Eustace…he gone…*official*

[Devon Rover]

1 minute ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

The more I’ve thought about this the more I feel that no one is coming out of this well, Eustace included.

The club is being run into the ground and the lack of investment in the playing squad is criminal.

However, Eustace should have known what he was walking into and forcing a move now isn’t a good look.

I’d be delighted as a Derby fan that he’s coming but they should be mindful that Eustace now has form for jumping ship as soon as the sh*t hits the fan.

Ultimately we will never know the full story and I’m firmly placing the overall blame on the owners but to a lesser degree, Eustace has also let us down.

I know what you are saying. But I don't think this is a case of someone "forcing a move". He has a release clause, he is unhappy with the lack of investment and security being provided by his employer, he has asked them to give him that, they have said no. I don't see he has any choice, or any real decision to make. On a basic level, the club agreed his release clause. So it is tough shit. They should have worked harder to keep him happy by offering some genuine hope - I suspect he would have stayed a lot longer if they had. But they never will. This is ALL on Venkys.

[Exiled_Rover]

9 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

Agreed. Nobody comes out of this well at all.

• The club look awful for not backing Eustace.
• Eustace himself looks an absolute arse for bailing on the players in this way.
• The players will be fuming and probably hugely demotivated ahead of a big game on Wednesday. Heads will have dropped.

JUST SELL THE CLUB FFS

 

Eustace doesn't look great - but on the flip side he's been given zero assurances, basically zero backing (and certainly a month too late) and he's looked ahead to the summer and seen that he only has 13 senior players tied down to contracts and many of those only have 12 months left.

You can't manage and build a team like that. 

[Exiled_Rover]

8 minutes ago, norwichblue said:

This has boiled my fucking piss.

🤬

I expected nothing less. I bet it was a sit down with the two clowns too and he never got to speak to the owners. 

[roverandout]

I was gutted when jdt left.  And I was sceptical at first when Eustace was appointed but I've warmed to him over the last year. He's done tremendously.  I feel sorry for him he's got his last two clubs into play off positions and been fucked about by shit owners. Good luck to the future john

[RevidgeBlue]

12 minutes ago, JamieUK said:

 John Eustace has said his goodbyes and left Blackburn Rovers after agreeing to become the Derby County head coach, The Lancashire Telegraph can exclusively reveal.

The Blackburn Rovers head coach took training at lunchtime before holding crunch talks with the board. That meeting did not give Eustace the assurances he desired and he is now in the process of finalising a move to the Rams.

The LT can reveal that Eustace asked Blackburn Rovers for a new contract and assurances over investment in the squad to continue their push at the top end of the Championship table. However, Rovers refused to extend his deal and provide those guarantees.

As a result, Eustace has said his goodbyes and will leave Blackburn Rovers. An announcement over his future could come today (Monday) and in all likelihood, he will be unveiled as Derby County manager before their match against Oxford United on Tuesday night.

 Whilst Derby County are in a far more perilous position, Eustace is understood to have taken a long-term view on the project on offer at Pride Park. The Rams have shown willing to back the head coach over an extended period and, even if they're relegated, he believes they have an infrastructure that can be successful over several years.

That is a damning indictment on the Rovers board and the perceived lack of ambition at the club. Though the team sit sixth in the table, they have invested circa £2.5million in the last two transfer windows, having recouped around £30m from the sales of Sam Szmodics and Adam Wharton.

 Matt Gardiner and Keith Downing are expected to depart with Eustace. Damien Johnson and David Lowe will likely charge of Rovers' trip to West Brom on Wednesday night, as they did prior to Eustace's arrival, a year to the day.

On top of the football project, a move back to the Midlands appealed to Eustace. His family are still based in Birmingham whilst he has been living in a hotel in Blackburn for the last 12 months.

Blackburn Rovers fans have fairly questioned the timing of Eustace's departure. For a head coach that constantly preached 'togetherness' and unity, they feel somewhat abandoned with the club still having a good chance of the play-offs.

But the fact he is chosen to swap a promotion battle for a relegation fight is a reflection on those calling the shots at Ewood Park. Eustace's stock is at a career-high and yet he's opted to move 16 places down the Championship table.

It is undoubtedly a huge risk from the 45-year-old but he will back himself after keeping Blackburn up last term. Derby perhaps have less quality in their squad than Rovers did but there is not the same level of toxicity and disconnect between the boardroom and the stands.

Rovers will now search for a third head coach in two and a half years. The next incumbent is likely to be out of work and someone who can slot into their current model.

So in talks with "the Board" he was offered no new contract and no assurances over player contracts.

In other words they offered him NOTHING whatsoever to stay.

This must surely be a line in the sand moment for the fan base, WATR and the Fans Forum.

No more.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

It's only been 37 days in 2025 and it's proven to be one hell of a year so far....

[Valconite]

Sad thing is people will still say back Waggot and Venkys. A lot of our fanbase are not the brightest. You’d hope they would wake up now ….

[SpaceBarSlam]

That statement.

Trying to get out ahead of his departure to try and put the blame on his shoulders and distract from the chronic mismanagement which had led to him ditching us for another relegation scrap. Pathetic. 

[NeilInBristol]

"following the activation of a clause in his contract"

 

IE they paid rovers compensation 

Ffs

[Roverthechimp]

That statement is about the same level as a social media post from a teenager that has been dumped...

[DE.]

So if it's public that there are no assurances over any investment, with half our team leaving in the summer, what mug/chancer is going to take that on long-term? I could see a very short term decent-ish appointment coming in simply due to our current position in the league, but after that? 

[neophox]

Seems to me the board and owners wanted JE rid...

[nbdrovers]

that statement is oddly aggressive. getting the ducks in a row due to a technicality in the NDA, or lack thereof? 

[RTM08]

Just now, DE. said:

So if it's public that there are no assurances over any investment, with half our team leaving in the summer, what mug/chancer is going to take that on long-term? I could see a very short term decent-ish appointment coming in simply due to our current position in the league, but after that? 

Certainly reads as if it's either promotion this year or National League in 5. Venkys need punting out ASAP - if they can't fund the club at any level they have no business being involved.

[bluebruce]

14 minutes ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

I’d be delighted as a Derby fan that he’s coming but they should be mindful that Eustace now has form for jumping ship as soon as the sh*t hits the fan.

 

Eh? He didn't leave Birmingham, he was fired unfairly. Shit hadn't hit the fan at Kidderminster as far as I can tell, he moved up several leagues. Here, shit hasn't hit the fan at all, we're in the top 6 after being relegation favourites when he took over and in the summer, but he's asked the club to show some faith in him, extend his contract so he can stay longer and for them to back our promotion plans in future by rebuilding the squad properly. They've rejected him on both counts by the sound of it, and he has felt so betrayed by it he has gone to a club in much worse immediate shit than us.

He has shown zero form for jumping ship as soon as the shit hits the fan. He isn't being shown loyalty, so he isn't showing any back. That's fair. I'm not mad at him (I do think he could have waited for a better job though, and it's embarassing he is going to the relegation zone he's that unhappy here, but maybe the club needs embarassing right now), I'm mad at the board and mad at Venkys.

It's really hard to keep caring right now.

Edited February 10 by bluebruce

[Admiral Nelsen]

The small time way in which the club has responded to Eustace leaving is almost as concerning as his departure in the first place.

 

Everything about the club away from the playing side screams amateur hour.

[Torgeir]

I think the next man in has a good foundation to build on. Eustace has his limitations and hopefully Gestede has done his homework and we’re prepared for this scenario. 
 

Disappointing outcome but managers come and go. Travis rightfully fuming, I hope him and the group can turn this into a positive and absolutely smash WBA come Wednesday. 

[Forever Blue]

What kind of desperate no mark is going to take a job as manager at a club where they openly don’t support the manager? 

 

[JamieUK]

The statement reeks of what's posted in the Telegraph being true and he's given them a lot of home truths. He'll have pissed them right off and that's the reaction.

[neophox]

Dion must fell pretty shit right now with Eustace about to move... well for at least some months...

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

The more I’ve thought about this the more I feel that no one is coming out of this well, Eustace included.

The club is being run into the ground and the lack of investment in the playing squad is criminal.

However, Eustace should have known what he was walking into and forcing a move now isn’t a good look.

I’d be delighted as a Derby fan that he’s coming but they should be mindful that Eustace now has form for jumping ship as soon as the sh*t hits the fan.

Ultimately we will never know the full story and I’m firmly placing the overall blame on the owners but to a lesser degree, Eustace has also let us down.

He asked for basic things - an assurance about his future (an extended contract), the future of his players (many have less than 18 months left on their deals) and the reinvestment of transfer funds into the squad.

That's far more than 'shit hits the fan'. 

You cannot run a football club like that. Hell you couldn't run a sandwich shop like that. 

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Does "significant investment being made during the transfer window" mean they've paid for a training course to teach someone to press 'send'?

[Devon Rover]

1 minute ago, Torgeir said:

I think the next man in has a good foundation to build on. Eustace has his limitations and hopefully Gestede has done his homework and we’re prepared for this scenario. 
 

Is this some kind of irony?!?

[Rover down South]

4 minutes ago, Forever Blue said:

What kind of desperate no mark is going to take a job as manager at a club where they openly don’t support the manager? 

 

Was about to post the same. Surely only going to be a manager out of work.

Would like Steve Cooper, but after the Lewis O’Brien saga he was quite critical of us.

Chris Hughton? Got Brighton promoted. Edit: Sacked twice since then from Forest & Ghana, so maybe not!

Edited February 10 by Rover down South

[Forever Blue]

1 minute ago, JamieUK said:

The statement reeks of what's posted in the Telegraph being true and he's given them a lot of home truths. He'll have pissed them right off and that's the reaction.

Yep Eustace has spilled the beans and the club are upset. So the smears begin…