Blackburn Rovers are down from their new manager high, but can their season still be turned around? The next two games could be monumental in securing safety for another season.
The end of the 'new manager bounce'
It was back to reality for Blackburn Rovers on Saturday as Michael O'Neill's honeymoon period seemingly came to an end with a disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Derby County.
Rovers were by far the better team in the first half, and they got their reward after Hayden Carter headed home Yuri Riberio's free kick on the verge of halftime. It was the first start for the Portuguese defender since the 13th of December, and an assist should boost his chances of featuring more regularly under O'Neill.
Rovers should have been 3-0 up after Yuki Ohashi and Andri Gundjohnsen both missed great chances, but Rovers were made to pay as the hosts came back into the game. Goals from former Rover Ben Brereton Diaz, as well as Matthew Clarke and Rhian Brewster, gave John Eustace's side all three points.
Big games on the horizon
The Northern Irish boss has won two and lost two so far in charge of Blackburn, and has five massive games in his managerial career on the horizon.
Before O'Neill takes his Northern Ireland squad to Bergamo for their World Cup play-offs against Italy, he has to guide his Blackburn side through four huge games in the relegation battle.
Blackburn hosts promotion-chasing Middlesbrough after a visit to play-off hunting Millwall before the international break. But before then, the Lancashire outfit face relegation rivals Portsmouth and Oxford United in what could be two gigantic games in determining the outcome of this season.
Todd Cantwell scored a second-half equaliser from the spot to secure a point against the U's in the return fixture, but it won't be so easy to go to the Kassam Stadium.
The Rovers captain is out of action currently with an injury, and his long-term future at the club is in doubt. The 28-year-old has reportedly rejected an offer of a new contract at Ewood Park, and the hierarchy may choose to cash in this summer.
Goals away from home have been hard to come by for Blackburn this season, having scored just five since the turn of the year, three of those coming away at QPR in Michael O'Neil's first game in charge.
Oxford picked up three points at home to fellow relegation candidates and currently managerless West Brom on Saturday, but were without a win in seven prior to that result. They have to travel to Preston on Friday first, before hosting Blackburn the following Wednesday.
Before the trip to Oxford, Blackburn host Portsmouth. Rovers have a mixed history with Portsmouth, with Pompey having won the last two meetings at Fratton Park but Rovers winning the last two at Ewood Park.
The same sequence of fixtures occurred last January, with Rovers securing a 3-0 home victory over Pompey before a 1-0 away loss at Oxford a few days later.
Safety before Bergamo?
Rovers will be hoping a home victory on Saturday will open that gap to the relegation zone further and boost confidence before they go to Oxford.
We are not yet in 'must-win' territory, but the next two games could have a huge impact on determining Blackburn Rovers Championship status come the end of the season.
Two wins against relegation rivals and things could be looking good before the difficult games against Millwall and Middlesbrough.
Two defeats, though, and things could be looking very grim for Blackburn Rovers and Michael O'Neill indeed. Blackburn could be as safe as Blackburn, or in extremely big trouble, as Michael O'Neill goes to Italy.
He has to find a way of focusing on getting Blackburn a big step towards safety whilst preparing for the World Cup playoffs.
It would be fair to say that he has one heck of a month ahead.
