John Eustace looks set to swap an unexpected promotion push with Blackburn for a relegation battle with Derby.
Blackburn Rovers could be forced to find a new manager after granting John Eustace permission to speak to fellow Championship side Derby County.
Eustace took over at Blackburn a year ago when the Lancashire side were 18th in the Championship. Fast forward 12 months and they are inside the playoff places in 6th (best price 28/1 on bet365 to secure promotion to the Premier League).
Paul Warne was shown the door at Pride Park on Saturday after his side's latest defeat to Sheffield United left the Rams 22nd in the table, two points from safety with 16 matches remaining. It was the eighth consecutive loss for Derby (9/5 to be relegated) across all competitions, dating back to late December.
Bet Victor
- Competitive odds on popular sports
- Highly-rated mobile app
- Wide range of markets and Bet Builder feature
Next Blackburn Manager Odds
| Blackburn Manager | Best Odds | Implied Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Gary O'Neil | 4/1 | 20% |
| Steve Cooper | 5/1 | 17% |
| Damien Duff | 6/1 | 14% |
| Ryan Lowe | 8/1 | 11% |
| Lee Carsley | 10/1 | 9% |
Who will be the next Blackburn manager?
Two recently sacked Premier League managers lead the betting to replace John Eustace at Blackburn, with Gary O'Neil at 4/1 and Steve Cooper 5/1 on BetVictor.
O'Neil was sacked by Wolves following a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich in December, as a dismal display against the Tractor Boys was the final straw for the club’s owners.
At the time, his Wolves side had conceded at least six more goals (40) than any other Premier League team this season.
Their struggles at the back were compounded by their inability to defend set-pieces, with 14 of the 40 goals conceded under O'Neil coming from deadball situations.
Cooper, meanwhile, was relieved of his duties at Leicester after a four-game winless run culminating in a 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea. He left the club two points above the drop zone having collected two wins from the opening 12 matches.
At the time, only O'Neil's Wolves (28) and Southampton (24) had conceded more goals than the Foxes (23), while only Brentford (19.2) and Saints (17.8) were giving up more chances than the Foxes (17.6).
The biggest rival to O'Neil and Cooper in the next Blackburn manager odds market is Damien Duff, a two-time Premier League winner as a player with Chelsea.
Duff, who made 223 appearances for Blackburn before joining Chelsea (winning the 2001/02 League Cup), is currently the manager of League of Ireland club Shelbourne.
