Blackburn Rovers

Charlotte Richardson
Final Score reporter at The Hawthorns

Image source, Getty Images

What a breathless and brilliant contest at The Hawthorns.

James Morrison has built belief and a brand of football that means despite being two goals down after just 12 minutes, home supporters sensed a comeback could be possible.

To come back and win all three points? Well, the noise when the full-time whistle was blown suggests this is a victory supporters will savour for the rest of their week, not just their weekend.

It is hard to remain positive and aggressive when you are trailing but West Brom were brave and defiant, earning their reward with back-to-back victories for a third time this season.

Rovers will be disappointed with their game management. The visitors had lost two of their 10 league games on the road prior to this. A sore defeat especially after such a bright start.

Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after their loss against West Bromwich Albion.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers meet on Saturday (15:00 BST) in a game between two of the top 10 in-form Championship sides.

Both teams have managed 10 points from their past six games with the Baggies up to fourth place in the table while Rovers are seventh.

• West Brom have kept three clean sheets in their past four league meetings with Blackburn Rovers, as many as in their previous 16 beforehand.

• After their 1-0 defeat in this fixture last season, Blackburn could suffer back-to-back away league losses to West Brom for the first time since March 1949 (three in a row).

• West Brom have lost just one of their past 12 home league games (W4 D7), though that defeat did come in their last outing at the Hawthorns and a 1-0 defeat by Birmingham.

• Blackburn have won each of their past two league games and will be hoping to win three in succession for the first time since November last year. Rovers have now lost just two of their past 10 Championship matches on the road (W4 D4).

• In the Championship so far in 2026-27, West Brom's Callum Styles has made the most tackles of any player (36). All five of his goals for the Baggies have come on home soil – two this season.

Blackburn Rovers will include defender Scott Wharton in their squad for Saturday's Championship match at West Bromwich Albion (15:00 BST).

The 29-year-old is yet to feature this season after injuring his thigh in pre-season and being restricted to only 12 Championship appearances in the last campaign because of injuries.

"He played 90 minutes for the under-21s on Monday so he's available for the squad and will be travelling with us," Rovers boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He's a left-footed centre-half and our left-footed centre-half, Sean McLoughlin is playing every minute of every game at the moment so it's great to have potential options ready and an experienced player who could help us moving forward through the season."

Blackburn are unbeaten in their past four league matches with three wins in that run to move them up to ninth in the table and Mowbray believes it coincides with him having players returning from injury.

"The evidence is there when you're making substitutions (at Bristol City on Tuesday) against a tough side and to bring on Moussa Baradji and Augustus Kargbo is a positive in that we've got experienced players to bring on and help the team get the result.

"The evidence against QPR a few weeks earlier was you're putting on young boys who are making their debuts and their subs are impacting the game more than ours - if anything it's going to give me problems over who I leave out of a 20-man matchday squad."

After picking up their first away win of the season at Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It's a fantastic result for us. It was a different type of performance required to get that result.

"I'm not delighted with the performance because I want more of the ball, I want to be a better team, score more goals, have more goal threat, but we managed to get the points.

"Backs to the wall, got the job done."

For more of Mowbray's post-match comments in written form, click here.

Image source, Shutterstock

Blackburn Rovers veteran Sam Morsy has praised the "massive improvement" in his young midfield partner Kristi Montgomery.

Montgomery, 22, broke into the first team at the end of the 2024-25 season and after 23 games last term, has played in every game in the current campaign.

"He's come in, he's been brilliant, he's a great kid, he wants to listen, he wants to learn," Morsy told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Week by week, he's getting better. From where he was at the start of the season he's improved massively."

Rovers have had to rely on young talent to fill their bench this season amid injury problems but the list of substitutes is beginning to strengthen, with winger Mathias Jorgensen the latest to return to the squad.

"It's the first time this season you look at the bench, there are real threats on there," Morsy said.

"The young lads have done great but it's a really unforgiving league and you need senior lads on there to compete. So, competition is getting higher which can only be a good thing."

Watch the full interview below or listen on BBC Sounds here.

Image source, Shutterstock

Blackburn Rovers winger Mathias Jorgensen will make the squad for just the second time this season as the side prepare to visit Bristol City on Tuesday (19:45 BST), boss Tony Mowbray has said.

The 26-year-old Dane has been struggling with a hamstring issue that has restricted him to just 29 minutes of their game against Middlesbrough in August.

Midfielders Kristi Montgomery and Ryoya Morishita might also both feature in the upcoming game after being substituted in their victory over Cardiff City on Saturday.

"Jorgensen is back on the bench for this game but it's pretty much the same [squad as the weekend]," Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We have a few decisions to make, which is good because they are all senior players. I'm not trying to make decisions around 18-year-old boys making debuts."

Left-back Yuri Ribeiro is "two or three weeks" away from a return with his hamstring issue, though defender Matty Litherland trained this week as he recovers from a back injury.

The 20-year-old broke into the first team last season with five appearances but is yet to feature this campaign.

Mowbray said: "[It's] a positive that he didn't need an operation on his back and he was out there today doing some light work. It's great to see him back."

Watch the full interview below or listen on BBC Sounds here.

Image source, Opta

Bristol City and Blackburn will both hope to close in on the play-off places when they meet in the Championship at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.

The Robins drew 1-1 at Charlton on Saturday and have won just won of their past four games (D1 L2) but despite sitting 10th, they are still level on points with the five teams above them.

Rovers beat Cardiff 2-1 at the weekend to extend their unbeaten run to three matches (W2 D1) and will start the evening three places and two points below City.

• Bristol City have alternated between defeat (3 times) and victory (3 times) in their past six Championship games against Blackburn Rovers, winning 2-1 most recently in February.

• After winning this exact fixture 1-0 last season, Blackburn could win back-to-back league visits to Bristol City for just the second time, after December 2015.

• Bristol City have alternated between losing (4) and winning (4) their previous eight home league games, beating Watford 1-0 most recently. The Robins are yet to win successive Championship matches at Ashton Gate since the start of 2026.

• Blackburn are yet to win away from home in the Championship this season (D3 L1) despite leading in two of their four matches.

• Blackburn's Tony Mowbray has won just two of his past 15 league games against Bristol City (D6 L7), failing to win his previous six (D3 L3) since a 3-1 victory with Rovers in June 2020.

Image source, Getty Images

The impact of a managerial appointment can be measured in many ways, but results will always be the ultimate judge.

More often than not, when the results improve, everything else follows.

That is exactly what is happening at Blackburn Rovers under Tony Mowbray.

Mowbray's return to Ewood Park in the summer already looks like one of the most important decisions the club has made in recent years.

In a short space of time, he has restored belief, given the team a clear identity and, perhaps most importantly, made Rovers an entertaining watch again.

Mowbray is a football purist.

He told me last week that, given the way he wants his team to play, they are unlikely to be troubling the clean sheet charts any time soon.

That is a trade-off he is willing to make. His teams are built to attack, to excite supporters and to back themselves to score more than the opposition.

Saturday's third home win of the season was a case in point.

Rovers had 17 attempts on goal against Cardiff, with eight on target. Compared to this stage last season, the difference is remarkable.

Nine games into the previous campaign, they lacked creativity, confidence and a recognisable style of play.

Twelve months on, they have scored six more goals and conceded only one more. The numbers tell a story, but the eye test tells an even stronger one.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Rovers' start is that it has not been driven by a complete overhaul of the squad. Far from it.

The summer window was underwhelming to say the least. Ten of the players who started against Cardiff were at the club last season.

This is not a case of expensive recruitment transforming fortunes. It is the product of coaching, organisation, belief and a manager who has quickly got the best out of the players already at his disposal.

The improvement in the team's attacking structure has been obvious.

There is purpose to their play, greater movement in the final third, a presence up front with Andri Gudjohnsen looking the part and a willingness to commit bodies forward when opportunities arise.

Just as significant has been Mowbray's man-management. He is a natural communicator, someone who takes the time to understand his players and build relationships.

Those qualities often go unnoticed from the outside, but they have clearly had an impact.

Some questioned his decision to retain Todd Cantwell as captain. Mowbray stuck to his guns and that faith is being rewarded.

He appreciates players with imagination, vision and personality, but demands substance alongside style. Creativity is encouraged, provided it contributes to the collective. So far, Cantwell has embodied those principles.

Dapo Afolayan is another player thriving under the current regime. Signed by Valerien Ismael, who was dismissed on the day of his arrival last season, and then used sparingly by Michael O'Neill, he now looks like a player full of confidence and belief.

Kristi Montgomery has also emerged as one of the season's early success stories. His energy, consistency and maturity beyond his years in midfield have made him impossible to leave out, and his performances continue to improve with every game.

There are still areas where the squad could do with greater depth, but even that picture is improving.

Mowbray was able to turn to Moussa Baradji, Jayden Fevrier and Augustus Kargbo from the bench against Cardiff, and all three contributed positively to seeing out the victory.

It remains early in the season and nobody at Blackburn Rovers will be getting carried away. There will undoubtedly be challenges ahead.

Yet there is no escaping the fact the mood around the club has changed dramatically.

Off the pitch, tensions between supporters and the hierarchy remain. On it, however, Rovers are playing with confidence, purpose and freedom.

For the first time in a while, there is a genuine sense that supporters are enjoying what they are watching, and that is a credit to the influence Mowbray has had since walking back through the door.

Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City are hoping to build on some promising signs when they resume Championship action against each other at Ewood Park on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Rovers take a two-game unbeaten run into the meeting while Cardiff recorded their first league win of the campaign when beating Charlton Athletic 3-1 just before the international break.

• Blackburn Rovers were beaten 2-1 at Ewood Park by Cardiff City in their last Championship meeting in March 2025 but have not lost consecutive home league games against the Bluebirds since November 1980.

• Cardiff City are hoping to record consecutive league wins against Blackburn Rovers for the first time since August 2016.

• Blackburn are hoping to record consecutive home league wins for only the second time in the past two seasons, previously achieving that in February 2026.

• Although they have only registered one Championship win this season, Cardiff have had the most shots (148), the most shots on target (53) and average the highest possession of any side (64.8%), while only Middlesbrough have completed more passes in the final third than the Bluebirds (1,084).

• Jack Moylan was involved in all three of Cardiff's goals in their 3-1 win over Charlton last time out (2 goals, 1 assist). Moylan has had the most touches in the opposition box in the Championship this season (62) and ranks third for shots (30).

Image source, Getty Images

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Kristi Montgomery has been called into the Scotland squad for their upcoming Nations League matches.

The 22-year-old has five under-21 caps for Scotland but this is his first senior call-up following injuries to Norwich City's Kenny McLean and Kieran Tierney of Celtic which have forced the duo to withdraw from Sebastien Pocognoli's squad.

Academy graduate Montgomery scored his first goal for Blackburn in a 2-1 Championship defeat by Sheffield United and has started all eight of their league games so far this season.

Scotland face Slovenia twice, Switzerland and North Macedonia in the Nations League during the three-week international break.

Image source, Shutterstock

Blackburn Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray says he is frustrated by the "patchy" form of his side.

Rovers drew 2-2 at Portsmouth, but fought back from a goal down to lead 2-1 before being pegged back in the second half.

The draw leaves Rovers 16th in the Championship with nine points from eight games.

"A bit of frustration around it really, we got ourselves in front and we should have been able to see that game out," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I just think we're a bit patchy at the moment; at our best in our moments we look like a really good football team.

"But I felt we probably showed them too much respect today. We allowed them to build into our attacking third too easily.

"I'm frustrated, but it's a point away at Portsmouth which is never an easy place to come to with the atmosphere that the supporters create.

"We have to get better, it wasn't a top performance from us, slightly below par I think."