Blackburn Preview: Our first test
780 comments August 19th, 2007
If you ask me, today is our first real test of the season. Games against Fulham and Sparta Prague are games in which anything less than a win would have been a massive disappointment. Today we’re facing a side who are probably in the Premiership’s best seven teams. What’s more, they’re a physical team with an intimidating Stadium. And as if that wasn’t enough, it’s up in the North-West. It’s time for these Young Guns to stand up and be counted.
Granted, we won there last year. And with ten men. But that was a very different side, and no-one will forget that our extraordinary second goal was scored by a certain number 14.
This year, it’s a different story. Robin van Persie, whose record against Blackburn is outstanding, will need to be on top form – Emmanuel Adebayor is still injured and Eduardo and Niklas Bendtner are unlikely to be ready to start. The man sent off last year, Gilberto Silva, is still recovering from the Copa America, and that’s without even mentioning the injury-loving wing due of Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Eboue, who will both also miss out.
Thankfully, the back four and goalkeeper remain intact and can aim for some sort of consistency. Ahead of them, I’d imagine we’ll see a youthful (and worryingly lightweight) midfield trio of Fabregas, Flamini, and Denilson, with Aleksandr Hleb and Theo Walcott supporting RVP from the wings.
With our squad looking thinner than Ally McBeal at Ramadan, a draw would be a good result. A win? Well, a win would really raise expectations and morale. It’s possible, but it would be a very pleasant surprise indeed.
Let’s wait and see.
