TONY Mowbray has admitted that it was his decision to call off Rovers’ game at Blackpool over the weekend after three players were called up by their respective countries, writes Simon Garner.

They included captain Charlie Mulgrew and I can understand why Mowbray made that decision – you don’t want your big players missing.

If it’s a squad player missing, you might have enough to get through but when it’s one of your main players and you have the option to call it off then you call it off.

I would have done the same thing.

With the game being Blackpool away, I can understand why some fans may be frustrated.

It is a local game, it would have been a big crowd and a lot of Blackburn fans would have gone, so I understand that, but I still think they will travel in good numbers for a midweek game and the manager has to do what’s right for the team.

I’m sure that both Mulgrew and Corry Evans must have had conversations with their international managers to see what they had to say about whether Rovers’ relegation to League One would affect their chances of playing international football.

I would have thought that they would have said, if I’m playing in League One, and as long as I’m playing regular first-team football, am I still going to get in the squad?

They were obviously given positive answers, and that would have helped Mowbray out a lot there.  He will have been pleased that they opted to stay and play their football at Rovers.

International football, and the chance to potentially play in a World Cup, is a big deal for the players. You don’t give up the chance to play for your country and that will be one of your main focuses.

A player might move clubs and not be in the team and then they could be out of the international team altogether. You have to be trying to play regular first-team football.

What the break from action will have done is given Mowbray more time to work on the training ground with his players on the things that haven’t been working, and get them prepared mentally.

It’s three games a week for most of the season so any chance that you get to work on different things, you will take it.

International breaks can work in your favour at times because if you have some niggling injuries, it’s nice for them to have some rest, time off and be ready to go again for the next game.

Rovers now have two games in hand on most sides. You could turn around and say that they are in a good run of form and you want to be playing the games, but it’s still early in the season.

Say if it was nearer the end of the season, and they had to win those games, there could be a bit more pressure on them. But it’s still early in the season and a lot of games to go.