In the eighth of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the pre-season mood at Ewood Park under new manager Owen Coyle by delving into their forums. A report on Wigan will be on the site later today with the rest of the teams in the division covered between now and the start of the season.

“I have seen nothing to convince me that we will improve on last season. We have downgraded the manager and the squad is weaker. The only saving grace is that there will be probably be four worse teams than us”, “Another turgid season waiting for the owners to leave or put us in administration.”

“This club stinks, top to bottom.” Many Rovers fear relegation this season. With the club’s debts now exceeding £100 million and with Grant Hanley the latest valuable playing asset to depart in just over a year, fans believe that their “wafer-thin, inexperienced squad” may not survive this campaign.

“A club in our position simply cannot afford to lose the quality we have lost over the last year or so. Marcus Olsson, Grant Hanley, Tom Cairney, Josh King, Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes have all departed. Our squad is far too weak and there are too many doubts about our first team.”

Owen Coyle

“We have a manager who doesn’t breed confidence”, “Coyle has a hopeless task. It is impossible to make a decent fist of the job with the resources he has been given. He will cop the flak when things go wrong but the problem lies elsewhere”, “I will be surprised if he sees the season out.”

“Coyle still has it all to prove.” The 50-year-old former Burnley boss arrived from Houston Dynamo in June, replacing Paul Lambert who left at the end of last season. Blackburn fans are less concerned over his managing their keen rivals, but his poor record at Bolton and Wigan have left them nervous.

They are also suspicious that he may not stand up sufficiently to the owners. “Yet another manager happy to put up with whatever the owners throw in front of him. Lambert on the other hand told it like it is. I have nothing against Coyle personally but this appointment is destined to end in failure.”

Losing Grant Hanley

“Our captain goes over the hill into the Geordie sunset, probably the last player of substance and value at Ewood Park. It’s a dreadful mess and it’s the duped season ticket holders I feel for right now”, “Why would he want to be part of this circus?” “He would be bonkers to stay at Rovers.”

“Good luck Grant, hope he does well on the Toon.” Fans were sorry but not surprised to see the 24-year-old centre-back depart to Newcastle on a five-year deal. Few expect the undisclosed fee to be reinvested in the squad. “Brilliant business given that we will invest nothing back into the team.”

Other Departures

Two other defenders have left Ewood Park this summer, Tommy Spurr moved to Preston and Matt Kilgallon is out of contract, while keeper Simon Eastwood has joined former club Oxford United. Two strikers, Chris Brown and Nathan Delfouneso have also become free agents.

Two players have moved to League One sides, striker Simeon Jackson joined join Walsall, while midfielder Chris Brown is now with Bolton Wanderers. Fellow midfielder Lee Williamson has stayed in the Championship after moving to newly-promoted Burton Albion.

New Signings

Two of the five new faces are young players on season-long loans from Premier League sides. Stephen Hendrie is a 21-year-old right-back who has arrived from West Ham, while 20-year-old midfielder Republic of Ireland U21 international Jack Byrne has joined from Manchester City.

Winger Liam Feeney has signed a minimum two-year deal, the 29-year-old having left Bolton after playing on loan for Town for part of last season. Striker Anthony Stokes has joined Rovers from Glasgow Celtic, the 27-year-old Republic of Ireland international penning a three-year deal.

“Danny Graham has reached a stage in his career where he wants to get back to playing regularly and scoring goals. He had a nightmare for Sunderland, barely featuring, never scoring and was the subject of derision. He came here and was playing every week and scoring goals in no time at all.”

Having played on loan at Rovers last season, the 30-year-old former Swansea striker has signed a minimum two-year contract and has already found his scoring touch in pre-season. “We are lucky in some ways because Graham had such a miserable time at Sunderland and such a good time here.”

Pre-Season Line-Ups

“With Hanley going, a Shane Duffy, Elliott Ward partnership should be good enough”, “Even without Hanley, our defence is looking solid albeit against weaker competition that we will see in August”, “Sadly we are another player down and 16 outfield players it is. Significant strengthening is needed.”

The starting XI (above) for Rovers 1-1 draw at Blackpool showed two changes in personnel and the same formation to the team which achieved an identical result at Rochdale, with Darragh Lenihan and Chuba Akpom having started in centre midfield in place of Jack Byrne and Danny Guthrie.

With two decent strikers and wingers to supply them, Rovers can see a plan taking shape. “Danny Graham has definitely been our best signing”, “Coyle likes wingers, so getting the neglected Craig Conway setting up chances will help. Feeney won’t be shy in the assists department either.”

Prospects for the Coming Season

“Relegated”, “Third division here we come, right back where we started from. Open up those golden gates”, “Graham if he stays fit might be enough to keep us up”, “The season comes down to Graham staying fit. Any spell out of the team will leave us totally stuck for a way of getting up the pitch.”

“Our season comes down to whether we are better than the three promoted teams and Rotherham. We flirted with relegation last season”, “Bottom half, and nearer the bottom than halfway. I see finishing out of the bottom three as a result. The squad looks extremely thin in certain areas.”

“Relegation is a distinct possibility.” A minority of optimists see the side reaching mid-table, but for most it is a question of survival. “I wish I could find the optimism some of you have, but I can’t help feeling it’s relegated, probably well before the end of the season in fact, if not mathematically.”

Websites

The busiest Rovers message board is BCFCC.com, and additional comment and discussion can be found at Rovers Talk

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

Seasider added 17:21 - Jul 29 Well folks,we might moan a bit about our Manager;but I would rather have him than Owen Coyle. It surprises me that they were reported as giving Feeney a better contract than we could with their debt;and we worry about losing our best players,but Mr Evans recently has shown no desire to do this,thank goodness. Think that Rovers could struggle this season.
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