Blackburn Rovers have set their sights on former Birmingham City manager John Eustace to replace Jon Dahl Tomasson, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.
The Dane is expected to leave Ewood Park in the coming days, with reports emerging last night that he was negotiating his exit. It is the second time that Tomasson has offered to leave the club, revealing last week that he offered to resign in the summer. In a damning statement, the 47-year-old said:
“Last season, we played for play-offs without a senior striker in the most important games. Things changed in the summer. It was like a hand grenade, the budget changed.
“I told the club that it wasn’t the project I signed up for. I told them that it was a different situation, not what I signed up for and I asked if they wanted to find another head coach for this project.
“We can terminate my contract, no problem, I don’t want any money. This was in the summer, I said that to the club. It’s a very difficult financial situation so that’s what I said.
“It shouldn’t be an issue with me, if they want to terminate it I didn’t want money. I said if they needed to, when the project changed, a new head coach for the new project, I would go. They wanted me to stay.”
Blackburn have endured a miserable time as of late, picking up just two points from their last eight Championship fixtures. As a result, they have slipped to 18th, just five points above the drop zone after losing to Queens Park Rangers last weekend.
They failed to secure the signing of USA international striker Duncan McGuire on transfer deadline day due to an administration error. According to the Lancashire Telegraph, this is the straw which broke the camel’s back for the current manager.
As such, his departure is now imminent and it is claimed that Eustace is being lined up as his replacement. The 44-year-old has been out of work since being harshly sacked by Birmingham in October, despite guiding the club to sixth following a win over rivals West Bromwich Albion.
England legend Wayne Rooney followed, lasting just 15 games before he too found himself out of a job. Ex-Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray swiftly followed.
Eustace has been highly sought-after ever since, and Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman revealed to The Real EFL in December that he had received offers for an immediate return to management.
Blackburn host Stoke City on Saturday, although it remains to be seen whether Tomasson will still be in charge.
Writer’s View
It’s a really odd situation at Blackburn, which seems more bizarre with every passing hour. Tomasson clearly wants out of the club so one has to wonder what the hold up is.
Fans are starting to become fed up with the situation and just want some stability. They could easily be dragged into a relegation battle, especially with the teams below them picking up points here and there. Eustace is a quality option and one that would certainly bring a degree of optimism back around Ewood Park.
