One small consolation of having a 90 mile drive home after a game is it provides a cathartic opportunity to reflect on the afternoon’s endeavours before rushing to a premature judgement.
The M62 & M1 did their thing and so I feel more comfortable in documenting my observations several hours after the full time whistle.
No matter where you sit on the spectrum of Rovers being play off challengers through to Rovers being nailed on for relegation, there was evidence available to day to support your worldview.
The optimists would point to a solid 90 minutes against an energetic side, restricting them to long shots and playing effectively on the counter-attack. The pessimists however would point out that this was a 102 minute encounter and boy oh boy, did those added 12 minutes pour on the pain at Ewood.
It’s a matter of fact rather than opinion that many Championship appearances have left Rovers this summer, to be replaced by an eclectic mix of incomings, but with only Sean McLoughlin having significant knowledge of the second tier.
Does that matter? Well maybe not, if some positive results can be stacked up but a chastening opening eight days has seen three defeats in total and already the post-mortems are being scheduled.
Rovers seems to be an unhappy club at the moment. Key players either exiting or trying to exit, Fan Forum meetings being reported as if held in the Kremlin and minuted by Pravda, more leaks than Thames Water emanating from the board room indicating that behind the scenes all is not well with staff and suppliers as well as some of the players.
The pre-kick off celebrations reminded everyone in the stadium of what the club once was - presentations recognising the contributions of Jack Walker, Ronnie Clayton, Bryan Douglas and including more recent stalwarts like David Dunn served to stoke up the crowd creating a buzz.
The packed away end illustrated clearly the positive impact that visionary, energetic and wealthy owners can have on a fanbase, galvanising them into a vocal mass in the Darwen End. They’ve had their fair share of dodgy owners and eventually landing on a good one serves to highlight that clubs can change hands with positive outcomes.
Where does today leave Rovers? Well in truth, not sure that we learned much that we didn’t already know. The squad lacks depth, a cutting edge and a difference maker; those aren’t easy to find at any time but with barely a fortnight left in the window and less money available to spend than a parent at the end of a summer holiday at Center Parcs, Rovers have their work cut out.
It’s way too early to panic, but with what some saw pre-season as a relegation six-pointer away at Hull and a tricky home fixture with promotion hopefuls Norwich next up, ending August without a win would be let’s say “sub-optimal”.
The next two weeks could be pivotal. Rovers need to make them count.
