After a disappointing opening match to the new Blackburn Rovers 2017/18 season in League One with a 2-1 away defeat against Southend United, Rovers boss Tony Mowbray admitted his side weren’t quite good enough on the day but also urged fans not to panic.
Two first half Southend United goals saw the Shrimpers going in at Roots Hall with an unexpected lead against league favourites and ex-Premier League champions, Blackburn Rovers. Adding insult to injury, Southend United’s second goal was calmly slotted home by former Burnley winger, Michael Kightly.
“If you want to put a cliché on it, it was probably a wake up call. Welcome to the division, welcome to League One” was how the former Middlesbrough and Celtic manager started his post-match interview.
“We told the lads all week it was going to be about dealing with second balls, lots of crosses in to the box, set plays. But we probably didn’t do any of them well enough today. We didn’t get our fluency going.
“I over emphasized to the players all week that in this division, if you don’t defend set plays well, then you’re going to lose a lot of goals because every team focuses on set plays and the first goal was obviously from a corner kick that we fell asleep for at the back post.
“Sometimes in football, the opposition set up to not allow you to do and play the way you want to. When that happens you have to react, that’s what football is. What do we change, do we go more direct for example? We need to find a way to win. There will be some games this season where we’ll look great, playing through the lines, getting the ball wide, putting it in to the box and score goals. Today wasn’t one of them days.
“Southend didn’t let us play how we wanted to do. Fortuné was a real handful, same with Simon Cox. Two lads who have played in the Premier League so we shouldn’t be under the impression that Southend don’t have any good players without any experience.
“Disappointed for the supporters who traveled in huge numbers, it’s a long trip back. We have to get adapt and get used to this division, very quickly. This is a fast, intense, league. It’s all about winning second balls, dealing with crosses in to the box and then impose our own game on the opposition.
“At times it looked like some of our players hadn’t even been working together previously. It was really frustrating, I have to say.
“It’s the start of the season and you always get strange results. Newcastle lost their first two games of last season and ended up winning the league.
“We’ve had one game. We’re disappointed, but let’s judge us after ten or twelve games.
“You don’t get carried away after one game and we also have to sign some more players in the next three weeks as well. Our numbers are low, we need them.
“It’s too early to know what the problem with Lenihan is and Bradley Dack also felt something in his hamstring which is frustrating. However we have to wait and see over the next few days.
“Overall, a disappointing day but it was always going to be a tough game. Phil knows how to set his teams up, it was a good test for us but unfortunately we fell short.”
