By Matthew Day ⋅ July 29, 2007 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Blackburn, Premier League

Blackburn pulled off a coup when securing Roque Santa Cruz’s signature and the Paraguayan’s entry demonstrates the club’s immediate desire to immerse themselves amongst the best in the Premier League. Having finished sixth in 2006 and tenth last season, Mark Hughes is aiming for establishment inside the top half and regular qualification for the Uefa Cup. This campaign, he must juggle success in the league with progress on the continent as Blackburn aim to follow Middlesbrough’s example and stake a claim for glory in the Uefa Cup. With such a capable squad, such an unlikely dream may become a reality.

Santa Cruz had a host of offers from across Europe but the lure of the Uefa Cup with Blackburn convinced him to opt for the north west of England. At £3.5m, Hughes has done good business for a striker who has fallen from grace at Bayern Munich. Once heralded as the next big thing, serious injuries delayed any impact in Germany until the 2006/7 season, when he started 15 games but was clearly off the pace and netted only three times. He was heavily criticised for his lack of affect but with only nine starts in the previous two years, being forced to lead the Bayern front line because of injuries was an unfair demand on the 25-year-old as the Bavarians failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Pre-injury, Santa Cruz had begun to realise some of his talent. At just 20 years of age, he scored three times in seven Champions League starts and five more in nine Bundesliga matches. The following season, he netted five in eight league matches before hitting another five in 2003/4, though these came in 21 games. His knack for goal was patent but two years of practically no football visibly slowed his development and it was clear from late 2006 onwards that his German employers had little time to abet Santa Cruz’s recovery. They had grown weary of his proneness to injury and as he was no longer Bayern’s pièce de résistance, sympathy was in short supply as he floundered for form, goals and direction. It became apparent that he would exit the club imminently.

Despite the continuing rise of Blackburn since their promotion in 2001, expectations have remained sensible. This will be their fourth European campaign of the century but the first in which there is a palpable sense of anticipation at what silverware might lie ahead.

The competition for places and unique talents of certain individuals puts Blackburn in a strong position

The disappointment of narrow defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 32 of the Uefa Cup was offset by their thrilling progress into an FA Cup semi-final, while an end-of-season chase for a place in Europe provided much excitement. Though they finished three places and four points off seventh position, Blackburn still qualified for the Intertoto Cup and have since thrashed FK Vetra to ensure they enter the Uefa Cup at the second qualifying round stage. They still have two rounds and four matches to negotiate before reaching the group stages but if the formalities are completed, Blackburn’s supporters will begin to dream of the final in Manchester on May 14, 2008.

Blackburn’s strike-force provides their biggest weapon in the mission for silverware. Benni McCarthy was their main ammunition last season with a staggering 24 goals, 18 in the Premier League, with Shabani Nonda, Matt Derbyshire and Jason Roberts assisting the South African. Hughes’s side were equal sixth highest scorers in the league with 52 but their reliance on McCarthy was indicated in both the Uefa and FA Cups. They failed to score the one goal they so needed versus Leverkusen after creating numerous opportunities while an exhausted and beatable Chelsea side managed to hold on for extra time, and subsequently overcame their dogged opponents. Santa Cruz, holding fewer expectations and playing in a less pressurised environment, could provide the additional threat alongside McCarthy to ensure sides are finished off and that there is no repeat of last season’s exasperation at home and abroad.

A good side must also have a good, balanced squad. Having a lethal front line will not prevent defeat if the defence is weak, nor guarantee goals if there is no service from midfield. Hughes has two outstanding midfielders in Morten Gamst Pedersen and David Bentley, and they will be joined by two players who were greatly missed in 2006/7, Robbie Savage and Steven Reid. Also battling for a place in the middle are David Dunn, Brett Emerton and Tugay, who all have pertinent experience. The defence was problematic area with 54 conceded, but the January introduction of Stephen Warnock did much to steady a rocky ship and the return of Ryan Nelsen after injury for the new campaign will also help, alongside the likes of Aaron Mokoena, Christopher Samba and Andre Ooijer. The presence of 6”4 Brad Friedel in goal has also been crucial in Blackburn’s recent evolution.

The competition for places and unique talents of certain individuals puts Blackburn in a strong position as they embark on another continental adventure. Middlesbrough beat all the odds to reach a Uefa Cup final in 2006 and Hughes is aiming to emulate such a journey, even if it costs his side domestically. Europe’s secondary competition loves to throw up shocks and surprises – like Espanyol’s astonishing progress to last season’s final – and with a proficient squad and gifted manager, perhaps Blackburn will be next to encounter all its idiosyncrasies and charm.

Can Blackburn win the Uefa Cup? Share your views by leaving a comment below.

Tags: Roque Santa Cruz

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