Blackburn Rovers may be impacted by Swansea City, Portsmouth factor in new manager hunt | OneFootball

The upcoming favourable run of fixtures could influence Blackburn Rovers' search for a new manager.

Blackburn Rovers are on the hunt for a new manager following the shock departure of John Eustace to Derby County.

Despite the fact that Blackburn are in the top six, Eustace made the surprise decision to leave the club to take over at relegation-threatened Derby County last week, and it is believed the 45-year-old felt he had not been properly supported by the hierarchy at Ewood Park, which helped to convince him to make the move to Pride Park.

While Eustace's time in charge of the Rams got off to a nightmare start as his side were beaten 4-0 at Queens Park Rangers on Friday night, it has been an excellent week for Rovers in his absence, with caretaker manager David Lowe overseeing two consecutive victories.

After an impressive 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion last Wednesday night, Lowe led Blackburn to a 2-0 home victory over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, with second half goals from Adam Forshaw and Tyrhys Dolan sealing all three points.

Rovers currently sit fifth in the Championship table, and a host of coaches have been linked with the job in recent days, including Aitor Karanka, Carlos Carvalhal, Raphael Wicky, Richie Wellens, George Boateng, Luis Boa Morte, Valerien Ismael and Pep Ljinders, but former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil is one name that has now been ruled out of contention.

Upcoming fixtures present Blackburn Rovers with a huge play-off opportunity

Many believed that Blackburn's play-off prospects would be damaged by Eustace's departure, but it has certainly not worked out that way so far, and they have actually consolidated their place in the top six since his exit.

It looked as though Rovers were set to slide down the table after losing seven of Eustace's last 11 games in charge, but Lowe has helped to steady the ship both on and off the pitch with back-to-back victories.

Blackburn now have a four-point lead over seventh-placed Coventry City, and a favourable run of fixtures over the next few weeks presents the Lancashire outfit with an excellent opportunity to increase that advantage.

Lowe looks set to remain in charge for the trip to 17th-placed Swansea City on Saturday, and the Swans are also currently without a manager after sacking Luke Williams on Monday following a run of seven defeats in nine league games, so the 59-year-old will be hopeful that his side can secure a third straight win in South Wales.

Rovers then take on 12th-placed Norwich City at Ewood Park next weekend, and while the Canaries are still firmly in play-off contention, they have been incredibly inconsistent this season under head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup, and their away form has been particularly poor.

On Saturday 8th March, Blackburn travel to Pride Park to take on Eustace's new club Derby in what promises to be a fiery encounter, and that marks the start of a run of games against sides towards the bottom of the table, with fixtures against Stoke City, Cardiff City and Portsmouth to come before the end of the month.

There is no doubt that Rovers have a huge chance to boost their play-off hopes over the next few weeks, but the fixture list does give the board a big decision to make on the managerial situation.

Favourable fixture list gives Blackburn Rovers a big David Lowe dilemma

Given that Lowe has picked up maximum points from two tricky games against fellow promotion hopefuls West Brom and in-form Plymouth, the Blackburn board may believe that the 59-year-old is well-placed to lead the team through their upcoming run of fixtures.

Lowe revealed on Wednesday that he has "really enjoyed" his time as Rovers caretaker so far, hinting that he may be open to remaining in the role longer-term, and given how admirably the players have coped with Eustace's departure, it seems they are determined to continue the play-off push they have started.

With that in mind, it could be argued that stability and continuity is the way forward for Blackburn, and making an external appointment does risk upsetting the current momentum and the togetherness within the squad.

While Lowe has limited managerial experience, he has been at Ewood Park since 2011, taking up various coaching positions during that time, and he is clearly hugely respected by the squad, so keeping him in charge for a little longer could be a sensible solution.

However, with a kind set of fixtures coming up, the Rovers board may decide to fast-track the appointment of a new manager and give Eustace's successor the perfect opportunity to get off to a positive start to their reign.

Blackburn's fixtures get significantly tougher after the March international break, with Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, Watford and Sheffield United all to come before the end of the season, so it is vital they secure as many points as possible over the next few weeks, and the club must decide whether Lowe is the right man to lead them through a crucial period.