The Blackburn End Podcast

This week, Mike and Mark discuss why they don't agree with suggestions that Rovers' problems last season were simply down to injuries. With fresh injuries already appearing, no new signings through the door and players continuing to be linked with exits, is this squad really ready for the Championship campaign?

Also this week:

⚽ Nottingham Forest & Strasbourg reviewed

🏥 The "injuries were just bad luck" argument

🔄 Why the squad still isn't strong enough

🎨 Mowbray's plans for Todd Cantwell as his "artist"

📉 Transfer inactivity and exit rumours

🔵 What needs to happen before the season begins

💬 Let us know in the comments – where do Blackburn still need to strengthen?

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#BRFC #BlackburnRovers #EFL #Championship #Rovers #FootballPodcast #TonyMowbray

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England’s World Cup campaign is over, Blackburn Rovers are heading to Portugal, and the new third kit has caused exactly the sort of debate you would expect.

This week, Mike Beaty and Mark Hitchen finally compare notes on England’s tournament. Did Thomas Tuchel get the semi-final wrong? Was he too cautious when the moment called for bravery? And what should we make of the chaotic 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off?

There is plenty of Blackburn Rovers discussion too.

Rovers beat Barnsley 3-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly, Damien Johnson has been promoted to assistant head coach, and the squad are preparing for their pre-season trip to Portugal.

We also discuss Igor Tyjon being left out of the travelling group and ask what that could mean for the young striker.

And then there is the new third kit.

It is officially red — but is there a hint of claret about it? More importantly, should any Blackburn Rovers kit ever be allowed anywhere near that colour?

Let us know what you think:

Is the new shirt red or claret?

Did Tuchel cost England a place in the World Cup final?

What should Rovers be looking to achieve during the Portugal trip?

The Blackburn End Podcast brings you weekly Blackburn Rovers discussion, honest opinions, match reaction, transfer talk and debate on the biggest stories from Ewood Park and the wider football world.

Hosted by Mike Beaty and Mark Hitchen.

#BlackburnRovers #BRFC #TheBlackburnEnd #England #WorldCup #ThomasTuchel #Championship #FootballPodcast #Rovers #EwoodPark

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Forget the 0-0.

The biggest talking point from Blackburn Rovers' first pre-season outing wasn't the result – it was Tony Mowbray's brutally honest assessment afterwards.

Mowbray admitted his side must become more creative, more fluid in the final third and find a way of producing more attacking threat. He also made it clear that if the current group can't deliver, the club may need to strengthen.

So that's the debate...

Who steps up?

We discuss:

• Tony Mowbray's honest post-match assessment.
• Which attacking players have the biggest opportunity.
• Who can thrive in a more attacking system.
• Whether the answers are already in the building.
• Where Blackburn may still need to strengthen before the season starts.

🎧 Let us know your thoughts:

Who do you think will step up to Tony's challenge?

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Blackburn Rovers have announced a brand-new Multi-Level Engagement Plan, bringing the Fans' Forum to a close and introducing a new supporter engagement structure, including the new Fan Advisory Panel.

Supporters have understandably been asking plenty of questions.

Is this simply a rebrand? Has anything actually changed? What role does the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) play? Will supporters genuinely have a stronger voice?

As Chair of the outgoing Fans' Forum, Mark gives his perspective on why these changes have happened, how the new structure will work and what supporters should be looking for over the next 12 months.

Rather than reacting to the headlines, we break down what the announcement actually means and discuss whether this could represent the biggest step forward in supporter engagement since Venky's took over Blackburn Rovers.

Do you think this is genuine progress, or are supporters right to remain sceptical?

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Tony Mowbray is back on the training ground, pre-season is underway and attention is turning towards the squad that will begin Blackburn Rovers' Championship campaign.

But if you were in Mowbray's shoes, what would you do?

In this episode of The Blackburn End Podcast, we put ourselves in the manager's position and build Blackburn Rovers' squad for the season ahead.

Who should stay? Who should move on? Which positions still need strengthening? And how close are Rovers to having a squad capable of competing in the Championship?

We also discuss Yuki Ohashi's reported transfer links, Todd Cantwell's future, the arrival of Rovers' new assistant manager and the return of pre-season training.

Join the debate:

🟢 One player you'd definitely keep.

🔴 One player you'd sell.

⭐ One position Blackburn must strengthen.

Let us know your squad and whether you agree with ours.

🔵⚪ Arte et Labore

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Blackburn Rovers suffered one of the worst injury records in the Championship last season.

Most supporters put it down to bad luck.

We think that's too simple.

In this episode of The Blackburn End Podcast, we take a deep dive into the real reasons behind Rovers' injury crisis and examine

whether the warning signs were there long before players started breaking down.

From recruitment and squad planning to player durability, availability records and workload management, we explore the catalogue of decisions that contributed to Blackburn's lengthy injury list.

We discuss:

⚽ Why Blackburn suffered so many injuries

⚽ Whether the injury crisis was actually predictable

⚽ Recruitment and player durability

⚽ The risks of relying on injury-prone players

⚽ Squad depth and availability

⚽ The role of coaching, medical and football decisions

⚽ What Rovers can learn going forward

This isn't a podcast about bad luck.

It's a podcast about decisions.

So were Blackburn simply unfortunate, or did the club create the conditions for an injury crisis themselves?

🔵⚪ Arte et Labore

🎙️ The Blackburn End Podcast

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Blackburn Rovers looked set to challenge for the play-offs.

A few months later, survival was the only thing that mattered.

In this episode of The Blackburn End Podcast, we look back on a campaign that unravelled dramatically and ask one simple question: how did a season full of promise become a relegation battle?

From a strong first half of the season and genuine optimism around Ewood Park, to managerial changes, a collapse in form and a nervous finish, we revisit the key moments that shaped Blackburn Rovers' 2025/26 season.

We discuss:

⚽ The turning points that changed the course of the campaign

⚽ When and why the season started to unravel

⚽ The impact of John Eustace's departure

⚽ Michael O'Neill's arrival and the battle for survival

⚽ The players who impressed and those who disappointed

⚽ The biggest highs, lows and frustrations of the season

⚽ How close Rovers really came to relegation

⚽ The return of Tony Mowbray and what it means moving forward

This may have been one of the most dramatic seasons in recent Blackburn Rovers history, but how should it ultimately be remembered?

🔵⚪ Arte et Labore

The Blackburn End Podcast

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Tony Mowbray is back at Blackburn Rovers.

Few managerial appointments have divided opinion amongst the Rovers fanbase quite like this one. Mowbray returns to Ewood Park having previously guided the club back to the Championship and overseen a period that many supporters look back on fondly.

However, his return also raises questions. Is this a sensible appointment that brings experience, stability and a proven track record at Championship level? Or is it a sign of how little the club has moved forward in recent years?

In this episode of The Blackburn End Podcast, we discuss:

⚽ Tony Mowbray's return to Blackburn Rovers

⚽ Why the club turned to a familiar face

⚽ The positives he could bring to the role

⚽ Concerns and reservations surrounding the appointment

⚽ What his return means for the squad and the season ahead

⚽ Whether he is the right man to take Rovers forward

Do you think Blackburn Rovers have made the right choice? Let us know your thoughts.

🔵⚪ Arte et Labore

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When are players contracts up?

Who have long term deals?

Who do we want to extend?

Who needs to go now?

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Blackburn Rovers survived the 25/26 Championship season, but the bigger question is whether they should have.

After defeat to Leicester City, we reflect on a season where PSR points deductions for clubs like Leicester and West Brom played a major role in shaping the final table.

Without those deductions, Rovers would have been relegated — so did Blackburn stay up on merit, or did the system ultimately decide it?

We also discuss:

• Leicester’s quality despite relegation
• The impact of EFL rules on the Championship table
• Why Rovers “got away with it” this season
• The need for more experience going forward
• Michael O’Neill’s future heading into the summer

There’s also a brief debate on potential squad changes, including whether Rovers should consider selling Toth or Alebiosu.

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