How Blackburn Rovers will look to plug the gaps in Tomasson’s squad

You may have heard Jon Dahl Tomasson often refer to the fact that last summer Rovers lost 12 players, and only brought six in.

The 12 he refers to are players who played minutes for Rovers in 2021/22, prior to his arrival. That includes the likes of Tyler Magloire and Harry Chapman. 

This time around that number is halved to six.

So while Rovers have fewer numbers to replace, there are still significant contributions required from elsewhere to plug the gaps of those who have left.

The total number of minutes played by the three players who have left at the end of their contracts, and three loanees, totals 12,026.

That is down by around 4,500 on the 2022 figure of 16,548.

However, when averaged out, the average minutes played by the six leaving this summer is 2,004, compared with 1,379 a year previous.

Ben Brereton played 3,904 minutes across all competitions in 2022/23, scoring 16 goals, and will be the biggest miss.

Tyler Morton clocked up 3,220 minutes across his season-long stay, playing 46 times, while Daniel Ayala (2,031) and Bradley Dack (1,684) also played key parts when available for selection.

Sorba Thomas made a promising start to his loan spell, but fell out of favour after the March international break and played 900 minutes in all.

Clinton Mola managed only 307. 

While Rovers only replaced half of the players who left last summer, the expectation is that there will be a similar amount of signings to the number of departures this time around. 

That is in part down to the fewer numbers departing and also the fact last summer there was a strong feeling that players coming through the ranks were ready to play their part.

Rovers have made a start to their recruitment plans for next season with the arrival of Niall Ennis who played 2,115 minutes across 45 appearances for Plymouth Argyle in their triumphant League One campaign, scoring 15 goals.

Morton departs having been a regular during his season-long stay, when one of five midfield options.

They are now down to four following his departure, all of who are homegrown.

His short-term signing was to not block the pathway of Adam Wharton (1,352) and Jake Garrett (692) whose integration helped more than fill the void left by the departures of central midfielders Bradley Johnson (949) and Jacob Davenport (277).

Morton (3,220) clocked up just 100 minutes short of Joe Rothwell (3,320) in 2021/22, and while another midfield signing is expected this summer, Wharton’s role is surely to become more significant, while Buckley will hope for better in 2023/24.

His minutes fell to 1,792 from 3,260, with the 23-year-old targeting a big season ahead.

Lewis Travis topped the minutes in 2022/23 with 4,169 and while he did spend time out of the side last season, he still managed to clocked up significant game-time (3,924), bettered only by Harry Pickering (3,972).

Rovers made two central defensive signings last summer, and while Mola (307) struggled to make an impact, player-of-the-season Dom Hyam (3,552) certainly didn’t, while the emergence of Hayden Carter (2,748) and Ash Phillips (721) helped fill the voids of Darragh Lenihan (3,755) and Jan Paul van Hecke (2,737).

Rovers will lose Daniel Ayala (2,031) from their squad this summer, and while they do have four central defensive options on their books, they will target an addition in that area.

Scott Wharton will be hoping for more involvement next term, playing 700 fewer minutes than 2021/22, as despite only returning to action in November 2021, he rattled off 30 consecutive starts to finish the season.

He finished last season not making the matchday 18.

Dack (1,684) will leave a huge void, on and off the pitch, with his six years at the club at end.

While he didn’t enjoy the game-time he would have wanted, and no guarantees over that changing moving forward was part of the reason his one-year option wasn’t extended, he still offered plenty when involved.

Sam Szmodics feels a more natural attacking midfield option for Tomasson’s style of play however, and despite a difficult first few months at the club, he ended it strongly, with 2,523 minutes and seven goals, the same as Dack.

Rovers will look to add two more attacking options to the squad, but those will likely be another striker and wide player, with a greater emphasis to fall on Szmodics moving forward.

While not the natural replacement for Rothwell, he does offer drive from the midfield area, while Rovers will want his eye for goal to continue.

January signing Thomas, who has returned to parent club Huddersfield Town, started nine successive games after joining, but then faded out of the picture post the international break and was subbed at half time in his final two starts.

He managed 900 minutes and was the most natural wide option in the squad.

Tyrhys Dolan will be as close to a like-for-like replacement, while Ryan Hedges and Dilan Markanday, who will return from his disappointing loan spell at Aberdeen, both prefer to operate from the right.

Greater width, and speed from the flanks, will be part of Rovers’ summer recruitment, having clearly identified that as such when bringing in Thomas six months ago.

 Mola spent the full season at Rovers, but spent the second half of it playing for the Under-21s.

He managed only 307 minutes for the Rovers first-team.

The England youth international offered cover in central defence and left back, the latter of which will be of most consideration when it comes to recruitment this summer.

Callum Brittain switched over to the left in the absence of Pickering who played more than anyone in 2022/23.

Jake Batty, who made his debut in the Carabao Cup against Hartlepool United, is one the club feel has a high ceiling, but it remains to be seen whether 2023/24 is the time for him to be more involved.

Batty was one of five Academy graduates handed their debuts by Tomasson, and their emergence helped fill the gaps in the squad by the departures of 2022.

Rovers will search for the next players off their production line, but those five (Phillips, Batty, Wharton, Garrett and Harry Leonard) will again be part of Tomasson’s plans moving forward.

The Academy will once again ease the pressure on the recruitment department.