The Club:
Blackburn Rovers have to be looking for much better than last season. It was a strange season for Rovers, with Sam Allardyce getting the boot when new owners took over, only for caretaker boss Steve Kean to take over full time after a solid stint in charge. One of the most interesting things about Blackburn Premier League betting is seeing what direction they actually go in. Will they bide their time and make their youthful enterprises the back bone of their team and avoid the temptation of over paying for experienced veterans? If they avoid the latter then they should be ok. There is a lot of work to do at Ewood Park, because they have been going backwards, and they need to somehow shake off that battling image and starting getting known for their style of football. The basics are there, but they need to be guided by a very steady and very firm hand. Of course, a lot of success will come down to finances, and while many were expecting a summer splash at Ewood Park, there has been an air of caution, but perhaps some very wish, shrewd dealings which will pay off in the long term.
Players/Manager:
Well, Blackburn have been chasing young Scot Duncan Goodwillie from Dundee United to try and bolster their ranks, but there has not been much movement. This is all a little surprising to be honest, because when the new owner came in, they were very clear about having a direction in which they wanted to take the club. The new Venky owners wanted Champions League in four years, and they nearly ended up with Championship football instead. That was after somewhat bizarrely gave Steve Kean the full time managerial position, which turned into a bit of disaster, as they only just avoided relegation. The owners said they would bide their time in handing out the managerial position, but you felt that there may be someone more established coming in, as opposed to someone testing the waters for the first time. Maybe they saw it as a brave move, but Kean won’t have a lot of time to turn things around next season. Despite selling off prize asset Phil Jones to Manchester United, Blackburn have not gone out and splashed out big in the transfer market, which is something they need. They have targeted some younger talent in Ruben Rochina and Mauro Formica, so perhaps they are looking to build a future with youth and in playing a better style of football.
Last Season: 15th
Finished fifteenth in the league last year, and was seriously flirting with relegation. There has to be more to come from them, and it will start at the back. Yes, they had Phil Jones, but there is still enough solidity in defence to stand tall again and keep enough out to give them plenty of chances to pick up points. They were let down badly by some poor attacking play and poor finishing. They need to be more adventurous but did pull out the results when they needed them most, going four matches unbeaten in the run in. Four points above relegation was enough, but nowhere near the standing where the owners want them to be.
2011/12 Blackburn Rovers PRemier League Betting Projection:
What Blackburn have going for them is a very good defence, and with Paul Robinson between the sticks, there is a high degree of competency there. Now, looking at Blackburn, things may not be as dire as last season suggested, as there is promise there. Yes you want to see just a little mature creativity coming from the midfield, and that is where they need their youngsters, the ones they have and the ones coming in to step up. This is a matter of youth over experience to push Blackburn forward. They also need to find a way to score goals as they have not go a lot in them. Jason Roberts and Nikola Kalinic struggled last year, but you can take a step backwards and blame the midfield for a lot that. There is a lot of trust to be placed in Kean and to get him to take the team forward playing youthful, enterprise football. The stodgy, slow football they played last season is going to see them in trouble otherwise. Really need to splash some cash and bring in a quality striker and they will immediately look better. Fifteenth in the league was terrible for them, and so will look for a mid table finish this year. It will be a step in the right direction.
Finishing Position: Mid Table
Premier League Relegation Odds:
7/2 at Totesport
First Three Fixtures
August 13th: Blackburn V Wolves
August 20th: Aston Villa v Blackburn
August 22nd: Blackburn v Everton
