Blackburn Rovers vs Brentford
Saturday 19 November Ewood Park Sky Bet Championship Kick-off: 3pm
The Opponents
With problems on the pitch and protests off it, it's shaping up to be a long winter for the Rovers faithful this campaign. After a 15th placed finish last season, Paul Lambert resigned in the summer, Owen Coyle stepping in to become Rovers sixth manager since 2012. Only Derrick Williams [Bristol City] and Charlie Mulgrew [Celtic] arrived on a permanent basis in the summer with ten players, most notably Grant Hanley [Newcastle United], Shane Duffy [Brighton and Hove Albion], and Tommy Spurr [Preston North End], all heading in the opposite direction.
After picking up just one point from their opening five matches new faces did arrive on loan in August in the shape of Sam Gallagher [Southampton], Wes Brown [Sunderland], Tommy Hoban [Watford], Martin Samuelson [West Ham United], and Marvin Emnes [Swansea City]. Those additions seemed to do the trick as Rovers picked up seven points from four games in September but since then it has been a different story. Coyle's side have won just one of their last seven matches to head into Saturday's clash 23rd in the table, two points from safety.
The Manager
Owen Coyle's appointed as manager last summer met with mixed reviews from Rovers fans due to his links with local rivals Bolton Wanderers and Burnley. Coyle scored 249 goals in 669 games as a striker, most notably for Bolton Wanderers and Airdrie, gaining one cap for the Republic of Ireland in a friendly match against Holland.
After guiding St Johnstone to the 2007 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, Coyle moved south to Burnley and took them into the Premier League in his first full season in charge. He left The Clarets midway through their Premier League season for Bolton Wanderers and helped The Trotters maintain their top flight safety at the expense of his former club. His reign at The Reebok Stadium ended in October 2012 before an unsuccessful six-month spell with Wigan Athletic preluded his move across the Atlantic to Houston where he spent 18 months prior to his appointment at Ewood Park.
The Match Officials
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh Assistant Referees: Billy Smallwood and Christopher Akers Fourth Official: Joe Hull
Pre-match Views
Dean Smith: “It is a stern test and one that we have to make sure that every player is ready for”
Harlee Dean calls for response against Blackburn Rovers
Ticket and Travel news
Advanced sales for tomorrow's match end at 2pm but tickets will available on matchday from the Away Ticket Office at Ewood Park. For more information click here.
For a guide on how to get to Ewood Park click here.
Match Betting
Principal partners 888sport offer the latest odds on tomorrow's meeting.
Bees 17/10 Blackburn 17/10 Draw 9/4
Join Club Sponsors 888sport today and get industry leading odds on a range of sports markets!
Match Coverage
You can hear live match commentary on Bees Player from 2.30pm tomorrow, with Mark Burridge and Mick Cabble.
There will be live match updates on Twitter from 2pm.