"Absolutely massive" - Clear claim made on John Eustace's future at Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

FLW's Blackburn fan pundit has given his verdict on the importance of securing John Eustace's future

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

John Eustace will celebrate his first anniversary with Blackburn Rovers later this month, with the club eyeing a top six finish in the Championship.

It was a rocky start for the 45-year-old at Ewood Park, as he oversaw their safety from relegation to League One last season.

A 19th place finish ensured their status in the second tier, and the team has gone from strength to strength in the months since.

Eustace has firmly established himself as a fan favourite, with the club now in the mix for a play-off place.

John Eustace future verdict

When asked about Eustace’s future at the club, FLW’s Blackburn fan pundit Simon Middlehurst claimed that he must be held onto by the club long-term.

He has praised the impact the coach has made in the last 12 months despite limited resources at his disposal, and hopes that Eustace will be backed by the hierarchy.

“Keeping John Eustace is absolutely massive for Blackburn,” Middlehurst told Football League World.

“What he’s done with the squad so far, with the limited resources he’s got, he’s clearly a fan favourite already.

“He’s probably the best manager Blackburn have had since Tony Mowbray first came in.

“He really gets what the club is about, what the fans want, he understands that it’s not an easy job being at Blackburn, with limited resources.

“But what he’s done so far, with the players and the squad we’ve got, 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.”

Blackburn are currently fifth in the Championship table, one point clear of seventh place Middlesbrough after 30 games played each.

Keeping Eustace will be huge for Blackburn

Birmingham City’s loss has been Blackburn’s gain, as Eustace has completely turned around the club since taking over.

The circumstances of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s departure a year ago put a bad mark on Rovers, with differences behind the scenes causing the Dane to walk away after showing promise himself as manager.

Eustace has since steadied the ship and now a top six finish in the Championship is a realistic aim for the team, but he must be backed by the board more properly, as it took far too long to get anything done in January.