Premier League preview: Blackburn Rovers
Uncertainty is the buzzword around Blackburn at the moment.
A takeover by Indian businessman Saurin Shah has stalled – or at least that’s what everyone’s presuming, as a Non Disclosure Agreement signed by both parties ensures that it has barely been mentioned in the media. But as that saga rumbles on, boss Sam Allardyce has been denied the funds for new signings, only bringing in Senegalese forward Mame Biram Diouf on loan from Manchester United so far.
He is a fairly unknown quantity, but has shown enough flashes of promise in his brief United career to suggest that his could be one of the more important signings of the season. Blackburn will need him to be, as their squad suddenly looks one of the weakest in the division.
Namesake El-Hadji is still there, although his transformation from Liverpool’s exciting new £10million striker in 2002 to mediocre Premier League winger has long been established, but Steven Nzonzi impressed last season, while left-sided Swede Martin Olsson’s impressive form has earned him a new five-year contract, and he should at least offer some pace and dynamism down the flanks, but converting chances looks to be Rovers’ problem.
The Dioufs are joined in the attacking ranks by veteran Jason Roberts, Croatian Nikola Kalinic and the raw David Hoilett, and that doesn’t exactly scream goals, but at least they’ll once again be mean at the back.
The giant Christopher Samba had another impressive season last time out, where everyone at Rovers was delighted by the form of teenage centre back Phil Jones, who came into the team for a March clash with Chelsea at Ewood Park and was quickly dubbed “the new John Terry” for the way he dealt with Didier Drogba.
Jones’ form even kept the colossal Ryan Nelsen out of the team for a while, and while the New Zealand skipper’s excellent form at the World Cup will have reminded Allardyce just what a good player he is, he is sure to be anxious over whether or not he will have been usurped by his younger rival for the position alongside Samba, who these days is the club captain.
Behind them, Paul Robinson continues to be quietly consistent, even if he didn’t want Fabio Capello to notice.
Forever linked with that nightmare moment in Zagreb, Robinson’s decision to retire from international football in order to focus solely on club matters is sure to benefit Rovers. He was unlikely to play much for England anyway, but with the pressure and strain that comes with continually trying to impress Capello removed, he could blossom into the reliable goalkeeper that he has frequently threatened to be, but never quite achieved.
There may be uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club, but Blackburn look certain to once again be more about functionality than flair this season.
That is apart from David Dunn, who will be of vital importance again just as he was for the majority of last season.
Keep him fit and they’ll be fine, but without him they could struggle to create chances, and when you’ve got the kind of dearth of striking talent available to Allardyce, you need to create as many chances as possible.
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