09 February 2024 , 09:15
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Jon Dahl Tomasson’s exit from Blackburn has been confirmed, clearing the way for John Eustace to take over at Ewood Park.
Blackburn say Tomasson has left after 20 months in charge by “mutual consent’, but the Dane quit on Wednesday because he grew tired at seeing his budget repeatedly cut. Tomasson hoped to win promotion with Blackburn when he took over in June 2022 and missed out on the play-offs by goal difference last season.
Since then he has seen a succession of big names depart such as Ben Brereton Diaz, Bradley Dack, Thomas Kaminski and lastly Adam Wharton to leave Rovers fearing relegation. The final straw for Tomasson was the club messing up USA striker Duncan McGuire’s loan signing from MLS side Orlando City.
A club employee neglected to press send on the paperwork before last Thursday’s 11pm deadline and the EFL last night rejected Rovers’ appeal over their refusal to accept the move.
McGuire, who celebrated his 23rd birthday holed up in a hotel in Blackburn while he awaited his fate, has now returned to Orlando and Rovers hope to sign him in the summer.
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Tomasson’s No 2 Remy Reijnierse has also left and the Dane has agreed severance terms with Rovers. Tomasson, 47, was walked away from the last 16 months of his Rovers contract.
Despite moving his wife and two sons over to Blackburn in the summer from Rotterdam, Tomasson felt he could not carry on at Blackburn because of the financial “handgrenade” as he called their lack of cash.
Tomasson and Blackburn narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season (Dave Howarth/CameraSport)The Swedish FA would like him to take over because of his back-to-back title successes with Malmo before he took the Blackburn job. However it is understood he is in no rush to return to management and may be open to another job in England.
His departure means Blackburn hope to appoint Eustace before tomorrow’s home game with his former club Stoke. Owners, Venky’s, have ruled out making a caretaker appointment and hope Eustace can revitalise their demoralised dressing room. Eustace, 44, has been out of work since being sacked by Birmingham in October to make way for Wayne Rooney, despite leading the Blues to sixth.
He kept Birmingham in the Championship during his one full season in charge and they survived comfortably after being tipped for relegation. Venky’s are also impressed by his caretaker spell at QPR in 2019 and he took seven points from his seven games in charge to keep Rangers in the Championship.
After Stoke, Blackburn are due to face Birmingham at St Andrews on Tuesday in what would be an emotional night for Eustace.