Four Blackburn Rovers players have created selection dilemma
Competition for places is vital in every position of the field and right now, Blackburn Rovers have plenty of it, particularly down their right side.
Jon Dahl Tomasson rotated his squad in the last week with three gruelling Championship games in six days. The players coming in caught the eye and have left plenty to ponder over the international break.
Perhaps the biggest winner of the last week was James Hill. The Bournemouth loanee had been limited to one start in the Carabao Cup, prior to Rovers’ trip to Coventry City.
However, coming in at right-back, the 21-year-old showed his versatility. Hill is a centre-back by trade but featured on the right for Heart in his loan at the Scottish Premier League side.
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In possession, he dropped to become a third centre-back with Callum Brittain or Harry Pickering moving into midfield. It was the same 3-2-5 shape in build-up that Rovers have used throughout 2023 under Tomasson.
But having an extra centre-back, rather than Pickering who usually tucks round to be the extra man, added solidity. When Rovers didn’t have the ball, he played as a more conventional right-back. He has the athleticism and positional awareness to do that.
Whilst Tomasson maintained the goals were leaking because Rovers were ‘open’ adding another defender certainly helped matters. Hill impressed offensively too, almost scoring twice with a thunderbolt at Coventry and a looping volley at QPR.
It meant that Brittain and Pickering rotated during the week. The latter came on as a half-time substitute at Loftus Road and showed another string to his bow by playing in a more advanced area.
Of course, we know that Brittain played as a wing-back at Barnsley under Valerien Ismael, but he’s predominantly played right-back for Rovers. He didn’t look like a defender playing in attack; he was quick, incisive and dangerous down the flank. The added defensive security completely nullified QPR’s threat from Sinclair Armstrong and Kenneth Paal too.
Could that be a long-term role for him with Ryan Hedges out? Dilan Markanday is also competing, as is Andrew Moran, though he’d probably prefer to play centrally.
When you throw Joe Rankin-Costello into the mix too, it creates real competition for places. He played in the right number eight role in both games, showing what he adds in attack with the assist for Tyrhys Dolan’s opener.
Lewis Travis has played there for most of the calendar year and has enjoyed a good season. Coventry was the first game he has not started in the Championship.
Rankin-Costello perhaps offers more thrust in the final third, though Travis has improved in that area, but the captain adds the tenacity and bite you need to win a Championship midfield.
Whoever plays there could also be dictated by who is behind them. If it’s Adam Wharton, someone famed for their on-ball qualities rather than defensive work, Travis makes more sense. If it’s Sondre Tronstad, there could be more license to go for Rankin-Costello.
Tronstad showed that he can be a valuable player for Rovers this season. He’s been gradually introduced into the team after a two-month break between Championship starts. At Loftus Road, he was neat and tidy on the ball, broke up play and showed good defensive awareness.
