While it wasn’t as dramatic, 372 days later, another Blackburn Rovers head coach set the wheels in action for their exit from the Ewood Park Media Theatre.
On February 3, Jon Dahl Tomasson left with a bang after a 2-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers. John Eustace did not criticise the board, but he did not rule out a move to Derby County. But the current message was the same.
Those familiar with Blackburn Rovers are unsurprised by Eustace’s departure, despite the fact that the club is currently sixth in the Championship. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that he is switching from Ewood Park to Pride Park, despite the fact that they are 16 places lower in the rankings.
When evaluating why this happened, there are numerous factors at play. One key factor is location; his family lives in the Midlands, and he is returning to a former club.
But, in reality, if Eustace been satisfied with Blackburn Rovers, he would have stayed. The Lancashire Telegraph delves into the primary reasons and inner narrative behind his abrupt departure.
The transfer window
The summer was a source of frustration for Eustace, and the first cracks began to show. The head coach was instrumental in the acquisitions of Andi Weimann, Danny Batth, and Kyle McFadzean. Other objectives were rejected by the recruitment team.
Going into the summer, the head coach requested two things. Sam Szmodics and a left-winger are both retained. Rovers delivered on neither.
While there was a realistic possibility that Rovers’ leading scorer would go, Eustace believed that more proactive contract discussions would have kept him. Szmodics was offered a new contract at Rovers, but only after Ipswich Town had already turned him down. He had a lucrative contract that made him the club’s highest earner when he joined in early June, and the head coach expected him to stay.
Eustace wanted to increase the team’s pace and strengthen the left side. Sirki Dembele was his option coming into the last weeks of August. Others were concerned, and Rovers failed to solve that critical area, with Dembele leaving to Oxford for roughly £600,000.
Rovers didn’t really get their recruitment wheels in motion until July, after the club restructured. That means Eustace was charged with keeping track of McFadzean and Batth while the team looked for new targets. Liam Cooper was their initial choice, but the club was unable to fund the transaction.
In January, Eustace desired established Championship names like Oli McBurnie, Patrick Bamford, and Brandon Thomas-Asante as number nine choices. Instead, Rovers waited until the final week of the window to act. This was interpreted as a lack of direction and an unwillingness to reinvest in a group of high-performing players, casting doubt on the project’s future.
Communication and Relationship
According to the Lancashire Telegraph, Eustace never spoke directly with any of the Venky family members while visiting Ewood Park. Instead, he collaborated closely with CEO Steve Waggott and COO Suhail Pasha.
Eustace became increasingly dissatisfied with the club’s lack of clarity in strategy and the short-term outlook for the January window. Consider the money recouped in the last 12 months.
Communication was an important concern. Eustace was unaware that Stuart Jones, Head of Academy, was leaving the club until he was asked about it during a news conference. There was also a failure in communication on the fitness of an Under-23 player, who will not be named.
Eustace privately expressed concern about the club’s frequent personnel turnover during his time there. There was concern that they felt underappreciated, which made his job more difficult to encourage unity and positivity.
John Park left months after being re-appointed as Head of Recruitment. That was a setback that made Eustace question the transfer team’s expertise and experience. Park’s departure prompted an advertisement for a Chief Scout, but no appointment has been made public.
The relocation to Derby County
During his stay at Ewood Park, Eustace was associated to a number of vacancies. Preston North End sources are convinced that he threw his hat in the ring at Deepdale, but it’s exceedingly improbable that anything came of it.
The Coventry City vacancy was a far more intriguing link. Eustace was supposed to be on a three-man shortlist, but owner Doug King preferred Frank Lampard. He may have left earlier if his interest had been confirmed.
Hull City, too, fancied Eustace but went elsewhere. Derby were the first team to make a formal approach. According to sources, they consulted with Eustace, either directly or through intermediaries, before firing Paul Warne, as is common practice.
Derby County owner David Clowes invited Warne to visit him at his home just before the team’s trip to Norwich City, after training that morning. The abruptness and timing of the decision indicate that they had been encouraged about a deal for Eustace.
The Rovers head coach trained at Brockhall on Monday morning before meeting with the board. As exclusively revealed by LT, Eustace requested a new contract as well as assurances about future squad investments. That was not forthcoming, so he agreed to join Derby.
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