Last season came incredibly close to being disastrous for Blackburn Rovers and their supporters as the club came within three points of relegation to League One.
In the two campaigns prior to last season, green shoots of hope had appeared to be sprouting at Ewood Park with the club challenging for a playoff spot, finishing eighth and seventh respectively.
The days of Tony Mowbray and Jon Dahl Tomasson were a million miles away as the Lancashire outfit required a brace from top scorer Sammie Szmodics on the final day to secure survival. Tomasson was dismissed in February as the club balanced precariously in 18th, five points off the drop.
Fans have grown increasingly concerned with the lack of investment coming from the owners, even after a tidy windfall from David Raya’s switch from Brentford to Arsenal and Adam Wharton’s move to Crystal Palace landing the club substantial incomes.
The Venkys, who have owned the club since 2010, had reportedly been instructed by the Indian government to reduce their investment in the club and are in court later this month. This has left many supporters worried about potential further impact on the club and its spending power.
Having maintained their second-tier status by the skin of their teeth with a squad that included Wharton, a player who went to the European Championships with England six months later, and the prolific Szmodics, the fears of relegation manifesting amongst those in blue and white will surely come true should the Republic of Ireland international leave.
With all of the negatives and disappointment surrounding the club, how will they survive again in the Championship?
In a recent interview with the club’s YouTube channel, chief executive Steve Waggott spoke of the four areas which those behind the scenes saw as needing to be improved – leadership, resilience, power and pace.
Three of the signings made so far this summer have added experience and leadership to the group. Kyle McFadzean has signed for another year after his short-term deal came to an end. The defender has over 500 games under his belt and played a key role in the club gaining points against sides like Norwich City and Coventry City last term.
Danny Batth is another experienced player to come through the doors at Ewood this summer, joining the club from Norwich City. Another will have 500-plus career appearances, the 33-year-old adds not only leadership but also qualities that will make Rovers hard to break down.
In his 18 outings for the Canaries, the centre-back ranked highly for the number of tackles, duels and aerial duels that he won and he was also very difficult for players to dribble past.
The final member of the trio of experienced signings is Andi Weimann, who joins from
Bristol City via a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.
Weimann was a member of Austria’s Euro 2024 squad and, although not prolific in front of goal, adds Championship know-how and a willingness to work hard for his team.
Steve Waggott explained changes that have occurred behind the scenes at the club this season, not least with the restructuring of the recruitment department. The club are casting their net further afield to provide John Eustace with the playing squad he needs.
This approach has already brought about the signings of Makhtar Gueye from the Belgian side RWD Molenbeek and Yuki Ohashi from Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Gueye and Ohashi will provide a different set of dimensions for Eustace to exploit, with Gueye being a powerful striker adept at holding the ball up who will be crying out for ammunition into the box.
Alternatively, Japanese forward Ohashi’s style of play will likely allow midfield runners to go beyond the ball and look to penetrate the opposition’s box. His movement and eagerness to get on the ball could provide the space needed for players such as Tyrhys Dolan and Joe Rankin-Costello to break forward and become real threats.
The chief executive was open when discussing areas to improve and highlighted the need for yet more power and pace to be added to the squad as well as providing a better balance on the left-hand side. He claimed the club are hoping to bring in two or three more players.
John Eustace came in and made Rovers hard to beat and he will continue to build on that approach, particularly if the talismanic Szmodics does leave for pastures new and loses his main threat.
He has attempted to address problem areas and address them on a budget and the way that he is likely to set up will give his Blackburn side a solid foundation. In front of the defence, two holding midfielders will look to screen and protect and to the more attack-minded players to influence the game higher up the pitch.
Following the recent friendly with Stockport County, the Lancashire Telegraph reported that they believe Eustace’s tactics will provide a base for Rovers to grind out points.
Expectations within the club are that Eustace and his men will be hard to beat and, as Steve Waggott explained, hope is that the manager can repeat what he did at Birmingham City and follow survival with an improved campaign.
Amid the gloom, it is important to remember that the man many of Blackburn’s hopes are pinned on hasn’t left the club yet! In fact, he managed to start where he left off by scoring in an impressive win against Derby County last night.
Szmodics, who scored 27 of his club’s 60 Championship goals last season, a whopping 45%, scored the third and ultimately decisive goal against the Rams. Further positives to come out of the Ewood opener were goals for Tyrhys Dolan and two of the new men, Weimann and Ohashi.
Last night’s victory against a side who Rovers may find themselves fighting against for survival will have brought increased optimism to fans, as Will the goals from new signings and the current hero.
The signings that have been made may not have been for millions or brought in stellar names but they have been made sensibly and to address areas that needed improving. On top of that, the chief executive has been open and admitted the club are looking to do more business before the window closes.
Do they need to improve further? Of course, but they are among the vast majority that do. Possibly a new goalkeeper and a left-sided player would give their squad good balance and some strength in depth.
It is hard to imagine a glamorous season for Blackburn towards the top end of the table but they will stay up, they will look to break into at least mid-table and have the chance to rebuild further for next season, when expectations may have changed yet again.
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