Despite being sat in the Championship playoff places at the time, Blackburn Rovers manager John Eustace decided to depart Ewood Park to take up post at Derby County, a club he’d previously played for, after the Rams axed Paul Warne. This has left Rovers with a managerial position to fill themselves, leading to plenty of interest in the Next Permanent Blackburn Manager market.
Next Blackburn Manager Odds Favourite
The man at the top of the odds list at present, an odds list that is subject to change, is former Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City, and most recently, Maccabi Tel Aviv manager, Aitor Karanka. The Spaniard is currently available at 2/1, which means a £10.00 stake would return £30.00 if he were to be hired. Karanka led Boro to the Premier League during his four years on Teesside.
Valerien Ismael, who previously enjoyed an impressive spell as Barnsley manager, is another manager with plenty of Championship experience available at a short price. The 7/2 shot is looking to make a return to management after leaving Watford in March of last year.
In recent days, three well-known names to those who follow English football have been linked with the job. Gary O’Neil, who left Wolves recently, was said to be on the Rovers’ shortlist to replace the now-departed Eustace. He’s available at 8/1. It’s unclear whether he’s willing to jump straight back into work after a testing time at Molineux.
George Boateng, who most recently worked as part of Mark Robins’ backroom team at Coventry City, is looking to branch out as a manager, and the Blackburn job could take his fancy. Boateng, who was a Premier League midfielder for the likes of Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, has previously worked for Rovers as their academy manager. He’s 8/1 for the job.
Luis Boa Morte, another former Premier League player and the current manager of Guinea-Bissau, is also said to be interested in the job. Boa Morte, who was assistant manager to Portuguese compatriot Marco Silva at Everton and Fulham, is priced at 16/1, as he’s only been in his current international role since June. However, a chance to lead a playoff-bound Blackburn could pique the former Arsenal player’s interest.
Next Blackburn Manager Odds: The Dark Horses
A lesser-known name thought to be in the frame is the current Lech Poznan manager, Niels Frederiksen. The Dane, who is behind Karanka and Ismael in the odds list at 6/1, has previously managed Brondby and the Denmark U20s and U21s, as well as others. His points per game average of 1.86 is sure to have caught the eye of Rovers chiefs.
Blackburn’s owners, The Venky Family, may look closer to home for their next hire. David Lowe, who is leading the team in the interim, has guided 5th-place Rovers to two wins from two so far and will be looking to make it three from three. He’s worked at Blackburn since 2011 as Head of Academy Coaching and then served as assistant manager to Tony Mowbray, Jon Dahl Tomasson and John Eustace. He’s priced at 6/1 to be given the job full-time.
Right now, Blackburn will be running the rule over many names before forming a shortlist and talking to candidates ahead of making an appointment. So, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Next Manager Odds pages, as things can happen quickly in the world of football.
