Rovers Rant: From The Stands…(Again!)

Rovers Rant: From The Stands…(Again!)

With the new 2021-22 Championship season, less than 24 hours away, us Rovers fans have been sweating all summer – quite literally during the heatwave(!) – in anticipation of something positive – (probably not the right word to us given the times!) – to entice and excite us for the upcoming season.

Although, we have had over 90 days since the end of the 2020-21 season, the back of which saw 11 first-team players depart the club – five of whom were in on loan – we are all yet to see new blood hold the famous Blue and White halves aloft and with continued speculation over 29-goal forward Adam Armstrong rife, given a succession of rejected bids and a perceived stalemate over a new Rovers contract, it’s a wonder where the positives will come from, given Rovers’ main problems since returning to the second tier have revolved around quality in depth.

Despite all the supposed dark clouds that are forming over Ewood Park before a ball has even been kicked, there are positives that we can look to for 2021-22 and that is homaged in the title of this piece; ‘From the Stands’. After an agonising wait of over 500 days since fans were allowed back into Ewood Park, ‘We’re On Our Way Back’ as chant goes.

Many times in the second-half of 2019-20 and throughout the whole of 2020-21, we saw Rovers struggle, both home and away as the lack of a crowd – specifically at Ewood – refrained Rovers from finding a second-wind after falling behind or being held despite dominating, with home games against Nottingham Forest and Reading in 2020-21, springing to the forefront of the mind.

Whilst the return of the crowd will no doubt rally the players on the pitch, the kits they don have also become an attraction in themselves.
Alongside the on-pitch scepticism, there was some hesitancy regarding the kits, prior to their release, given this season is Rovers’ first foray with Italian apparel giants, Macron.

Notwithstanding the heartbreak the Italians caused the English in the final of Euro 2020 – (or are we calling it 2021?) – Macron certainly redeemed their nation some brownie points with two astonishing attires, not least with the return of the long-awaited Red and Black halved away strip, last seen in 2007-08.

 

 

Partnered with the return of fans and the release of the kits, came what was arguably, the story of the summer – (because what else happened over the summer?) – as our very own Ben Brereton (Díaz) shot to fame with Chile, at the Copa America. After capturing the hearts of ‘La Roja’, with young Chilean, Cristóbal, being his main admirer, Señor Díaz put himself and Rovers back on the global map with his fine performances in Brazil.

The 22-year old forward took to the national team like a duck to water, as despite being rooted to the bench in Chile’s 2022 World Cup Qualification games against Bolivia and Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the attacker – who in 2017 was crowned a u-17s European Champion with the England youth side that included Euro 2020 finalists, Aaron Ramsdale, Reece James and Mason Mount – soon got his chance to prove his worth to the Selección and earn the badge of ‘playing against Leo Messi’ as he came on for a late cameo in Chile’s first 2021 Copa America game, which was a 1-1 draw with eventual Copa winners, Argentina.

His impressive stint saw him remain a fixture of the side, even notching the winning goal over Bolivia and an assist against Uruguay. Although Chile and ‘Big Ben’ were eventually denied a place in the Semis following a defeat to eventual finalists, Brazil. The Stoke-On-Trent-born forward captured the hearts and minds of the whole nation and propelled himself to worldwide fame, with him even securing a contract with Pepsi!

Whilst his exploits on the international stage were great to see, his newfound confidence; which he gained both, following a fine season at Rovers and an impressive stint with ‘La Roja’ will come as a welcome for Tony Mowbray and Rovers as they try and mould Brereton into the potential they paid up to a reported £7m for, a glimpse of which was evident courtesy of his fine brace against Bolton Wanderers in Rovers’ final pre-season outing.

This upcoming season will certainly be a ‘watershed’ moment in the Tony Mowbray reign, as he could easily become a victim of his own ‘journey’.

Additionally, the manager’s resolve – and that of the team – will ultimately be tested during the winter months, after the club spent around £500,000 over the summer to ‘dig up and replace’ the existing pitch. After the boss spent a long period of last season critiquing the state of the surface, noting that it impacted how Rovers wanted to play, the progress of the pitch over the course of the campaign, will certainly be another interesting factor to Rovers’ season.

With one of Mowbray’s two ‘prized assets’ facing increasing uncertainty in terms of his future in Adam Armstrong – who has been the subject of multiple bids from Premier League sides – and the other working his way back from a second ACL injury in as many years in Bradley Dack, there is already a lot of pressure on the manager, before a ball has even been kicked, regardless of where you lie in terms of the – as I like to call it – ‘Managerial Hokey-Cokey’.

Despite the anticipation and the build-up towards the new season and the return of fans, Rovers are – as of writing – still light in numbers and are one of four second tier sides – alongside Derby County, Reading and Sheffield United – yet to acquire fresh faces.

Although Rovers did secure the services of Harry Pickering in January, who is set to make his competitive debut this season after remaining on loan at former club, Crewe Alexandra, during the second-half of last season, from the outside looking in, there still seems to be a lot of round holes than need filling, with many fans afraid that it might be another season of ‘square pegs’, or ‘transition’, to frame it more eloquently.

Those who have been on the terraces of Ewood Park for longer than I have – since 2010, for those wondering – will remember the great goalscorers that this historic club has had over the years and there’s always been a consistent theme come their departures – as a friend said to me a few days ago – “We get through it, we always do.”

From Alan Shearer, Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy to Yakubu, Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede, we’ve always found a way to bounce back from losing our main man, and Adam Armstrong’s situation will be no different.

Over the past week, the forward has been subject of a bidding war from Premier League sides, specifically Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Southampton – the latter of whom also lost their prized forward in Danny Ings to Aston Villa. Whilst the loss of a 30-goal season hitman will always hit a club hard, all hope isn’t lost and nobody should be panic-printing the League One badges onto next season’s kits, as some have been hastily suggesting.

Maybe Armstrong’s – seemingly inevitable – departure is exactly what we need in terms of a club? Just as the relegation to League One refreshed the whole club, maybe a large influx in cash will help create a more balanced side, rather than the sole reliance 2020-21 saw?

We’ve already seen proof of this under Mowbray in Danny Graham’s departure. As the forward’s role translated into a bit-part one in 2019-20, it was Armstrong who took his mantle and shouldered the responsibilities of both, DG and the injury-stricken Bradley Dack, so who’s to say that freeing up the striker spot won’t allow Sam Gallagher, Ben Brereton (Díaz), Dan Butterworth or indeed, Connor McBride to do the same?

I think if we are to drop Arma off, before continuing the journey, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next song on the radio was Fall Out Boy’s ‘Thanks for the Memories’.

Despite his ridiculous individual return of 64 goals for the club and the rather straightforward League One promotion, the overall Championship league table finishes of 15th in 2018-19, 11th in 2019-20 and 15th again in 2020-21, that followed, leave a sour taste in all our mouths of fans, and that Arma’s spell really was a case of ‘Thanks for the Memories, even though they weren’t so great.’

Nobody said that negotiating for players was easy, yet Rovers always seem to take their time in finding what’s right for them. This has particularly become evident with our own crop, with the number of first-team players – very worryingly – entering the final year of their contracts reaching nine, including Thomas Kaminski, Ryan Nyambe, Joe Rothwell and the aforementioned, Adam Armstrong, just to name a few.

With many fans fearing the worst regarding Nyambe and Rothwell specifically, I feel there should be more fear regarding Nyambe than Rothwell, despite the latter being an exceptional player.

Rovers, since their departure from the Premier League have historically struggled to nail down the right-back spot until Nyambe’s breakthrough under Tony Mowbray, and his physical attributes, as well as that of his defending are invaluable to a club like Rovers, who have constantly been plagued by suspect defending.

Whilst Rothwell, in his own right, has superb attributes that strike fear into any opponent, given his lightning pace and his fine eye for a pass, there’s an argument to suggest that the potential loss of Nyambe would impact the squad’s harmony more than that of Rothwell. Midfielder’s are usually – in a sweeping generalisation – rather ten-a-penny, whereas solid, consistent right-backs, especially in this division, usually command a high price due to their rarity; especially one of Nyambe’s physique and experience at such a young age with room to grow.

Linked to the Armstrong departure, however, have been forwards Michael Obafemi and Adam Idah, from Southampton and Norwich City, respectively. Although both have been linked to Ewood Park as part of a part-exchange deal for Armstrong on the rumour mill, neither player’s link have been concrete, despite supposed admiration from Rovers.

Whilst both forwards have been exposed to a decent amount of first-team football, exclusively at Premier League level for Obafemi, but both first and second tier for Idah, both have been susceptible to relatively long-term injuries over the course of their short careers thus far and dealing with such would prove to be a serious challenge for Rovers, given Armstrong’s relatively clean health bill.

One player who has been concretely linked to Rovers, is Manchester City midfielder, Tommy Doyle. The 19-year old, who is the current captain of the Cityzen’s Under-23s side, boasts quality both going forwards and defensively and would certainly add some flair to Rovers’ rather desolate midfield. Alongside his personal attributes and his club experience, Doyle has also been a fixture in England’s youth teams, including captaining the under-20s on his debut.

Alongside the experience and knowledge he would have received from training with the riches of Manchester City, the young lad may well be able to draw on fellow club-mate, Jacob Davenport for help and guidance, given the pair were part of Manchester City’s academy and would have undoubtedly crossed paths during training with the Cityzens.

It seems that, as usual, as the respective campaigns draw nearer, both Premier League clubs and those in the Championship might be scrapping towards securing loans, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a repeat of last season, where – like London Buses – they all arrive at once.

Following Mowbray’s admission that Rovers would not have the cash required to fill the gaps left from last season’s departures with permanent players it left many fans, including myself, wondering why we had put all our eggs in one basket and opted to hire former Celtic scout, John Park, as ‘Head of Recruitment’? And with the recent departure of Glyn Chamberlain, who only lasted 18 months as ‘Head of European Scouting’, it’s certainly spiced things up in the never-ending soap opera we call ‘Blackburn Rovers Football Club’.

However, saying that, Mowbray has always been one to play his cards close to his chest and bluff during windows, in order to achieve the best possible deals for his side.

It’s almost reminiscent of Del Boy and Boycie’s poker game in Only Fools and Horses, but I’m not sure where we’re going to get two pairs of Aces from!

And yes, I couldn’t resist not adding the clip!  ?

In fairness to the manager however, he has been a key cog in allowing academy players flourish within the first-team squad, with a handful of academy graduates making their debuts under Tony Mowbray including the likes of Ryan Nyambe, Scott Wharton, Lewis Travis, John Buckley and Joe Rankin-Costello, all of whom have become mainstays within the side and important assets to Rovers, both now and for the future.

It would also be rude not to mention Premier League-bound David Raya, who – after sealing promotion back to the Championship in 2017-18 – netted the club a cash windfall of up to £5m, following his move to Brentford and their subsequent promotion.

Regardless of where you fall on the side of the aforementioned ‘Managerial Hokey-Cokey’, there’s no denying that Mr. Mowbray has breathed new life into the academy system and justified Venky’s decision to continue the development of the academy and maintain it as a Category 1 academy, despite the costs.

This focus on the academy, has particularly shone throughout pre-season, over the past few weeks with many of the developing lads being offered chances to impress and potentially earn a place within the first-team squad for the upcoming season. The likes of Connor McBride, who notched two goals – including a fine free-kick against Leeds United – Tyler Magloire, Jake Garrett and Lenni Cirino, particularly impressed with their displays against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Whilst Mowbray has always admitted that he prefers a ‘smaller, tighter squad’, rather than a large number of players, he has seemingly tried to make the best out of a bad situation during pre-season, by reverting back to the early days of the League One campaign in experimenting with a five-at-the-back formation.

As we all remember, the five-back formations didn’t really propser during the early stages of the 2017-18 campaign, before the manager switched. Yet, there is an argument to suggest that such a system, might work to Rovers’ advantage, given the current crop and the added emphasis on trying to quell the leaky defence, that has proved to be a thorn in many-a Rovers promotion push.

Although in the pre-season 1-0 victory against AFC Fylde and the subsequent 1-0 and 2-0 defeats to Everton and Bradford City, respectively, Rovers opted to start with a four-back system, the 1-1 home tie against Leeds United and the first-half of the 2-2 stalemate at Bolton Wanderers saw Tony Mowbray opt for a five-back system.

Although many supporters and even the manager himself, may have a difference of opinion regarding the system, it was nice to see how life could potentially be in a different shape, which allows, both for expansion when moving forwards and more cohesive, solid structure when the ball is turned over, thus giving the opponent more to think about.

Simultaneously to this thought, some may argue, ‘why would you want to stick to a system which saw us draw 1-1 with Leeds and go 2-0 down to Bolton?’. That is a valid point when you look at the face of the argument, yet the idea of getting to grips with a system takes longer than a game and a half. There’s no doubt that the manager has given the idea and system a lot of emphasis in training in an attempt to try and stamp out, rash and at times, below average defending, which we have witnessed over the past few years, particularly during the second-half of campaigns.

I’ve always wanted to write an in-depth piece regarding the tactical debate under Tony Mowbray, but I’ve never properly gotten round to it. So whilst this piece isn’t about me trying to convert you all into ‘five-at-the-backers’, it’ll have to do in offering me the chance to briefly suggest why I think this is the way to go for Rovers, even when the likes of Bradley Dack and Daniel Ayala find consistent fitness and/or permanent signings are made – (and of course, feel free to disagree with me!).

A five-back system, particularly the 5-2-1-2, would offer Rovers the needed flexibility and threat going forwards, whilst also beefing up defensively. The team in the graphic below, will be my ‘best XI’ when fit, but a lot of the positions are interchangable, given the calibre of players we already have at the club and the experienced versatility a lot of them have.

By having the solidity and cover of three centre-backs, it not only encourages the idea of playing out of the back – a philosophy that Mowbray has emphasised – but also offers more avenues in which to play the ball, from a defender’s perspective, if Rovers come under severe pressure from a goal-kick, for example.

Alongside this, the use of the two wingbacks, not only allows an under-pressure defender or goalkeeper to clip it out wide, but also forces the opponent – from a goal-kick – to come out of their shell and leave gaps open in behind, which could then lead to a punt downfield, thus eliminating the pressing opposition.

Moreover, the use of the wide players as wing-backs, rather than full-backs, offers them an attacking presence which will be vital in creating chances at the top-end of the field. Both, Nyambe and Pickering excel at marauding up and down their touchlines, which helps, in theory, keep the rigidity of the system. This also allows for them to both, stretch play and condense it narrow at will, given the manner of the game.

Although some may have concerns regarding what may be perceived as an ‘outnumbered’ midfield, the state of the centre would adapt based on the possession of the ball.

Looking at the top-end of the pitch, the use of two central strikers would not topple the much-loathed ‘wide striker’ idea, but would also allow for the attacking triangle to interchange and overload – what would typically be – two centre-backs. However, even in the eventuality, Rovers faced a fellow ‘five-backer’, the use of the #10 would also help negate any defensive overload, the opposition may think they have.

Furthermore, it has been shown throughout previous campaigns that three/five-back systems can prove to be successful in the second tier, with Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United and Valérien Ismaël’s Barnsley, being two recent sides who found success ditching a four-back system and here it proves that regardless of the quality within your squad, a consistent, well-drilled approach can take you far.

In my view, it’s simply a case of trying to match the individual battles on the pitch and forcing overloads – (but not overcommitting rashly) – particularly against teams that persist with the rather ‘trendy’ 4-2-3-1 system, that we became accustomed to seeing prior to the pandemic.

*The photo was captured before the release of the squad numbers, yesterday!*

 

On Monday, we asked for your thoughts ahead of 2021-22…
…and the reaction garnered a lot of mixed feelings towards the upcoming campaign;

We also noted that we – or ‘I’ rather – would reveal where I thought our ‘Optimisms & Pessimisms’ were, alongside where I thought we needed to strengthen between now and 31st August and, as with every pre-season piece, a predicted finish come May.

Here’s my list:

‘Optimisms’:
The Academy
(Particularly in Pre-Season.)

‘Pessimisms’:
The blank ‘Ins’ column & the Armstrong saga.
(It’s a pretty straightforward saga, but one that could have deep ramifications!)

Where we need to strengthen?:
Defence & Midfield – mainly cover.
(Not attackers due to what I mentioned above.)

Predicted Finish (as things stand):
12th

To end, I would like to thank you all for reading and, thank those who (unknowingly) helped contribute to this piece on Twitter!

Of course, if you disagree with me over anything in this rant, feel free to tweet me: @readrovers.

Here’s hoping I get proved wrong and we go on to win the title! ??⚪

Cheers,
Zeid