Michael O'Neill believes Blackburn Rovers have 'potential' and has grown attached to the club as he ponders his future.
The Rovers head coach has taken a week's break for a holiday and talks over his future should ramp up next week. The club are hopeful they can convince him to become the coach permanently but O'Neill will ultimately decide what he thinks is best. O'Neill admitted he's seen the potential of the club and has become 'attached' to Rovers.
O'Neill has given some input into contract decisions that are looming. Rovers must name their retained list by Saturday, May 16. That must include whether they have offered deals to those out of contract. There are also several key men entering the final year of their deals which will need to be addressed this summer.
“As I say, the majority of the players are under contract so those decisions will be made by the people above me in terms of what the future is," he explained post-Leicester.
“Obviously, we haven’t been in a position over the past two-and-a-half months to have these conversations. I’ll have an input in that, but equally, the club has to think of the longer-term future as well.
“Everyone needs a reset and not rush into things. I have been living away from home for three months. I have become very attached to the club because I see the potential, the size of the club and the people in the club. It’s their daily life.
“I am pleased the job I was given, to stay in the Championship, we have been able to do it.”
For Rovers to challenge at the right end of the table, home form has to improve. They ended the season with defeat at Ewood Park against Leicester, with the first-half display annoying O'Neill.
“Four wins at home is never going to give you any comfort to make sure you’re not at the wrong end of the table. You have to pick up points away from home which we did do," he insisted.
“It (Leicester) felt like the second half against Bristol City, which was my second home game. We scored early, then went behind. Then we were the dominant team in the second half but couldn’t score.
“I couldn’t comment on previous games before me but it probably is. When the home form is like that, there’s been a lot of games where the team have come away thinking you deserve more.
“But you ultimately get what you deserve. If you don’t take those opportunities, especially when the goalkeeper has made massive saves for us at the other end, you owe him in that situation.”
Rovers' key men during O'Neill's 15 games have been Ryoya Morishita and Yuki Ohashi. It was their goals that ultimately secured survival at Bramall Lane.
The Rovers boss was full of praise for their impact and attitude.
“The two boys are a dream to work with," he said.
"They always train, they give their maximum on the pitch and even when maybe they are not having their best game, their physical output and what they give to the team is second to none.
"They put the team ahead of themselves, which is maybe something in their culture. I have to say, those two players have really impressed me with their level of professionalism and attitude, and also their quality.”
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