"It is just not right" - Sam Allardyce sends Venky's message to Blackburn Rovers amid John Eustace news | OneFootball

Former Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has reacted to John Eustace’s imminent departure to Derby County.

Sam Allardyce believes John Eustace has viewed Derby County as a better project than Blackburn Rovers, calling for the Venky’s to sell the club as the 45-year-old edges closer to departing Ewood Park.

Rovers published a statement on X, detailing that Eustace had asked for permission to speak to his former club Derby, with the 45-year-old keen over a move back to the Midlands and at a club he holds such affection for.

BBC reporter Simon Stone responded to the statement, revealing Eustace wasn’t convinced about the backing he would receive from the hierarchy moving forward, despite the club believing they had made “significant investment” during the January transfer window.

From the outside, it seems baffling to swap a play-off contending team for a relegation-threatened side, but such a decision from Eustace can only point to how poorly run the Lancashire outfit are under the Venky’s.

With Eustace not aligned on the same page as the owners, the former Birmingham City coach is expected to depart the club imminently, leaving Blackburn in a scramble to find a replacement as they look to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Sam Allardyce calls for Venky’s to leave Blackburn Rovers

Speaking on the ‘No Tippy Tappy Football’ podcast, Sam Allardyce discussed the situation at Blackburn with Natalie Pike and Phil Thompson, contrasting the ownership model he worked under back in 2008.

Allardyce said: “He (John Eustace) must see it as a positive move to get Derby back in the Premier League quicker than he can get Blackburn.”

Responding to the Venky’s not visiting a game in over 10 years, Allardyce added: “I don’t know why they (the Venky’s) don’t sell it.”

Phil Thompson also weighed in with his thoughts about the developments, saying: “As Sam says, it’s (Blackburn) still one of the big names, so is Derby by the way, but you see the Venky’s and when I came in I said, ‘are they still in charge?’, I thought they’d changed (owners).

“Why don’t they do that (sell the club), for the good of the club, the town? It is just not right.”

Following on, Allardyce said: “One of the best run clubs that I’ve been at, behind the scenes.

“From John Williams who was the chairman and downwards, everybody in the place would know exactly how the football club was run and you, as the manager, just need to go and manage the team.”

There would also be some tongue in cheek in the episode as Thompson alluded to Allardyce being in the frame for when the Blackburn vacancy opens, with the 70-year-old refusing to quash the suggestion.

Venky’s must go for Blackburn Rovers to progress

It’s been a torrid time for Blackburn fans under the Venky’s, with the owners failing to show much interest towards moving the club in a positive direction.

This is the second time in the space of a year a manager has fallen out with the board over financial backing, and the timing of losing the coach just goes to show how poorly the club is being run at the moment.

Blackburn still have a fantastic opportunity to get back into the Premier League this season, but the hierarchy are creating unwanted uncertainty at such a critical time of the campaign, with these developments having the potential to undo all the hard work over the last seven months.

For Rovers to begin progressing and hit previous heights, a change of ownership must happen to ensure everybody connected with the outfit is on the same page and wants the best for the club.