Blackburn Rovers Championship Odds: Relegation beckons for miserable Rovers

Blackburn Rovers achieved survival in dramatic fashion last term as, inspired by Golden Boot winner Sammie Szmodics, they secured a final day win over champions Leicester City to stay up. Rovers have serious issues on and off the pitch, as the Venky's continue to take the club further towards the abyss. 

Below you can find my preview of the upcoming season, including Blackburn Rovers’ Championship odds, their odds for relegation and more. 

Last Season: 19th

Top Scorer: Sammie Szmodics (27)

Transfers In: Aadhon Doherty - Linfield (£100k), Jack Barrett - Everton U21 (free), Yuki Ohashi - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Undisclosed).

Transfers Out:  Leopold Wahlstedt - Aarhus (£900k), Semir Telalovic - SSV Ulm (Undisclosed), John Fleck - without club. 

First Game: Derby County (H)

Prediction: 24th

Championship Odds

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Where to start with Blackburn Rovers? First of all, there’s a court case on the horizon for the owners in August which could prove to be terminal for the club, if the Venky's lose it. Even if they don’t, the lack of funding provided to manger John Eustace has left the squad in a precarious state, with the club losing money hand over fist.

The sale of superstar Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace in January of this year for an initial £18m would have been reinvested by most Championship teams to strengthen the depth of their squad. For Rovers, it was simply used to cover debts and keep the lights on. The club received in the region of £5m from former player David Raya’s sell-on fee as he moved permanently from Brentford to Arsenal, but again, that fee has gone towards running costs. 

Finally this week, it appears the transfers are going to start coming in, with Kyle McFadzean set to extend his stay at the club, and Yuki Ohashi also joining the ranks. Exauce Mafoumbi is reportedly also on his way in, but these signings are only possible because of two major outgoings that are expected.

Sam Gallagher is departing for Stoke for a fee of £1.5m, while Szmodics, having single-handedly kept Rovers up last term, is also seemingly on his way out of the door. They will get nearly £10m in total for that duo, and finally Eustace will be able to rebuild his squad, but boy are they weakened by their departures. 

This was one of the poorest squads in the Championship last term, and they survived relegation with a 27-goal striker and Adam Wharton in midfield for half the campaign. McFadzean is now 37 and when you take Gallagher out of the team as well, you are left with a mis-matched squad that is going to find life in the Championship very tough this season.

If we are searching for positives, Eustace himself seems to be a decent manager on paper, having kept Rovers up following his harsh sacking at Birmingham City. However, the Venky's are likely to be unwilling to make a change if the form is poor, due to the financial constrictions that are strangling the club at this present moment. Tyrhys Dolan is a bright talent but he is unlikely to sign a new deal beyond 2025, while Scott Wharton is 26, and simply less talented than his younger brother, Adam. Their brightest spark is perhaps 16-year-old Igor Tyjon, a striker with a lot of hype around him, and don’t be surprised to see him make his Championship debut this season. 

However, you cannot be pinning survival hopes on a player who was just four years old when Rovers were relegated from the Premier League. There isn't anything in this current squad to suggest that they will improve on last season, when they finished 19th. In fact, when comparing them to the other teams in the league, I think they come up short on all counts.

This is an unstable club that seems overwhelmed by off-the-pitch problems at the minute. With the Venky's in charge, a probable relegation this term may be the least of Blackburn’s concerns. 

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