Blackburn Rovers head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson has aimed criticism at the club’s hierarchy for cutting the budget before the season commenced, labelling the situation as a “hand grenade”.
The Lancashire outfit are going through a turgid run of form at the moment, last picking up a victory in early December with a 2-1 win at home to Bristol City. Rovers are now on an eight-game winless run in the Championship.
Furthermore, the victory over the Robins almost two months ago was the side’s only win in 11 league outings as Tomasson’s men currently sit 18th in England’s second tier, five points behind Queens Park Rangers in 22nd.
In a big game on Saturday at Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers suffered yet another devastating defeat, losing 2-1 against QPR, dragging the club closer towards the dreaded relegation zone. Additionally, the Riversiders boast the worst defensive record in the Championship, conceding 55 times in only 30 matches thus far.
Pressure from supporters is increasing on the Danish head coach but Tomasson defended himself by admitting that the board launched a “hand grenade” during the summer by cutting Blackburn’s budget [quotes via the Lancashire Telegraph]:
“It’s a very serious situation but nothing has changed.
“It was very serious in the summer when everything changed with a hand grenade that changed everything, cutting the budget.
“It’s a difficult moment but that’s why Steve Waggott spoke about staying in the league, developing players. I’m a little bit more ambitious,” he continued.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the team, they’re sticking together but it’s not great when you aren’t winning.
“It can’t come as a surprise, I told the club in the summer. The alarm clocks are on.
Writer’s View
Blackburn Rovers are definitely in a serious situation right now. The side face Stoke City and Birmingham City over the coming few days which will be massive for the shape of the relegation battle and it looks like the circumstances are worsening at Ewood Park.
Now, it seems as though Tomasson has taken a subtle dig at the board or owners for slashing the team’s budget last summer which could be the beginning of the end for the manager, particularly if results continue to nose-dive.
