections would make him a surprising choice given the rivalry that exists between Burnley and Blackburn, but he is one of the most likely candidates for the job at present.