We all know there aren’t any easy games in the Championship. Everyone says so and it’s a nice excuse to use when we haven’t done as well in games as we thought.
But while I’ve no doubt the Blackburn game won’t be easy, it’s really a game we ought to win. If we don’t, we’re definitely struggling.
Blackburn are having serious problems.
The fans are protesting against the owners, the team sit 23rd in the league and everything’s doom and gloom.
Sounds just like us not so long back doesn’t it?
Whereas we’re in the middle of a decent run and are somewhat revitalised under Steve Bruce, even if we know we have certain deficiencies.
I’ve had a bit of a concern that we might be experiencing a bit of a new manager bounce, but it’s one that has been waning as games have gone on and three points tomorrow will maybe kill it once and for all.
Which is what we have to do; win. No ifs and no buts, we need three points tomorrow.
While it won’t see us shooting up the table, it’ll dispel my niggle that Bruce has been lucky and demonstrate that we can actually kill teams off.
Blackburn’s defence is supposedly iffy at best and they’ve been conceding late goals recently, but while they do concede quite a few, they’re not the worst in the league. Any decent attack should be able to score against them though and we certainly have the players to do the damage, on paper at least.
Which is another concern; we have all these 20 a season strikers, but they aren’t really firing are they?
Still, I have very pleasant feeling that tomorrow might be a game where we get some real joy and actually score more than two goals. Having just checked, we’ve only scored two goals twice this season (Forest and Reading) and that isn’t really good enough is it?
All that plus I reckon Bruce will see this as a “should win” and go for it.
Blackburn have defenders Tommie Hoban and Derrick Williams out which should hopefully prove to our advantage.
On our side, Jordan Ayew is suspended and Adomah has been struggling because of a “dead” leg, although news is that he’ll probably be okay. Bacuna is looking 50-50 after doing his groin just before the Blues game, but Micah Richards definitely won’t make it.
There’s a plus in that we have Jack Grealish available, which means he’ll probably start in Ayew’s place.
The truth is, if Ayew wasn’t injured I wouldn’t have played him. Why change a team that’s doing ok, after all?
Prediction time then and can I make it two correct on the trot?
I doubt it, but I’m firmly convinced we’ll win this one.
I know I’ve said I think we’ll score more than two, but I’m not going to predict an outlandish scoreline, because sod’s law says I’ll be miles off.
2-0 it is then.
