Four games into the 2013/14 Championship season, surely it`s too early to be talking about a ‘must-win` game. But this certainly feels like one.
12 points thrown up in the air and only 2 points plucked out of it, has the fans scratching their heads. Scratching to the point of bleeding, I would imagine, after the run of results the Whites finished last term with. I know one man doesn`t make a team, but Craig Dawson`s arrival obviously papered over deeper cracks than initially thought. Now the fans are calling for his return and rightly so, but that still leaves us with the cracks when Dawson returns home again; a 6 foot 7 inch crack that we seem to have had for years that doesn`t seem like being filled in any time soon.
No new arrivals are expected before our trip to Ewood Park, so first things first. Let`s get the monkey off our back with a moral-boosting victory over Blackburn.
Even Coyle managed this task? Twice!
Vital Quotes:
‘I`m not someone who will mope around.
We are where we are at the moment. We have got to carry on, make sure we get our players fit and then, hopefully, we can get our season started on Saturday.
The situation we find ourselves in at the moment isn`t ideal but there has been a sequence of games and a little bit of bad luck with injuries that hasn`t helped us. That said, I do think we have done enough in certain games to have more points in the league than we have right now.’
Dougie putting an ever-decreasing positive spin on our disastrous start to the season.
Blackburn Rovers Team News:
New signing Ben Marshall could make his Blackburn debut.
The Salford-born winger returned to the north west on Wednesday after joining for an undisclosed fee from Leicester.
Centre-back Matt Kilgallon could also pull on a Rovers shirt for the first time as he has returned to full training this week along with Corry Evans, who has been restricted to just one substitute appearance so far.
Midfielder Lee Williamson is in light training yet Ruben Rochina, Paul Robinson, Dickson Etuhu, DJ Campbell and Adam Henley are all out.
Player to watch: Jordan Rhodes
Who else.
The Scottish international has hardly started the season with fire in his boots. Four games into the season, including a cup game away at Carlisle and Rhodes hadn’t found the net once. But a 5-2 drubbing of Barnsley saw Rhodes get his first and second of the season.
In the 3 league games that Rhodes didn’t score, Rovers scored just 1 goal, a 94th minute equaliser.
Conclusion: You stop Rhodes, you stop Blackburn.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Eagles is still 50/50 (oh, come on) Moritz is unfit (double come on) and Ream, Wheater, Tierney and Cravies are, well, who the hell knows.
Ngog is fit (I think) but Mavies, and Holden are still long-termers.
Oh, Pratley’s back, yeah! No? OK.
Player to watch: Jermaine Beckford
Yawn, I know.
(In monotone voice) The striker got off the mark in his Wanderers career against Tranmere in the cup…
That’s all I got.
Match Facts & Stats
Head-to-head
This is the 149th league meeting between the sides. Bolton have won 61 of the previous 148, and Blackburn 54.
Bolton are looking for a fifth successive victory over Rovers (Premier League and Championship).
Blackburn are seeking a first home win over the Trotters since a 1-0 victory in the Premier League in April 2011.
Another interesting stat: Blackburn got their first win against Barnsley, but they haven’t won back-to-back victories in 20 games.
Match Prediction:
I don’t think I’ve gone for a win yet, trying to be honest and diplomatic. It changes now… 2-1 to the visitors.
If not, this is going to be the longest two week break in history.
Next Fixtures:
The start of 2 home games in quick succession against Leeds and Derby respectively.