New Michael O'Neill demand revealed as Blackburn Rovers plot fresh agreement | OneFootball

Michael O'Neill has laid bare some clear demands as Blackburn Rovers seek to appoint the manager on a full-time basis

Blackburn Rovers will be aiming to head into the summer transfer window and beyond with Michael O'Neill still at the helm after retaining their Championship status for another term.

The former Stoke City manager arrived at Ewood Park in February, at which point Blackburn found themselves embroiled in a battle against relegation to League One.

Combining his new duties with an existing role leading the Northern Ireland national team, O'Neill has now guided Blackburn to safety following five victories and just four defeats from 14 matches to date, with the Lancashire outfit positioned in 20th place and five points clear of the drop zone ahead of Saturday's home clash against already-relegated Leicester City.

O'Neill's current deal only runs until the end of the campaign, though, meaning it's little surprise that Blackburn are intent on making the 56-year-old's tenure a permanent one.

That's a possibility which remains very much on the cards as plans continue to take place behind the scenes regarding O'Neill's future, which many Blackburn fans are hoping lies at Ewood Park.

The manager's own stance has now become clearer, too, and with Rovers now becoming increasingly likely to seal a fresh deal, exactly what O'Neill will require to be implemented and fixed in preparation for the 2026/27 campaign has emerged.

Michael O'Neill demanding senior managerial partner at Blackburn Rovers

A fresh update from Alan Nixon of The Sun - via his exclusive Patreon service - has detailed how O'Neill intends on strengthening his coaching staff if he is to remain in charge of Blackburn following the conclusion of the campaign.

Upon arriving in East Lancashire, O'Neill brought former caretaker Damien Johnson alongside ex-Rovers defender Phil Jones and Steven Davis with him.

Now, though, it has transpired that O'Neill wants to bolster the coaching staff with additional experience, with Nixon reporting that the Northern Irishman is looking to hire a senior, well-versed assistant.

It's said that O'Neill has already outlined such intentions to the Blackburn hierarchy, who are reportedly set to allow the boss to strengthen while affording a budget to recruit new signings.

The report also adds that Blackburn hope for a swift resolution with O'Neill's future as he continues to weigh up his options and apply thought to the matter.

However, Nixon has claimed that, barring an unprecedented turn of events, O'Neill is likely to remain with the Championship side heading into next season, citing a "great agreement on both sides".

Michael O'Neill outlines what Blackburn Rovers must fix as fresh agreement looms

O'Neill has also described exactly what Blackburn must fix in order to elevate away from relegation trouble and become more competitive in the Championship next time around, with significant change to be expected if he is to land the job on a full-time basis.

Though O'Neill's immediate priority is, of course, finishing the season strong, he believes that attention needs to be paid to this summer's recruitment mission in an effort to strengthen the squad and achieve ambitions for the following campaign.

He does recognise the squad's potential, and will hope for adequate backing once the summer window opens.

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Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, O'Neill explained: "The squad has been really challenged. I can't comment on earlier in the season, but in the period I've been in, it's been really challenged with player availability.

"I think we have a lot of players at the club whose minutes this season were limited for one reason or another and that's never a good thing.

"People like Sean McLoughlin and Ryan Alebiosu have been brilliant. (Eiran) Cashin and what we got out of (Adam) Forshaw has been terrific.

"(Ryoya) Morishita and (Yuki) Ohashi were brilliant again. We've had young players come in at key times. Tom Atcheson has come in and been brilliant since he came into the team. The goalkeeper (Balazs Toth) has been terrific.

"I think it shows there's quite a lot of potential in the squad. But equally, we've got to recognise why we have to go to the 45th game to preserve our Championship status."

"They've also been really challenged with the injury list that we've had and at times that can be a little bit demoralising for players. But I think they've dealt with that extremely well, given the number of key players that we've had missing over that period.

Having dealt with a string of injury setbacks, O'Neill is now looking ahead and believes there's a "long way to go" if Blackburn are to kick on and meaningfully add to the squad with a few injections of quality.

He added: "But certainly, in relation to where this team is at the minute, the first thing with any good team, I think, or the first step is to be difficult to beat.

“So, there's a long way to go in terms of the development of this team and what this team would require to be away from the situation we're in at the minute, certainly.

"But that's something for the summer and next season. The here and the now is to continue with the progress that we've made and make sure we finish the season strong.”