As Rovers prepared for their second Lancashire derby in 6 days, Tony Mowbray spoke to the clubs’ media team ahead of the 10-game run that Rovers have to partake in. The Rovers boss also reflected on last week’s frustrating 2-2 draw with Wigan Athletic, as well as speak about his squad, in addition to touching on Saturday’s opponents; Blackpool.
“Without emphasising the cliché, a bit too much, we really are in a position where we are simply focusing on the next game. We need to prepare for Blackpool at home, we need to be ready for the clash and we’ll approach the game like we have been approaching games all season, with a positive attitude. I expect a tough game, but hopefully we can continue our good string of results.
“We haven’t really spoke too much about the disappointment of last Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Wigan. We’ve had a run through of their second goal, which came off the set-piece. We’ve been doing a bit of positional and organisational stuff, but it’s important that we don’t let mistakes like what occurred on Sunday, slide by. We talked about the positives from that game, which were there to be seen, but we have to move on now and take the drive and determination from that game into Saturday.
“I think we’ve got 5 games at home and 5 games away left, so I can’t sit here and say that our home form is going to be vital, because we’re also going to have to show up in the 5 away games. I think overall, our records at Ewood and away from home only have a couple of points difference between them, but we have to keep our focus firmly on the next game. I know now, that we can’t affect any of the teams around us, but I’m solely focused on us. If twists and turns appear in the race for promotion, and we drop points, we’ll all be disappointed. I have an expectation that all the teams around us will win their games, so we have to be on top form and emerge from every game with maximum points.
“The lads are focused and they understand what’s at stake. They also know that matchdays are what we have to live for, we have to prepare well, understand how we play and impose our game plan on the opposition. If we get a positive result, we can put that in the bag and move onto the next games’ preparation and if we get a negative result, we try and deal with it quickly and move on. If a team are going to beat us, they’re going to have to outperform us, outrun us and work harder than us, because that’s what we’ll be doing between now and the end of the season.
“Harry Chapman’s been back recently after his hamstring injury. He’s been chirpy and the lads have been having a laugh with him. You can see the talent the boy has and you can see what he brings to the table in training, he skips past people, he creates chances and hopefully we can get him training this week and give him a run out next Monday for the u23s, which will allow us to ease him back into the first team for the next game. I think allowing him to play for the u23s will give him the opportunity to play in an environment which isn’t controlled which will allow him to express himself.”
Mowbray wrapped up the interview by commenting on Adam Armstrong, who on Friday morning, had been named the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month for February.
“I’m not surprised by his achievements to be honest. I’ve worked with him before at Coventry and I think he’s got attributes which we can utilise. He’s a fantastic lad, a great personality and fits in well with this team. He also has the right attributes to succeed in this team with the likes of Bradley Dack and Jack Payne feeding him through on goal. His speed and directness is good for us as it allows him to combine with the creative players in the squad, to help us succeed. I think he loves scoring goals and that’s what the best strikers have, but ultimately, we’re glad that he’s here to be part of this balanced team that I’ve been talking about all season.”
