Blackburn Rovers

Andy Bayes
BBC Radio Lancashire sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

As the old adage goes, "nothing surprises you in football" - but Blackburn looking for a new head coach a year after appointing John Eustace is more disappointing than surprising.

On the face of it, he's leaving a team currently in a play-off position for one that is just outside the Championship's bottom three, and without a transfer window to assist his second relegation escape in as many years.

So what are the factors at play that have seen Eustace move on?

• Geography – His family home is in the Midlands, so a manageable commute into work every day.

• Former club – Eustace had two spells with Derby, one on loan as well as ending his playing days with the Rams in January 2015.

• Contract – Derby might be offering far greater terms and a longer deal, giving him more family security.

• Relationship with Blackburn hierarchy – Eustace appeared to be at odds with the January recruitment policy where six players arrived, he gave the impression he didn't have a great deal of input into as many as five of them.

The general feeling of the supporters who comment on social media is a mix of anger towards the directors and owners, which has largely been the case since the takeover of the club by Venky's in 2010.

The term "significant investment" in the board's statement this week has done nothing to appease that feeling.

Many feel six arrivals, five of which aren't contracted beyond the end of the season can hardly be described as significant even if the wage contribution for Emmanuel Dennis' loan from Nottingham Forest will be the most expensive salary the club are currently paying out to a player.

There is also a level of criticism aimed in the direction of Eustace too.

For a head coach who preached the "family atmosphere" philosophy, to desert that family to the first party with a firm interest has come as a blow but judging by the terrific 2-0 success at West Brom without him, it may not prove a fatal one.

The win, under David Lowe's leadership at The Hawthorns, was a classic Eustace-type victory. Hard to beat, solid in all departments, error-free and some lovely football on the counter.

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In terms of the hierarchy, previous bosses Jon Dahl Tomasson, Tony Mowbray, Owen Coyle and Paul Lambert have all had their issues which ultimately led to each moving on after varying degrees of success.

Whoever the next head coach is of Blackburn Rovers, there must be clear or clearer objectives of what they want. Are they aligned in terms of recruitment? Do they know exactly what the remit is?

Despite losing talisman Sam Szmodics to Ipswich, Eustace kept his side largely in the top six for most of the season to date.

His departure will hit the players hard. They were always happy to talk about his positive impact on their careers. Todd Cantwell described him as the best he's worked for.

A swift appointment is paramount for a club that won't have been expecting to be looking for a head coach so soon.

Bookmakers' odds change by the hour, but Lee Carsley, a former Rovers captain, has come to the fore. Would he prefer a tilt at promotion with an old club or return to England under-21 duties? Time will tell.

It's also crucial, in my view, the club communicates with its fanbase to answer legitimate questions and concerns that just won't go away.

What is the long-term plan with so many of the players out of contract this summer or next? The model of selling promising players for big money can't continue unless players are tied down to long-term deals.

What is the plan of the owners? The Rao family haven't attended matches for a very long time and it's their right not to.

But how do they see the club realistically challenging for promotion with head coaches walking away - and how long do they want to continue with the club operating in this fashion?

The last time they communicated directly with me was when they sacked Sam Allardyce in 2010. A conversation with one of the family now would be most welcome.

Image source, Rex Features

Derby County have appointed Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace as their new head coach.

We want to hear from both sets of supporters about what this means for your clubs.

Rams fans...

Are you happy with Eustace's appointment?

Do you think Eustace will keep you up this season?

Derby supporters, you can have your say here.

Rovers fans...

How do you feel about Eustace leaving?

Why do you think he left?

What impact will it have on the rest of the season?

Blackburn supporters, let us know your thoughts here.

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Blackburn Rovers interim boss David Lowe is ready to "keep on going" in the role until a replacement for John Eustace is found by the club.

Eustace is expected to become Derby County head coach after Rovers reluctantly agreed to let him speak to the Rams - but his players responded with a 2-0 win over West Brom to boost their play-off hopes.

"It's been a difficult week, so to come to a place like this and perform like we did in and out of possession was a great credit to the lads.

"It's sad to see John Eustace and the other two coaches go. They've worked really hard here. We'll just keep on going until an announcement is made. And we're now just focusing on Saturday," Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Our defensive organisation was really good and, up front, Makhtar Gueye looks a real handful. He's taken time to settle in, but we've been working a lot with him – and he took his goals really well."

Lowe's only previous game as a caretaker boss was, ironically, for Derby County back in 2009 when they pulled off an upset 1-0 win over Manchester United in the first leg of an EFL Cup semi-final.

Image source, Rex Features

David Lowe will be in charge of the Blackburn team for their Championship game against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns, the club has confirmed.

A statement from Rovers , externalconfirmed: "Discussions between Rovers and another Championship club over the future of John Eustace and his backroom staff remain ongoing.

"As a result, David Lowe will lead the team for tonight's important Championship fixture, supported by Damien Johnson, Ben Benson, Mike Sheron and Paul Butler."

Eustace and coaches Keith Downing and Matt Gardiner are expected to be unveiled by Derby County, with reports suggesting terms have already been agreed.

Ironically, Lowe took interim charge of Derby for one game in 2009 when he was academy boss, following the departure of Paul Jewell and then caretaker Chris Hutchings, and oversaw a shock 1-0 win over Manchester United in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg.

Andrew Aloia
BBC Sport, East Midlands

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Swapping a promotion push with Blackburn Rovers for a relegation battle with Derby County is "too simplistic" a way to look at head coach John Eustace's potential move, says Oxford United boss Gary Rowett.

Eustace is close to leaving sixth-placed Rovers for a Derby side that moved out of the relegation places on goal difference on Tuesday night after picking up a point against Rowett's Oxford in a underwhelming goalless draw at Pride Park.

Rowett spoke before the match about expecting the 45-year-old former Rams midfielder to take the helm of a club be featured for across two spells.

Despite being at opposite ends of the table, it is understood that Eustace believes that Derby are the better long-term project. And with him and his family living in the region, location is also seen as motivating factor behind the potential move.

"It's very difficult to judge that decision," Rowett told BBC Sport.

"It's very easy to be black and white and say one team is sixth and one team is fourth from bottom when trying to understand why.

"Unless you are in a certain person's shoes, it's hard to judge why they want to make that decision. Both clubs are very good clubs, there is a history [as a player] with this club with someone like John.

"I'm not judging that, it's not for me to make comment on it, but I think it is a little too simplistic to think about it in those terms.

"What I would say is that it is very difficult to get into that position in the Championship [play-off spots], so there must be some form of a reason and I can only presume why he would want to make that move."

Image source, Rex Features

BBC Radio Lancashire is reporting that Blackburn boss John Eustace is expected to be announced as the new manager of Derby County later on Wednesday barring any "late hiccups".

It is anticipated the 45-year-old, who had two spells as a player at Derby, will be confirmed as the Rams' new boss in the next few hours following the sacking of Paul Warne on Friday.

BBC Radio Lancashire sports editor Andy Bayes stated on X, external that he expects Damien Johnson, David Lowe, Mike Sheron, Paul Butler and Ben Benson will be put in caretaker charge for Rovers' Championship game at West Bromwich Albion tonight.

Blackburn revealed on Monday, external they had reluctantly given a club permission to speak to Eustace after a release clause in his contract had been activated.

Ged Scott and Steve Hermon
BBC Sport England

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West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has warned that Wednesday night's Hawthorns opponents Blackburn Rovers may well be "galvanised" after several days of speculation about his opposite number John Eustace's future.

Albion take on Mowbray's former club - fifth against sixth - looking for a third straight home win since the veteran Baggies boss returned.

Rovers could be managerless as Eustace appears on the verge of a move back to the Midlands. But, although he is expected to have been announced as the new Derby County boss before the game takes place, Mowbray does not expect any negative effect on his old club.

It was May 2022 when Mowbray left Ewood Park, but he told BBC Radio WM: "Knowing the likes of Lewis Travis and John Buckley, they are very determined, focused young footballers, who will just want to win the next game.

"Players are pretty resilient. Most of them will have been through a few managers.

"They're not all going to be distraught and not try because they've not got a head coach. I'm pretty sure it will galvanise the playing group, they will have a chat with each other and will come here and give it a real go.

"They're a club I spent five and a half very happy years with. It's a tough game for us when you look at their results. I've seen them twice this year at Middlesbrough, where I live. But they won both of those games 1-0."

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Mowbray will go into battle buoyed by what he saw on Monday night when Albion's Under-21s beat Newcastle United 3-1 - a game featuring both Daryl Dike and Semi Ajayi on their way back from injury.

Dike played half an hour for the Under-21s – exactly a year to the day since he tore his Achilles for the second time. Ajayi also played 45 minutes on his comeback from a four-month lay-off. And, although he admits that Dike is "desperate to return", Mowbray says Ajayi is probably the closer of the two to a first-team return.

After waiting seven months for his league debut, goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith will make his second Hawthorns appearance in five days following the sale of Alex Palmer.

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says he "expects" John Eustace to become the new Derby County head coach - but it won't change his approach to the game against them on Tuesday night either way.

Rowett suffered his first loss as U's boss at Burnley last week, having previously gone on a nine-game unbeaten run since taking over (W5 D4).

The 50-year-old returns to Pride Park, where he made 120 appearances as a player between 1995 and 1998 and managed from March 2017 to May 2018.

"It's a club I know really well, a club I've got a lot of fondness for, a lot of time for," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"But ultimately, we're going back there trying to win the game, like I have done many times going back there as an opposition manager."

Paul Warne was sacked as Rams boss on Friday and Matt Hamshaw took temporary charge for their 1-1 draw at Norwich the following day.

Derby are understood to have made an official approach for Blackburn Rovers head coach Eustace but are yet to name their new boss.

"I don't know whether the situation will make a lot of difference to us in terms of what we've got to do," Rowett said.

"We will be prepared like we always are away from home and regardless of whether they do or don't have a new manager, we won't take the game in any different vein.

"My presumption - and it's probably not founded on anything other than presumption - is that at some point, John Eustace will probably be Derby manager.

"So, whether that's at some point tomorrow and he takes the game or whether he's at the game - whatever that is, I think if you're a Derby player, you're going to perform for the staff there like they did on Saturday.

"But you're also going to have half an eye on 'there might be a new manager somewhere out there watching', whether they're in the stands or the dugout, so I don't think it will change anything."

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Interim Derby County boss Matt Hamshaw expects to remain in charge for Tuesday's Championship game against Oxford, but is anticipating there will be a new head coach at Pride Park soon.

The Rams have made an official approach for Blackburn boss John Eustace, with the East Midlands club reportedly triggering a release clause of £500,000 for the 45-year-old.

BBC Radio Derby reported that Eustace's representatives were talking to the Blackburn owners on Monday about Derby's interest.

Eustace spoke about the approach after his side's FA Cup exit against Wolves on Sunday, although Hamshaw said there had been no specific mention of the Rovers boss when talking about who would succeed Paul Warne, who was sacked on Friday.

When asked about a timeline for the appointment, Hamshaw said: "They are trying to work as hard as they can to bring a new manager in, and hopefully there will be some light at the end of the tunnel sooner rather than later with that."

As far as Tuesday's home game goes, Hamshaw said he had "planned and prepped" as if he will be at the helm since Derby's draw at Norwich on Saturday.

"It's looking that way as we speak, but that could change again tomorrow (Tuesday) but I'm not assuming it will do," he said.

West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers meet at The Hawthorns for a vital clash between two play-off rivals on Wednesday night (20:00).

The Baggies are fifth - two points ahead of Rovers in sixth - and are undefeated in their past 11 home games (W5 D6).

Blackburn have won just one of their past four games (L4) and are a point ahead of Middlesbrough in seventh, who have a game in hand.

• West Bromwich Albion have won just one of their past six league games against Blackburn Rovers (D3 L2), though that sole victory did come in this exact fixture last season during a 4-1 success.

• Blackburn Rovers have failed to win any of their past six away league games against West Bromwich Albion (W3 D3), since a 3-1 victory at the Hawthorns in December 2010.

• West Brom have only lost one of their past 13 midweek home games in the Championship (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), earning victories in 10 of those matches (two draws).

• Blackburn Rovers have lost four of their past five away Championship games (D1), losing their past three in a row. They had won four away games in a row before this run.

• Since a run of six consecutive Championship victories between 9 November and 14 December, Blackburn Rovers have picked up just eight points in 11 games (W2 D2 L7).

I am co-commentating at this game for the iPlayer, and I am really looking forward to going back to Ewood Park.

People there always tell me the great Alan Shearer was lucky to play alongside me when we won the Premier League together, and I know Al says the same himself regularly too.

This is one of the ties where you think there is a chance of an upset, because of what Wolves boss Vitor Pereira might do - does he go full pelt, or rest a few?

Pereira will make some changes, I am sure of that, because staying in the Premier League will be his priority.

Rovers manager John Eustace has a different dilemma because I bet he would love to shuffle his squad to help their play-off bid, but he does not have the players to do it.

Eustace has done a phenomenal job to have them in and around the top six, despite not being given any help in terms of signings.

Scoring goals is Rovers' problem - Yuki Ohashi is out injured and Makhtar Gueye is not very prolific - and Andreas Weimann is their top scorer this season with eight.

They are solid enough, though, with the likes of Callum Brittain, who has probably been Blackburn's best player this season, alongside Dom Hyam and Danny Batth at the back. They have all been colossal.

Getting Lewis Travis back from injury has been important too. He is their real driving force in the middle of the park.

As I say, I am not sure what the Wolves team selection will be like, but Pereira might want to build on last weekend's win over Aston Villa.

Based on that, and the fact Blackburn play some good stuff but are not ruthless enough, this is another tie which could go the distance.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1 after extra time

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Blackburn welcome Premier League side Wolves to Ewood Park in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday lunchtime (12:30 GMT).

Rovers won the competition in 1928 and last reached a final in 1960, which they lost against this weekend's opponents. They have made it to the semi-final twice since then - in 2005 and 2007.

• This will be the first meeting between Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup since the 1960 final, which Wolves won 3-0; that is the most recent final of the competition either side reached.

• Wolverhampton Wanderers have won four of their past five away games against Blackburn Rovers (D1), since losing 3-0 in the Premier League in December 2010.

• Blackburn have progressed from each of their past six FA Cup fourth round ties, reaching at least the fifth round in each of the past two seasons. They last lost at this stage of the competition in 2010-11 (1-3 v Aston Villa).

• Wolves are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-94/1994-95. They've also won their past two away games in the competition, last winning three consecutively between March 1998 and December 1999.

• Andreas Weimann netted Blackburn's winner in the third round against Middlesbrough, his first FA Cup goal since January 2017 (for Wolves against Liverpool). All four of his goals in the competition have either come in the third round (2) or fourth round (2).