Blackburn Rovers

Until about a fortnight ago this game had been highlighted as a potential relegation blockbuster.

As it turns out though, there will be sighs of relief on three sides of Ewood Park on Saturday (12:30 BST) as Blackburn fans celebrate a successful battle against the drop while in the away end, Leicester supporters will mark their final game in the Championship for at least one season.

• After their 2-0 win in November, Blackburn could complete their first league double over Leicester City since 1990-91.

• Both of Leicester's past two league meetings with Blackburn have seen them lose 2-0; the Foxes last lost three league matches in a row to Rovers in October 1987, while they have never done so without scoring before.

• Blackburn Rovers have only lost their final league match in one of the past 13 seasons (W9 D3), a 3-2 defeat away to Luton in 2019-20.

• Leicester have lost their final league match in four of the past six seasons (W2), as many as their previous 18 beforehand (W8 D6 L4).

• Leicester are the fifth team to be relegated from the Premier League and Championship in consecutive seasons, after Swindon Town (1993-94/94-95), Wolves (2011-12/12-13), Sunderland (2016-17/17-18) and Luton (2023-24/24-25).

Andy Bayes
BBC Radio Lancashire's sports editor

Image source, Clive Lawrence

It's been an emotional week for Blackburn Rovers - a week that seemed to hold both relief and heartbreak in the same breath.

In the club's 150th season, when relegation had hovered like a shadow for so long, Wednesday night finally brought the points needed to stay in the Championship.

And then, only hours later, came the news that broke so many hearts: the passing of one of Rovers' most beloved sons, Tony Parkes.

Losing Tony has hit me hard, both personally and professionally.

He wasn't just a club legend to me - he was a friend.

We lived in the same village, and our daily routines often crossed on long walks. We'd stop, talk football, set the world right for a few minutes, and if we bumped into each other the next day, we'd happily do it all again.

Tony would join me on BBC Radio Lancashire for match commentaries, preferring the touchline to the press box, but always bringing insight that fans valued. When Tony spoke, people listened.

Players and managers come and go. Some leave as heroes, others less so. But few stay the course - steady, loyal, unshakeable. Tony Parkes was one of those few. He embodied resilience, humility, skill and hard work. It's no wonder people called him "Mr Blackburn Rovers," a title he never sought but wore effortlessly.

Over the last day, tributes have poured in from supporters who adored him. Many believe he left this world knowing his beloved Rovers were safe and that their survival came in Sheffield, the city where he was born in 1949.

Former players have shared their memories too. At the club's 150th anniversary gala, Alan Shearer, Colin Hendry, and Kevin Gallacher spoke of his kindness, his humour, and the quiet strength that defined him.

Image source, Andy Bayes

Tony's Rovers story began in 1970, when he was plucked from non-league Buxton Town for a trial.

A striker turned midfielder, he became a constant presence - part of the 1974–75 promotion side under Gordon Lee, and again influential in the team that rose back to the second tier under Howard Kendall in 1980. A broken leg in 1981 ended his playing days but opened the door to a remarkable coaching career.

He took charge of Rovers six times. Three times he came close to being appointed permanently.

In 1986, after Bobby Saxton's departure, he was a strong contender before Don Mackay got the job. In 1991, after Jack Walker took control, Tony steadied the ship with five wins, two draws, and just one defeat - a run that helped pave the way to Wembley and the 1992 play-off final, a moment he cherished for the rest of his life.

Again in 1999, after relegation and Brian Kidd's departure, Tony stepped in, calmed the waters, and prepared the ground for Graeme Souness.

Through all the big-name arrivals and departures, Tony remained. Jack Walker trusted him implicitly. When things got tough, the answer was simple: send for Tony.

As a caretaker, he believed in change. "Why carry on what the previous manager was doing if he'd just been sacked?" he'd say.

He backed youth, gave players freedom, and treated everyone the same - whether they cost five million or five thousand. Mark Atkins moved from right-back to central midfield under Tony. Jason Wilcox got his chance. The late Len Johnrose was given an opportunity. Tony saw potential where others saw risk.

Away from football, Tony's world revolved around family. He preferred a quiet night at home with his late wife Eileen and his daughter Natalie to any spotlight or ceremony. Even persuading him to attend the North West Football Awards - where he was surprised with a lifetime achievement award - took some convincing.

After a spell at Blackpool and his retirement, Tony's health began to decline. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a cruel contrast to the fitness he'd maintained all his life.

I'll never forget sitting with Tony and Natalie as they prepared to share his diagnosis publicly. I'll always be grateful they trusted me with something so deeply personal.

Though conversation became difficult for him, his love for football never faded. He still came to Ewood Park, still felt at home there, still found moments of that dry humour and those one-liners that made him who he was.

Reading the tributes over the last 24 hours, it's clear Tony Parkes meant so much to so many. My sincerest condolences go to his family - the people he loved above all else.

Thanks for the memories, Tony. And thank you for the friendship.

In the wake of Championship survival being secured, we asked what you thought of Blackburn's turnaround under Michael O'Neill and whether you wanted him to remain at Ewood Park.

Rovers' status in the second tier was ensured after Wednesday's 3-1 win at Sheffield United and Rovers' form under the Northern Ireland boss has been excellent, although his future beyond this summer is still be decided.

Here are some of your responses:

Gavin: Absolute no brainer, he has worked miracles with a below average group of players apart from a few. Offer him the job, let him control the players he brings in and he can take us forward.

Ronnie: Definitely keep him as a manager. Start to show some ambition, that's been lacking for years. Merely keeping a club solvent isn't ambition. O'Neill has gotten a tune out of someone else's signings. Imagine what he could do with five or six of his own...

Matthew: Absolutely must keep him as manager. What he has achieved with that group is remarkable. Professional and statesman like in his leadership. I could see him being very successful if he stays.

Tom: I think every Rovers fan would like him to stay. With our current ownership we aren't appealing to all managers- and he has demonstrated he can do well with the squad available. Can we make enough appeal to him? I'm not sure. He has similar qualities to Mowbray who had a mostly good five years under Venkys - so I think we could do well if he can be persuaded to leave Northern Ireland.

Ali: Upon appointment of O'Neill in February I was sceptical - would his heart be in it and would the players respond to someone who can walk away in the summer whether relegated or not?

Am glad I was wrong - what a steadying hand he has been for the club, reuniting the fans with the players on the pitch (let's not talk about the owners) and talking honestly, candidly and refreshingly game by game. I for one hope he makes the permanent switch in the summer.

Ian: The club should be doing everything they can to keep him at the club!

Barry: He's done a fantastic job lifting the mood around the club and giving supporters something to believe in again.

The board need to act decisively now and trigger his release clause with (Northern Ireland) rather than letting this drag on.

With a full pre-season to implement his ideas, there's every chance he could build something special for next season... it's the Championship after all.

Calvin: Keep Michael O'Neill. He has saved us from relegation. He transformed Northern Ireland and his results speak for themselves.

Blackburn Rovers confirmed their survival with a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United on Wednesday evening, prompting much love for current boss Michael O'Neill.

Rovers have only lost one of their past eight matches under the Northern Irishman (W3 D4) but his appointment in February was presented as a short-term deal.

O'Neill still manages the Northern Ireland international team as things stand, but has a decision to make on his future if Rovers were to offer him a new deal.

Is keeping O'Neill important to next season's ambitions? Why is it going so right under the 56-year-old?

Let us know your thoughts here and check back on Friday to see a selection of the best responses.

Lindsey Lewis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

As I sat down this morning to write this, I thought about looking up the stats, some kind of in-depth analysis of our season but instead I have decided to write from the heart.

By the time Valerien Ismael exited Ewood Park I was resigned to relegation and baffled as to who would want the Rovers job.

While commentators said it was desirable, it felt for anyone considering the role it would be a slog on and off the pitch.

Then the rumours came of the gaffer, a job-share role with Northern Ireland and I was worried. The club felt like it needed to be someone's priority. Oh, how wrong I was.

From the moment Michael O'Neill entered the building he has gone about his work diligently and with humility.

He speaks well, has connected with the fanbase and has got the best out of a squad ripped apart in the summer transfer window and blighted with more injuries than I can mention.

He has used his international role to his advantage and secured Championship safety which feels nothing short of a miracle.

My relief is palpable. I have spent the morning randomly bursting into tears, but survival should be the bare minimum requirement. The hard work for the club starts now.

The biggest and most important move they will need to make this summer is tempting O'Neill to make this temporary role permanent, when no doubt many other clubs will have been extremely impressed with his time at Rovers.

Whatever he decides my message to the gaffer is clear - thank you. You will always have a place in my blue and white heart.

Blackburn head coach Michael O'Neill speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire after the 3-1 win over Sheffield United which ensured Championship safety.

"Relieved, more than anything else, delighted for the players, delighted for the club. I don't like to call it a celebration because you never want to be in this situation. A really good performance, first half was a terrific performance, second half we had to show a different side of our character.

"We made a little difficult for ourselves but they were always going to throw caution to the wind. To come here and win 3-1 is testament to the players and their application. Their reaction was first class.

"The squad has been really challenged with availability and that's never a good thing. It shows there is quite a lot of potential in the squad but equally we've got to recognise why we have to go the 45th game to preserve our Championship status. It was very difficult to get the right team on the pitch so I think the staff have done a magnificent job.

"I'm pleased because it was a difficult situation that I came into. The most important thing is there is a bit of positivity back in the club. When you're in a situation that we're in it's on your mind every day so at least now I can go into a game slightly more relaxed on Saturday. I think it's important that we finish strongly.

On his managerial future with Blackburn, O'Neill added that "discussions will take place".

"The club has a decision to make themselves which direction they want to go. I'm a contracted manager so the same goes for any club if they wanted me as their manager they would have to go thought the IFA and meet the terms of the release clause and I would have to want to do it.

"This was a loan and I suppose given where we are it would be deemed as a successful loan. I'm sure conversations will happen one way or the other in the weeks ahead.

"You can't do both, there's no way you can do both. At some point I'll have to make the decision one way or the other."

Image source, Opta

Blackburn will hope to secure their Championship status for another season when they visit Sheffield United on Wednesday night (kick-off 19:45 BST).

Rovers are 21st and five points clear of 22nd-placed Oxford United with two games to play, while the U's have three fixtures remaining.

If Blackburn win and Oxford fail to do so at home to Wrexham, Michael O'Neill's side will be safe from relegation.

Blackburn have lost just one of their past seven games (W2 D4), while the Blades, who cannot reach the play-offs or go down, have won two on the bounce to recover from a six-match winless run (D3 L3).

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their previous seven home league games against Blackburn (W5 D2) since a 2-1 loss in January 1994 in the Premier League.

• Blackburn have lost six of their past nine league games against Sheffield United (W2 D1), going down 3-1 at Ewood Park in this season's reverse fixture.

• Sheffield United have both scored (20 goals) and conceded (15) in each of their past 10 home league games, their longest run since November 1970 (also 10). The Blades last did so in 11 straight home league matches in August 1954.

• Blackburn Rovers haven't lost their final away league game in any of the previous five seasons (W3 D2) since a 2-3 defeat at Luton in 2019-20. Their final away match of last season was a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United.

• Chris Wilder has lost none of his five league meetings with Blackburn as Sheffield United manager (W4 D1); his only league defeat to Rovers came as Middlesbrough boss in January 2022 (0-1).

Blackburn manager Michael O'Neill says his side will try to spoil Coventry City's promotion party at Ewood Park on Friday night.

Rovers welcome the Sky Blues, who only need a point to secure promotion to the Premier League.

But Blackburn have plenty to play for themselves, with the gap to the Championship relegation zone just four points, having played one game more than Oxford in 22nd.

"I said to the players, if you're not invited to the party, it's a nice thing to try and spoil it and that's what we have to do," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"They'll bring a big away support, as did West Brom and Preston in particular, and Middlesbrough.

"But we've handled those games well. We're unbeaten in any of those games. We play a team that's top of the league but every game in this Championship is winnable."

O'Neill said the wins picked up by fellow relegation strugglers Portsmouth against Middlesbrough and Ipswich show "you have to stay in the game as long as possible when you're in the lower end of the table, particularly when you play the top sides".

"And the game can become more difficult for them," he added.

"That's our objective - to make the game difficult for Coventry, but obviously bring our own level of performance to the game as well."

When asked if one more win from their final three games would be enough for Blackburn to stay up, O'Neill said it would not put them mathematically safe but would "take a little bit of the pressure out of the situation".

"It would give us 51 points," he said. "It would put Oxford seven points behind us and it would put Leicester 10 points behind us, which is a lot to get in your last four games.

"But I'm not going to put any sort of target on it because we've got to make sure that we take whatever we can in the final three games, as many points as possible."

Coventry head to Ewood Park on Friday (20:00 BST) knowing a point will seal their place back in the top flight after 25 years away.

The Sky Blues head into the game on the back of successive draws after a stalemate against Sheffield Wednesday last time out.

Blackburn's five-match unbeaten run came to a halt with a 3-0 defeat at Southampton on Tuesday.

Michael O'Neill's side have a four-point cushion above the relegation zone in 20th and will be well aware they are not out of danger yet.

• Blackburn are winless in their past 10 league games against Coventry (D5 L5), since a 4-0 away victory in October 2020.

• Coventry have kept a clean sheet in their past five league games against Blackburn – they have never gone six without conceding against an opponent, while only against Chelsea have Rovers had a longer goalless run (seven between 2006 and 2009).

• Each of Blackburn's past three home league games have ended level, with the last two ending goalless. They last drew four consecutive home league matches in May 1988 (4).

• Accounting for three points per win all-time, Coventry's 85 points this season is already their most in a single league campaign in the club's history. The Sky Blues will be promoted to the Premier League if they avoid defeat in this match, last featuring in the top-flight in 2001.

• Haji Wright has scored 16 goals in the Championship this season, his joint-most in a single campaign for the club (also 16 in 2023-24). Only Viktor Gyokeres has netted more than 16 times in a Championship season for the Sky Blues (21 in 2022-23, 17 in 2021-22).

Earlier we asked what you thought of Blackburn's survival chances after wins for Oxford United and Portsmouth in recent days, coupled with Rovers' defeat at Southampton, left Michael O'Neill's men four points above the relegation zone with three games to go, one fewer than third-bottom Oxford.

Here are some of your responses:

Gerry: Nervous! 10 to 13 players missing through injury is a killer. Think we will need 52 or 53 points to be safe (Rovers currently have 48).

Chris: Should be fine, especially if West Brom get points deducted. *This is in relation to a reported EFL charge for financial matters - read more here.

Adam: Nervous, I said before the Norwich away game in Feb the 4 points dropped against Ipswich in the rearranged game and Wrexham away last kick of the game will haunt us, hope to be proved wrong.

David: I think we're doomed to be relegated on the last day at home to Leicester. It's been a really poor year. We've never got any momentum and suffered too many injuries. Is the training regime to blame for the injuries or are we just unlucky? Promotion push next year!

Neil: Far better under Michael O'Neill as manager, injuries to almost the entire first team hasn't helped. Still worried about relegation.

Tim: Three points ensures safety. However, I'm not seeing three. No more than a point vs Blades. Leicester will likely give us their best effort. Coventry will be Soton, all over again.

How are things, Rovers fans?

On Saturday afternoon a point at Stoke didn't look so bad, given Leicester's defeat and a home draw for Millwall, but Oxford United's win over Watford, and especially Portsmouth's last-gasp winner at Middlesbrough put a different complexion on the Championship basement battle.

Then matters got worse on the south coast on Tuesday night as Rovers were swept aside by in-form Southampton, while up the road Pompey were picking up another three points with a shock win over Ipswich.

As the dust settles on Wednesday, Rovers find themselves two places and four points above the relegation zone with three games remaining, but Michael O'Neill's men have a slightly worse goal difference and have played a game more than Oxford.

So how are you feeling? Does the visit of Champions-elect Coventry to Ewood Park on Friday night (20:00 BST) give you cause for optimism? With a trip to Sheffield United and a home game against second-bottom Leicester to follow on the final day, how many points do you think you need to stay up?

Click here to have your say.

Blackburn boss Michael O'Neill immediately turned his attention to Friday's vital home match against Championship leaders Coventry following the 3-0 defeat at Southampton.

Rovers are four points above the relegation zone so have some breathing space, largely because of a five-match unbeaten run prior to their trip to play the in-form Saints.

They have been beset by injuries and O'Neill made five changes for the second of his side's three matches in the space of six days.

"Listen, the game's gone - we just move on to Friday," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We're getting through the games and the squad is very challenged in terms of numbers, with a lot of players who aren't with us at this minute in time.

"We could do with them being back for us. But the players we are putting out there are doing everything. Their attitude is first class, their commitment is first class, and that's all we can ask.

"We met a very good side in the best form. We knew it would be a tough game and it proved to be the case.

"In the second half we played well but the second goal just before half-time was a real killer."

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Forshaw says 'he's loved it here' after enjoying a run of eight games in the team.

Rovers are four points above the relegation zone following their 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Saturday.

Forshaw scored his first goal of the season in that match and is looking forward to the trip to the south coast to play in-form Southampton tonight.

"I'm loving being back in the team, I'm going through a decent spell", he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I'd probably swap that just for the club to be in a good position. We've put ourselves in a decent position but obviously I want us to be safe as soon as possible.

"Ultimately we're in a better position than a few of the others, so as long as we win we will be alright."

The 34-year-old's contract is due to run out this summer, but he is not ruling out an extension at Ewood Park.

"I've loved it here, I think the people are great and I've settled really well.

"I've got a great relationship with everyone involved with the squad, I'd love to stay."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds

Blackburn Rovers will have to manage their squad carefully this week with three games in six days, says head coach Michael O'Neill.

Rovers are four points clear of the Championship's relegation zone with four games remaining and visit promotion-chasing Southampton on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

Blackburn drew 1-1 at O'Neill's former club Stoke on Saturday and also host leaders Coventry on Friday.

"We're running low on bodies and players are churning out 90 minutes after 90 minutes and our options are limited with what we can do from the bench," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We've got to get through this week in particular with three games in six days, two away games and the team who are top of the league coming to visit us on Friday, it's as tough a week as you can get in the Championship."

O'Neill took over as interim boss at Ewood Park in February and after three defeats in his first six games in charge, they are unbeaten in their last five.

"We've got to be mindful of Friday's game but also take care of the game in front of us and put a team on the pitch we believe can take something," he added.

Listen to more Blackburn Rovers interviews and content on BBC Sounds.