Blackburn Rovers head coach John Eustace believes his side are lacking that quality in the final third after they once again drew a blank in a 2-0 defeat against Sheffield United this afternoon.
The Lancashire-based side began the day in the play-off positions, thanks in part to their excellent early season form. They were unbeaten in their opening seven Championship matches, scoring 14 times. However, they have struggled since, losing four of their last six whilst finding the back of the net only twice.
This afternoon was Rovers’ third successive game without scoring, perhaps indicating that they are starting to miss the absence of last season’s top goalscorer Sammie Szmodics. The attacker joined Ipswich Town in the summer for an initial fee of £9 million after winning the Championship’s Golden Boot with 27 goals.
John Eustace Admits Lack Of Quality Costing Blackburn
Head coach Eustace admitted following today’s defeat that his team need to show more quality in the final third. However, he was quick to back his squad, saying he would be more concerned if they weren’t creating chances. Speaking to The Lancashire Telegraph, the ex-Birmingham City boss said:
“I think it was evident that in the first half, we did get in some good areas but failed on that final pass.
“It’s something that we have to get better at. Something we have done in the last few games, good opportunities up against a top-quality team so when we get them, we have to make them count.
“I think we’re missing that bit of quality, we have to make better decisions in the final third. We are getting into some good positions and opportunities. If I didn’t think we were creating or winning the ball in the right areas, I’d be a bit more worried.
“It’s just making those correct decisions in the final third which will hopefully turn.”
Writer’s View
Blackburn’s recent form shouldn’t be a cause for concern just yet. They are well-placed in the Championship and have faced a run of tough games against teams expected to challenge for promotion. They have a great opportunity to break their recent duck in the upcoming fixtures, starting with the visit of Stoke City on Wednesday before they travel to a lowly Cardiff City next weekend.
Eustace does need someone to step up and take the mantle from Szmodics though. Summer signing Yuki Ohashi is the club’s top scorer with four this season, although he has failed to score in his last eight outings.
Head of Writing
