Reasons to be Cheerful?

The signs were considerably ominous for Blackburn Rovers after the initial stages of the season. Deadline day was approaching and it appeared that this term had already become one of damage limitation.

However, fast forward three weeks and anyone who witnessed their sublimely ridiculous contest with Arsenal on Saturday will have noticed that Rovers have reached the light at the end of the tunnel, and you could now put forward the case that they are entering one of the most fascinating periods in the recent history of the football club.

The current Blackburn squad is one of the most raw and fearless in the Premier League, who could just turn out to surprise the rest of the top tier and exceed expectations this season. Outside the top 6 there is no club with as much untapped potential as them right now.

Junior Holliet has become one of the most exciting and fastest wingers in the division. Mauro Formica and Ruben Rochina both have undoubted talent that, with careful nurturing, could lead them to becoming players with the ability to dictate every match they play in.

Martin Olsson has grown into a Premiership footballer over the past two seasons, whilst Steven N’Zonzi and Radosav Petrovic have the all the weapons to become one of the most fearsome (and tallest) midfield partnerships in Europe.

The early impressions of David Goodwillie and Jason Lowe have been equally encouraging, with both youngsters injecting some much needed energy into the team’s play and showing terrific work rate to complement their unrefined capabilities.

Together with the know-how of established Rovers stars such as Robinson, Salgado, Givet, Samba, Dann, Nelsen, Dunn, Pedersen and Yakubu it may emerge that the club has struck the perfect balance of youth and experience, which could make this cross-generational Rovers side one to be feared and enthralling to watch.

The season may have started in an awful fashion, but this team is undergoing a re-generation, and with players still adapting to the league’s style and a fresh, more aesthetically pleasing tactical approach, the situation can only develop in a positive way. It may be unfashionable to say but it is unlikely that they’ll be in the lower echelons of the league come May 2012.

Watch this space.

Paul Hill @paulhill3

Comments

[mikeyboy]

Nice one. Lovely to read a positive article about the Rovers for once.

[Marky]

Highly unusual to find someone championing the blue and white cause rather than putting us down. You have a point and I hope it's proved right