Blackburn Rovers 2014/15 season
League Position: ninth (2013/14: eighth)
Average league attendance: 15,070 (2013/14: 14,961)
Top league goalscorer: Jordan Rhodes (21)
Blackburn Rovers 2014/15 was one that promised more on paper than it delivered, with Gary Bowyer’s side finishing in ninth place, threatening to secure a Play-off place but in the end fell short. Bowyer has bought a degree of stability to Ewood Park since his appointment in 2013, with the turbulent end to their Premier League status now long behind them.
Summer signings Shane Duffy (Everton) and Luke Varney (Leeds United) were the pick, with Rovers’ Alan Judge leaving Ewood Park to complete his permanent move to Brentford after a five month loan spell at Griffin Park.
A patchy start to the season was followed by an improvement of results in October and November, which meant Rovers were hovering around the Play-Off places. Their home form was particularly strong, their first league defeat at Ewood Park coming on 6 December (Sheffield Wednesday).
The inconsistency then re-appeared, but it was after the middle of March where Rovers dropped off the pace, winning only three league matches in the last ten to finish 11 points off the Play-Offs.
Their top half finish is largely down to the strike duo of Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede.
Former Brentford loanee Rhodes scored 21 goals in 45 league matches with Gestede scoring 20 in 39 matches. Whilst Rhodes appears to be settled at Rovers, it appears Gestede’s future lies away from Ewood Park, with Watford dominating the media column inches in speculation they will bid for him.
They will begin life in the 2015/16 without club captain David Dunn, who has retired after spending 14 years and 300 games in two spells for Rovers.