Blackburn Rovers surrendered a two-goal lead at The Hawthorns on Saturday, losing 3-2 to West Bromwich Albion after Felix Horn Myhre struck in the 90th minute, a defeat that extends a worrying pattern of failing to protect winning positions.
Andri Gudjohnsen had put Rovers two goals ahead inside the opening quarter of an hour, and for a time the away side looked entirely comfortable. What followed, according to the Lancashire Telegraph, was a slow surrender: Albion pegged the visitors back and eventually won it deep into stoppage time. The Lancashire Telegraph reported that Rovers had lost two of their 10 league games on the road before this fixture, which makes the manner of the collapse all the more striking.
A bright start that counted for nothing
The BBC's assessment of the match was blunt: West Brom were brave and defiant after falling two behind, and earned their reward with back-to-back victories for a third time this season. Rovers, the BBC noted, will be disappointed with their game management. That is a generous way of putting it.
Consider the arithmetic. Rovers have led away at Wolves and Portsmouth and taken a single point from both. They have been in front against Sheffield United, QPR and now West Brom, and lost all three. Add it up and 13 points have slipped through their fingers from winning positions. In a division as unforgiving as the Championship, where margins between promotion and mid-table obscurity are measured in handfuls of points, that is the difference between a season to remember and one of quiet regret.
Only seven teams in the division have scored more league goals than Rovers. Just nine have conceded more. The attack, in other words, is doing its job. The defence is not, and the 16 goals conceded in 11 games have slowed progress to a crawl.
The Gudjohnsen silver lining
There is, as ever in these situations, a brighter side to examine. Gudjohnsen is fit, firing and full of confidence, and his switch to the number nine shirt during the summer has only added to his appeal for those of us who still appreciate a traditional centre-forward, a breed the modern game seems determined to breed out of existence.
Both of his finishes at The Hawthorns brought back memories of Alan Shearer. The first was a stunning strike from outside the penalty area. The second displayed the kind of instincts that goalscorers thrive on: West Brom failed to clear a corner, and as the ball dropped, there was only one player you wanted it to fall to. That Rovers ended the afternoon with nothing to show for such quality is the real indictment.
The same old failing, week after week
Here is what should concern Tony Mowbray most. The goals conceded against Wolves, Sheffield United, Portsmouth, Cardiff and West Brom all shared a familiar theme. The opposition were afforded too much time and space in central areas, either just inside or outside the penalty area, and they made Rovers pay every single time.
This is not bad luck. This is a structural failing, repeated often enough that opponents will now study the footage and arrive with a plan. Give this Blackburn side time on the ball in the middle of the pitch and they will hurt you. It is a weakness that has cost 13 points already, and unless it is corrected it will cost a good deal more.
In fairness to Albion, they deserved their victory. They responded impressively to going two goals behind, and the BBC reported that Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after the match about his side's failings. But a deserved defeat is still a defeat, and this one stings precisely because of how brightly the afternoon began.
Selection questions Mowbray must answer
Mowbray has used both a back four and a back five this season, though his preferred system is clearly the four. Over the next fortnight, left-back Yuri Ribeiro and centre-back Scott Wharton are expected to push for starting places, which should sharpen competition across a defensive unit that has looked anything but settled.
The manager has never been afraid to make difficult selection decisions and leave good players out. That is one of the realities of managing a competitive squad, and it is to his credit. Whether he now reaches for the axe in defence, or persists with those who have repeatedly let leads evaporate, will tell us a great deal about the remainder of Rovers' season.
Morishita injury adds to the gloom
The late defeat carried a further cost. Ryoya Morishita limped off with an ankle injury, and his ever-present record looks likely to come to an end against Wrexham on Saturday.
Should the Japanese midfielder be unavailable, five senior players would be sidelined. Compared with recent seasons, when the treatment room resembled a field hospital, that still represents a relatively healthy position. Small mercies, one might say, though it will feel like scant consolation to the supporters who watched a two-goal lead evaporate in the Black Country.
Nor should the wider week be judged a disaster. Six points from three games after the international break, including a home win over Cardiff and three more at Bristol City, thanks largely to a goalkeeping masterclass from Balazs Toth, would have been accepted by most Blackburn supporters before a ball was kicked.
Rovers have made a bright start to the season. The disappointment lies in what might have been. The attack is potent, the squad is competitive, and the manager is not short of options. What the club lacks, at present, is the cold-eyed discipline to see a lead through to the final whistle. Until that arrives, days like Saturday will keep happening.
FAQ
What was the score when Blackburn Rovers lost to West Brom?
West Bromwich Albion beat Blackburn Rovers 3-2 at The Hawthorns on Saturday, with Felix Horn Myhre scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute after Rovers had led 2-0.
Who scored Blackburn's goals against West Brom?
Andri Gudjohnsen scored both goals for Blackburn Rovers, the first a strike from outside the penalty area and the second from a poorly cleared corner.
How many points have Blackburn dropped from winning positions?
Blackburn Rovers have dropped 13 points from winning positions this season, drawing after leading against Wolves and Portsmouth and losing after leading against Sheffield United, QPR and West Brom.
Is Blackburn's Ryoya Morishita injured?
Yes. Morishita suffered an ankle injury in the defeat at West Brom and his ever-present record looks likely to end when Rovers face Wrexham on Saturday.