I THOUGHT Rovers were unlucky to lose at Preston on Saturday, but they must quickly pick themselves back up ahead of the home game with Brighton tonight.
Having got back to 2-2, it was important that they didn’t go on and lose, and I did think that a draw would have been a fair result.
I thought, like Owen Coyle, that Rovers should have had a second half penalty when Corry Evans looked to be pulled back in the box.
But then when you are down at the bottom, and things are going against you a bit, you don’t tend to get those decisions. Those moments can change games and I think it was unfortunate for Rovers.
Even so, I think they have to be encouraged by the way that they played, particularly in the second half, and need to now look to go on another unbeaten run.
I have been saying for weeks now though, they have got to start keeping more clean sheets. It only adds to the pressure on the forwards who are going in to every game thinking that they will have to score two goals to win the game.
You don’t want that extra pressure on yourselves and that’s why, particularly away from home, you need to keep things tight for the opening 20 minutes to not only frustrate the opposition, but their fans.
From there you can then look to try and nick a goal, and Brighton are the perfect example of that, having kept 13 clean sheets in 20 league games. If you can nick a game 1-0 then that can really give you a lift.
They are good side and just missed out on automatic promotion, and then in the play-offs, last year, and I think they will be there or thereabouts this season.
But Rovers should go in to the game with confidence having gone five games without defeat at Ewood Park. Your home form has to be good, and the key to staying up could be dependent on how good your results are in front of your own fans.
Rovers have shown, as with the win at Newcastle, they can get a result against the top sides in the league so there is no reason why they can’t get a result against Brighton.
The Championship is a really open divisions, with the bottom sides beating the top sides, and you are going to get lots of tight games There are some good teams in the league but there is not that much of a difference between the teams at the top and bottom of the league.
Hopefully they can go in to the game with confidence and try and take the game to Brighton.
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