WITH eight games to go, there’s one big advantage I think Blackburn Rovers have over their relegation rivals and that is the quality of their squad.

I think Rovers have more than a good enough squad to stay up and when I look at the other teams, I’m just not sure if they have the same quality.

Rotherham and Wigan I think you can write them off as being down.

MORE TOP STORIES:

So from the other clubs around them, I think Rovers have a better strength in depth, and they have also scored more goals than some of the teams around them.

Rovers have had plenty of injuries this season, but are starting to get towards a fully fit squad.

It’s a tough league the Championship, with lots of games, and the speed of the game now means that you are always going to pick up injuries, so you need as many players available as possible.

They will pick up injuries between now and the end of the season, but the more players you have to cover them, the better.

That also helps in having options off the bench, something Tony Mowbray has done to his advantage so far.

You want options off the bench and if you can have people that can come on to the pitch, that might not be able to do it for the full 90 minutes,, but for 20 minutes or so make a real impact, it helps.

I never used to like coming off the bench because you have to get in to the pace of the game straight away and it’s hard to do that for someone coming off the bench.

But it seems as though Rovers have a number of players that can do that.

As a Rovers fan, I would only be thinking positively.

Their next two games away from home are tough, at Brighton and Reading, but I think it would be better to sacrifice their unbeaten run to pick up a win than drawing both games.

They will be very tough – Brighton are a very good side and I expect them to get promoted, while Reading are very good at keeping the ball.

But Rovers have been to Newcastle and won and when you go away from home it’s always important to try and keep it tight for the first 20 minutes and hope the fans get on the back of the home team, especially when they’re at the top because they will be fully expecting their side to win.

It can become nervy.

I have fancied Brighton for promotion all season – I think they have a very good side, a very good manager, and have players who should already be playing in the Premier League.

They also have the experience of being near the top of the league after losing in the play-offs last year.

They were unlucky to miss out last year, they have a good manager who knows what to do to get out of the league, and that’s why I have always thought they would get promoted.

We’re still in the international break and watching England in qualifying can be a bit of a drag.

The lesser nations who come and play 10 behind the ball can be hard to beat.

They are never going to change their approach, and are just intent on keeping the score down.

How do you change it?  I don’t really know.  Whether you put them in a group together, that may be a way forward.

But the problem for England is that they keep winning their groups easily and getting to the summer tournaments under-prepared.

What they need to do is to try and get harder friendlies arranged, but then the problems will arise between clubs and their countries and when you fit the games in, so it’s a tough one.

Watching England can be an expensive day out, especially when you know you’re not really going to be on the edge of your seat for any of the game.