As ForeverAddickted has already mentioned, pre-season results often are meaningless, but for the purpose of this post, lets take a closer look at our opponents for tomorrow's opening fixture back in The Championship for us, the 2019 League One Play-Off Winners. A comfortable and unbeaten pre-season was recorded by Blackburn Rovers, wins against Barrow, Mansfield, Bury, and Blackpool was joined alongside a draw at Ibrox against Glasgow Rangers. It could in fact be argued that Blackburn haven't really tested themselves against tougher opposition, considering the match against the Scottish giants was a good two weeks ago, a match which also contained the usual vast amount of substitutions. Therefore, it would be wise to cast our eye over how Blackburn fared in their first season back in The Championship last season - maybe we could learn a couple of pointers towards our goal of survival. Blackburn's home record was solid enough, picking up 37 of their finishing total of 60 points. In fact, they only lost 6 league matches at home all season, beating sides such as Derby, Leeds, and West Brom. This is most definitely going to be a tough fixture, even without taking into account how current squad situation. In fact, it was quite possibly the solid start that Blackburn had which set them on their way to a season of consolidation. They found themselves having only lost once in their opening 10 fixtures, a 4-1 defeat away at Bristol City. It wouldn't be until the beginning of October when they first lost at home, a 2-0 defeat to eventual runners-up, Sheffield United. Their decent run of form continued, and their second loss at home came just before Christmas, again to an eventual promotion winner, this time, it was champions Norwich City.
Blackburn's most influential and potential danger men could arguably come from their midfield, none more so than Bradley Dack. A small midfielder who likes to get into the pockets of space between the midfield and defence, sometimes drifting out wide too, he is someone we are going to have to keep a very close eye on. We can't afford to be giving him the space we allowed the Villa players last weekend in and around our box. Another danger man I am going to talk of is Charlie Mulgrew. Now, as a defender many might think why would he be a threat to us? Well, having scored 24 league goals in the past 2 seasons, he is a free-kick and penalty specialist. Any set-pieces around the box, he is likely to take them and produce some quality. Blackburn do of course have other players, a ridiculous amount of strikers in comparison to us, they are likely to have very decent options from the bench that could cause us problems. They have spent too this summer, with new recruits having played for teams pushing for promotion last season, they have the necessary Championship experience that we just don't. Stewart Downing and Bradley Johnson both came in on free transfers whilst young Adarabioyo joins on loan from Man City after playing regularly for West Brom last season. Blackburn have also spent money too, £5mil on Sam Gallagher from Southampton, a striker they know well after his loan spell a few years back, a time where he got into double figures when Blackburn were relegated from The Championship. I cannot comment too much on areas where we are able to hurt them, but with a overall team that doesn't have any significant pace or massive amounts of mobility, the young and fresh legs of our players could cause them problems late on in the game.
Regarding us, it actually should be fairly simple to provide an educated guess of what the team will be. With no other striker that Bowyer trusts to play, Taylor is going to have to start up front on his own. A current unbalanced squad with lots of defenders and not enough midfielders and strikers with the quality needed, Bowyer is likely to pack out the area which should be able to cope the best. The signing of Conor Gallagher from Chelsea means he should start on the bench, taking the place of Alfie Doughty. With Aneke and Page out for this opener, we only really have 18 or 19 players to choose from - a good handful not being ready for this level. I can though see one of our own youngsters starting, a young midfielder who provides us with lots of energy, heart and desire, but one who needs some guidance in his positioning. George Lapslie. For me, it would be pointless starting with Oshilaja because we are going to need the leadership qualities that Pearce has, so we would essentially be starting with 6 defenders if this was the case. Therefore, for me it can only be one team and a team which will need to get up and support Taylor as best and as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we are going to be camped in our own half far too much and invite constant pressure.
Phillips Solly Lockyer Pearce Sarr Purrington Lapslie Pratley Forster-Caskey Williams Taylor
I genuinely believe this will be how we line up tomorrow. Bow has said enough times that Bonne isn't ready to start so starting him will be a message.
Once again not filling our bench to make a point. (maybe Harriott on the bench as a triallist which still makes a point).
For starters, you're completely missing Lapslie and we will fill the bench tomorrow.
Secondly, Bonne and Taylor have barely played together all pre-season, if at all. I highly doubt we will start both when Bonne isn't ready and would leave us without a striker in any form on the bench.
We had enough youth to fill the bench last season and didn't, what makes you think we will this time?
Bowyer has proven he likes two up top. Why would now be any different?
I genuinely believe this will be how we line up tomorrow. Bow has said enough times that Bonne isn't ready to start so starting him will be a message.
Once again not filling our bench to make a point. (maybe Harriott on the bench as a triallist which still makes a point).
For starters, you're completely missing Lapslie and we will fill the bench tomorrow.
Secondly, Bonne and Taylor have barely played together all pre-season, if at all. I highly doubt we will start both when Bonne isn't ready and would leave us without a striker in any form on the bench.
We had enough youth to fill the bench last season and didn't, what makes you think we will this time?
Bowyer has proven he likes two up top. Why would now be any different?
I genuinely believe this will be how we line up tomorrow. Bow has said enough times that Bonne isn't ready to start so starting him will be a message.
Once again not filling our bench to make a point. (maybe Harriott on the bench as a triallist which still makes a point).
For starters, you're completely missing Lapslie and we will fill the bench tomorrow.
Secondly, Bonne and Taylor have barely played together all pre-season, if at all. I highly doubt we will start both when Bonne isn't ready and would leave us without a striker in any form on the bench.
We had enough youth to fill the bench last season and didn't, what makes you think we will this time?
Bowyer has proven he likes two up top. Why would now be any different?
It was an assumption based on Bow's behaviour last season... You seemed intent on proving yourself right. Congratulations.
Sky sports believe we're set up 4-4-2 😂 which is even worse than my prediction!
It was more for the fact of you lol'ing my responses when I was making valid points, so yes I wanted to prove my point, even though I admit it may make me seem a little childish.
Walking home from Wembley with optimism flowing through our veins, who woulda thunk that starting line up would begin our rerun to the championship? Unbelievable!
I genuinely believe this will be how we line up tomorrow. Bow has said enough times that Bonne isn't ready to start so starting him will be a message.
Once again not filling our bench to make a point. (maybe Harriott on the bench as a triallist which still makes a point).
For starters, you're completely missing Lapslie and we will fill the bench tomorrow.
Secondly, Bonne and Taylor have barely played together all pre-season, if at all. I highly doubt we will start both when Bonne isn't ready and would leave us without a striker in any form on the bench.
We had enough youth to fill the bench last season and didn't, what makes you think we will this time?
Bowyer has proven he likes two up top. Why would now be any different?
It was an assumption based on Bow's behaviour last season... You seemed intent on proving yourself right. Congratulations.
Sky sports believe we're set up 4-4-2 😂 which is even worse than my prediction!
It was more for the fact of you lol'ing my responses when I was making valid points, so yes I wanted to prove my point, even though I admit it may make me seem a little childish.
No harm done.
Fingers crossed we can get by with that set up! I'll often lol when something is funny or when something is ridiculous... Us having to play that formation because of a crap transfer window is both funny and ridiculous.
For some inexplicable reason I missed FA’s prematurely review so thought I would go back and have a look at all the doom and gloom in retrospect. I had to wait till the bottom of page two to come across a couple of accurate predictions.
But that makes our wonderful result all the sweeter.
Comments
Sky sports believe we're set up 4-4-2 😂 which is even worse than my prediction!
Literally just updated theirs.
😂
Fingers crossed we can get by with that set up! I'll often lol when something is funny or when something is ridiculous... Us having to play that formation because of a crap transfer window is both funny and ridiculous.
But that makes our wonderful result all the sweeter.
COYA