Rovers paying for 'botched recruitment'

2 hours ago 1

Back in May, Blackburn Rovers were a fraction away from finishing in the Championship play-off places.

Fast forward to the end of 2025 and they are running on empty, fractured by a long injury list and the residual effects of a baffling and chaotic summer transfer window. The year ended for them with a limp display away to Sheffield Wednesday.

Rovers are short of quality and the head coach appears to know it.

They lack enough attacking potency or enough players who have proved they are good enough at Championship level.

Rovers have some players who are consistently capable but not enough to make significant progress - so much of that appears to rest with botched recruitment and player sales.

The only positives from a grim night on the road at the division's bottom club were a third successive clean sheet and academy graduates Matthew Litherland and George Pratt once again giving accomplished displays.

But they stand out in a team without its top goalscorer Andri Gudjohnsen for several weeks, and one that does not feature striker Makhtar Gueye at all - fully fit but left out completely in favour of players making the bench who were unheard of until winter began.

Gueye does not run enough in training to warrant a place in the squad according to Rovers boss Valerien Ismael, who really did not hold back when asked about the Senegalese player.

It is rather damning for a player who, despite being limited in top level ability, has managed six league goals in his time at the club and is certainly more experienced than a teenage forward on Ismael's bench.

Then there is Axel Henriksson. He was signed on a four-year deal in the summer, but is struggling.

The midfielder was deployed as a striker again at Hillsborough and looked way off the pace, letting his team down in attacking situations on numerous occasions.

It provided another reason as to why Gueye's omission was in sharp focus in the post-match debrief with the head coach on BBC Radio Lancashire.

All that inevitably led to questions about what the club plans to do to rectify the matter of goalscoring and the abject performance against a makeshift and vulnerable Sheffield Wednesday.

Only two sides have scored fewer times than Rovers in the Championship at this halfway stage.

Regardless of how long Gudjohnsen is out for, they must find at least another forward to ease the burden.

That means either spending serious money or making smart moves in the loan market.

There have been occasions where Rovers have produced good performances this season - in their five away wins, in particular.

But you need a deeper squad in terms of quality to sustain it on a regular basis and, at least, avoid a messy relegation battle.

January is an important month for Blackburn Rovers, 15 years since the takeover by owners Venky's, who continue to bear the brunt of fan frustration.