Blackburn Rovers tipped to make Damien Duff move by club legend | OneFootball

Former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel hopes that Rovers pursue Damien Duff as their new manager

Blackburn Rovers are searching for a new man in the Ewood Park dugout, after Michael O'Neill opted not to remain at the club at the conclusion of the campaign.

Despite reports stating that the former interim boss was keen to return to club management full-time after juggling the Blackburn job with his role as Northern Ireland manager, O'Neill not only remained with the Green and White Army but also extended his contract with them until 2032.

It was a disappointing decision from a Rovers perspective, as the Northern Irishman had helped steer them away from relegation danger, and had picked up the 11th-most points in the Championship in the 15 games he managed since joining in mid-February.

But that run of games has shown that there is, indeed, quality in this Blackburn squad, and now it's up to the higher-ups at Ewood Park to get the next appointment right to avoid being dragged into a relegation fight throughout next season, too.

Brad Friedel urges Blackburn Rovers to go after Damien Duff as their new manager

Damien Duff has been out of managerial work for close to a year now, after he pulled the curtain on his near-four-year stint at Shelbourne, where he helped the club win the League of Ireland for the first time in 18 years in 2024.

The 47-year-old's playing career in England began at Blackburn, and the Ewood Park-based side was where he spent the majority of it. There, he helped Rovers lift the EFL Cup in 2002, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

In goal for Blackburn that day was legendary American shot-stopper, Brad Friedel, and the 55-year-old told the Lancashire Telegraph that he believes his former teammate should be the man to take Rovers into the 2026/27 campaign.

"I'm never one to throw out an ex-player's name because he was a legendary player, but I think that Damien Duff has done a really good job as a manager," he said.

"He was arguably the best player we had at Blackburn in my time. You know, we have a lot of them there, but he's the best player that I've ever played with at Blackburn.

"The Blackburn that I know is totally different to the Blackburn you see today. The ownership group is different. The Blackburn I know was a family-oriented club. I think the owners should give that some serious consideration because they need to galvanise the fanbase. They need to connect a little bit better with the fanbase now.

"Since they've been relegated from the Premier League, they've had some real tough years in the Championship. Their attendance is down, and I hate seeing the club this way because the club that I know was one of the best-run family clubs in English football. At least during my time.

"So yeah, I think hiring someone like Duff, a club legend, would go a long way to resurrecting a relationship with the fans."

Friedel sympathises with the Blackburn fans and knows that the current sentiment surrounding the Venkys ownership is rather sour. In hiring Duff, they could generate some good feelings around the club, which could propel them back to where he feels they belong.

Not only that, but the positive work that the 47-year-old has done with Shelbourne, albeit in a league that isn't as strong as the Championship, should give confidence that Rovers can kick on under their former wideman.

Brad Friedel tells the Venkys to create a more positive atmosphere at Blackburn Rovers

Friedel also felt sorry for the recent managers at Blackburn, as they're immediately fighting an uphill battle due to the discontent aimed at the higher-ups. Even when Rovers were challenging for the play-offs under John Eustace, there was always the feeling that things could sour quickly.

Ultimately, the revenue that Blackburn generates isn't as high as some of their second-tier peers, so it can be easy for fans to feel that they are being left behind. But if Ewood Park had a positive feeling around it, perhaps more revenue could be generated.

The former keeper states that a positive atmosphere correlates with good matchday revenue and higher attendances, which then leads to being able to spend more money and, finally, more success.

"The situation will go on, but eventually you're going to drop if it does. You can't keep saving yourself every single season just by the skin of your teeth. You know, something has to change," he continued.

"To spend more funds, you have to increase matchday revenue. And to increase matchday revenue, you need to create a feel-good factor around the place, so people want to help you increase the matchday revenue.

"Right now, there's incredible discontent with the ownership group. I feel sorry for the head coaches who go in there because it's not their fault that there's this discontent. And then they've only given so many funds to be able to resurrect it, but then they're losing so much money. It's a snowball effect right now.

"So they're going to have to figure out a way to steady the ship with regard to the financial losses, but also engage the fans so they can make it a fortress again. Players used to hate coming to Ewood Park to play against us. We were a really tough opposition to play against."

Friedel left Blackburn in 2008 to sign with Aston Villa. Unfortunately, in the 18 years that have followed, the club is very different.

Rovers won just four of the 23 home games in the Championship this past season, which is truly terrible. Perhaps getting some more wins at Ewood Park under their belt next season with someone like Damien Duff at the helm could generate some rare positivity around the club.