Blackburn Rovers' mentality shift that could secure survival

Blackburn Rovers' Mathias Jorgensen celebrates at the final whistle. <i>(Image: CameraSport - David Horton)</i>
Blackburn Rovers' Mathias Jorgensen celebrates at the final whistle. (Image: CameraSport - David Horton)
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Mathias Jorgensen is hoping his brace against Millwall can be the springboard Blackburn Rovers need to secure Championship safety.

The Danish striker came off the bench to net twice and complete an important comeback win at The Den. Without it, Rovers would've dropped into the bottom three. Instead, they moved up to 19th prior to Portsmouth's clash with Derby County.

It was an important response for Rovers, having lost and turned in a poor performance at Oxford. Jorgensen hopes this will give the mental boost the group needs to ensure they survive.

"I think it's a big mentality boost, hopefully for the team. I think we've been struggling quite a bit with the results over the last weeks," Jorgensen told RoversTV.

"So to come here on a really difficult ground and a good side team to get away with three points from here really shows character all the way around.

"I think we have so many positives to take away from this game. In the first half, I think we were excellent. We created stuff and showed character also.

"To be in that kind of busy week we had with difficult results and then going down again, but staying in the game and showing character and getting away from here with three points, I think should be a boost of confidence for us going forward.

"I think as a side, we did an excellent job in the first half. I think credit to everyone today and credit to the whole group because this is an effort from the whole group. We've been travelling together, the guys who played a lot, the guys who played not a lot.

"We have been training, we've been pushing each other, we've been helpful to each other, we've been positive to each other and it's nice that we get a result as a group and hopefully we can use that as a bit of a bounce.

"I remember I said that last time also, but I think we need to show that it can be, hopefully, not a turning point, but something that we can stick to going forward."

Rovers spent the remainder of the week in the South after defeat at Oxford. That allowed more opportunity for honest chats, training and also the chance to spend more time in each other's company.

Players and managers often talk about the importance of those trips in pre-season and so this smaller period was vital, says Jorgensen.

"I think it makes total sense that we stayed. It would be quite hectic if we needed to go home and then travel down to London again," he said.

"So it's been great this time of year as a group to get a bit connected and look each other in the eyes. Being around each other nearly every minute the last couple of days, I think it's been great because we are in this together, all of us.

"When results are against us, we need to stick together and when results go our way, we need to stick even more together. So that's a fine balance and I think we showed that we had a good bounce from the midweek."

Blackburn Rovers' Mathias Jorgensen takes the ball from the back of the Millwall goal after scores his side's first goal . (Image: CameraSport - David Horton)

It was Jorgensen's goals that ultimately swung the game. His movement was excellent to finish Ryan Alebiosu's fine work and the second was instinctive, lashing home Ryoya Morishita's bouncing pass.

"I think the mentality we showed after that red card was excellent," he insisted.

"I think we just kept pushing and I think we had some great play on the right-hand side on the first goal and when I saw Ryan coming down into the assist zone.

"Then it was quite of a gamble to go in between the goalie and the centre-back instead of going in front of him and Ryan put it in excellently, and it was about tapping it in and give us a boost.

"I think the mentality we showed after that equaliser was excellent. I can't really remember a lot, but I remember when I saw Mori was turning forward and I had space to run into, it was like head down and then it was an excellent ball and then it was about finishing it off."

It was just reward for the travelling Rovers fans, who were once again put through the mill by their club last week. Jorgensen was delighted to send them home happy.

"It was a big moment for us. I think it showed the character, as you said, going down again, but coming back into the game and scoring two in the second half," he insisted.

"I think actually our reaction to the 2-1 goal was also excellent because we could easily sit back and drop and let them feed us, but I think we showed a great mentality all the way around from the team and kept trying to get the momentum on our side.

"That's why we play football, you know, they come back here today again and we really want to give something back to them. We know it's points that count at the moment we are in, but to give something back to the excellent support we had again was really nice."

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