Blackburn Rovers boss John Dahl Tomasson has done a fine job at Ewood Park this campaign and his side could now be set for a boost as they eye up promotion from the Championship.
Blackburn Rovers prepare for Leeds United…
The Riversiders look to have put themselves in the picture to compete for the play-offs this campaign; however, it is clear that recent inconsistent results have become a source of frustration in the last few weeks, given that they have recorded three victories and four losses in their last seven matches across all competitions.
Last weekend, Blackburn were on the end of a bitterly disappointing defeat at basement battlers Sheffield Wednesday, as goals from Bailey Cadamarteri, Marvin Johnson and Josh Windass rendered Sammie Szmodics’s reply as nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.
To make matters worse, Tomasson will now serve a one-match suspension for the visit of Leeds on Saturday after admitting to “using abusive and/or insulting words to a match official” in the aftermath of Sheffield Wednesday winger Johnson’s strike to put the hosts 2-1 ahead at Hillsborough.
Blackburn Rovers’ next five Championship fixtures | |
Opponent | Venue |
Leeds United (H) | Ewood Park |
Bristol City (H) | Ewood Park |
Southampton (A) | St Mary’s Stadium |
Watford (H) | Ewood Park |
Huddersfield Town (A) | John Smith’s Stadium |
On a personal note, the 47-year-old will also need to pay a fine of £2000 to the Football Association due to his misconduct. Ahead of the clash, Blackburn Rovers will be able to recall Lewis Travis to contention after serving a suspension of his own.
Nevertheless, several of Rovers’ key men, including Sam Gallagher, Ryan Hedges and Tyrhys Dolan, head up an increasingly worrying injury list at Ewood Park, which could stretch the Lancashire side’s squad to the bare bones during the festive period.
Despite this, fresh reports indicate that there is one silver lining at Blackburn Rovers that will offer some hope moving forward concerning the long term.
Harry Pickering agrees new contract
According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Blackburn Rovers left-back Harry Pickering has agreed a new four-year contract at Ewood Park after the club reached a breakthrough in negotiations with the 24-year-old.
His previous contract had 18 months to run in Lancashire and would’ve seen the former Crewe Alexandra defender’s deal expire in the summer of 2025; however, the Riversiders have now seemingly put to bed any speculation surrounding Pickering’s future, which will come as a relief to all concerned.
Previously labelled “terrific” by former Crewe Alexandra manager Dave Artell, the Chester-born ace has made 20 appearances in all competitions for his current employers this term (Pickering statistics – Transfermarkt).
Providing defensive stability in the league, Pickering has averaged around 2.6 successful challenges and 2.4 clearances, showing his importance as a key player under Tomasson (Pickering statistics – WhoScored).
Moving forward, the Englishman will hope he can be an important part of Blackburn Rovers’ charge for promotion over the coming months, starting with the visit of Leeds United this weekend.
