Blackburn Rovers are moving toward a decision on Michael O'Neill's successor, with Ewood Park officials speaking to candidates in recent weeks and an appointment expected inside the next 10 days.
The search has become more urgent because Rovers confirmed 23 days ago that O'Neill had decided not to take the job. That has left the club in a rare off-season recruitment race, one that could shape the opening weeks of planning at Ewood Park as the new campaign draws closer.
Tony Mowbray has been one of the names linked since February, but there was no substance to those reports and he was never contacted about succeeding Ismael. The former Rovers manager remains a familiar figure around the club, which is part of why his name keeps resurfacing whenever the job comes up, yet the latest noise appears to have outpaced the real process.
Slaven Bilic is another candidate who moved into the frame when he held talks with Blackburn a few weeks ago. The club wanted to continue those discussions, but Bilic has since had reservations on reflection. There is also a belief in the industry that he has his eye on a certain international job after the World Cup, which helps explain why a deal has not quickly followed the talks.
Blackburn's last off-season managerial recruitment process came in 2022, and the club has seen plenty of chatter around potential candidates before settling on a final choice. Jon Dahl Tomasson was not named head coach until June 14 in that previous search, a reminder that the obvious names are not always the ones who end up taking the seat.
That leaves Blackburn at a familiar point: close enough to a decision for the speculation to sharpen, but still without confirmation on who will actually lead the side next. The next 10 days should bring the answer, and if the club bypasses the names being discussed most loudly, that would fit the pattern of how this search has unfolded so far.
