JUST IN: Jon Dahl Tomasson is facing his first big Blackburn Rovers selection decision of….

Blackburn Rovers were beaten 3-0 by Plymouth Argyle and the manner of the second and third goals have raised questions about a potential change in personnel

Jon Dahl Tomasson is facing his first dilemma of the season in goal after Blackburn Rovers’ 3-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle.

Rovers were unfortunate with the score line at Home Park after failing to take their chances at crucial moments in the match. Ryan Hedges was guilty of spurning a brilliant chance at 0-0 whilst Lewis Travis’ second-half effort was deflected onto the bar and away to safety at 1-0.

 

By contrast, Argyle’s opener came from a long-range deflected strike which nicked off Adam Wharton and sent Aynsley Pears the wrong way. That was unlucky but goals two and three leave question marks over the gloves.

Tomasson and Rovers will be stewing on that disappointing result for the next two weeks. Fine margins defined the match, with individual errors at both ends of the pitch meaning they headed on the long journey home with nothing.

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Pears has endured a mixed start to the Championship season, having taken the number one shirt figuratively and literally from Thomas Kaminski on the eve of the season. The 24-year-old signed a new long-term contract with Rovers in the summer but would’ve been on the bench against West Brom had Kaminski not moved to Luton Town.

 

Pears’ return to number two in pre-season was intriguing, considering he ended last season ahead of Kaminski. The Belgian international missed six weeks of the season with a knee injury and didn’t resume his place in goal once fit.

Pears had a brilliant run of form during Kaminski’s time on the sidelines and he deserved to keep the gloves, in my opinion. But errors started to seep in during the run-

Milwall’s second goal on the final day, whilst not costly in the end, was an obvious example of communication issues between the defence and goalkeeper. Similar incidents happened at Huddersfield, which led to a goal from the resulting corner, and Hull City at Ewood Park. It wasn’t an isolated incident.

 

Pears prefers to stay closer to his goal and looks less comfortable playing as a sweeper-keeper. Kaminski was particularly aggressive with that style and so there have been teething issues. That was highlighted by Aaron Connolly’s winner for Hull, albeit the defence should have dealt with the simple ball over them far better.

This season, Pears has made some excellent saves. In particular, against Watford, he kept them in it during the first half. He is better with the ball at his feet than Kaminski was and that was the trade-off.

 

However, it’s impossible to ignore the mistakes against Plymouth which have sparked discussion amongst supporters. Pears should have pushed the initial shot from the edge of the box wider or held it, instead, it went straight into the danger area for Ryan Hardie to tap in. At 2-0, it’s a tall order to come back.

The third goal was a mess by everyone involved. Neither of the centre-backs covered themselves in glory by failing to deal with a bouncing ball but Pears lacked authority coming off his line. His weak header was then lobbed into an empty net by Luke Cundle. Game over.

Although we are only five games into the new season, it is fair to ask whether Leopold Wahlstedt come into the team after the break. The 24-year-old has spent the last month acclimatising to his new surroundings.

He made his debut against Harrogate Town and kept a clean sheet, albeit he was rarely tested in what was an 8-0 rout. The truth is, we don’t know much about Walhstedt right now.

What we do know is he was a long-term target of Gregg Broughton and the recruitment team. He was always the goalkeeper they wanted if, as they expected, Kaminski moved on.

Rovers moved decisively to secure his signature ahead of Brondby. Had they deliberated for another few days, they would have missed out on him. That shows how highly rated he is by those who brought him in.

 

Broughton referenced Wahlstedt’s abilities to play out from the back, as well as his ‘excellent shot-stopping ability’. He has been signed with Tomasson’s principles of play, in mind.

Tomasson has been pretty loyal to his goalkeepers since he arrived at the club. He is not one to chop and change unnecessarily. It will be interesting to see whether he continues with Pears against Middlesbrough or if Wahlstedt gets his chance