With the same number of defeats as fifth bottom Rotherham, and an xG figure that makes QPR look like an effective attacking unit, Blackburn Rovers sit fourth in the table — we asked Ian Herbert what’s going on.

How would you assess the season overall?

I recall once dining at a lovely restaurant in the Peak District. They offered an extraordinary eleven course taster menu designed to test out just how refined your palette might be in handling the eclectic combinations of ingredients not usually found in the same restaurant, never mind on the same plate.

Sometimes the chef’s ingenuity resulted in an experience akin to gastronomic delight…sometimes the plate was returned barely touched, as the first taste alone indicated that chef might be less Heston Blumenthal, more Heston Services.

Rovers season has been like that. Not sure what to expect next. Not sure that the unusual combinations are going to satisfy. Not sure that when consumed, you aren’t going to feel slightly queasy afterwards.

Sometimes joyous, sometimes appalling.

Rovers league results so far…
Blackburn 1-0 QPR Travis 34
Swansea 0-3 Blackburn Szmodics 39, Brereton-Diaz 57, Travis 84
Blackburn 2-1 West Brom Brereton-Diaz 41, Gallagher 47 — Diangana 59
Reading 3-0 Blackburn McIntyre 14, Hoilett 61, Joao 78
Sheff Utd 3-0 Blackburn Norwood 31, N’Diaye 72, 79
Blackburn 0-1 Stoke Baker 27
Blackpool 0-1 Blackburn Brereton-Diaz 16
Blackburn 2-3 Bristol City Dolan 71, Brereton-Diaz 90 — Conway 42, Wells 55, 73
Blackburn 2-0 Watford Hedges 38, Hyam 82
Luton 2-0 Blackburn Morris 58, Burke 67
Blackburn 2-1 Millwall Dolan 57, Brereton-Diaz 63 — Cooper 75
Cardiff 1-0 Blackburn Harris 83
Blackburn 3-0 Rotherham Brereton-Diaz pen 21, 63, Szmodics 75
Wigan 1-0 Blackburn Broadhead 62
Middlesbrough 1-2 Blackburn Watmore 45 — Gallagher 4, 17
Blackburn 2-0 Sunderland Brereton-Diaz 32, Wharton 49
Blackburn 2-1 Birmingham Gallagher 17, Wharton 42 — Hogan 80
Hull 0-1 Blackburn Szmodics 15
Coventry 1-0 Blackburn Allen 41
Blackburn 1-0 Huddersfield Brereton-Diaz 35
Burnley 3-0 Blackburn Barnes 55, 81, Zaroury 74
Blackburn 1-4 Preston Dack 55 — Woodburn 16, Evans 47, 63, Whiteman 65
Norwich 0-2 Blackburn Gibson og 4, Dolan 86
Sunderland 2-1 Blackburn Stewart pen 22, Simms 90 — Stewart og 18
Blackburn 1-2 Middlesbrough Hedges 5 — Forss 46, McGree 56
Blackburn 1-0 Cardiff Dack 48
Rotherham 4-0 Blackburn Odofin 1, Rathbone 52, Ferguson 76, Washington 90
Bristol City 1-1 Blackburn Semenyo 68 — Dack 54
Blackburn 0-0 Wigan
Watford 1-1 Blackburn Hoedt 74 — Dack 24
West Brom 1-1 Blackburn Molumby 73 — Brereton-Diaz 89
Blackburn 1-0 Swansea Ayala 89
Blackburn 1-0 Blackpool Dolan 31

The lack of draws makes Blackburn a weird anomaly - fourth in the league with the same number of defeats as Rotherham. Are you any good or what?

You tell me. A season of watching this side has left me bewildered, confused and astonished in equal measure. I’ve seen us dismantle Swansea away with panache and style and also watched us be dismantled with surgical precision by Rotherham United; just three points off the bottom of the league at kick off. I’ve seen a couple of defeats in local derbies to Burnley & Preston North End that ought to have resulted in the referee stepping in and stopping the contest so one-sided were the abject displays. But somehow…we’re still up there…I simply don’t get it.

No draws all season, then six in a row, eight unbeaten, but only two wins, goals in short supply... what are we facing this Saturday? How's the form? How you playing?

If the fans who watch us regularly have no idea just what is coming next, I’m pretty sure that any opposition scouts will be equally perplexed. Actually, I’m pretty sure that our own players and management don’t know what to expect when we kick-off.

We are not exciting. Our xG is a figure so small it could be mistaken for Robbie Savage’s IQ. We don’t create much from open play at all so pay attention when we win a free kick &/or a corner and you should be fine. If you score first, that will probably be that.

We secured decent draws away to Watford and West Brom and followed up with narrow home wins over Swansea and Blackpool and haven’t lost since that Rotherham debacle so you could argue that we are on form. If this is our best form though, then the rest of the division will be hoping we do make it to the play-offs and draw their team.

Assessment of JDT's first season in charge?

Pre-season, following a summer of transfer turmoil and general upheaval, I was extremely concerned that we could easily be sucked into a relegation battle. Somewhat boldly I predicted a 14th place finish against my better judgement. That I’m writing this in late-February with us sitting in fourth is nothing other than totally unexpected and completely counter-intuitive.

Tomasson has done an excellent job in providing a steady hand at the tiller and for that he deserves credit. Had he been supported fully by the owners/board/recruitment team* in the two windows since he was appointed, then perhaps we might have sustained an even higher league position.

If he leads us to anything like so much as a top-half finish, then that would have to be described as a success in all honesty.

*delete where applicable

January looked... chaotic. Lewis O'Brien still in limbo at the end of February. What happened? How do you assess the business done? How's the mood around the place?

The much-heralded new recruitment structure established in the summer was supposed to bring a sense of order, structure and competence to proceedings. The two windows since have been underwhelming if not disastrous. Signings like Dom Hyam and Callum Brittan have impressed and look like inspired additions. The fiasco that was the January window rather pulled out the rug from under that veneer of competence. To miss out on one signing due to an administrative error is unfortunate, to miss out on two starts to smack of carelessness.

We were crying out for reinforcements up front last January, last summer and January just gone. The solution has been to promote Jack Vale from the academy and play various midfielders as “false nines”.

Did I mention that our xG is the lowest in the division ? Are these factors in any way linked ? How could we possibly know?

Stand out players and weak links in the side?

The best/most consistent performers so far this season are probably the aforementioned Dom Hyam and Daniel Ayala at the back and (for the large part, Kaminski) and Pears in goal.

Our midfield has struggled all season for consistency, with each member of it having good days and bad days in turn.

Our best performer in 2023 is Joe Rankin-Costello, a product of our academy who has reinvigorated his career after a series of troubling injuries that looked at one point like it might mean the end of his Rovers career. His re-birth has been a joy to watch.

The Chilean sensation has temporarily gone back to being “Ben Brereton” and rumours of his impending pre-contract deal with Villareal seem to provide a handy excuse for his apparent distraction.

Summer Ins >>> Dom Hyam, 26, CB, Coventry, £1.7m >>> Ethan Walker, 19, LW, PNE, Free >>> Callum Brittain, 24, RB, Barnsley, Undisclosed >>> Sammie Szmodics, 26, AM, Peterborough, Undisclosed >>> Tyler Morton, 19, CM, Liverpool, Loan >>> Clinton Mola, 21, DM, Stuttgart, Loan >>> George Hirst, 23, CF, Leicester, Loan >>>

Winter Outs >>> Dilan Markanday, 21, RW, Aberdeen, Loan >>> James Brown, 24, RB, Doncaster, Loan

Revised expectations for the rest of the season?

Sticking “in and around” the conversation for the play-offs would be quite the achievement all things considered; but realistically, the failure to strengthen the squad in January will in all probability result in us missing out.

My pre-season prediction of fourteenth could yet come true but after being so high for so long it would now feel like a major disappointment. Let’s say tenth?

Links >>> Rovers official website >>> Official website >>> Lancashire Telegraph — Local Paper >>> BRFCS message board and podcast >>> Rovers Chat — Blog

The Twitter @ianherbert, @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Action Images

TacticalR added 18:56 - Feb 23 Thanks to Ian. Sounds like a strange season, and shows how valuable wins are over draws. Maybe the goals aren't flowing but Blackburn still have a reliable goalscorer in Brereton.
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