Tony’s given us back our Rovers
BLUE-EYED BOY’S BLACKBURN VIEW
I’VE looked very hard and I’m struggling to find a run of results in Rovers’ history to match the remarkable current sequence of one defeat in 28 league games.
Twenty-three unbeaten under Don Mackay in 1987-88 is a record but it all rather fell to bits after that.
Gordon Lee’s Third Division Champions lost just one of the last 18 in 1975.
But if you’d said after the defeat at Boundary Park in mid-October that Rovers would lose just once more up to and including Easter, you’d have attracted looks to suggest you wanted locking up for your own safety.
As is often the case with these things, what eventually metamorphosised into such a thrilling rollercoaster began quietly and modestly, chugging slightly upwards at a moderate pace with draws at home to Plymouth and Fleetwood, a respectable nowt apiece at Wigan and a fine Ewood victory over Portsmouth in between the first two draws.
That win over Portsmouth sent us into a playoff spot – but Shrewsbury stood a massive 14 points above us at that stage, Wigan 12.
If anybody was panicking about the possibility of automatic promotion, it certainly wasn’t Tony Mowbray and the manager deserves enormous credit, far more than he’s got actually, for steering us through such a memorable six months.
League One has three outstanding teams this season. One of them will miss out on an automatic berth and could possibly miss out altogether.
But you know what? Even if it’s us, I’ve enjoyed it enough to say without hesitation I’d renew my season ticket.
One pal on Twitter said: “Quite simply he’s given us our Rovers back, not just the results but the style we play with at times is the most thrilling I’ve seen at Rovers since Mark Hughes was gaffer.” Hear, hear.
In some ways I’ve enjoyed the football this season far more than watching Sam Allardyce’s Premier League Rovers.
Two more wins over the Easter weekend coupled with a defeat apiece for both of our rivals strengthened our hand considerably.
Bradford looked a poor, poor outfit – remember people calling for Mowbray to be replaced by Simon Grayson? – and after having to show considerable patience, Dack added another goal of sublime movement and cool, clinical precision to his impressive collection, fed by outstandling-onthe-night Corry Evans, which would have graced any level of football.
Conway’s contribution was a popular one in our house – we got an ecstatic What’s App update from the girls at Ewood as we sat in a Glasgow pub which didn’t have Sky!
Before Shrewsbury play in the league again, Rovers have the opportunity to bank six points at home to Southend and away to Gillingham on Tuesday. Shrewsbury then go to Bradford on Thursday. Surely even their indomitable refusal to be disheartened would be tested by a seven-point deficit?
That’s all speculation and wishful thinking for now.
Back in the land of facts, congratulations to Bradley Dack, Charlie Mulgrew and David Raya on their selection for the league XI by their fellow professionals. Dack and Mulgrew were the most obvious of picks but I said in this column earlier in the season that I doubted there was a better keeper than Raya at this level and I’m delighted to have been proved right by those who know their footballers best.
I’m looking forward to Ewood on Saturday having missed the Bradford game.
And fellow columnist Old Blackburnian, who made the journey to Milton Keynes, is far better qualified to sum up events there so I’ll leave the last word this week to him.
“MK Dons away is not one of the fixtures that typically makes the heart race at the beginning of a season, but at this point, of this particular season; especially in the last 15 minutes on Monday...
Well, let’s put it this way, an ECG on any random Rovers’ fans in the handsome 2,500 following would have had heart specialists from miles around being called in on their days off.
If there is a valid criticism of Rovers this season, especially away from home; it is the inability to string together two consecutive halves of high quality and so it was again here.
What was it that SvenGöran Eriksson used to say when England boss ?
“First half good....sec- ond half....not so good...”
In an eerie atmosphere where 10,000 fans rattled around the cavernous 30,000 seater stadium, Rovers dominated the first half albeit at a testimonial pace.
The only time raw pace was evident was when the pocket Geordie rocket Armstrong latched onto Graham’s exquisite crossfield passes with devastating consequences for MK.
Whatever went in Rovers’ tea at half time it seemed to dull the edge of a side that perhaps found the first 45 minutes too easy?
Once again, pinned back by inferior opposition. Once again indebted to David Raya for a couple of worldies that kept the now rejuvenated MK Dons attack at bay.
On a day where the main men of Dack, Mulgrew & Graham never quite fired on all cylinders, Rovers owe a massive debt to Raya and Armstrong.
It would be an insult to the other to have to name one of them as Man of the Match, if ever a joint award was deserved, it was here.
I must confess, I’m not too sure as to how many more of these I can cope with...without medication!
KATERINA LEE’S CLARETS VIEW
WE’VE finally won at The Hawthorns and in a spectacular fashion.
The world is talking about Ronaldo’s insane overhead kick against Juventus in the Champions League, but our Ashley Barnes did it first.
Well, it was magnificent for us anyway.
In a fixture that usually brings utter dismay, it was a seemingly unfair fight.
I’ve got no qualms whatsoever with the Baggies (despite the 3-0 and 5-0 defeats in recent past), so it’s kind of a shame to see them in such dire straits, but what humongous windows have been open for us going into the last, extremely important games.
We did have a few nervy parts towards the end where it did look as though West Brom could get an equaliser, but we kept our cool and proved that we are truly flying at the moment.
A lot of it is down to Chris Wood. Scored in the second half, could have scored more easily and he brings out the best in Ashley Barnes, to say the least.
With Wood on the pitch, Barnes looks like a different player entirely and that only brings out the