Blackburn Club Focus - Rovers destined for relegation unless defence is tightened
Lowly Blackburn Rovers lost a golden opportunity to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone for the first time in almost three months as they slipped to a cruel 2-1 away loss to fellow strugglers Sunderland. Guided by new manager Martin O’Neill for the first time, the Black Cats looked destined for defeat with less than ten minutes left on the clock, but a David Vaughan rocket on 84 minutes and a splendid Sebastian Larsson free-kick in injury-time handed the Sunderland three precious points and condemned the visitors to their ninth league defeat of the season.
Worryingly for the much-maligned Steve Kean, Rovers have the worst defensive record in the top flight when it comes to the final 15 minutes of matches. Shipping late goals has cost the Lancashire side six points so far this term - if Rovers had clinched those extra points, Kean’s team would currently be sitting in 13th position. As it stands however, the Ewood Park outfit are just second from bottom, having collected just 10 points from their opening 15 games. Rovers had picked up 18 points from the same number of games in the last campaign, yet only victory in a frantic final fixture at Wolves confirmed their Premier League status for another season. On current form, it is therefore difficult to see how Rovers will escape relegation this term.
Based on the traditional survival target of 40 points, Kean’s men would have to pick up another 30 points from a possible 69 in order to stay up - an average of 1.3 points per game. Given that Rovers have averaged 0.89 points per game since Kean took charge last December and just 0.67 points per game so far this term, the Scot would have to oversee a major turnaround in form over the next five months if the Ewood Park crowd are to see Premier League football again next season. For that reason, it is easy to understand why a sizeable section of passionate supporters are so angry with Kean and club owners Venky’s.
Many fans - even those who are vehemently opposed to the current management setup and regime - will agree that Rovers have played a more attractive brand of football under Kean. Flair players such as Ruben Rochina, Mauro Formica and Junior Hoilett have lightened up Ewood Park with some dazzling skill and attacking play at times. The Lancashire outfit have scored four more goals so far this campaign than at the same stage last term, while star signing Yakubu has already netted more league goals than any Rovers striker managed in the whole of last season.
This eye-catching style of playing has however been overshadowed by some atrocious defending. Rovers, who shipped 59 goals in the whole of the 2010-11 campaign, have already conceded 34 goals with less than half of the season gone this time around. Indeed, Kean can point to injuries to key defensive players as an explanation for his side being so porous at the back - and this was defined clearly at the Stadium of Light, where Gael Givet, Martin Olsson, Michel Salgado and Jason Lowe all suffered from fitness problems. Venky’s may have to splash the cash on some experienced defenders in January, otherwise Rovers look destined for the Championship.
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