Blackburn Continue To Look Good After Topsy Turvy Summer

It may have been a topsy turvy summer for Blackburn Rovers, with Tony Mowbray departing and key men such as Darragh Lenihan and Joe Rothwell following him out of the door. But, after a managerial saga that rumbled on for weeks, in came Jon Dahl Tomasson, with the Dane guiding Rovers to two wins and two clean sheets from the first two games.

When you consider how important Lenihan and Rothwell proved themselves to be to the team over the years, you could look and suggest that Blackburn have been made considerably weaker as a result of their departures. Yes, Callum Brittain, Tyler Morton and Sammie Szomdics have all arrived, but nobody will have expected Rovers to get off to such a good start.

In the season opener, while it was a close affair in terms of the possession and shots stats, Blackburn were good value for their 1-0 win and clean sheet. The goal from Lewis Travis was worth the entry fee alone and showed that while players may have left, Tomasson could be the manager to finally take Blackburn the extra step this season by guiding the club to a top-six finish and the playoffs.

The second game of the season away at Swansea was always going to be an intriguing test, with Russell Martin’s renowned for being a team who like to get on the ball and stay on it. But, while the Swans have plenty of quality in their squad, they were put to the sword by a fantastic Rovers side, who ended up running out 3-0 winners.

Latest signing Sammie Szmodics got the ball rolling, scoring thirty-nine minutes into his debut after an assist from Ryan Hedges. And it was Hedges who again turned provided when he delivered for Ben Brereton Diaz to score his first of the campaign. Captain Travis, who doesn’t score many, made it two in two games to wrap up the three-nil victory on 84 minutes, sending the travelling support back to Lancashire in style.

The attacking unit, which includes the likes of Szmodics, Hedges, Brereton Diaz and Sam Sam Gallagher, is undoubtedly one that can make the difference against any sides in the Championship between now and the end of the season. So, it's going to be crucial for Tomasson to be allowed to keep hold of Brereton Diaz if Rovers are going to be serious contenders in 2022/23.

But, the defence is also continuing to come up trumps, even without Lenihan’s presence at the back. It's so far so good in terms of clean sheets, with Daniel Ayala and Scott Wharton forming a solid partnership in the middle of the defence, offering plenty of protection for Thomas Kaminski in the Rovers goal. A tough test against West Brom is next up, and it will be an excellent yardstick to see where the team are at after three games.