From the opening 11 games, what’s given you reason to be optimistic for the season ahead, and what has left you disappointed/frustrated/concerned?

 

Optimism, as per the last few seasons at Ewood Park, definitely comes from our academy prospects. The sheer volume, but also the exciting quality of our younger talents is something to really look forward to. An all academy back four at QPR, John Buckley starting to look a class act, it’s all great.

I think what leaves room for concern however is our injury problems. With a period of 12 or 13 games before Christmas, packed into a short amount of time, I fear that our already tired legs may start to crumble some more.

While we can look forward to some players returning, it feels almost inevitable that with Covid-19 and the schedules, we’ll have plenty more players hit the sidelines soon.

Joe Harvey

 

On an optimistic note the new faces have freshened up the team and would have given the manager some selection headaches if we had a squad of fit players.

As well as the attractive attacking personnel it was important to recruit a solid, consistent goalkeeper who the back four could rely on and have confidence in. The manner of some of the victories has been pleasing and there seems little danger of ‘grinding out’ results, while Adam Armstrong has become the jewel in any crown we might hope to wear.

On the debit side, the total lack of consistency in performances and the same old defensive errors and frailties make shameful expletives easy to come by.

Then there is the never ending injury list with players queuing up to report they're unavailable for myriad reasons. Even Bradley Dack can manage to get injured when he is already! But the Covid pandemic cannot be helped and it's something we will have to live with, hopefully in the short term. 

With a fully fit squad there are genuine reasons for a modicum of excitement and a peek into the unknown.

Paul Yates

 

Despite our modest league position, I've seen lots to feel positive about - the emergence of Ben Brereton, the development of many youth players, Adam Armstrong topping the goalscoring charts and for me, seeing Lewis Holtby and Joe Rothwell's growing influence in games.

On the flip side though our inconsistency concerns me - one match we're recording a big win, then we'll dominate a match and lose, then we'll cling on for our lives and draw.

Perhaps the backroom and playing staff absences might account for this but it's a lottery which Blackburn Rovers is going to turn up currently.

Kelvin Wilkins

 

There is plenty to be optimistic about, when on song and our game plan works we look fierce. We look an outfit than can score goals and can cause problems for any defence in the league.

The issue arises when that game plan doesn’t work. My concern is that when it doesn’t work we don’t have a plan B, see games against Nottingham Forest and Cardiff.

Injuries are a concern as well. I don’t know if we’ve been unlucky, or something needs to be done behind the scenes, but we won’t push on as expected though if we are playing without key players every week.

Tom Schofield

 

First and foremost the goal scoring prowess of Adam Armstrong has been the highlight of the opening 11 games followed by the performances of Mr Kaminski in goal.

I've been disappointed with the away games we have lost as we did not deserve to lose them, especially at Bournemouth and at Watford. At Swansea there was no excuse as we were garbage.

I'm concerned about a spell out injured for Armstrong as if it were to happen I worry who could replace him in the goal scoring charts.

Frustration is standard for being a Rovers fan it's proved it again by our woeful home form as too many teams are coming to Ewood and taking at least a point with them. The big, big concern though is the absence of fans which is what the club needs to survive.

Andrew Robinson