Football League World
·1 October 2024
Football League World
·1 October 2024
George Elek of the Not the Top 20 podcast believes John Eustace is the perfect fit for Blackburn Rovers.
It has been an excellent start to the Championship season for Blackburn Rovers, and EFL pundit George Elek of the Not the Top 20 podcast is confident Rovers fans would not swap John Eustace for any other manager in the EFL.'
Having only avoided relegation to League One on the final day of last season, Rovers and Eustace will have been hoping to pull well clear of any danger and climb back up the table in the current campaign.
However, not many expected such an excellent start to their season where Blackburn avoided defeat in their opening seven league fixtures, including winning in every home league fixture.
Their fast start comes after many fans and pundits alike tipped Eustace’s side for relegation this season, but they have defied the odds in the early weeks. In part, that was due to the loss of last season's Championship golden boot winner, Sammie Szmodics.
Eustace may now be the club's biggest asset, having helped guide them to safety last season and kicked on this term with a largely positive summer transfer window behind him in the Championship, where many of the new faces have helped to turn their fortunes around in 2024/25.
Eustace was appointed as Blackburn boss in February, and George Elek of the Not the Top 20 podcast has been extremely impressed with the job the 44-year-old has done since then, and particularly this season.
He said: "Blackburn were a team that a lot of people had marked down to struggle.
"I think the work that John Eustace has done, and is doing at Blackburn, is remarkable.
"If you're a Blackburn fan right now, I don't think you'd swap Eustace for basically any manager in the EFL.
"I think he's doing an absolutely unbelievable job of creating just a team that are always in games, are really solid defensively, and are a good attacking side.
"They're so well-drilled, they are so consistent. Blackburn Rovers putting in a poor display - I don't understand how it would happen; I don't understand why it would happen, because they're so solid.
"It feels like Rovers are going to be the team this season where, because they've started so fast, it will be forgotten just how pessimistic many people were about their chances this season and what this season had in store for them.
"But a lot of people thought that they'd be sucked into another relegation battle, especially after Szmodics' goals last season probably being the reason why they're playing in the Championship.
"Incredible for them."
The start to the season will have Blackburn supporters extremely excited about what the campaign could hold for the early high-flyers in the second tier.
The club have an extensive history in the Premier League and were once among the most famous clubs in England, but they have not played top-flight football since 2011.
Rarely have they come close to a return, with seventh and eighth-placed finishes their best since returning to the Championship. They have been as low as League One in the last 13 years, too.
A play-off place at least would be a huge step in the right direction after narrowly avoiding the drop last term, but perhaps they could go one better than that in a wide open Championship season?