Blackburn Rovers

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John Eustace urged his players to look forward to the promotion challenge of the new year rather than dwell on a surprise home defeat by Hull City.

The Rovers manager saw his side experience only their second defeat in the last nine games and told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It's a really disappointing result.

"It was a difficult game and we created a couple of really good chances, but needed to be more clinical.

"It was never going to be pretty and then we needed to defend the box better in the second half. The lads kept going, and the attitude was good, so we move on to the next one.

"The effort the boys put in a few days ago [2-2 draw v Sunderland] was excellent, so it was a big ask, but it was the same for both teams.

"It's important we don't get too disappointed. The boys have been magnificent this year and we go into the new year in the top six, which is really exciting."

Andy Bayes
Sports Editor, BBC Lancashire

Image source, Rex Features

What do Blackburn need in January?

Rovers need to add competition for places and perhaps a couple of players who are going to genuinely impact the starting XI for the second half of the season.

The feeling is that, against the odds, they could mount a serious challenge for a play-off spot if they can fill some gaps in the squad. Players who have gone course and distance in the Championship would be great but they come at a premium.

What sort of business are they likely to do?

Rovers are looking for a striker (who isn't?) during the window. Yuki Ohashi has played a long time without a break now, and Makhtar Gueye getting off the mark at Sheffield Wednesday in December will do him the world of good. But, can they get someone who might weigh in with half a dozen league goals or more for the second half of the season.

There is also a feeling that a little more pace in the side is on the wanted list for John Eustace. Potentially a left-sided player to add further competition for places.

Also, with a season long injury to Scott Wharton and a lengthy absence for Hayden Carter, another central defender could be an option. Dom Hyam has played every minute of every game this season, and it's a good job that he has with others missing.

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

Not hugely. No sooner had the window closed last January, former head coach Jon-Dahl Tomasson left the club.

Kyle McFadzean was the pick of who arrived last January but Rovers haven't had a new year window in recent memory that you've thought they've significantly strengthened.

High-profile registration errors have embarrassed them with moves for Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien and Orlando City's Duncan Maguire falling through after the deadlines had passed.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

I don't believe so. I think had Hayden Carter been fit for the first half of the season, he could have attracted interest.

John Buckley and Arnor Sigurdsson haven't featured on the field as much as I'm sure they'd have liked to. It remains to be seen if both will remain at Ewood beyond January. Eustace certainly doesn't appear to be in a rush to lose them.

How important is the transfer window likely to be in determining the success of their season?

They won't be splashing the cash, that's for sure. I would imagine they'll have an eye on who is coming out of contract in the summer. Are there players in League One with talent who they can take up a level and give an opportunity to?

The feeling is that if Rovers are serious about a play-off challenge, the current squad could do with a little bit of help to give them the best chance possible. I think January is huge for Rovers.

Blackburn Rovers welcome Hull City to Ewood Park on Sunday as promotion hopefuls face relegation battlers.

An own goal proved the difference-maker between the two sides in Hull earlier this month, with Rovers the winners then.

Three points here would prove helpful to each club in different ways, with the Tigers currently 22nd in the table and fighting to avoid the drop while Blackburn are fifth and hunting for a play-off spot.

• Blackburn have only lost two of their last 13 home league games against Hull (W8 D3) but did lose 2-1 last season under Jon Dahl Tomasson.

• Hull City are looking to win consecutive league visits to Blackburn for the first time ever, with this their 32nd trip to Ewood Park in the EFL.

• Blackburn have lost their final league game in five of the last six years (W1), including a 3-2 defeat to Hull in 2023.

• Hull have won their final league game of the year in each of the last two years – they haven't done so in three in a row since doing so between 1981 and 1984 (4).

• John Eustace has won both of his away Championship matches against Hull City (one with Birmingham, one with Blackburn) but has lost his only home game against the Tigers, in December 2022 with the Blues.

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Blackburn boss John Eustace reiterated the importance of squad depth after substitute Harry Leonard rescued a point with his late equaliser in the 2-2 draw against Sunderland.

The 21-year-old forward fired home his first goal of the season in the 90th minute at Ewood Park, not long after replacing Sondre Tronstad as Rovers recovered from a 2-1 deficit.

"I think that's about the ninth goal from a substitute this season and that's a pleasing stat – it just shows we have to use our squad," Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Every member of the squad's very important. No matter who starts, the most important people on the pitch are those who finish and the substitutes are definitely making a difference.

"It's great for Harry Leonard. Obviously he's been out for several months and the way he's been working on the training ground, I'm really delighted he was in the right place at the right time to get the equaliser.

"He took it very well and I'm pleased for him, he certainly knows where the goal is. When we went 2-1 down, the lads never gave up and that's the most pleasing thing for me – we could quite easily have gone under."

Blackburn's defeat by Millwall at the weekend ended a run of six consecutive victories in the Championship.

Sunderland are one place above John Eustace's side but are six points ahead of them prior to the midway point of the season.

The Black Cats are unbeaten in their past four league games coming into the trip to Ewood Park.

• Blackburn have won three of their last five league games against Sunderland (L2), winning 5-1 in the most recent meeting in April.

• Sunderland won 3-1 at Ewood Park in the Championship last season – they last won consecutive league visits to Blackburn in September 1975.

• Blackburn Rovers have won one of their last 14 league matches on Boxing Day (D6 L7), beating Rochdale 2-0 in League One back in 2017.

• Sunderland have won three of their last four league games on Boxing Day, having lost four in a row between 2014 and 2017.

• Sunderland's Alan Browne has scored in four of his last five Championship appearances on Boxing Day, doing so for Preston in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023. Indeed, in Championship history (2004-05 onwards), only Jobi McAnuff has more Boxing Day goals (5).

Blackburn Rovers and Burnley want to sign former Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie from Spanish club Las Palmas, where the 28-year-old Scotland cap has spent just six months. (Sun)

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Blackburn manager John Eustace speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire after the 1-0 defeat at Millwall:

"I thought it was a really good afternoon for both teams. Conditions were very tough and the way the boys battled today was very pleasing. It is something we do week in week out and obviously disappointing to concede in the last minute.

"Obviously it was disappointing to lose [Lewis] Travis with 10, 15 minutes to go but I still felt very comfortable. I didn't think they would score and I thought the way the boys defended was excellent.

"It looks like Lewis has done his hamstring so we will have to get a scan on that tomorrow and Harry Pickering took a blow to his knee so we will have to have a look at that too.

"We played some good football today. We had two or three good chances in the second half which we didn't take. Overall I thought a draw was a fair result.

"I am proud of the efforts in the first half of the season and the run we have been on has been terrific. A lot of hard work has gone into it but there is going to be a lot of hard work going into the second half of the season."

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Blackburn head coach John Eustace said the club hope to sign "one or two" players of "real quality" in the January transfer window.

Rovers are fifth in the Championship after a run of six consecutive wins put them within five points of the automatic promotion spots.

"I think it's important with all the hard work we've put in. I think everyone connected with the football club wants to keep bringing quality players into the group," Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We all want to keep pushing up the league and being competitive. This group we've got now is really competitive and I know that they'll be wanting quality to come through the door. Fans will and staff will as well.

"It's a group effort - we've got to where we are now together and if we can bring in a couple of real quality players to help the group, that's all we ask for."

When asked whether the club are "ready" to secure any transfer targets early in the window, Eustace said: "I hope so. That's why we're in the game. We want to be successful, we want to keep building.

"The sooner we can bring quality to the group, the better for everyone."

Eustace added that Blackburn "don't want to bring lots of players in now" but rather additions that will lift the level of the squad.

"All of us just want one or two real good quality, top players to come in and really help the group," he added.

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Blackburn Rovers travel to Millwall looking to extend their impressive winning run in the Championship to seven games on Saturday afternoon (15:00 GMT).

Here are the key points from head coach John Eustace's pre-match press conference:

• Defender Callum Brittain is available again after missing the past two games with illness, while midfielder Todd Cantwell returns following a one-match suspension.

• On there being no drop-off in performances despite regular changes to the line-up: "It just shows the competition the boys are bringing every day in training. Training is very intense, everyone is trying to get in the team. The standard is really high."

• Eustace still expects it to be "a really difficult game", even after Neil Harris' departure, with David Livermore in temporary charge for the Lions. He said: "Their players will be very up for the game. He [Livermore] will get them very well prepared. He's a great coach and he's been at the club a long time, so it's going to be a really difficult game for us and one we're really looking forward to."

• On whether being linked to other managerial jobs changes anything for him: "No not at all. It's full credit to the players, they're playing some fantastic football. My job is to develop the players and make us successful. I said I wanted to come here and build and make something special and that's what I want to do."

Millwall begin life after Neil Harris at the helm with David Livermore leading the Lions as they welcome Blackburn to The Den on Saturday.

Rovers are seeking a seventh straight win and have kept clean sheets in their past five matches.

• Millwall have failed to win any of their past eight league games against Blackburn Rovers (D3 L5), with this fixture last season finishing in a 2-1 loss.

• Blackburn Rovers have lost just one of their 17 league games against Millwall (W10 D6).

• Millwall have lost each of their past three league games 1-0; the Lions haven't lost more matches in succession without scoring since August 2013 (four in a row).

• This season in the Championship, 15 different players have scored for Blackburn – the most of any side in the competition (excluding own goals).

• Across their Championship matches so far this season, Millwall have averaged just 39.4% possession – the lowest tally in the competition.

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Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears has set his sights on a sixth straight clean sheet when Rovers head to Millwall on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The 26-year-old has kept the opposition out in 10 of his 20 Championship games - the joint-fourth most in the division.

Pears told the club website, external: "It's really good, we're really happy and it's a big goal of mine to keep as many as I can.

"It means we're all doing our jobs, not just myself, and getting 10 out of 20 is pretty amazing and something we need to keep up."

After six straight wins, Rovers are up fifth in the table, five points behind the automatic promotion places, with a game in hand.

"It's been a brilliant start but there's a long way to go and we're all really focused to keep it going," Pears added.

"We pride ourselves in being solid and hard to beat, and the forwards do their jobs. We're defending very well as a team and we're all happy and proud of one another.

"You can't rest for a minute. I'm desperate to keep a clean sheet, it's what I'm thinking about every minute of every game."

Image source, Rex Features

Amario Cozier-Duberry says he had goosebumps after scoring his first senior goal to keep Blackburn's winning run going.

The 19-year-old Brighton loanee was handed his first Rovers start by John Eustace against Luton at Ewood Park on Saturday.

The winger fired past former Rover keeper Thomas Kaminski to put the hosts ahead just after the half-hour before Owen Beck's second made the points safe before half-time, making it six straight wins for Eustace's side, who climb to fifth in the Championship.

Cozier-Duberry told the Rovers website, external: "It was so memorable and I'm so grateful and very happy.

"I was nervous but the coaches told me to go out there and be me, because they know how I play. You gain a lot of confidence when you hear that.

"It's my first professional goal and I'm delighted with it. I got on it, the defender came, I chopped back and then had a whack at it with my right foot.

"I got goosebumps when it went in and I could hear the fans roaring. It felt so good."

Image source, Rex Features

Blackburn Rovers head coach John Eustace says Amario Cozier-Duberry's first start and first goal for the club showed his all-round ability.

The on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion winger opened the scoring in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Luton which was Blackburn's sixth successive victory.

Cozier-Duberry had been limited to just seven substitute appearances because of an ankle injury sustained in October but the 19-year-old made a big impression on his full debut.

"He was outstanding - he's been training very well and was close to starting four or five weeks ago before he got injured," Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"In the first half he was virtually unplayable and I was pleased he scored a great goal."

Rovers' excellent run of form has seen them move up to fifth in the Championship table, five points behind second placed Leeds with a game in hand.

"The most pleasing thing for me is while he's an exciting player with the ball he really works hard without the ball as well and that's something we have to have within this team," Eustace added.

"Todd Cantwell does the same - every flair player and quality player we have in this group have got to be hungry and have that desire to get back and work hard for each other and he has that."

Blackburn will go for a seventh straight league win away at Millwall on Saturday.