Next Blackburn Rovers Manager Odds: After John Eustace

Since stepping into the England void vacated by Gareth Southgate in the summer, Lee Carsley’s name is routinely mentioned with bottom-half Premier League jobs and opportunities in the upper echelons of the Championship.

It’s not a huge surprise either given the former Everton midfielder has forged a decent reputation as a coach; the peak of his career to date is winning the U21 European Championship with England but he’s also enjoyed success at youth level with Coventry and Man City. 

Despite those aforementioned successes, Carsley is unproven with senior players and that’s why a job in the second tier feels like a more likely next step in his managerial career. Carsley’s ability to actually coach and improve players might be seen as a good fit for a Blackburn side not overly keen on throwing money around and he did play for Rovers in his career as too. 

We’ve referenced the lack of spending at Blackburn a few times already. Rob Edwards is a manager that has managed under those conditions at this level before, at Luton, and experienced success whilst doing so. Edwards, who also managed Watford prior to joining the Hatters, led Luton to the Premier League and then got his side competing at that level as well. 

Edwards couldn’t keep Luton up though and found this season back in the Championship a difficult one. Most see the job Edwards done at Kenilworth Road as a spectacular one though with his squad overachieving under his tutelage. Could he be tempted back into management just a few weeks after losing his job? 

Damien Duff is someway down the betting odds to be next Blackburn manager. He is a name that makes a lot of sense though. Duff started his playing career at Ewood Park spending seven years with the club; that gives him a real affinity for Rovers and would secure him instant buy-in from the fanbase. 

Then there is the management side of things. Sure, Duff has only managed in the League of Ireland but the former Chelsea winger has made quite the impression in the dugout. Across his three seasons with Shelbourne, he’s overseen progress year on year and led the team to silverware. Is a return to Blackburn his next step?