Blackburn Rovers

"Blackburn Rovers felt they did all they could.

"They have a ceiling with regards to their pay structure and the highest available wage was offered to three players who all turned that wage down because they were offered better deals elsewhere."

Andy Bayes and Adam Cottier discuss BBC Radio Lancashire's exclusive interviews with Blackburn Rovers head coach Valerian Ismael and head of football operations Rudy Gestede.

Listen back to the interviews with Gestede and Ismael on BBC Sounds.

Watford will be donning a special edition one-off kit for their home game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 BST) - but can they find victory in it?

The Hornets have only managed one win out of their four opening league games (D2 L1) so far, but a busy end to their transfer window has seen the side bolster their defence and given fans room for optimism.

While key departures for Blackburn has drew criticism, with boss Valerien Ismael asking for "time" to settle and develop their new squad.

Time is something the Lancashire side have little of though if they are hoping to improve a lacklustre start to their Championship campaign (W1 L3) on the weekend.

• Watford have won five of their last eight home league games against Blackburn Rovers (D2 L1), including this exact fixture in October last season (1-0).

• Blackburn Rovers have won three of their last six league games against Watford (D1 L2) and could win successive league matches against the Hornets for the first time since October 2012.

• Watford have lost just two of their last nine league games at Vicarage Road (W4 D3), scoring in eight of those matches.

• Blackburn are looking to avoid losing four of their opening five league games of a campaign for the first time since 2016-17 in the Championship, a season that ended in them being relegated to League One.

• Teenager Nestory Irankunda has been involved in a goal in all three of his league starts for Watford this season (2 goals, 1 assist), with both goals coming from direct free kicks.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday forward Bailey Cadamarteri scored his first goal for Jamaica on Tuesday in just his second senior international appearance.

The 20-year-old made his debut for the Reggae Boyz earlier in the week during their 4-0 win over Bermuda, before scoring the opener during their 2-0 victory against Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, Coventry City teenager Kai Andrews made his senior debut for Wales during their 1-0 friendly loss to Canada.

West Bromwich Albion had an international debutant of their own after striker Aune Heggebo replaced Manchester City's Erling Haaland in added time during Norway's 11-1 thumping of Moldova, while Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Balazs Toth made his first start for Hungary during their 3-2 defeat by Portugal.

Lindsey Lewis
Fan Writer

Image source, Rex Features

Disappointing.

I have picked up my pen (well, really my phone) to sum up my thoughts on the start to the season and the transfer window many times and that is the word that I keep coming back too.

One win and three defeats in the league see us sitting 19th. The win at Hull away a shining light in what otherwise has been an abject start.

I was also disappointed to see us exit the Carabao Cup in the first round to an in-form Bradford. While some see the competition as a distraction, I love a cup run. The chance of a new ground and to give new and fringe players some extra minutes.

How much can you read into the start is a topic for debate, but it is only compounded by the spine of a squad who narrowly missed the play-offs last season being ripped apart as the transfer window ended.

Five of the team who started the final day have moved on. Three of the bench also no longer wear the blue and white halves.

While my head says we cannot allow players to leave for free, which has historically been a problem for the club, my heart says it is a bold (at best) policy to move on so many players with Championship experience, including your captain.

I was also sad to say goodbye to Harry Leonard but the move to Peterborough with their history of developing young players could and should be a wonderful move for him.

Everyone who knows me is reading this thinking when is she going to mention Dom Hyam? Well, here it is.

The most frustrating, and I fear costly, sale of the window came on the final day.

While the reported fee of £2.7m feels a fair price, and it is a wonderful move for him and his family, the decision to move on a man who played every minute of every game last season without a replacement is baffling.

For balance, Rovers have made 10 summer signings and spent some cash. There are some exciting signings, but these players will need time to bed in and in such a competitive league and with our disappointing start this is a luxury we may not have.

That being said, the decision by Valerien Ismael to make Todd Cantwell captain seems a master stroke and it feels like much of what will work this season will be created by Todd.

You can find more of Lindsey's Rovers views on X here., external

Image source, Rex Features

Blackburn Rovers' newest addition Taylor Gardner-Hickman is keen to be reunited with boss Valerien Ismael after the international break.

Ismael handed Gardner-Hickman his league debut at West Bromwich Albion in 2021, a move which launched the midfielder's career.

"He put his trust in me, he gave me my debut and now it's time to repay the favour, which I'll be doing my best to do," Gardner-Hickman told the club website., external

Gardner-Hickman was just 19 years old when Ismael decided to put his faith in him.

"He helped me tremendously," Gardner-Hickman added. "He helped me make that transition from a boy to a man, really, and helped me off the pitch as well.

"He knows what I'm about, he gives me confidence, and I know what he's about and what he wants, how his teams play. I'm ready to give him my all. I can't wait to see him again."

Blackburn take on Watford next up in the Championship on 13 September (15:00 BST), with each side having won one of their four games to start the league season.

Image source, Getty Images

Blackburn Rovers manager Valerien Ismael felt his team's defeat by Norwich City hinged on the penalty incident which saw his defender Sean McLoughlin sent off.

Josh Sargent scored from the resulting spot-kick and added a late second despite a strong fightback by his 10-man team in the second half.

Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire: "One moment decided the game - a long ball that we didn't defend that well. The penalty and red card completely changed the game so at half-time we had another game plan.

"The first half was a typical 50-50 game, with [fewer] chances for us. We played some good football but the last passes, the penetration, was not there.

"I told the players [at half-time] now it's all about managing the game as we're down to 10, make sure we stay in the game as long as possible, and at some point Norwich would start to get nervous about whether to go for the second [goal] or defend the first one, and that's exactly what happened.

"The second thing I said was when we got the chance we would have to be ruthless, and unfortunately when we got the two big chances to score, we didn't score. One point would have been a fair result."

Listen to full Valerien Ismael interview by clicking here.

Blackburn boss Valerien Ismael has been speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire ahead of Saturday's home game against Norwich City.

Here's how the squad is shaping up...

• Rovers are set to be unchanged from the side that won 3-0 at Hull last time out.

• New signing Ryoya Morishita has trained and will be part of the matchday squad.

• Fellow new signing, Moussa Baradji will have further assessment but isn't fit to be involved. He arrived at Rovers with an injury.

• Midfielders Adam Forshaw and Jake Garrett remain out.

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Blackburn are keen on 30-year-old Sunderland midfielder Alan Browne, who is surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light. (Alan Nixon, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

After picking up their first points of the season with a 3-0 drubbing of Hull City, Valerien Ismael's Blackburn Rovers will seek to get on track at Ewood Park as Norwich visit on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Liam Manning's Canaries have suffered three home defeats already this season but will seek to stay unbeaten on their travels after the 2-1 win at Portsmouth in their only previous road game in the Championship.

• Blackburn Rovers have won just two of their past 14 league games against Norwich City (D5 L7), though are unbeaten across their last four against the Canaries (W1 D3).

• Norwich City are unbeaten across their past seven away league games against Blackburn Rovers (D2 L5), drawing both of their last two such visits to Ewood Park 1-1.

• After losing their home opener 2-1 to Birmingham City, Blackburn will be looking to avoid losing each of their opening two home league games of a campaign outside the top tier for the first time since 1956-57.

• Norwich have lost two of their opening three league games this season (W1), and will be looking to avoid losing three of their opening four outside the top tier for the first time since 2000-01.

• Norwich have won just one of their past 11 league games against sides from Lancashire (D5 L5), though that victory did come on the road at Preston in April 2024 (1-0).

Head coach Valerien Ismael described Blackburn's 3-0 win at Hull as their best away performance under him.

The emphatic victory came after Rovers had lost all three of their previous league and cup matches this season.

"When you win your first game it's really good because you start your Championship season," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"When we lost games we stayed calm and focused. We deal with adversity and now we're moving forward and the win will help us to start the season.

"In the second half we scored two goals straightaway and that gave us the confidence to control the game. Since I've been in charge at the club, that was the best away performance.

"Now before the international break we have a difficult home game against Norwich and we need the same performance and same focus."