Rovers were beaten 1-0 at Coventry City on Tuesday. Here are the talking points from the game, including the lack of Sam Gallagher, Jake Garrett's red card, terrible Tuseday night stats, and Rovers' approach.

It is now six defeats on the road for Rovers, all without scoring, and three by a 1-0 scoreline.

It has proven to be an all too familiar script with many of the same hallmarks and Rovers the architects of their own downfall in so many ways.

No-one was getting carried away that Rovers had suddenly cracked their inconsistency, but the startling drop-off from good to bad was a reminder of how far this team still have to go to do that.

When things have been bad, they’ve been pretty abject. Things tend to unravel quickly, mistakes become contagious, and they just haven’t been able to shake themselves out of it.

Jon Dahl Tomasson has focused more on performances than results, but it is definitely the latter that have been more pleasing on the whole.

You would be hard pushed to put together an argument that Rovers deserved anything out of the eight defeats they have suffered, though you could make a case for the home defeat to Stoke City.

While no-one could begrudge Coventry the win over the course of the 90 minutes, it was another game whereby the opposition had to do very little to keep Rovers at bay, nor to find a way through.

Tomasson felt the game was lost in the first half, but not because of tactical issues, instead the number of mistakes he made.

He referenced the number of unforced errors made in the first half against Wigan, and will have been totting them in the opening 45 minutes where Rovers could barely string a pass together.

The tempo was slow, they lacked aggression in the tackle, and their inability to keep the ball meant they lacked any serious control.

The tactic appeared to be to find Brereton in space wherever possible, but that looked the only angle of attack for much of the game, with countless through-balls not finding their target.

Rovers lacked width, and a team not blessed with natural pace either, it made for a sobering watch.

Daniel Ayala is an excellent defender, one of the best in the division at one-v-one situations, but seeing him having to twist and turn his way out of awkward spots was prevalent again in the first half, just as it was against Cardiff.

Tomasson was pleased with the response after the break in terms of Rovers carrying out the game-plan better, and it was for that reason that he waited until the 79th minute to make his second batch of changes.

That changed the shape to a back four, and saw them have two attempts at goal in as many minutes, though any hopes of them finding an equaliser ended with Garrett’s red card.

The concerns therefore remain around Rovers’ inability to find a way back into matches when conceding first.

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Sam Gallagher has started 10 times for Rovers this season, in which they have won nine times.

Of Rovers’ eight defeats this season, Sheffield United is the only one he started, with Coventry the fourth he has missed altogether, while he’s been used off the bench in three others.

His absence from the side is one they haven’t yet been able to fill, particularly away from home.

Jack Vale has now been given the chance twice, at Reading and Coventry, but has been substituted at half time in both.

At Wigan Athletic, Tomasson opted to go with George Hirst in Gallagher’s place as a wide forward.

That experiment lasted an hour.

While Vale did an excellent job in helping Rovers see out the victory at Hull City, it is a different equation asking him to do it from the off away from home.

Hirst meanwhile has endured a difficult start to life at Rovers, not only missing the penalty at Cardiff City, but not making the matchday squad for four consecutive matches before returning against Coventry.  

The drop-off from Ben Brereton and Gallagher has been stark in their contributions from the start.

The pair have looked fitter, stronger, and more robust than their counterparts, and become certain starters when available.

As for Brereton, he remains Rovers’ go to man for goals, with all their build-up play centring around trying to find him in space coming in off the left.

While Rovers were abject in the first half, a moment of magic from Brereton, cutting in from the left and curling narrowly wide of the target, almost gave them the lead.

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Rovers have now lost eight consecutive away league games played on a Tuesday night.

This was the third 1-0 defeat of the season on a Tuesday, following on from losses at Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic.

Last season they were beaten QPR and Huddersfield Town, while in 2020/21 they lost at Sheffield Wednesday, Reading and Huddersfield Town.

Indeed, the last time that Rovers won on a Tuesday night, away from home, in the league was the 3-0 success at Preston North End in November.

Rovers have still lost all eight games in which they have conceded first, and yet to score, or concede, an equalising goal, while it is now 24 games, 26 in all competitions, without a draw.

Thoughts immediately turn to the next game, and Rovers have so far proven that they can find a response to a defeat, particularly at Ewood Park. Indeed, it isn’t since August that they have lost back-to-back matches.

They have been able to lean on their home form, and go into the visit of bottom side Huddersfield Town aiming to make it five consecutive Ewood victories.

That will add a level of expectation, while ahead of trips to West Ham United and the East Lancashire derby with Burnley before the World Cup break will add a little pressure to the Huddersfield fixture.

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Jake Garrett was sent off for the first time in his fledgling career, in what was only his fourth appearance.

It came only six minutes after being introduced off the bench.

Those who have watched Garrett’s progress throughout his Academy development will know that he’s not averse to a strong challenge, while his early days in the first-team have shown that has carried through onto the senior stage.

Yet referees at Championship level will be more switched on to such challenges that may otherwise get just a ticking off in Premier League 2.

While some will consider the decision harsh given that Garrett won the ball, the referee clearly felt there was excessive force and sent him off.

Tomasson said he hadn’t seen the incident back, so couldn’t comment, yet was interesting to note that Lewis Travis, only just off the pitch himself, was first over to Garrett to console him and go down the tunnel with him.

Travis has been in that position before, not just being sent off, but coming through the ranks as a tough-tackling midfield player.

His first red card, and currently only, of his career also came in his fourth senior league appearance, and he then had to wait two months for his next opportunity.  

Garrett will learn a lot from the red card, but also Travis’ situation, as he looks to find his way in his own career.

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