Southampton eye shock Blackburn Rovers raid amid Russell Martin pressure | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace is interesting Southampton as pressure grows on Russell Martin.

Southampton are interested in Blackburn manager John Eustace as they consider replacements for under-pressure boss Russell Martin.

The Saints won promotion to the Premier League under the guidance of the former Swansea chief, but they have endured a difficult start to life in the top-flight, losing their opening four games.

As well as the defeats, Martin has been questioned about his tactical approach, as their desire to continually play out from the back has already cost them a few goals.

Blackburn Rovers’ John Eustace on Southampton’s radar

Therefore, there has already been talk that Martin could be replaced, and Football Insider have now claimed that Eustace is a candidate to take over if the hierarchy makes that call.

They state he has been ‘shortlisted’ by the south coast side, as key figures at the club are unsure about the style of play, and whether it will be enough to keep Southampton in the top-flight.

Eustace was only named as Blackburn boss earlier this year, and he endured a tough first few months in charge, with a Sammie Szmodics inspired Rovers side securing safety on the final day of the previous campaign.

Despite losing the influential attacker, Blackburn have started this season superbly, picking up 11 points from their opening five games, which has gone against pre-season expectations, as they were tipped by many observers to struggle.

It’s not just the results that have been impressive, with the side playing some fast, attacking football that has caught the eye. Not only has he improved players who were at the club previously, but the new signings have quickly bought into what he wants from them.

Prior to his time at Ewood Park, Eustace’s only other Football League job came with Birmingham, where the 44-year-old developed a good reputation as he worked under challenging circumstances.

He was memorably dismissed by Blues in favour of Wayne Rooney, and the team would eventually suffer relegation.

Southampton would be a big step up for John Eustace

Even though Eustace is clearly a talented manager, there’s no denying that this would be a big jump at this stage of his career.

From Southampton’s perspective, you can’t imagine it would go down too well with the fans, who would no doubt prefer a more proven manager if they do decide to part company with Martin.

Meanwhile, Eustace still has a lot to prove, although it would be intriguing to see how he copes at a club where there is a more stable off-field setup, and more resources.

So, this could be one to monitor if Martin is sacked, although there’s nothing to suggest that is imminent, and he will be focused on trying to get a result with Saints from their huge game at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Like Martin, though, he will not be distracted by this talk, and he will want to ensure Blackburn build on this exciting start when they travel to take on Preston on Sunday afternoon.