Fans' jury: Will Rovers beat last season's points tally?

It would be a very brave man or a foolish one to predict absolutely anything concerning Blackburn Rovers.

I’m sure that all the Rovers’ supporters hope that the team performs as they did against Sheffield Wednesday and push for a play-off spot.

The operative word, however, is consistency. Time after time we see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel only to see normal service resumed as a bottom six team outplays us at Ewood Park.

Until we achieve a settled team, a strong squad and tactics that suit the personnel, we will hover in or around mid-table. We would need the addition of three more quality experienced players at Championship level to really progress the club.

However I don’t see the transfer window bringing about any such radical improvement so I estimate that Rovers will finish much the same as last season.

Paul Yates

While many would regard progression as a higher points tally or improved league position, there are other ways to judge.

Even without the likes of Bradley Dack, Harrison Reed and a lesser Danny Graham compared to this time last year we seem to have greater strength in depth. This has been helped by the maturity of the likes of Ryan Nyambe and Adam Armstrong as well as the emergence of John Buckley and Joe Rankin-Costello.

I’m also keen to see Danny Butterworth push for a place as he returns from injury and next season, Scott Wharton and Matty Platt who are gaining regular first team football away from Ewood and impressing, albeit in lower leagues.

Any building work has set backs but I like what Tony Mowbray is working towards and if Joe Rothwell and Sam Gallagher can find some potency and we add to the squad in this transfer window then we’ve every reason to be excited about our future and start amassing those points.

Kelvin Wilkins

I’m honestly not sure how confident I am. The 5-0 has clearly raised hopes and expectations, we are still so inconsistent though.

I’m in a position where I’m rarely overly surprised no matter what the result is. I go into every game not sure on what to expect.

We have shown at times this season how clinical and good we can be, but for every Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford performance, there’s a Luton and Charlton.

What I would say is that I feel we are better placed this season to make a push than last, so if I was to be made to bet on beating last seasons points haul I would say we will.

Tom Schofield

With this squad it’s difficult to tell, on our day we are very good and when we are not we are poor as we have seen in recent weeks.

Hopefully we will surpass last seasons figure but we still lack a real out and out goal scorer in our team and with Dack absent for the remainder of the campaign I fear we may struggle for goals.

All this may turn out to be irrelevant as there is still time in the transfer window to attempt to fix the problem.

I will put us on 70 or so points to conclude with which will be shy of a play-off place but with this squad anything can happen.

Andrew Robinson

I imagine we’ll finish around three or four points better off than we did last season, but I think that will see us finish a number of places higher than last year.

I think Rovers are going to finish ninth this season. I think we’ll come tantalisingly close to the play-offs, but I don’t think that a trip to Wembley beckons for Tony Mowbray’s men this season.

This table is different to last year in that nobody has run away with it, both Leeds & West Brom have stumbled, as have play-off hopefuls Preston, Swansea and Forest. There’s not many games that are easy to predict, and that’s only been taken further in the 2019/20 season.

I’m hopeful that Lewis Holtby can quite easily continue in the Dack role and I think Adam Armstrong is in the form of his career too.

Tosin Adarabioyo is a top quality centre-back and I reckon the main thing that will keep us close to the chasing pack is keeping our key players fit.

To hear of our trip to Portugal is music to my ears, I think having a healthy squad will be massively important going into the final months of the season - as all the teams step up their game.

Joe Harvey

Just like last season, Rovers go into February in a position where a good run of results could see them challenge for the play-of places. Last Season, we failed to strengthen the squad in January, and when injuries hit, went on a horrendous run of form and our season faded away. 

With a few additions in the next week or so, I see no reason why this Rovers team can’t put together a string of results which will propel us towards the top 6. The league is considerably weaker than last season, with no team really putting together a consistent run of results. 

The squad this season has more depth about it, and although the loss of Bradley Dack is massive, the fact that we have the likes of Lewis Holtby and Joe Rothwell to fill the gap lessens the blow slightly.

I think with a couple of shrewd additions to key areas (namely a left back and a winger who can beat a man and whip a cross in) Rovers could be well on track to better last season’s points tally.

My prediction, between 65-70 points. That should ensure a top half finish which in my opinion would represent progress and a solid season for Rovers.

Will it be enough to sneak into the play offs? Who knows? But as long as there’s 100 per cent effort and commitment every time they pull on a blue and white shirt and step out onto that pitch, I’ll be backing the boys all the way. 

Stu Smith