Rovers to chicken out of the Premier League

What do you get when you take deluded owners and add an inexperienced manager, throw in absurd expectations, then mix in an aging squad with a despairing lack of summer signings, and what do you get? A recipe for relegation.

Blackburn struggled to survival last season, after the bizarre dismissal of Sam Allardyce, and registered only 6 wins in the remaining 21 fixtures under his rookie replacement, Steve Kean.

And despite plans from the Venky’s Group, the Indian family who took over the club last October, to take Rovers to the Champions League, transfer activity this summer has been nothing short of minimal.

Even with the arrival of £16.5 million for young defender Phil Jones, there have been few arrivals at Ewood Park. Ronaldinho, Raul, Van Nistelrooy and Beckham are all conspicuous by their absence, and the only notable signing has been striker David Goodwillie from Dundee United.

And you only have to ask Middlesbrough fans about the last prolific Scottish striker to move south of the border, to know not to get too excited just yet.

Rovers opening three fixtures have merely confirmed many people’s suspicions that it’s going to be a hard season for Rovers.

A deserved opening day defeat home defeat to Wolves – the team they had to beat on the last day of last season to survive, a meek loss at Aston Villa, and an unfortunate defeat to Everton.

Any team with Jason Roberts leading the attack is primed for the Championship – a forward with a strike rate of a goal every six games in the top flight.

And with the prospect of club captain Chris Samba moving to the capital to either Arsenal or Tottenham before the end of the transfer window, things only look like getting worse for the former Premier League champions.

Rovers are currently priced up at 11/10 with many bookmakers to fall into the Championship abyss, which looks like easy money right now, and surely after THAT nauseating chicken advert you could be forgiven for thinking it’s deserved – you might even call it Karma. 

James Riley