John Eustace will celebrate his first anniversary with Blackburn Rovers later this month, as the club looks to finish in the top six of the Championship.
The 45-year-old had a rough start at Ewood Park, where he guided the club’s survival from relegation to League One last season.
A 19th-place finish secured their spot in the second tier, and the team has grown from strength to strength in the months thereafter.
Eustace has clearly established himself as a fan favourite, and the club is currently in contention for a play-off spot.
| John Eustace’s Blackburn Rovers record – as of Feb. 4th (all competitions as per Transfermarkt) | ||||
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | W% |
| 50 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 36.00 |
John Eustace future verdict
When asked about Eustace’s future at the club, FLW’s Blackburn fan analyst Simon Middlehurst stated that he must be retained by the club for the long term.
He has commended the coach’s effectiveness over the last year despite the limited resources at his disposal, and he expects that Eustace will receive support from the hierarchy.
“Keeping John Eustace is absolutely massive for Blackburn,” Middlehurst told Football League World.
“What he’s done with the squad thus far, given his restricted resources, has made him a fan favourite.
“He’s the best manager Blackburn has had since Tony Mowbray came in.”
“He understands the club’s values and the needs of the fans. He also recognises the challenges of working at Blackburn with limited resources.”
“But what he’s done so far, with the players and the team we have, he’s got us punching well above our weight.
“Definitely going forward, if the owners can back him and put some investment in, he’s definitely a manager we want to keep and hopefully move forward with.”
After 30 games, Blackburn are now fifth in the Championship, one point ahead of Middlesbrough in seventh.
Keeping Eustace will be huge for Blackburn
Birmingham City’s loss has been Blackburn’s gain, with Eustace entirely turning the club around since taking management.
The circumstances surrounding Jon Dahl Tomasson’s resignation a year ago harmed Rovers, with disputes behind the scenes prompting the Dane to walk away despite showing promise as manager.
Eustace has subsequently calmed the ship, and a top-six finish in the Championship is now a realistic goal for the team, but he has to be better supported by the board, since it took much too long to accomplish anything in January.
If Blackburn can keep the 45-year-old for the long term, he could be the man to finally get them back to the Premier League.
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