BLACKBURN ROVERS

LAST SEASON

CHAMPIONSHIP 8th FA CUP Third Round

LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Ben Brereton Diaz ( 22)

FAN FILE

Last season was surprisingly good! We could have all lived without the traditional slump from January to March, but 8th was unexpected.

The big talking point is our left- field appointment of Jon Dahl Tomasson. After five years of polarising Tony Mowbray rule, a new era is upon us. This season will be different because it’s a fresh start: a new, European- style club structure, a director of football, several players gone – including captain Darragh Lenihan – and replacements in their stead.

Our key player will be Ben Brereton Diaz [ above, left], if he’s still here. If not, the onus will fall on John Buckley or Lewis Travis.

Our most underrated player is Scott Wharton [ below]. Heaven knows why higher- ranked clubs haven’t started sniffing around – he’s a composed beast of a centre- back. I’m least looking forward to playing

Wigan away. We never, ever win there.

The opposition player who grinds my

gears is Tom Ince, for two incredibly irrational reasons: he seems to be on a shameless mercenary tour of football and his dad did my head in at Ewood. The opposition player I’d love here is

Coventry’s Gustavo Hamer, a class act. Fans think our owners are lacking a clear vision but still happy to bankroll the club beyond any reasonable comprehension. A lot of it doesn’t make sense, but Venky’s are still here. The thing my club really gets right is their efforts to engage with the wider community, and increase initiatives and awareness of local cultures. It’s marketed right and handled sensitively. The player I’d happily drive to

another club is Daniel Ayala. He’s really good when on the field, but he can barely string two games together without straining his little toe.

I won’t be happy unless Rovers cane Burnley twice, redressing the balance after a dark era in which the Clarets have reigned supreme. The one change I’d make would be

Venky’s handing some decision- making power to the executive board structure. Everything has to be ratified in Pune, which costs time and money.

We’ll finish 10th.

FFT VERDICT 15TH

New manager Tomasson could work wonders with talents such as Buckley and Dilan Markanday. Star men Joe Rothwell, Darragh Lenihan and potentially others need to be replaced, however, so another crack at the play- offs is a hope rather than an expectation.