"People are casting blame on the Venky's" - Pundit reacts to Blackburn Rovers, John Eustace news involving Derby | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has told FLW his verdict on the Blackburn Rovers owners amid John Eustace exit speculation

Carlton Palmer believes that John Eustace has no way back with Blackburn Rovers amid speculation over a move to Derby County.

The Lancashire outfit released a statement on Monday to confirm that the Rams had triggered an exit clause in the manager’s contract.

Talks are underway, with Alex Crook reporting that a move to Pride Park is close, although no official announcement has yet been made.

Derby are searching for a replacement for Paul Warne, with the club eyeing survival from relegation back to League One.

Carlton Palmer highlights Blackburn ownership problem

Palmer believes the Venkys have developed Blackburn into a club that will struggle to keep hold of top coaches.

He highlighted Jon Dahl Tomasson’s exit last year, along with Eustace’s impending departure, as two examples of managers being let down by Rovers.

“People are casting blame on the Venky's, who own the club, after Jon Dahl Tomasson left under similar circumstances,” Palmer told Football League World.

“It’s a problem because if you’re developing players, young players and good players, the last one to go was [Sammie] Szmodics — I know he was a bit older at 28 but a proven goal scorer at that level.

“Could you imagine Szmodics at Blackburn now? And they’re pushing to get promotion.

“So the same thing happened under Jon Dahl Tomasson, and I think both of these managers, if we were sat down to talk to them, they’d have been told something different to what was actually happening at the football club.

“When you’re working hard, and it’s a tough job, people talk about loyalty and John Eustace didn’t get much loyalty shown to him at Birmingham City.

“So, at the end of the day he’s leaving them in a healthy position if he decides to go.

“I think, from the comments that have come out from the club, that they’re disappointed [Eustace is leaving].

“I can’t really see a way back now, I think he’s on his way to Derby, and that’s the end of that.”

Palmer raises ownership concern

Palmer has also pointed out the lack of involvement from the owners as an issue, but believes they have no intention of selling their stake in the club any time soon.

“Are the Venkys to blame? At the end of the day, you have a way of running the football club,” he continued.

“And if you’re going to run it that way where the manager doesn’t have any input into the players that come into the football club, you’re going to sell your best players, it’s going to be very difficult to get a very good coach to stay on under those circumstances.

“Because those coaches have no control over the football side of it, you’re basically saying ‘there’s a group of players, go and sort them out’ and John Eustace has done that, and done it very well, indeed.

“And it’s the way they run the football club.

“They haven’t been involved in the football club, I don’t think they’ve been to a game in over a decade, so I think they’re concentrating on their own business interests and they keep funding it.

“As long as it falls within their fund margin, I think they’re happy to continue doing it and not sell the football club.”

Blackburn are currently sixth in the Championship table, one point clear of seventh place Middlesbrough, while Derby are 22nd.

Venkys are holding back Blackburn

Losing Eustace is a massive blow for Blackburn, and could signal the end of their promotion push unless they can find the right replacement.

Tomasson and Eustace both did a good job at Ewood Park given the resources available to them.

But the potential of the club is so much greater if this is what can be done with so little input from the owners.