Blackburn, Premier League
Season Preview - Blackburn: Will it be Sixth or Sixteenth?
Premier League previews: Phil Bates looks at Blackburn's prospects for the new campaign and ponders whether it'll be Europe or relegation that the club will be contending with this season.
2007/8 in a nutshell: The 2007/08 season featured the Rovers best start to a season in recent memory, if not a rather disappointing end. Missing out on Europe is a major disappointment, as this has proven key in attracting the sort of players needed to improve the side, however what should not be overlooked is that, in any recent season, a seventh place finish would have secured European football. The introduction of Roque Santa Cruz was the only real bit of transfer business done at the start of the 2007/8 season and his introduction proved key. 23 goals in all competitions and the most headed goals in the Premiership proved a very good return on the 3.5m that was invested in him. However, many were disappointed by the extent of Benni McCarthy’s demise. He failed to hit the heights he had set himself the previous season and looked distracted and unfit for large parts of the season. The partnership with these two that many had hoped for simply failed to materialise. It is largely due to the fact that Santa Cruz has done so well that this has not been talked about so much.
Summer Activity: This has been a busier than usual summer at Ewood. The predictable and rather irritating transfer of David Bentley to Spurs, and the surprise transfer of Brad Friedel to Aston Villa. Both of these transfers could prove good decisions. At 37, Friedel will have probably two, maybe three at most seasons in him. His replacement, Paul Robinson is 10 years younger and is desperate to prove his credentials again. Villanueva has the making of a very exciting signing but is unproven at this level. It will be interesting to see more of him in the coming weeks. The Robbie Fowler saga is something that seems to be dragging out a bit now, reports recently suggesting he has rejected a pay-to-play deal as he wants a longer term contract. Vince Grella is the sort of player we need as, in my mind, we have never replaced the snap and bite in midfield that Robbie Savage offered. A bit more energy and commitment here would fit in well. All that is now needed is a right winger….
Key Men: based on last seasons performances this is clearly Roque Santa Cruz. If Rovers are to achieve the heights of last season and progress further they will need a fully fit Roque leading the line. The goalkeeper is a key man in any team and the level of performance from Robinson could be key to deciding Rovers season, one way or another. If any one of our rather inconsistent midfield can step up a bit and become more consistent then anyone of Dunn, Pedersen or Reid could prove key.
Rising Star: This season the rising star looks like being Keith Treacy. He had previously featured under Hughes in a disastrous cup game against Coventry last season, but looks set to feature more under Ince, perhaps being one of the beneficiaries of the new 7-man bench. Widely hailed as being the next Damien Duff and currently the Irish under-21 captain, he is more of a traditional winger than Morten Gamst Pedersen, and, if nothing else, he should give us a more direct option down the left hand side.
Manager: New coach Paul Ince is a bit of an unknown quantity. Great success in lower leagues has led to a swift rise to the top but the Premier League is a very tough league to succeed in. Early signs would suggest he is looking to change the style from Hughes a bit more. The signing of a player like Villanueva indicates a desire to add a bit more flair to the side. There is likely to be much more focus on midfield and getting the balance right here.
Prospects for 08-09: 2008/9 could be a season where we regain Europe, or it could be a season where we slip into the bottom half of the table for the first time in four years. A lot of this depends on several key players, perhaps most notably Robinson. A lot of clubs around Rovers have been spending big again but early results show that they may not have spent in the right areas, only time will tell. Rovers’ strength in recent years has always been their consistency - making small changes to a good side to try and improve it without the need for wholesale and unsettling changes. It is this aspect of the squad that could mean we challenge for Europe. There is a strength in depth at the back and a solid first choice line up that has previously been very disrupted by injury. If there are no major injuries at the back and the new midfield signings bed in well then Rovers could easily be looking at quietly returning to European football.
Footballing World Prediction 16th
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Yes I agree with that Rovers will finish 16Th From the bottom ass hole
‘Rovers could easily be looking at quietly returning to European football.’ Read the guys opinions properly, not the websites, then make a comment. ‘ass hole’