Everybody look what’s goin’ down
OLD BLACKBURNIAN
AT the end of a tortuous campaign, the candidates had put their records out there to be evaluated, each making strong claims, though arriving at this judgement day from fundamentally different positions.
Irrespective of your personal opinions and preferences, the winner had to be respected, whilst the loser can only learn from the experience and try harder next time.
Marcelo Bielsa may have won the November Manager of the Month, but Tony Mowbray has perhaps won the intellectual argument.
After a period of mature reflection over his personal contribution, Mowbray will no doubt be relieved that the curse of the award would be a burden for Bielsa to carry.
The results from last Saturday certainly backed up that observation.
Rovers recent form has served to demonstrate that the Championship this season is far from cut and dried. The top two may have opened up a gap, but it is far from irretrievable; especially if the curse of the Manager of the Month continues to work its magic.
Simply string a couple of wins together and a rise up the table is assured.
The points spread from third to thirteenth is six points – a couple of wins..!
The Preston game in hindsight might well prove to be a watershed moment in the season. All of Rovers’ foibles laid bare in one handy ninety-minute package. Vibrant, penetrative attacking, fragile confidence, shambolic defending; would the real Blackburn Rovers please stand up ?
Since then, something has definitely changed. In the words of the old Buffalo Springfield song;
“There’s something happening here,
‘What it is ain’t exactly clear...”
First up, another resilient midweek performance away to Swansea City, one of the early favourites for promotion who themselves had hit a rocky patch of form in November. Would Rovers provide their by now, surely patented opposition rehabilitation service? Well no, not this time. In fact, had Bradley Dack not demonstrated a serious inability to calculate when and how to secure a red card in order to ensure Christmas off (... it needed to be violent conduct Bradders or wait until the Bristol City game...), then all three points really ought to have been travelling north after the game.
The opening goal from Graham, against one of his many former employers was a delight. A fluent move, slick inter-passing prompted by the reborn Evans, Dack and Armstrong and a clinical finish from DG. Swansea responded quickly though; a corner led to Ayew being allowed a virtually free header at the edge of the six-yard box.
Gallagher created a great chance for himself towards the end but was foiled by the keeper. With Dack’s foolish dismissal evening things up, Rovers were unable to capitalise fully on a man advantage, a draw was probably a fair result.
Last season, the trip to Ashton Gate proved to be one of the horror show away performances that have punctuated the last year or so. It was in fairness a horrible performance and I suspect that many travelling fans heading south this time around, did so in hope rather than expectation.
Once the team-sheet was published, showing six changes, then it seemed that “Tony’s Tombola” was in full use.
“Courageous”, “foolhardy”, “reckless”, “ballsy”; you pays your money you takes your choice.
In what was proving to be a great week for Johnsons, Bradley of the Ewood parish seized the opportunity provided, by scoring a belter early on and through some robust midfield tackling on his part, setting up the second for substitute Armstrong to finish coolly, late in the second half. His early celebration of the impending goal was cameo.
City had two glorious gilt-edged chances, one in each half and taking just one of them clearly would have potentially changed the outcome of this encounter.
But Rovers capitalised on these errors and with a clean sheet to boot, this was a very different outcome than 2018’s vintage.
It was pleasing to see a side accommodate six changes yet play with cohesion, confidence and no little style. No problems with impending cabinet reshuffles here.
Special mention to Christian Walton who seems a lot happier playing behind this new-look defence. The return of Lenihan and Nyambe has provided solidity, but one of the most pleasing features has been the performances of Amari’i Bell – much maligned and in fairness, not entirely without justification, he has blossomed in recent weeks when called into action.
Since the Deepdale disaster, it’s six wins, one draw and one defeat. a delightful
That’s promotion form...if it sustains over 46 games of course and that is the key question. I’m not sure who the real Blackburn Rovers are but I do rather like this incarnation and there is something happening here, for now.
Back to Buffalo Springfield; the song goes on:
“A thousand people in the street
‘Singing songs and carrying signs
‘Mostly say, hooray for our side...”
The Christmas and New Year programme is renowned for its unlikely scorelines. It seems just the whiff of turkey or mince pies causes football teams to do crazy things, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but that said, we should not fear any of our upcoming opponents.
It just remains to wish you, our lovely readers, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year; may 2020 bring you and yours health and happiness (and may Mrs Old Blackburnian’s recovering broken ankle soon have her back in first-team contention!).
CRICKET CHRIS OSTICK
LANCASHIRE’S Richard Gleeson has been called up to the England Lions squads for their tour to Australia in the new year.
The bowler is the only Red Rose player in the 50-over squad for the trip.
But he is joined by his Lancashire team-mates Keaton Jennings and Saqib Mahmood for the four-day leg of the tour.
The Lions play five one-day matches Down Under, three against a Cricket Australia XI on the Gold Coast in the first week of February and two against a New South Wales XI in Sydney.
They then have three four-day matches - the first versus Cricket Australia XI in Hobart, the second at the MCG where they will play Australia A in a day/ night match.
And they finish the tour at the beginning of March against a New South Wales XI in Wollongong.
“We’ve selected two exciting squads for our Lions’ tour of
Australia, where the aim is not only to win matches but to prepare players for international cricket,” said National Selector Ed Smith. “With this tour we’ve got England’s shortterm needs in mind. Australia is a tough place to tout, so it will be a great test for all involved.”