Blackburn Rovers with real chance of Championship promotion playoff place

08/11/21 1283

Blackburn Rovers were relegated from the Premier League in 2012 and have been left in the wilderness ever since. Rovers are now in their ninth season outside of the English top flight after a long period of being one of the ever-present sides in the Premier League.

The Blue and Whites’ time outside of the Premier League has seen them drop as low as League One, where they played one full season in 2017-18, gaining promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Since being relegated to the Championship, Blackburn Rovers have never finished higher than eighth place in the division. The Blue and Whites have rarely looked likely of qualifying for the Championship promotion playoffs.

This season could be different, however, as Blackburn Rovers are seventh in the Championship table after 17 matches. Rovers are level on 26 points with sixth-place Queens Park Rangers in a congested Championship table.

Tony Mowbray’s team wasn’t supposed to be in its current position, which makes its play look even more impressive. Blackburn Rovers sold striker Adam Armstrong to Southampton for £15 million in August.

Armstrong scored 28 Championship goals and had five assists in 2020-21. Prior to his exit for Southampton, it was expected that Armstrong would help Blackburn Rovers fight for promotion. Once the sale was made, those expectations diminished quickly.

Mowbray also lost midfielder/forward Harvey Elliott after his loan from Liverpool ended. Elliott was a star for Blackburn Rovers posting seven Championship goals and 11 assists. Elliott continued to build on that success at Ewood Park with Liverpool this season until injury curtailed his campaign at Anfield.

So, how is Mowbray masterminding a promotion playoff push? For one, Blackburn Rovers have benefitted from a very even first third of the Championship season.

West Brom are third in the table with 32 points and just 10 points separate the Baggies and 16th-place Reading. Consistency is what enables a team to qualify for the promotion playoffs. Sustained consistency has been somewhat hard to find for Mowbray, but Rovers have found enough so far.

Despite Armstrong’s sale to Southampton, Mowbray has found goalscoring from Ben Brereton Diaz. Yes, the Englishman who has become a sensation for the Chilean national team – called up courtesy of his mother being Chilean.

Brereton has scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for Blackburn Rovers. He averages a goal every 112 minutes in the Championship. The striker is second in goalscoring in the Championship, but he isn’t the only player Mowbray has to score goals.

Sam Gallagher has tallied five goals while Tyrhys Dolan has added three. Midfielder Joe Rothwell has four assists. The attack has done well while not featuring in the Championship’s top five for possession or shots per game.

Despite their lack of shots per game, Blackburn Rovers are third in the Championship in goals scored with 28. Mowbray’s biggest issue, which could be sorted out in January, is defensive vulnerabilities.

Blackburn Rovers have conceded 26 times in 17 matches. Rovers have conceded two or more goals in seven of their 18 matches. A week ago, they conceded seven goals at home to Fulham.

Mowbray has been in the job since 2017. His longevity could pay off this season with Blackburn Rovers finishing in the promotion playoffs. If Mowbray can sort the team’s defence, then Blackburn Rovers could end their nearly decade-long exile from the Premier League.