Michael O'Neill reacts to 'unfair' Blackburn Rovers situation involving Southampton

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·8. April 2026

Michael O'Neill reacts to 'unfair' Blackburn Rovers situation involving Southampton

Blackburn boss Michael O'Neill is unhappy that his team will have to play three games in six days after their game against Southampton was moved.

Blackburn Rovers extended their unbeaten run to four games after a 0-0 draw with West Brom on Easter Monday, which means they are six points clear of the bottom three.

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The appointment of Michael O’Neill has certainly helped Rovers, with the Northern Ireland boss having made them defensively solid and difficult to beat.

Despite their improvement, O’Neill will still be demanding more from his players, and he knows they will need a few more results to ensure they’re playing Championship football next season.

However, they’re now in the midst of a very busy period, with the Easter period very demanding on players, and Rovers are set to play three games in six days, starting when they take on Stoke this Saturday.

Michael O’Neill unhappy with Blackburn fixture list after Southampton game rescheduled

The reason for that is that Blackburn’s trip to Southampton has been rearranged for Tuesday, April 14, following Saints’ FA Cup involvement.

Tonda Eckert’s side pulled off a huge shock by beating Arsenal in the last round, which set up a semi-final against Man City at Wembley, on the weekend of April 25.

Therefore, Blackburn’s trip to the south coast had to be moved, and with Southampton already set to play Ipswich in the midweek prior to the final day, this was the only free slot.

Yet, speaking to BBC Lancashire, O’Neill shared his disappointment at the date of the game, particularly as Rovers’ game against Coventry has already been brought forward a day to be shown on TV.

“It’s certainly not what we wanted. Logistically, it’s a difficult game. The opponents are going well, so now we have to play Friday, Monday, Saturday, Tuesday, Friday and three games in six days is a huge ask. “I think it’s a little bit unfair on the players. Then we have the game at Sheffield United and a 10-day break. Hopefully, by that point, we’re in a position of safety. It’s a huge ask on the players given the resources we have available to us at this minute in time. But it is what it is. “We are very stretched, given we have 12 players injured. We are being tested at this minute in time. When we look at the bench, we have a little bit of unknown quantities at this moment too.”

Michael O’Neill might have to prioritise certain Blackburn games during the run-in

As O’Neill mentions, Blackburn’s squad is seriously impacted by injuries right now, and he will be aware that some players won’t be capable of doing three 90 minutes in the space of six days, especially after the short turnaround over Easter.

So, he has to find the right balance in terms of keeping key players fresh, and ensuring that he sends out a competitive team that can get a result.

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That will be difficult, but O’Neill is experienced, and he will no doubt have plans in mind for each game.

Ultimately, Blackburn’s recent form has put them in a brilliant position to stay up, but they still may need another three or four points before the end of the campaign.

Given the way they’ve been playing, Rovers will be confident of getting those points on the board, and if they can get a crucial victory at Stoke on Saturday, it may mean O’Neill rotates his team for the trip to in-form Southampton on Tuesday.