Blackburn Rovers

Lindsey Lewis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

What a night - the sort of night any football fan lives for. I adored everything about Friday evening.

A busy Ewood Park under the lights for a game against local rivals - it wasn't always pretty but it didn't need to be. What it was, was 11 men playing in their correct positions, working together and working hard for each other. The work rate of many of the players, including the returning Harry Pickering, was exceptional.

At this stage, and with our current league position, it is about results. That being said, as the teams went in at half-time, I uttered: "I enjoyed that" - not something I've been able to say at home often this season.

As the game wore on Preston weren't without their chances, but then again nor were Rovers. It looked like a 0-0 draw would be the outcome, but a moment of brilliance from Eiran Cashin and a wonderful header from Yuki Ohashi sent the stadium into raptures, and me somewhere between feeling like I was going to pass out or vomit.

I couldn't be more delighted for Yuki. He is everything you could want in a player and a person representing your club. He has looked exhausted recently, but the substitute appearances seem to be allowing him to get back to his best.

The celebrations at the end will live long in the memory, and I truly hope they were another boost for the team heading into the final games of the season. We are, without doubt, in a relegation scrap, but have created a little bit of distance between us and the teams below us.

In just over a week Michael O'Neill has created a sense of cohesion, anticipation and hope. He seems to understand both the assignment and the fanbase, and his tenure has got off to the perfect start. Long may that continue.

Adam Cottier
BBC Radio 5 Live reporter

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Michael O'Neill lost his footing as he celebrated, lost in the raw emotion of a last- minute winner against local rivals Preston North End.

"Messy" was the way he described his leap for joy. That was once a word that could have been attributed to this Blackburn team he has inherited. Not now.

Prior to this game - O'Neill's first home game in charge - Blackburn had lost half of their 16 home league games.

Relegation felt a distinct possibility before his arrival, but Blackburn already appear to have found their footing under this new leadership after two wins out of two.

Blackburn's fans had craved a goal like Yuki Ohashi's extraordinary last-minute winner with the stakes so high. It was vindication for sticking by their team in times of trouble amid some joyless games this season.

The celebrations that followed his header underlined what it meant - scenes not seen at Ewood Park for some time. When the goalkeeper sprints the full length of the pitch to celebrate, you know it is a seismic moment.

One fan said to me afterwards that it had felt like "the Ewood of days gone by".

Rovers had grafted and persevered against a Preston team having their best season for several years. They had looked organised, standing up to the challenge with and without the ball.

As O'Neill put it, they had had to "dig in". In winning so late, you could say they had shown the character and attitude required in a relegation fight. They may be well clear of that fight soon if they continue to show such desire and quality.

Two wins from two is a perfect start for O'Neill, but it will feel like more than that to Rovers' fans. He has so far put some sparkle into the club at a time when they so desperately needed it.

The Northern Ireland manager - in his much-talked-about dual role - will hope the good feeling continues on Tuesday at home to Bristol City.

"I know what a fantastic home crowd this can be," said O'Neill, whose wife and daughter were also in attendance on Friday night.

Andy Bayes
BBC Radio Lancashire, sport editor

Image source, Getty Images

Three wins out of four for Blackburn Rovers, two out of two for the new boss and a local derby double for the season with a winner in the final minute of added-on time. Ewood Park feels like a different place all of a sudden.

Friday's 1-0 victory saw them move six points clear of the relegation places, and it's a firm 'over to you' to the other clubs down there this weekend.

As we get ever closer to the final dozen league games of the season, it's never going to be a given that the football on show is going to always be easy on the eye.

For long periods, Blackburn and Preston slogged it out for territory with largely defences on top. Two teams occupying similar systems trying to find that moment of quality that, in the end, took one of the last moments of the match to find.

The BBC match stats confirm that both goalkeepers made two saves each over the piece. But Rovers were certainly the more proactive after half-time. It was more a case of the final ball just not being quite right, which meant this game looked destined to be a goalless draw.

The winner was a flash of inspiration from a player who has had his fair share of stick this season. Yuki Ohashi is everything a football fan wants from a player. With a tireless work rate, chasing down lost causes, he's a real team player – but far too much has been expected of him this season due to issues with other strikers.

He had been running on empty for weeks after 21 successive league starts, leading the line for a side struggling to create much.

Three substitute appearances in the past four games look like it's helping to bring the freshness back. The way he took a couple of steps back, watching a high-hanging cross to guide a header into Dai Cornell's far corner, was the mark of a striker finding his touch again. It's only his third goal since early November, but such a crucial one.

Michael O'Neill has employed a 4-4-2 and a 3-5-2 in his first two games.

There doesn't seem to be an overcomplicated plan. He's selected players in arguably their best position and it's reaped rewards. He'll know his work is far from done, but watching them, it's pretty clear to me that Rovers have a nucleus of players that, if they stay fit, I think they'll have enough to be ok.

If they can choose Toth, Alebiosu, Carter, Cashin, Tronstad, Morishita and Gudjohnsen for all or the majority of the remaining games, that's enough quality to start with. Then they can worry about how many of that select group will be part of the plan going forward.

O'Neill is only in the hotseat until the season ends, but his first two matches back as a Championship manager must have whetted his appetite to make it a more permanent arrangement.

Blackburn Rovers boss Michael O'Neill spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after his side's 1-0 win over Preston North End:

"I'd have loved us to play scintillating football and be 3-0 up at half-time but it was never going to be that kind of game.

"We had to dig deep and I thought [in the] second half we shaded the game, I thought probably Preston shaded the first half.

"[In the] Second half I thought we did a lot of good things. We had other opportunities we possibly could have done a little better with.

"The game did look like it was going to drift to a 0-0, but that's why you dig in and you keep doing what you do, and obviously Yuki [Ohashi] comes up with a fantastic header and it's a great way to win the game."

Blackburn Rovers and Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has reassured fans of both teams that taking the dual role will not affect his performance.

O'Neill took on a short-term deal at relegation-threatened Blackburn on Friday, leading many to question how it would work alongside his responsibilities of international management.

But the 56-year-old could only see positives in taking charge of the Championship side and made a big impression on Rovers fans with a 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers in his first game at the helm.

"A lot of people have an opinion but a lot of people have not been in my shoes as an international manager," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I have the opportunity here to come work with players on a daily basis on the training ground, which I love doing. I want to help this club.

"Given the time of the season, it's feasible for me to devote the same level of care and preparation that I would do to any job.

"So, to give people reassurance, I don't think either Blackburn Rovers fans or Northern Ireland fans should have any concerns."

Rovers will be without defender Lewis Miller in their upcoming game against Preston North End on Saturday (20:00 GMT) after the Australian sustained an Achilles injury.

Having undergone surgery, the 25-year-old will miss the remainder of the season as well as the World Cup.

"Football can be a cruel game at times and there is nothing more cruel than a player being denied that opportunity," O'Neill added.

"But he's still young. He'll get future opportunities, I'm sure of that."

Listen to more Blackburn Rovers content on BBC Sounds

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Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Blackburn Rovers have the chance to move six points clear of the Championship's relegation zone on Friday before their rivals play on Saturday.

Victory over Preston would also give them a league double over their Lancashire neighbours.

Preston know a win would push them back into the play-off places.

• Following their 2-1 win in this season's reverse fixture (November 2025), Blackburn will be aiming to record a league double over Preston for just the third time since the turn of the millennium (also in 2000-01 and 2021-22).

• Preston have only lost two of their past nine away league games against Blackburn (W5 D2), although one of those defeats did come in this exact fixture last season, losing in January 2025 (2-1).

• Blackburn have won two of their past three league games (L1), as many as they did across the previous 16 matches. Following their 3-1 win at QPR last time out, Blackburn will be looking to win consecutive Championship games for the first time since early November.

• Preston North End have won just one of their past five away league games (D2 L2), a 2-0 win over Bristol City in January.

• Only bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday (4) have earned fewer points at home in the Championship this season than Blackburn's 14 (W3 D5 L8), though Rovers won their most recent home league match (1-0 vs Sheffield Wednesday).

Andy Bayes
Sports editor, BBC Radio Lancashire

Image source, Getty Images

If there's such a thing as a 'new manager bounce', this was as good an example as you're likely to see.

This was a meeting of a side harbouring play-off ambitions against one that was struggling to lift the ever-increasing gloom, to create chances, never mind goals. The result – an away win, the visitors scoring three times in a game for only the second time this season.

This was the Championship at its unpredictable best in all its glory.

After 11 days searching for a new head coach, Rovers settled on Michael O'Neill and his unique way of being able to job share club and country management. Add in the return of Phil Jones to the club where he made his name and Steven Davis, another up-and-coming young coach, and things felt immediately different at Loftus Road. Like a dark cloud had been lifted.

The assumption was that O'Neill might take a watching brief. It couldn't have been further from the truth. He was quick to rightly heap praise on coach Damien Johnson for the groundwork, which included a change of formation to select two strikers and bring back that familiar old friend, 4-4-2.

After the initial scruffy start, the goals scored at Loftus Road were of the highest order.

January capture Mathias Jorgensen helped himself to a first-half brace; the creation of the first was sensational. The quality of the ball in from the right by Ryoya Morishita was exquisite. Steered to perfection in between the defenders and the goalkeeper, the sort of service that strikers crave.

After a well-taken leveller from Koki Saito, the character will have been tested. Would Rovers go into their shell and feel sorry for themselves, or would they take the bull by the horns?

Sondre Tronstad is the type who would tackle a bull; in this case, it was actually Saito who he dispossessed before sending Jorgensen through for a little dink past Joe Walsh. How they go about replacing Tronstad when he leaves the club in the summer is anyone's guess. He's been the heartbeat of the team.

Without being overly greedy, the first half could have been even better. Referee Stephen Martin deemed Walsh's challenge on Andri Gudjohnsen to be a fair one and turned down a penalty appeal. Whether it's 'soft' or not, or he was playing for it, I thought they had a case.

Rangers' Isaac Hayden was also more than a shade fortunate to only see yellow for a late lunge on Tronstad.

O'Neill and his new-look staff made a half-time change with Lewis Miller on at right-back. Within five minutes he was involved in the build-up for Tronstad to cross for a totally unmarked Morishita to head home, but within four minutes Miller hit the deck, off the ball. Replays showed it was an Achilles tendon injury.

In World Cup year, you cross your fingers for the best for the big Aussie. If it's a rupture, he's looking at a worst-case scenario of a year in rehab.

So three points in the bag, the new boss off to a flier. The bottom three a distant memory, but one swallow doesn't make a summer. This has to be the springboard for a sustained upturn in fortunes.

It's also no coincidence that the spine of the team being close to full tilt again can only serve to improve matters further. Hayden Carter's been immense since his return. The full 101 minutes played by him is a breakthrough moment.

With a couple more slices of luck on the injury front, Rovers could be heading for happier times.

Image source, Getty Images

New Blackburn Rovers head coach Michael O'Neill says he is concerned about the injury suffered by Lewis Miller in his side's win at Queens Park Rangers.

Australia defender Miller was stretched off early into the second half, just minutes after coming on in the 3-1 victory.

It appears that the 25-year-old, who has played every game since his arrival from Hibernian, has damaged his achilles.

"It does look like a serious injury and he's in a boot, so we can only wish that it's not as serious as it looks," O'Neill told the club's website, external.

"He's in a lot of pain and had to be stretchered off despite nobody being near him. It looks like an achilles situation and we hope that there's good news and it's not as severe as maybe we fear."

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New Blackburn boss Michael O'Neill praised his players' desire after they marked his arrival with a 3-1 victory at QPR to clamber out of the bottom three.

O'Neill's new side recorded an away victory for the first time since November, with Mathias Jorgensen's first-half double sandwiching Koki Saito's response for the home side before Ryoya Morishita sealed the points with a header early in the second period.

"It was a great result for us – this is a difficult place to come," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"The work was done by (caretaker manager) Damien Johnson, he prepared the team and picked the team and did a fantastic job. The credit really lies with him.

"We got a great response from the players and I thought the level of performance merited three points. Our reaction to going level was good and the desire was the biggest thing.

"It's a positive step but we have to make sure we take another positive step next week against Preston."

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland's opening Nations League game in Georgia in September will be played behind closed doors.

Northern Ireland were drawn with Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia in League B2.

NI will start their campaign in Georgia on 25 September, however it will be played without supports after the Georgian FA were hit with sanctions after multiple breaches of Uefa regulations and crowd disorder from a game against Armenia last year.

Patrick Nelson, the chief executive at the Irish FA, said it was "naturally disappointing".

"We will be liaising closely with all relevant stakeholders in the lead-up to the game," he said.

"While it is naturally disappointing that our supporters will be unable to attend and back the team in person, the priority remains the safety and security of everyone involved."

Northern Ireland fans spokesperson Gary McAllister said they were only informed of the issue by Football Supporters Europe, and a number of fans had booked flights to Georgia when the fixtures were released in the morning because they did not know the game would likely be behind closed doors.

"Our criticism of this would be that no one advised us of this," McAllister said.

"I know that some fans have already booked their travel for Georgia. I think there has to be better processes in place to advise people, but I would also argue that punishing the innocent because of the guilty is entirely wrong.

"Northern Ireland fans are being punished for the actions of Georgian fans. I think that is an issue that needs to be revisited by Uefa."

When contacted by BBC Sport, and Irish FA spokesperson said: "We recognise our fans' frustration on this matter.

"We were not informed about this ahead of the fixtures being announced and have raised the matter with Uefa."

Uefa has been contacted for comment.

Northern Ireland Nations League fixtures:

25 September: Georgia v Northern Ireland

28 September: Northern Ireland v Hungary

2 October: Ukraine v Northern Ireland

5 October: Northern Ireland v Georgia

14 November: Northern Ireland v Ukraine

17 November: Hungary v Northern Ireland

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Michael O'Neill is the new Blackburn Rovers head coach after being appointed on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The 56-year-old will continue to lead Northern Ireland for their World Cup play-off tie against Italy next month while also trying to steer Blackburn away from the Championship relegation zone.

Is this the right appointment and will O'Neill's dual role work?

We asked Rovers fans for their views and here are some of their opinions:

Luke: Really unsure about this dual role as a manager. I feel in the current situation, deep in a relegation battle, we need all his focus on just Rovers.

Simon: What concerns me is if you give a manager a contract to the season end, what incentive is there for him to keep them up? I like the look of the backroom team.

Steven: This is how far as a club we have sunk. No disrespect to Michael but come on a part-time appointment? We can no longer attract top people to our club because the investment from the owners is minimal and their communication is non-existent. All we can hope for is that soon they will sell us to someone who will care.

Neil: He did the same at Stoke and kept them up and even took them to the top end of the table. The part-time moniker sounds like he's only going to be there three days out of seven, which is far from the truth. All it means is during international breaks he'll be with Northern Ireland when we wouldn't have a game anyway and that's where his coaching staff take over.

Roverite95: Which club would appoint a part-time manager in the midst of a relegation battle? Shambles!!!

Lesley: Keeping us up is the main priority, sort out the defence on set-plays and get the respect of the players, and stress the importance of game management, especially in the last 15 minutes.

Ed: Pep Guardiola wouldn't keep Rovers up. Apparently the Rovers job is part-time now.

Chris: We'll only be able to judge at the end of the season but we've got to get behind him and his backroom staff for the rest of the season. Bringing Phil Jones on board could be a masterstoke.

Iain: This is such a risk to have someone with a split focus in charge as we battle to beat the drop, but I am somewhat encouraged by the new first-team coaches joining as well. I don't think fans are surprised though and we have all had enough of the ownership now. No decision surprises us anymore.

Finley: It's definitely a 50/50 appointment, especially with the Northern Ireland job as well. But to be honest I think he can definitely do the job and I'm sure he'll keep us up and we can progress and, who knows, play-offs next season?

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland fans spokesperson Gary McAllister says Michael O'Neill's appointment as Blackburn Rovers manager "hasn't been very well received" by supporters.

O'Neill will take joint-charge of Championship side Blackburn and Northern Ireland until the end of the season after a short-term deal was agreed.

Blackburn are currently in the relegation places, while Northern Ireland face a World Cup play-off semi-final in Italy on 26 March as they look to reach the finals for the first time in 40 years.

McAllister, who is the chair of of the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs, said O'Neill's appointment at Ewood Park came as "something of a surprise".

"Over the last couple of days there has been some speculation, but it quickly grew legs and now there has been an announcement.

"When you look at the reaction online from fans, I don't think it has gone down particularly well. I think you have to be honest."

'Far from ideal'

McAllister said he would rather focus on the Italy game in Bergamo, rather than O'Neill's future as Northern Ireland manager, but did say the "timing was far from ideal" with just six weeks until the play-off.

"I'm not surprised by the reaction we have seen from fans, and the timing is far from ideal," he added.

"I want us all to focus on the Italy game, it will be a massive challenge for us but it's a real opportunity to get to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.

"But looking at the reaction of fans, it has not been well received unfortunately."

When asked if the atmosphere would be impacted for the game in Italy, McAllister said he did not think it would make a difference.

"Northern Ireland fans are very loyal to our team. We'll be travelling in numbers," he said.

"We'll be united behind our team, as we always are.

"Whoever the manager of our team was in the past, future or even today, we are always 100% behind the team."

McAllister also offered his reaction to the "disappointing" news that Northern Ireland's Nations League opener in Georgia.

Image source, Getty Images

Blackburn Rovers have named Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill as their new head coach, initially on a short-term basis.

The former Stoke City manager will also continue to lead Northern Ireland as they prepare to face Italy in the World Cup play-offs next month.

Blackburn are in the relegation zone and have won just one of their past 10 league games.

So, is O'Neill the right man? Can he keep Rovers in the Championship and will a job share really work?

Blackburn fans can have their say here and check back later for some of your responses.

Blackburn Rovers will hope to escape the bottom three as they make the trip to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Rovers, who are currently without a manager, have only one win across their past 10 league games and are kept in the danger zone by goal difference.

That victory came against basement side Sheffield Wednesday but the Hoops will prove a much tougher task, with the hosts keen on staying in contention for the play-off places.

• Following their 1-0 win in November, QPR are looking to complete their first league double over Blackburn since 1970-71.

• Blackburn have lost three of their last four league games against QPR (W1), as many as they had in their previous 21 (W12 D6).

• Only three sides (Coventry, Ipswich and Birmingham) have scored more home goals than Queens Park Rangers in the Championship this season (28).

• Blackburn have won just two of their last 16 league games (D7 L7), a run which started with a 1-0 defeat to QPR at the end of November.

• Nicolas Madsen has twice as many assists (6) and has created twice as many chances (50) than any other QPR player in the Championship this season.

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Blackburn caretaker boss Damien Johnson felt his side were unlucky to fall to a 2-0 defeat to Norwich at Carrow Road.

Blackburn held out in a dour game until Norwich scored in the 73rd minute and they have slipped back into the relegation zone on goal difference.

Jonnson told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Obviously I'm very disappointed with the result. Overall, for 70, 75 minutes or whatever it was, there wasn't a lot on it.

"I thought we were in the game and we had some opportunities, second-half opportunities, first-half, in terms of our crosses, territory and momentum. We obviously knew Norwich would have some moments as well.

"I think we were punished for just for two moments, a poor header and then just a slip, which can happen, so overall, disappointed.

"We nullified them for large parts. You can't think they had many clear-cut chances and I don't remember Balazs [Toth] making too many saves. So, of course, it's frustrating. But in football, you're playing against good sides and you can get punished as we were today."