Blackburn Rovers Season Preview: midfield strengthened

Blackburn Rovers have dropped to the third tier of English football for the first time in 37 years. The final 10 weeks of last season saw an improvement under Tony Mowbray but the damage, on the field and off it, had been done. Supporter Mikey Delap discusses all with The Football Lab.

Considering that the Venky’s have stayed away from the club whilst plunging it into debt, had relegation been coming?

Yes it had been a delaying of the moment initiative for quite sometime but last summers inexplicable decision to fill our vacant managerial spot with grinning buffoon Owen Coyle and strip our playing staff down to frees, loans and youth meant we were only heading one way. Not the desirable way.

Call the owners what you want – naive, mislead and so on – they’ve been nothing if not grossly incompetent since taking over the club. Other than a brief galvanisation under Gary Bowyer our exit from the Championship was always destined to be in a downwards direction rather than some fantasists return to the holy grail of Premier League football.

After Tony Mowbray took over in February, you found top half form and ended up with 51 points, normally enough for survival. Did relegation after that final day victory feel a tad unfortunate?

Not unfortunate no. We were in the bottom 3 on merit, but just a gutting feeling that if we’d have landed a manager of his ilk and experience instead of Coyle in the summer we’d have likely been treading water in mid-lower table after 46 games.

That side you saw playing at Brentford wasn’t a bottom 3 side, more a decent Championship one. A crying shame, but a shame of our own making.

Danny Graham was the Championship’s joint-13th top scorer last term with 12 goals. If he stays, could his hold-up play make him an asset in League One?

Sod his “hold up play” his entire playing arsenal could make him an asset in League One. He’d cut it in the league above so if by some mini-miracle he’s still here come the end of the window we’ll have done well. If he stays and we can keep him motivated/fit then we’ll have one of the leagues best strikers.

By contrast, your midfield has not provided much of a goal threat. Do you expect new signings Ben Gladwin and Bradley Dack to change that?

Hopefully so. Our midfield has been our weak link for a fair while. Ever since Robbie Savage, Tugay and the hugely underrated tandem of Steven N’Zonzi/Jermaine Jones buggered off to pastures greener the midfield has been a barren wasteland of mediocrity and sideways trudgery. So having a blank canvass to work from this summer has been a blessing in disguise as far as my eyesight can take me.

Peter Whittingham had long been one of the stand-out performers in the Championship. Do you expect him to boss midfields at this level?

Not so much boss, but certainly provide a threat and a class that his Cardiff performances dictate he should be able to. I’d also expect him to chip in a few goals with his set piece prowess. Here’s hoping.

Richie Smallwood is naturally more focused on doing the dirty work than the other midfielders signed. Could he be an asset in League One?

Again I’d certainly hope so. Hard to say really as I must admit I know only the bare minimum about him – but if he’s as good at his job as Mowbray seems to think he is then yeah… sure.

Darragh Lenihan and Charlie Mulgrew were among your better players last season. Does the fact four midfielders have signed suggest they’ll be used at centre-back?

I highly doubt either will be here come the big kick off but they were by and large our two best players last season so keeping them in the positions they did well in last term seems a pretty solid shout. I’m personally expecting an Elliott Ward/Scott Wharton tandem this time around but am up for being pleasantly surprised.

Elliott Bennett played in five different positions last season. Are you hoping for more tactical consistency this year?

Couldn’t care less really if I’m honest. He’s a utility player who can play well in a few positions, use him where we need him and he generally does OK at worst. Decent player to have around.

No outfield player started more games in one position last season than Derrick Williams did at left-back (37). Were Mowbray and Owen Coyle right to stick with him there?

Yes. That he was our player of the season said it all really. He was solid enough but when that’s considered the best you have to offer you’re going to struggle. Anything is/was better than that Adam Henley playing at left back abomination.

Long-serving academy graduates Jason Lowe and Adam Henley are among eight players released. Was it the right time to part ways?

Hard to argue here. We need wages off the books to start afresh and Henley has been waning terribly. As for Lowe, he’s a try hard and a terrific athlete. But he gets stick from most parts of the stand for, well… not being very good at football. Which he generally isn’t.

The upside to this clear-out could be opportunities for youngsters. After Ryan Nyambe’s breakthrough season last year, are you excited to see what the likes of Lewis Mansell and Willem Tomlinson can do?

Due to the club’s financial predicament we need a strong academy more than ever. So if any of the young lads fancy popping their head above the parapet in true Damien Duff style then please be my guest. You’ll be embraced and I won’t moan once I promise.

Goalkeeper David Raya Martin came in for the last five games and only conceded twice. Are you pleased he’s not left yet?

Pleased? I expected him to stay as the feeling and general consensus is he’s due to a run of games as the club’s one. He seems up for it too so who am I to deny him…

What are your thoughts ahead of the League One season as a whole? Any potential dark horses for you?

Bury seem to be signing and shaping up nicely – expecting them to be very decent.

Where will you finish? You’re normally admirably optimistic…

Yes it’s my key weakness but I make no apologies, can handle the disappointment and never take myself too seriously so I just roll with it. Given our current signings, having our first summer in a while with something resembling a budget and a plan I expect us to be at the top end rather than the bottom end. So sure, put me down for an optimistic outlook again. We’ll finish 2nd. I got laughed at on a recent podcast for this prediction but I can’t change it now.

The Football Lab’s Verdict

Blackburn have improved their midfield hugely this summer with Smallwood adding grit and Whittingham, guile. If Raya, Mulgrew and Graham stay, they will complete a spine that is capable of dominating this division. 1st