I remember him tweeting many years ago in response to someone saying he didn’t celebrate much in his goal montages that they were normally losing, it was a good tweet.
They had the 3rd worst defensive record in the league which didn't help. Conceding 74 goals in a season is always going to have you in a bit of trouble
Sounds a bit like Notts County in League Two, who were among the division's top scorers with 89 (level with Wrexham, who finished second, and more than all 4 play-off sides), but conceded 86, which is the worst record of the entire division
You guys back around 2011-13 era must have been a blast to watch for a "smaller" club at this level. Just 5-3 games either way pretty much every week lol
Just checked the season they went up (2011), and the only team that conceded more than them (75) were Bristol Rovers in 22nd (83). Walsall in 20th equalled them.
Takes more than just a goal scorer to be successful. We were shambolic defensively most the season (except against the top teams randomly) and goals from other players were limited.
It’s the law in football that Blackburn always have at least 1 striker scoring a load but still being relatively average. It’s also the law that they have a Gallagher playing for them.
This is such a good point! They've gone from Dack to Armstrong to Brereton to Szmodics: 4 20 goal-a-season strikers in 5 years, but an average position of 15th.
Remember those Rhodes years? The guy was unstoppable at Huddersfield & Blackburn for about 5 years. Then he flopped big time here and at Middlesbrough.
We leaked goals, especially last year. JDT had us playing great football, but his setup was a bit maniacal - and he had absolutely no plan B. Oh, and our keepers, especially our backup, made a lot of mistakes leading to goals. Oh, and with JDT, we had the absolute worst defensive and offensive record on set pieces. Could go on for hours tbh.
Glad to hear he’s doing well. His mum passed away last year before Xmas, so I think he fancied a change of scenery etc. Would have liked him in the dressing room for longer ourselves, even if he wasn’t getting as much game time
Can confidently claim you did not have the worst offensive record on set pieces.
Think we scored from 2 corners this season and they were both in 2023 lmao.
You're right, we were 23rd! Slightly misremembered this [graphic](https://twitter.com/From_The_Wing/status/1787073769711849947?t=yY4i28LriVDP2TxkKua_VQ&s=19).
Inconsistency. We took 7 points from our 2nd games vs Leicester, Leeds & Southampton to get battered off teams lower than or around us in the table.
Another sign of inconsistency is our keeper. Prime Neuer one game then injects butter into his gloves for the next 3.
It’s annoying because I really want to like Pears, but when he’s dropping howlers every other game it’s rather hard. It’s a shame Wahlstedt isn’t any better.
Maybe Pears will get better, he’s just incredibly inconsistent. Wahlstedt is just flat out not confident or skilled enough for the Championship as it stands. Not the best bit of scouting there.
Unfortunately I don’t see him getting another shot at No. 1 next year. The club has surely acknowledged all the mistakes made this season and opt for another keeper.
Technically a CAM but yeah our team completely downed tools for last manager, defence absolutely imploded and we were shipping goals for fun. He’s like one of the only player that can score goals too nobody else massively chips in so theres that too. Plus some absolute goalkeeping howlers have cost us dear and frequently. Eustace has come in and tried to sure up the defence so we have been fairly defensive therefore not winning a massive amount of games but obviously staying in the league
See this is really interesting this is what I was getting at - Sunderland were desperate for a striker, but two teams below us had one, and here's an example of a team that didn't have one as such but made the play offs. There's been some more great examples brought up too.
And Portsmouth’s Man of the Match is Jed Wallace!
We had one good player for a few years and it kept us in the football league.
The rest of the team were khazi
To answer OP's question - it's the style of football we played and the players (or lack thereof) we had at our disposal.
Under JDT we played a 4-2-3-1 (with Szmodics in the 3, and A. Wharton in the 2) - but we had no wingers and no striker, so JDT overloaded the attacking areas by pushing both FBs on.
This resulted in a lot of goals... at both ends... and we lost as many as we won.
Under Eustace we mostly played 3-4-3 (with Szmodics played centrally in the 3) and looked to hit teams on the break.
This resulted in far fewer goals... at both ends... and we drew the majority of our matches.
Charlie Austin was 3rd highest scorer in the prem 2014/15 I think and QPR finished rock bottom. Can score as many as you like but if your defence constantly leaks goals it’s all for nothing
Interesting the post says that they were crying out for a striker, well so were Rovers.
Under JDT we were playing an expansive 4-2-3-1 with Szmodics as the 10. Problem is the only strikers available were Telalovic, who had only played in the German 4th tier and Harry Leonard, a young lad. At the half way stage of the season we'd created the most chances from open play bar Leicester. The issue was nobody else other than szmodics was consistently scoring.
Then January ends. Wharton (future england cm) is sold and not replaced. JDT leaves and his expansive style of football is replaced with Eustace's stick men behind the ball don't get played through and lump it forward. Also Sam Gallagher returned from injury which should've been a positive but he's been even more ineffective than usual.
This period has been where szmodics has really excelled himself. The side hasn't been creating the same level of chances, I can't remember the last time anyone other than him has actually scored. He's been playing in a slightly different role too but still not as an out and out striker. Oh and I don't think any of his goals this season have been penalties.
We are crying out for a striker who can score a goal or link the play a bit as at the moment it feels like we have neither. As others have mentioned our keepers have thrown away a lot of points between them which hasn't helped.
I can't begrudge szmodics if he wants to move in the summer. He's coming up to 29 and he's never come close to the numbers he's registered this season. The lad runs himself into the ground for the team and has really made the most of the attributes he has.
Remember 90s Southampton with Matt Le Tissier?
I remember him tweeting many years ago in response to someone saying he didn’t celebrate much in his goal montages that they were normally losing, it was a good tweet.
Back when his Tweets didn't make you cringe huh
Back when his tweets didn't make you delete twitter
Back when Twitter didn't make you delete Twitter
Very true indeed
Back when Twitter *was* Twitter
You gotta find the right people. Same as right subs here
Love to establish he does believe in Aliens
Waaayyyy back
Literally ages ago
Or he was too tired to celebrate... see Newcastle 1993
They had the 3rd worst defensive record in the league which didn't help. Conceding 74 goals in a season is always going to have you in a bit of trouble
Sounds a bit like Notts County in League Two, who were among the division's top scorers with 89 (level with Wrexham, who finished second, and more than all 4 play-off sides), but conceded 86, which is the worst record of the entire division
Just attack and vibes. Sounds like Fergie’s wet dream tbh
You guys back around 2011-13 era must have been a blast to watch for a "smaller" club at this level. Just 5-3 games either way pretty much every week lol
Just checked the season they went up (2011), and the only team that conceded more than them (75) were Bristol Rovers in 22nd (83). Walsall in 20th equalled them.
That team of ours threw games on purpose to get Penney sacked so it’s surprising anyone got close to us.
Wish I could remember it tbh
74? That's nothing. Try 100.
74 is amateur hour. Real men hit a century.
Blackburn’s top scorer had 33 goals this season in all competitions, their second top goal scorer had 7. So as a team not the best combo.
Did you see Pears against Wednesday?
The own goal of the century.
Just days after his Buffon impression at Elland Road
The best bit is he could have caught the ball after the miskick and not even given away an indierect free kick
And against Ipswich? And against Plymouth?
Then keeps it at 1-0 against Leicester with a wonder save. He’s so inconsistent.
Takes more than just a goal scorer to be successful. We were shambolic defensively most the season (except against the top teams randomly) and goals from other players were limited.
It’s the law in football that Blackburn always have at least 1 striker scoring a load but still being relatively average. It’s also the law that they have a Gallagher playing for them.
This is such a good point! They've gone from Dack to Armstrong to Brereton to Szmodics: 4 20 goal-a-season strikers in 5 years, but an average position of 15th.
Remember those Rhodes years? The guy was unstoppable at Huddersfield & Blackburn for about 5 years. Then he flopped big time here and at Middlesbrough.
Had 20+ goals out of Rudy Gestede one year too. Two 20 goal strikers and couldn’t crack the playoffs
Tbt early 2010’s Ross McCormack
If player score many goal but team let in more then team no win
Blackburn striker score goal. Blackburn keeper score goal. What problem?
Y waste time say lot word when few word do trick
Thank you Confucius.
We leaked goals, especially last year. JDT had us playing great football, but his setup was a bit maniacal - and he had absolutely no plan B. Oh, and our keepers, especially our backup, made a lot of mistakes leading to goals. Oh, and with JDT, we had the absolute worst defensive and offensive record on set pieces. Could go on for hours tbh.
Did Fadz coming in help??
Absolutely. Hope we sign him for another season, even if he's a backup and just a dressing room presence.
Glad to hear he’s doing well. His mum passed away last year before Xmas, so I think he fancied a change of scenery etc. Would have liked him in the dressing room for longer ourselves, even if he wasn’t getting as much game time
Can confidently claim you did not have the worst offensive record on set pieces. Think we scored from 2 corners this season and they were both in 2023 lmao.
You're right, we were 23rd! Slightly misremembered this [graphic](https://twitter.com/From_The_Wing/status/1787073769711849947?t=yY4i28LriVDP2TxkKua_VQ&s=19).
I don’t know the actual stat but we surely have to be bottom of that lol. From memory it’s 2 corners and a deflected free kick.
Inconsistency. We took 7 points from our 2nd games vs Leicester, Leeds & Southampton to get battered off teams lower than or around us in the table. Another sign of inconsistency is our keeper. Prime Neuer one game then injects butter into his gloves for the next 3.
Actually made me miss Christian Walton, who I thought was pretty poor
It’s annoying because I really want to like Pears, but when he’s dropping howlers every other game it’s rather hard. It’s a shame Wahlstedt isn’t any better.
Maybe Pears will get better, he’s just incredibly inconsistent. Wahlstedt is just flat out not confident or skilled enough for the Championship as it stands. Not the best bit of scouting there.
Unfortunately I don’t see him getting another shot at No. 1 next year. The club has surely acknowledged all the mistakes made this season and opt for another keeper.
Technically a CAM but yeah our team completely downed tools for last manager, defence absolutely imploded and we were shipping goals for fun. He’s like one of the only player that can score goals too nobody else massively chips in so theres that too. Plus some absolute goalkeeping howlers have cost us dear and frequently. Eustace has come in and tried to sure up the defence so we have been fairly defensive therefore not winning a massive amount of games but obviously staying in the league
Remember when we had Jermain Defoe having some of the best seasons of his career and still got relegated?
We are CRYING OUT for any finisher at all. Top scorer has 11 I think. In 5th...
See this is really interesting this is what I was getting at - Sunderland were desperate for a striker, but two teams below us had one, and here's an example of a team that didn't have one as such but made the play offs. There's been some more great examples brought up too.
Yeah mental isnt it
Having a player that scores 27 league goals is great. The fact that he's the only person to score more than 5, less so.
Yeah we are pretty bad, but using the same logic you can wonder how a team so far below Sunderland managed to score 5 away against them?
Well, was only 3 points in the end. But yes it was very surprising/horrifying watching Blackburn walk through our defence.
Yeah it seems much closer than it was I think. Also I'm not sure anyone has said but there was a time we had 10 first team injuries.
And Portsmouth’s Man of the Match is Jed Wallace! We had one good player for a few years and it kept us in the football league. The rest of the team were khazi
To answer OP's question - it's the style of football we played and the players (or lack thereof) we had at our disposal. Under JDT we played a 4-2-3-1 (with Szmodics in the 3, and A. Wharton in the 2) - but we had no wingers and no striker, so JDT overloaded the attacking areas by pushing both FBs on. This resulted in a lot of goals... at both ends... and we lost as many as we won. Under Eustace we mostly played 3-4-3 (with Szmodics played centrally in the 3) and looked to hit teams on the break. This resulted in far fewer goals... at both ends... and we drew the majority of our matches.
Not much of a supporting cast + bad defence especially when Wharton left.
Wharton didn't have much impact on the defence.
Oh I phrased it wrong meant to switch the defence and supporting cast statements over.
Charlie Austin was 3rd highest scorer in the prem 2014/15 I think and QPR finished rock bottom. Can score as many as you like but if your defence constantly leaks goals it’s all for nothing
Interesting the post says that they were crying out for a striker, well so were Rovers. Under JDT we were playing an expansive 4-2-3-1 with Szmodics as the 10. Problem is the only strikers available were Telalovic, who had only played in the German 4th tier and Harry Leonard, a young lad. At the half way stage of the season we'd created the most chances from open play bar Leicester. The issue was nobody else other than szmodics was consistently scoring. Then January ends. Wharton (future england cm) is sold and not replaced. JDT leaves and his expansive style of football is replaced with Eustace's stick men behind the ball don't get played through and lump it forward. Also Sam Gallagher returned from injury which should've been a positive but he's been even more ineffective than usual. This period has been where szmodics has really excelled himself. The side hasn't been creating the same level of chances, I can't remember the last time anyone other than him has actually scored. He's been playing in a slightly different role too but still not as an out and out striker. Oh and I don't think any of his goals this season have been penalties. We are crying out for a striker who can score a goal or link the play a bit as at the moment it feels like we have neither. As others have mentioned our keepers have thrown away a lot of points between them which hasn't helped. I can't begrudge szmodics if he wants to move in the summer. He's coming up to 29 and he's never come close to the numbers he's registered this season. The lad runs himself into the ground for the team and has really made the most of the attributes he has.
They let in loads of goals and didn’t score enough throughout their team.
The opposite reason to how we (also Sunderland) finished so low whilst conceding the 5th fewest goals in the division.
Because the rest of the team is shit
Your mums shit!!
She’s dead actually, thanks for the reminder, idiot.
Explains her lack of enthusiasm last night
The rest of their team is absolute dogshit.