Eustace…he gone…*official*

[Cordoba1]

Best case scenario - striking while his stock is high to get himself a new contract and assurances on funding into the club (contract renewals and new signings in summer)

worst case scenario- that was a diplomatic answer to make it seem like he’s undecided and the decision will rest on Venkys commitment to the club, but in reality his mind is already made up given the shambles off field. 
 

Crucial 24 hours ahead, over to venkys as if they let him walk out the door in this way the players and fans will be furious, with the only way being down from there 

[wilsdenrover]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:27, philipl said:

That really puts the ball in Venky's court.

Get the contracts sorted and what's the budget for the summer?

Or good bye and good luck because the fans know you have done the dirty... 

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Why would he believe anything they say?

[philipl]

At this point we can only go off the words Eustace said the LT. Anything else is conjecture seen through whatever lens we chose to see it through.

If he had decided to leave he would be saying lovely things about the town, the fans, the players, the club and the owners but family pressures are too much....   

As it is, there is a very clear route for him to stay IF Swag and Suhail chose to go down it with John.

[martonrover]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:26, joey_big_nose said:

I guess one option no one is talking about is they could just refuse to let him go... Then what happens?

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Sounds like he has a release clause, according to the Daily Telegraph reporter.

[Paul Mellelieu]

That Eustace would swap us for a relegation-placed team tells you everything you need to know.

[Forever Blue]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:33, joey_big_nose said:

This is where I am a bit blurry on contract law - wouldn't he have to pay up his contract to Rovers out of his own pocket?

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That was the sticking point with JDT summer before last. They refused to let him leave, and he refused to buy out his own contract.

Its a bit different if Derby have met the release clause in JE’s contract. 

[Exiled_Rover]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:34, Bethnal said:

Eustace is putting the ball in the club’s court, by name-checking “Steve” and “Suhail” (just as JDT did) he’s pointing to where the turgid blockage of putrid shit is in the club. He’s apparently never met or spoken to the owners, he’s now suggesting he’ll have to speak to the owners about it, unless that’s a shorthand for Pasha being the conduit.

Essentially, he’s saying to the fans, “I’ll stay if I get the resources the club deserves and that I was promised, but if I end up going, you all know what happened.”

Ultimately, he and we know that isn’t going to happen. Venky’s could sling £20m into the club tomorrow and place an equal amount into the bond account with their govt and he’d probably stay. But they won’t, obviously.

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I think this is him playing his trump card. It's him saying to Waggott / Suhail "let me speak directly to the owners or I'm off". 

Mowbray was backed financially because he flew over to India and hobnobbed with the owners in Pune. 

It's quite clever really. 

[roversfan99]

Again the focus seems to have moved to Waggott and Suhail.

2 enabling cretins but the reason that this club has had any ambition stripped from it and has a team cobbled together full of cheap players, freebies and loanees is Venkys. Everything else is small fry.

[booth]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:25, broadsword said:

The public face of our club.

 

Honestly, it's a joke. 

 

He looks like Mr potato head on a bad day.

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Uncanny!

[Forever Blue]

He’s playing it clever. He’s put all the onus on the dickheads running the club to make him a contract offer he can’t refuse, and offer him assurances on budget. 
 

It’s on them that he’s even considering leaving. So it’s right they’ll be accountable if he does go.

[pick32]

Let him go, get sonny and ohashi back with Kargbo and Dennis and any manager can have a crack at this top 6

[Exiled_Rover]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:36, wilsdenrover said:

Why would he believe anything they say?

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He's not signing a contract in blood. If they make assurances and then don't follow through with them (i.e. tying down important players to contracts between now and the start of the summer transfer window) he's well within his rights to just leave in the summer - undoubtedly to a better club than Derby in a better situation. 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:34, Bethnal said:

Eustace is putting the ball in the club’s court, by name-checking “Steve” and “Suhail” (just as JDT did) he’s pointing to where the turgid blockage of putrid shit is in the club. He’s apparently never met or spoken to the owners, he’s now suggesting he’ll have to speak to the owners about it, unless that’s a shorthand for Pasha being the conduit.

Essentially, he’s saying to the fans, “I’ll stay if I get the resources the club deserves and that I was promised, but if I end up going, you all know what happened.”

Ultimately, he and we know that isn’t going to happen. Venky’s could sling £20m into the club tomorrow and place an equal amount into the bond account with their govt and he’d probably stay. But they won’t, obviously.

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He's had the audacity to mention shadow man's real name.....JOHN IS GONE!!!

[wilsdenrover]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:41, Exiled_Rover said:

He's not signing a contract in blood. If they make assurances and then don't follow through with them (i.e. tying down important players to contracts between now and the start of the summer transfer window) he's well within his rights to just leave in the summer - undoubtedly to a better club than Derby in a better situation. 

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True, and it’s an approach I wouldn’t disagree with him taking.

I have zero confidence however that Waggott and Suhail will fight to keep him.

[Iceman]

If he does leave for Derby, then I'll be annoyed and angry for the following reasons: 

A team written off at the start of the season, potentially fighting relegation, is sat in 6th

Players and fans have given JE all the support he could ask for, to still be in with a chance in February. 

If you are disgruntled with the owners, Waggot etc, fine, we all are, but why decide to possibly leave the players and fans in the middle of a great opportunity to be in with a chance of doing something special.. see the project through, it's the least you can do, especially since you have been preaching all the lovely things since arriving. Once the season is done, and we have not reached the playoffs or crashed out of it, then by all means, thank you JE, and goodbye 

[KentExile]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:36, wilsdenrover said:

Why would he believe anything they say?

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  On 09/02/2025 at 15:41, Exiled_Rover said:

He's not signing a contract in blood. If they make assurances and then don't follow through with them (i.e. tying down important players to contracts between now and the start of the summer transfer window) he's well within his rights to just leave in the summer - undoubtedly to a better club than Derby in a better situation. 

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IF Venkys/Waggott/Pasha/etc were to make assurance to Eustaces, they would at least be forced into sorting out contracts for Travis, Tronstad, Brittain etc, and presumably also Eustace, which would likely have certain release clauses in place for if/when promises about finances are broken

All of which would not need to wait until summer

But the likelihood is that they will just accept the compensation and let him leave

Edited February 9 by KentExile

[Blow-in]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:27, philipl said:

That really puts the ball in Venky's court.

Get the contracts sorted and what's the budget for the summer?

Or good bye and good luck because the fans know you have done the dirty... 

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If he is stupid enough to believe any assurances he gets from these clowns I won't have any sympathy for him at the start of next season when they sell anything that they can get cash for.

 

I think he is gone.

[sharpysharps86]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:45, Iceman said:

If he does leave for Derby, then I'll be annoyed and angry for the following reasons: 

A team written off at the start of the season, potentially fighting relegation, is sat in 6th

Players and fans have given JE all the support he could ask for, to still be in with a chance in February. 

If you are disgruntled with the owners, Waggot etc, fine, we all are, but why decide to possibly leave the players and fans in the middle of a great opportunity to be in with a chance of doing something special.. see the project through, it's the least you can do, especially since you have been preaching all the lovely things since arriving. Once the season is done, and we have not reached the playoffs or crashed out of it, then by all means, thank you JE, and goodbye 

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Yeah, unfortunately as much as I like JE, there is no loyalty in football.

[Cherry Blue]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:19, TommyRovers said:

He's off then.

 

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Discuss with the owner will not happen. venkys don't communicate.

[Bethnal]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:38, Exiled_Rover said:

I think this is him playing his trump card. It's him saying to Waggott / Suhail "let me speak directly to the owners or I'm off". 

Mowbray was backed financially because he flew over to India and hobnobbed with the owners in Pune. 

It's quite clever really. 

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I’ve noticed how well-regarded in football John Eustace is as a person, so many of the pundits on Sky or elsewhere comment on him as a person. Doesn’t seem impossible that Mowbray has had a quiet conversation explaining exactly how you get the budget out of the owners. But I agree with your observations and - for his, the team, the club and all of our sakes - hope he gets his way.

[Iceman]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:47, KentExile said:

 

IF Venkys/Waggott/Pasha/etc were to make assurance to Eustaces, they would at least be forced into sorting out contracts for Travis, Tronstad, Brittain etc, and presumably also Eustace, which would likely have certain release clauses in place for if/when promises about finances are broken

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Trusting Venkys and Waggot to give assurances over finances etc is never going to happen. And even if they did, we know they are serial liars and manipulators 

[roversfan99]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:45, Iceman said:

If he does leave for Derby, then I'll be annoyed and angry for the following reasons: 

A team written off at the start of the season, potentially fighting relegation, is sat in 6th

Players and fans have given JE all the support he could ask for, to still be in with a chance in February. 

If you are disgruntled with the owners, Waggot etc, fine, we all are, but why decide to possibly leave the players and fans in the middle of a great opportunity to be in with a chance of doing something special.. see the project through, it's the least you can do, especially since you have been preaching all the lovely things since arriving. Once the season is done, and we have not reached the playoffs or crashed out of it, then by all means, thank you JE, and goodbye 

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You say see the project through. What project? Operation strip down every element of the club to claw back as much money as possible because the owners dont care.

[jim mk2]

  On 09/02/2025 at 15:45, Iceman said:

If he does leave for Derby, then I'll be annoyed and angry for the following reasons: 

A team written off at the start of the season, potentially fighting relegation, is sat in 6th

Players and fans have given JE all the support he could ask for, to still be in with a chance in February. 

If you are disgruntled with the owners, Waggot etc, fine, we all are, but why decide to possibly leave the players and fans in the middle of a great opportunity to be in with a chance of doing something special.. see the project through, it's the least you can do, especially since you have been preaching all the lovely things since arriving. Once the season is done, and we have not reached the playoffs or crashed out of it, then by all means, thank you JE, and goodbye 

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It doesn't work like that unfortunately

Derby are offering him the job now - not at the end of the season

If he fancies it (for whatever reason) he'll go

[DE.]

I mean, if a team in 22nd makes an approach when you're managing a team in 6th, and your immediate response isn't "lol no thanks" then it's obvious where things are headed. 

[JHRover]

It sounds to me like Eustace wants assurances - future direction, budgets, contracts, transfers - from the owners.

Not an unreasonable request is it?

At a normal football club the owners would be on the phone to him now readying a new improved contract and promises of serious backing in the summer to fend off rival interest.

Venky Rovers? I doubt the owners will know or care, and the stooges at Ewood will be tasting the compensation payout and a ready made excuse for not hitting the top 6.