It’s understandable that some Blackburn Rovers supporters are depressed on Monday morning after losing three straight Championship games and surrendering 11 goals in the process.
Rovers’ Sunday was not enjoyable as the Premier League team from Leicester City inflicted another loss at Ewood Park. While Jon Dahl Tomasson’s team battled for 80 minutes, two goals in the dying minutes made the final score of 4-1 appear worse than it actually was.
In actuality, however, Leicester did keep Blackburn at a distance for the majority of the second half. They were satisfied with their defensive setup and let Rovers have the ball and probe.
Lewis Travis’ game-winning opportunity at 2-1 was undoubtedly the key moment. Sam Szmodics’ rebound was blocked, and the captain successfully forced a fine stop out of Mads Hermansen. The closest they got to an equalizer was that.
Watch Elliott Jackson’s analysis of Leicester City’s 1-4 loss at Blackburn Rovers.
Rovers’ attacking movement lacked width and variety without a natural striker. The Foxes were content to funnel them centrally despite having plenty of opportunities to see the ball. With four attacking players who all possessed comparable skill sets, there weren’t many openings.
Rovers experienced a little more joy in the opening period. When Leicester attempted to play out or when the ball moved backward, they pushed hard, which led to the first goal. In the first 20 minutes, Tomasson’s strategies were effective, and Rovers were dangerous when they regained possession of the ball.
The most intelligent Rovers player was Andrew Moran. He caused problems for Leicester in the first half by committing defenders and stealing the ball in small spaces and on the half-turn.
The problem with playing against a team that is essentially in the Premier League is that they pick up strategies faster than your typical group of players from a lower league. In order to avoid being intercepted by the Foxes’ brisk passing when they lost possession, Rovers implemented a planned man-marking strategy.
As a result, Jannik Vestergaard was given free reign over the ball and nobody bothered to press him. He would frequently be standing alone on the midway line. Not much of a problem, but it clearly caused some annoyance in the stadium.
As a result, when they took the lead again, they avoided falling for the same trap twice. Again, just like the first goal, it’s a fairly easy goal to concede. While there have been some indications that Aynsley Pears should do better, the centre-backs need to be examined because they aren’t playing close enough to the goal scorers.
Tomasson examines Blackburn Rovers’ defensive issues in more detail
The first goal was not the first of its kind that Rovers conceded from a set piece. Harry Clarke opened fire on Ipswich after they failed to clear their lines. Similar to Sunderland, Dan Neil fully capitalized.
Additionally, they have now given up in the opening five minutes of two straight games. Systems or techniques are not at fault here; instead, it is humans who have been disorganized from the start. Those are the goals that Rovers should just stop scoring.
Similar mistakes are made in the third, where there is a lack of focus and switch-off when the ball is dead and Vestergaard attacks Carter. Penalty. It’s over.
Carter has been fantastic for Rovers in 2023, but over the past 10 days, he has fallen short of his normal excellent standards. The defense needs to be reenergized ahead of Coventry City, in my opinion.
James Hill and Scott Wharton had been eagerly awaiting a chance. Given that Rovers have conceded 16 goals in just five games, they have a good cause to wonder “why not.”
Hill is, in my opinion, the most likely to start and partner Dom Hyam against the Sky Blues. I’d be tempted to switch Callum Brittain to the other side and recall Joe Rankin-Costello as well.
Rovers need the offensive threats from the full-back if their offense lacks width due to the absence of a suitable number nine. Another player whose performance has slipped is Harry Pickering, and a break won’t hurt him.
The biggest conundrum likely exists in middle. Adam Wharton appears to be in need of a break, but does Rovers have a player who can step in for him? Since the team’s victory over West Brom on the first day of the Championship, Sondre Tronstad has not been seen.
Another option would be to switch from the 4-3-3 formation they have been using to a 4-2-3-1 and drop Lewis Travis deeper alongside Wharton. It might provide more defense.
It appears that Leopold Walhstedt will also have a chance to highlight his qualifications. Although the severity of Pears’ ankle injury is uncertain, it would be surprising if he were able to participate in any way for Coventry or QPR.
This week seems significant for Rovers. The mistakes they committed individually and the caliber of the opposition they faced can both be excused. After nine games, Sunderland, Ipswich, and Leicester are three of the top four teams in the standings.
However, this cannot be true of Queens Park Rangers or Coventry City. That’s not meant to be disparaging; they do present their own threats. However, this week, more of the same won’t cut it.
This week, Rovers need to convert a few skeptics into believers, and they have the games to accomplish it.
Leave a Reply