Dean Smith thinks it will give the whole club a lift if they can get the three points on Saturday when Blackburn Rovers visit Griffin Park in the Sky Bet Championship. The Bees go into the game off the back of a 3-0 local derby defeat to Queens Park Rangers last time out and now sit seven points clear of the relegation zone. Speaking to Bees Player ahead of the match Dean said that everyone must take responsibility for the run the side have been and work hard to put that right.
“We are after a positive performance and a positive result,” said Dean. “It will lift everybody and we go into the international break not looking over our shoulder too much. We have that breathing space where we are three points nearer to our total to stay in the league this year. That is out target at the moment and the quicker that we can get there the better. Teams down the bottom have started to win games and that is something that we need to do. It is a poor run of results that we are on. There have been some exceptions where we have played ok and not got the result, but there are some where the performances haven’t been acceptable and we have got the result we deserved. We have to regroup, take responsibility and put the performances right on the pitch.”
Rovers themselves have been struggling of late, losing three of their last four league matches and sitting above The Bees only on goal difference. Dean is expecting a physical battle against Paul Lambert’s side but added for all the preparation the team does on Blackburn it is still important they try and play their own game.
“They are a big and strong team,” said Dean. “Richard went to see them on Tuesday night and I saw the game last week against Leeds United. They will put balls in the box and you have to go and compete against them and win second balls. We have done our analysis on them but it is very much about us at the moment. We need to be hard to beat but also have a potent threat.”
The Bees striking options were boosted earlier today as Leandro Rodriguez joined on a one-month loan deal from Everton. The 23-year-old Uruguayan striker comes into a squad that has failed to score more than one goal in seven of the last eight matches. Dean thinks Leandro’s arrival with give the whole squad a lift and is excited by the extra dimension that the former River Plate Montevideo player will bring.
“It is very nice to finally bring someone in myself,” said Dean. “We needed a new face around the place and we are thankful to Everton that they are happy for him to come here. We have a good record with Everton players who have come here and done well. Hopefully Leandro can do the same. He is held in high regard at Everton and he is a good prospect for them. He is a player who thrives on crosses and likes to get in the box. He stretches the line very well and they are things that we need to get other players on the ball in front of the centre-backs. It is a position that hasn’t been fruitful over the last few weeks in terms of goals and it is somewhere that we needed to improve. Hopefully Leandro’s arrival will spark a reaction from other players as well.”
Bees Player subscribers can watch the full interview with Dean below