* The Unofficial "Official" Boro v Blackburn Rovers Match-Day Thread *

r00fie1

r00fie1

Well-known member
Its that time again >>>>>>>>
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Leo`s tenure as the face for the Team Management "Committee" appears to be extended on a daily basis - as the club tries to decide who is going to be offered the full time role of Head Coach. It will be two weeks on Monday since Chris Wilder was given his marching orders - following a record-breaking disastrous start to a season in decades. Its obviously a record the club and us fans want to leave behind as quickly as possible. In the meantime, speculation , rumour and fake news abounds. Lets face it: only Steve Gibson and Neil Bausor [as far as we know] have any idea whats happening!

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In his Media Conference today, Leo offered a pragmatic approach to the teams training and preparation for the Blackburn game: he highlighted the new coach will be "building" the team for the future, but that his role, at the moment, is setting up the team for the next game. We have problems - "we fix it" said Leo. He identified the lack of movement and pace "in the final third" at Millwall and also as big problem in our game. He outlined how he, Mark Tinkler, Lee Cattermole and Craig Liddle have been focusing in training on pace and passing up front.

Asked about Lee Cattermole and his link to the Head Coach role - Leo smiled and said "you have to ask him". Nuff said.
 
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Stats:

Boro v Blackburn Record.

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Blackburn Top Scorers:

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Boro Top Scorers:

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Blackburn Rovers:

Rovers continued their inconsistent form with a 1-0 away defeat to Lancashire rivals Wigan on Wednesday night

By Richard Sharpe. October 12th 2022.

Blackburn Rovers talking points from Wigan Athletic defeat​

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Rovers’ struggles on the road continue at a ground where they have enjoyed very little success.


Here are the talking points from the 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic.


WIGAN FEAR
It is now four defeats in a row for Rovers at the DW Stadium where they haven’t won in their last 13 visits.
Nine of those visits have been a victory for the home side, with Rovers taking away just four points out of a possible 36, as well as defeat in the FA Cup in January.
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They never looked like breaking that run, nor their win-lose sequence, on a night where their threat was minimal across the whole of the 90 minutes.
Over 3,400 fans made the trip down the M6 but came away a mixture of disappointed, frustrated and angry at not only the performance, but Rovers’ inability to string together two results, or even performances, together back-to-back.

AWAY STRUGGLES
The underlying numbers don’t make for great reading.
While they have taken 15 points out of a possible 21 at Ewood, with five wins from seven, it’s the same number of defeats from their seven away fixtures.

While they have won three in a row at Ewood, it’s now three successive defeats on their travels.
But more than the results, the lack of goal threat is becoming an increasing worry.
They managed only three shots at goal, none of which were on target. In their last three away games, they have managed only three shots on target, one of those being George Hirst’s missed penalty at Cardiff City.
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Across their seven away matches, they have had only 13 shots on target, with four goals scored.
Their ‘expected goals’ figure at Wigan was 0.18, and their figure of 0.67 expected goals per away game is the lowest in the division.
Only Rotherham United (1) and Reading (3) have scored fewer goals away from home than Rovers (4), while only the Millers have averaged fewer shots on target.
Shots at goal isn’t just an issue away from home either, Rovers’ average of 9.9 across home and away fixtures leaves them 21st in that particular table.

Equally, a lack of goals away from home isn’t exclusive to this team.
Rovers have failed to score in five of their seven away matches, having also failed to find the net in seven of their final 12 away fixtures last season.
It means that of their 19 away matches in 2022, Rovers supporters have seen their side fail to score on 12 occasions.

TEAM BALANCE
Jon Dahl Tomasson stuck with 10 of the 11 players who started the win over Rotherham, with George Hirst for Sam Gallagher the one alteration. The shape of the team stayed the same however, with Hirst operating first from the right flank, and then the left.
Seeing wide forwards operating either side of a diminutive central attacker is nothing new for Rovers fans, with Sam Szmodics again playing through the middle.
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While Gallagher has become accustomed to that wider role, it didn’t look one that utilised the skillset of Hirst. He conceded a number of cheap fouls when forced into his defensive work, and wasn’t able to provide any threat going the other way.
Equally, the sight of Szmodics working up against three central defenders made for a frustrating watch before his half-time withdrawal.
Ryan Hedges, with Wales boss Rob Page watching on, has been one of Rovers’ most consistent and creative forces, but the tactic of him starting at wing-back but then given the freedom to roam around the pitch didn’t have the same effect away.
Rovers’ approach looked confused, no sign of the pressing game that had worked so effectively in the win at Swansea, nor the high intensity, free-flowing football that proved too much for Blackpool in their only other away win.

They sat deep and invited too many balls to come into their box, though at least their defending of those was resolute for the most part.
On the ball, the build-up was slow, movement static, and ultimately they were punished for taking too long on the ball in their own defensive third. Tyler Morton was the one to be robbed of the ball for Nathan Broadhead's goal, though Scott Wharton could easily suffered the same fate in the first half, only to be bailed out by a Thomas Kaminski save.
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Callum Brittain and Tyrhys Dolan were sent for at the break, but while the personnel changed, the formation didn’t, though at least it saw Brittain operating in his most natural role.
The 5-2-3 formation asks a lot of the central midfield two, particularly against a Wigan side who operated with a four-man ‘box’ midfield. It left them with a lot of work to get through off the ball, and unable to provide any level of control on it, with a real disconnect between the defensive players.

URGENCY
Away from systems and personnel, it was all too predictable from a Rovers perspective, the result and performance bearing so many hallmarks of the Cardiff defeat.

Once Rovers went 1-0 down, it felt almost inevitable that they would slip to a defeat.
In the seven times they have conceded first in matches this season, they have gone on to lose.
All five of their defeats away from home have been to nil, as was the home defeat to Stoke City. The Bristol City defeat is the anomaly in that run, but both goals in the 3-2 defeat came when the score was 2-0 and 3-1 to the visitors.
Indeed, they are one of only two teams in the Championship not to have scored an equalising goal this season.
Tomasson changed the shape of the side to 4-3-3, with Adam Wharton replacing the injured Daniel Ayala, but was again the lack of minutes for Bradley Dack, not sent on until the 83rd minute despite Rovers chasing a goal, that bore the brunt of questions from supporters both at home and in the away end.
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The game petered out to a frustrating level, no bombardment of the Wigan goal, and no real urgency to make anything happen. They looked for Ben Brereton at every opportunity, but otherwise looked lost for ways o getting back into the game.
As well as the win-lose sequence, not taking anything from a game in which they have fallen behind is a worry.
In a tight league the first goal will always be important, but it shouldn’t be so pivotal as it is proving to be for Rovers.

www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

Talking points: The numbers behind Rovers away-day struggles

Rovers’ struggles on the road continue at a ground where they have enjoyed very little success.
www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
 
Flash-back:
28th August 2021

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Boro 1 Blackburn 1
Howson (36) Gallagher (17)
Red Card: Carter (79). Morsy (81)

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Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers both finished with 10 men as they shared the points at the Riverside Stadium.

Sam Gallagher put the visitors in front after 17 minutes, before Boro captain Jonny Howson equalised before half-time.
Blackburn defender Hayden Carter was sent off late on for two bookings, and he was quickly joined by home midfielder Samy Morsy, who was shown a straight red for a late challenge.
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The result keeps both teams mid-table in the Championship, with one defeat apiece from their five games.The match pitched together the Championship's oldest manager in Neil Warnock and the longest-serving in Tony Mowbray, but the latter is more likely to be happy with a point.

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58289218]

The Championship Table - [5 games in]

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Going to the game tomorrow - will drink my free pint then head off to the pub ahead of kick off. Completely disillusioned by my club at the moment . Spent £550 on a ticket that is a worthless and a pointless exercise. Never in 25 years felt as rudderless, vacant and disappointed as I do now. Absolutely rock bottom
 
Duffman said:
Going to the game tomorrow - will drink my free pint then head off to the pub ahead of kick off. Completely disillusioned by my club at the moment . Spent £550 on a ticket that is a worthless and a pointless exercise. Never in 25 years felt as rudderless, vacant and disappointed as I do now. Absolutely rock bottom
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Just hoping we can pull off a win. Said earlier this week - it feels like the period under charge of Bobby Murdoch 81/2. A rag bag of players, totally inconsistent. Won 9 out of 54 games. Crowds dropped and we were awful. Only the season before we had John Neale`s side.......If we get beat tomorrow, it will be toxic..... :(
 
Not really sure what to expect tomorrow but obviously hoping for a win. Be interesting to see how we line up. There has to be some improvement, surely.
 
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