FAN FARE | Time for Rovers to start climbing

With three of the biggest names in the Championship in Adam Armstrong, Harvey Elliott and the returning Bradley Dack, it's little surprise Blackburn are the league's top scorers, but with inconsistency continuing, a dream play-off birth remains out of reach. We caught up with Talk of Ewood to find out why a squad full of potential has yet to reach its peak.

Playmaker: Blackburn are the Championship's top scorers with 39 goals, yet sit 12th in the division. Please explain this to us!

Talk of Ewood: Consistency, Defending, game management. You name it, Rovers could’ve done better at it. It’s crazy. We sit top of the scoring chart, yet miss an unreal amount of chances per game. If we were more clinical, we would be flying. The likes of Elliott, Armstrong, Brereton, Gallagher, Dolan, Rothwell and now Dack the options in attack - it’s clear to see why we are such an attacking threat. But something just isn’t clicking at the moment. I’d like to think it’s coming, but with the talent we have in the squad this season, it needs to come soon.

PM: Is it too simple an interpretation to say that Rovers are 'flat-track bullies', who can pulverise weaker opponents, but struggle against stronger teams?

TE: On paper, that’s spot on. I don’t know the numbers but I think there’s something in that, we haven’t beaten any team above us in the league. So yes, on paper we are flat-track bullies. But it hasn’t been like that. Against the likes of Watford, Bournemouth, Boro, Stoke, Reading etc. We’ve played the same stuff. We looked good, and missed chances. A lot of them, and then we were soft defensively. That’s where the initial excitement came from. We were the better team, against the better teams. However, notice I used past tense. That’s changed recently, we have started to look stale at times, missing lots of chances and still defensively soft. Don’t get me wrong, key chances are still being created but missed.

PM: Overall, are the fans happy with Tony Mowbray's decisions, tactics, leadership this season?

TE: At the moment, no. I’d say it is 50/50. It’s Football though, fans are often fickle - but not in a bad way, football changes fast. Especially this season, and we know what the Championship is like.

At the start of the season, it was brilliant. A load of excitement around the club. But it’s dropped off and I think the fans - having seen our early season form - are getting really frustrated that such a talented squad are repeatedly failing to succeed.

PM: What have been the highlights/lowlights during the current campaign?

TE: The first five/six games were a real high. We lost games, but it was the way we were playing. So refreshing, exciting, promising. Dominating games, and falling short.

The low points have been recent. We’ve been repeatedly outplayed by a simple defensive low block. Missing chances, and being soft defensively. We’ve looked lost for ideas. Glimpses of the early season form have been there for 10-20 minute spells in games. Another reason for frustration because, why can’t that be prolonged? We’ve had a few poor results. It needs to, and I think will, change.

PM: Adam Armstrong tops the Champ goal charts with 16 goals and was incredibly prolific through 2020 - just how good has he been? Is he Premier League ready?

TE: Armstrong has two key tools; pace and finishing. He’s calm in front of goal and quicker than arguably anyone in the game. So he’s clearly got a huge talent as a forward, shown by his huge impact on Rovers’ season so far.

I’m not sure if this is a popular opinion or not, but as a striker, I do not feel Armstrong is quite Premier League ready. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a quality player. But a stat that speaks volumes to me is how many shots/shots on target he has had compared to that of Ivan Toney. Armstrong has had something like 30 more shots/shots on target. It doesn’t really scream clinical to me, and that’s clear to see on the pitch. There’s no taking away the talent Adam has, and how important he has been for us this season, but a lot of the poor performances have come from wasted chances. We create the chances and they’re often missed.

🔥Most goals in 2020 (top 2 tiers in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇪🇸🇩🇪🇮🇹🇫🇷)

29⚽️: Cristiano Ronaldo
27⚽️: Robert Lewandowski
23⚽️: 🔵ADAM ARMSTRONG⚪️, Erling Håland, Ciro Immobile
20⚽️: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ruben Castro
18⚽️: Mohamed Salah, Francesco Caputo, Romelu Lukaku#Rovers pic.twitter.com/HEuGzCmjYa

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) November 28, 2020

I feel as if I am being a little harsh on him, but look at it this way, you stick him in a relegation-threatened Premier League side, or a mid-table one, who create minimal chances week in, week out, is he likely to score as many goals as you’d need to in order to be considered a ‘success’? I’m not sure. I hope he would/does in the future. But at the moment, he’s a brilliant player, but I’d say he’s not 100% ready to be the ‘main man’ in a PL team just yet.

Maybe I’m just saying this to put off any potential buyers!

PM: Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott looks a real talent - how's he performed for Rovers? What are his main strengths? Any areas for development?

TE: He’s brilliant. His game intelligence is brilliant. His passing, touch, vision, and attacking influence is exceptional. It’s clear to see why he has such a good reputation. I think he’s got the most goal involvements for any U18 player in the world. He often plays on the wing for us, but I think in the long term he’ll turn into a number 10. That creative midfielder role. It’s clear already this season the lads are encouraged to give him the ball. He can create, and a key factor in all the chances we have created this year. His goal involvements would be through the roof if we were that bit more clinical - himself included.

👶Most productive U18s (top 2 tiers of 🇪🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇩🇪🇮🇹🇫🇷):

11⭐️: 🔥HARVEY ELLIOTT (4G, 7A)🔥
7⭐️: Giovanni Reyna (3G, 4A), Florian Wirtz (2G, 5A), Janis Antiste (6G, 1A)
5⭐️: Adil Aouchiche (2G, 3A), Arnaud Kalimuendo (4G, 1A)
4⭐️: Ansu Fati (4G), Pedri (2G, 2A)#LFC #Rovers pic.twitter.com/pVgmF4BoTk

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 16, 2021

As for improvements, I’d just say to dominate games a little more. There have been a few occasions this season that Harvey has been in the shadows a little bit. Not having much impact on games for spells. But then he’d come up with a bit of magic to create a goal. But yeah, in the long terms, especially if he is to play for Liverpool, I’d say taking games by the scruff of the neck and dominating them. But then, I have to remind myself, he’s 17-years-old.

It’ll come. He’ll reach the top one day, I - along with many other Rovers fans - think so anyway.

PM: Dack is back! How glad are Rovers fans to see Bradley Dack on a football pitch again? How important is he to Rovers and how has his form been since his return?

TE: It was awesome to see him back. Such a good sight, his first cameo was impressive too! He looked better than normal! To see him score against Birmingham was so, so good. Such a nice finish too. But, unfortunately, he doesn’t look 100% yet. He started against Stoke and didn’t have the biggest impact - but that’s understandable.

If we get him firing, the goals will come. He’s a goalscorer, what we need to take some pressure off Arma.

🎯Highest scoring top 4 tier midfielders since 2017/18:

42⚽️: 💙BRADLEY DACK🤍
32⚽️: Sean McConville
31⚽️: Sam Szmodics
29⚽️: Jorge Grant
28⚽️: James Maddison
26⚽️: Ebere Eze#Rovers pic.twitter.com/NgWpwYQQsY

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) November 17, 2020

PM: Rovers are nine points off Bournemouth in 6th; is a play-off spot still a realistic objective this season?

TE: Yes, just about. The squad we have is quality, and honestly, we are underperforming. I’m optimistic and think, in the next four/five games or so we should sort ourselves out. But chances are becoming fewer, and fans are beginning to get irritated.