Well placed for a tilt at the top
RIVERSIDER23’S BLACKBURN VIEW
TEN games in, and we’re in a play-off position with a game in hand. Early days, but well-placed.
There will be stumbles on the road to promotion – like the Wimbledon game, for example – but the signs are becoming much more positive and hopeful.
Having said that, the last 20 minutes of the laboured win against Gillingham put a serious dent in my growing confidence that automatic promotion could be a realistic target.
On a high after an enjoyable performance the previous Tuesday, we could see the makings of a strong team and a bright future.
Samuel, Antonsson, Dack, Smallwood, Downing and Chapman were all impressive and good to watch.
Add Lenihan and he will strengthen the defence one way or another.
On the evidence of the pre-season games and the Checkatrades against Stoke and Bury, there are several youngsters – including Nuttall, Platt, Travis and Doyle – who should prove to be improvements to the first team squad. I’m sure there are others too - like Mols and Hart and Harper – that I haven’t seen enough of yet.
Throw all those in the mix along with the odd January addition and there’s a risk of getting carried away.
We could even get back to competing with the big boys, mid-table in the Championship…
But less of the dreaming, and back to earth and Gillingham.
Mowbray’s selection of Whittingham ahead of Evans was interesting. I guess the logic was that with Gillingham sitting right back, Whittingham’s eye for a slick and penetrative pass would be more useful than the extra security that Evans can bring. Would Whittingham take the opportunity to leave his anonymity behind and blossom into a Berkovic?
It looked possible but, as the game wore on, he drifted more and more into the half-hearted stroll that suggests he doesn’t really like hard work.
Smallwood had been magnificent on the Tues- day – tackling with bite, using the ball quickly and effectively, and giving a master-class in “tidyingup” not seen since Savage. He’s a joy to watch, and the passionate beating heart of this team.
But even he seemed affected by having Whittingham alongside him and, as experiments go, I’m not sure it’s worth repeating.
As it turned out, Gillingham did offer very little threat. A rigid and retreating 4-1-4-1 left the Rovers with plenty of possession and, with better crossing than Williams or Bennett could provide, they should have created many more chances.
The brightest spark was Dack – always available, finding space between the Gillingham lines and looking to move forward. With his head down a bit too much, and the ball getting stuck between his feet, he isn’t yet – as Mowbray might say – quite the finished article. He is though, along with Chapman, the player most likely to create danger for opposing defences.
There’s a suggestion that Dack isn’t properly up to match-speed/fitness, and that can be the only reason for his removal after 60 minutes. From that point on, it was downhill as the cohesion of the team suffered from the loss of his industry, and the level of possession plummeted.
On balance, the players who have arrived under Mowbray’s tenure suggest he’s not a bad judge of ability – but his selections and substitutions have been less confidenceinspiring. Replacing Dack, Samuel and Antonsson with Chapman, Graham and Gladwin left us significantly weaker – offensively and defensively – and what should have been a comfortable victory became decidedly edgy.
Chapman is an exciting talent, oozing confidence and eminently watchable, but he gave Williams no protection at all – and, unfortunately, Williams needs plenty of support.
Gladwin isn’t up to speed and, judging by previous performances, the quality of his touch and some silky skills are undermined by a distinct lack of consistency and sharpness of movement.
As for Graham, the less said the better.
We won’t get off so lightly against better sides.
Fortunately, we haven’t seen anything yet to cause much concern about the competition.
In the Championship, we were brought up short every now and again when, for example, Huddersfield or Derby produced performances at Ewood that painfully demonstrated a gulf in quality and organisation and effort. This season, it would be good if it was us having that impact on others. Still plenty of work to do, though.
Surprisingly, our record of goals against is currently one of the best in the division, and young Raya has to be given a chunk of credit for that. Still liable to make the odd howler, and sometimes uncertain under high balls, he also made two outstanding saves – in the first half when three Gillingham players bore down on him and a goal seemed inevitable, and then late in the game low down from close range.
So, it’s into the international break, and then away to the rejuvenated Oldham. Fingers crossed.
You can follow Riversider23 on Twitter on @MarkMark37m
KATERINA LEE’S CLARETS VIEW
YOU’D be forgiven for thinking you were watching Barcelona before that wonderful Jeff Hendrick goal at Goodison Park.
There was no panic, calm finish and 24 passes that became a goal. 24 passes! Who do we think we are?
All jokes aside, it suits us to strike on the counter, given our low possession away from home (because apparently possession means everything you know), but there is no argument with the well-oiled, well-drilled machine that we are. So much for that ‘long ball’ team?
I think we’re about to prove that defending hasn’t completely gone out of the game entirely. Everton are becoming somewhat of a poisoned chalice (and it shows) and although they really came at us, especially in our classic nervy last 10 minutes of the game, something just wasn’t sticking for them. It’s obvious we love defending, but it’s not so easy to watch as a fan.
I suppose we’re just used to it falling apart, but every single player on that pitch knows exactly what they’re doing and where they should be.
Surely then it’ll get a bit easier to stomach the last ten minutes?
We were nervous about losing Michael Keane at the start of the season, but I honestly couldn’t even place him the entire game.
Tarkowski and Mee on the other hand were controlling the game from the back.
Could they be the two most underrated defenders in the league