Tony Mowbray was 'let down' in the transfer window but Blackburn Rovers have been backed to avoid relegation.
Fears over a difficult end to the summer window have been eased by Saturday's victory over Millwall but there remain long-term concerns about the depth of Mowbray's squad.
Players are beginning to return from injury which has made the bench healthier. But with a long season in store and question marks over the durability of some players. it remains a concern.
That is the view of Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman, who has been consistent in his belief that Rovers will be clear of relegation trouble and still maintains that stance, though he was unimpressed with the lack of recruitment.
“I have to be honest, my heart goes out to him," Goodman told Lancashire Telegraph on behalf of BetVictor.
"Publicly, he has to hide his frustration, but deep down he must be absolutely fuming with that transfer window.
"In terms of relegation, I think there will be three teams worse than them, but the hierarchy has once again let down the fans, the manager, and the players with their recruitment efforts.
"They must do better. They will survive, but it’s likely to be a long, hard slog, particularly if key players get injured. It’s disappointing they couldn’t give Tony a bit more help.”
Rovers have started the season well in terms of performance and deserved more points than they have.
The concern is whether there will be a degree of burnout to key players as the fixtures tick by. Goodman sees similarities with Stoke City last season, who toiled after Christmas.
“Yes, the depth really should have been addressed in the window, and it wasn’t," he continued.
"The Championship is an absolute marathon, and they’re already having to deal with one or two injuries. Most teams are, but with respect to Blackburn’s squad as a whole, what stands out is a huge lack of depth.
“If you cast your mind back 12 months to Stoke City, they were flying until mid-November, and then injuries kicked in and they won 6 of their remaining 32 Championship games. They had won 8 of the first 14!!
"Blackburn remind me a bit of last season’s Stoke in terms of what may happen if they lose several key players?”
“When I spoke with Tony Mowbray before the Wolves game, the first game of the season, we had a good catch-up.
"He’s loving life. I told him I liked a lot of the players he’s got. He has five or six really good players who can excel at this level.
"He was optimistic that more bodies would come through the door, but it transpired that hardly any arrived, if any at all, from that point on."
Rovers have proven they can compete with the fancied teams after taking points from Wolves, Middlesbrough and Millwall in the opening weeks.
The test again is against those in and around them in the standings.
“Performances have generally been okay and what you’d expect from this group," Goodman explained.
"There have been good bits and inconsistent bits. On their day, they can compete…they went to Molineux and should have beaten Wolves, and in the very next game they beat Middlesbrough. They’ve also beaten Millwall, so that’s three of the fancied teams.
“They can do it, but there’s that element of inconsistency and questionable depth. The start of this season has been even more hectic with back-to-back midweek games thrown in to cater for the extended international break, so squads are being stretched to the limit.
“It’s hard enough as it is. I’m not sure what the idea behind the extended international break is, but it has put managers under real pressure.
"Up and down the country, training grounds have been incredibly hectic. When you throw the Carabao Cup into the mix for teams progressing in that, the start of the season has been more intense than ever.”
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