Ahead of Tony Mowbray's return to Ewood Park tonight, we chatted to the lads from the 4,000 Holes Fanzine to discuss the likes of Bradley Dack, Mowbray and the two teams' very similar starts to the season...
Sunderland and Blackburn are level on points. Are you happy with your start to the season?
Delighted. We’ve had deserved wins against West Brom, Watford and Middlesbrough; and the general performances could and should have earned more in the other matches. The signs are positive sitting in the top 10 already.
What are your thoughts on Jon Dahl Tomasson?
Very impressed. He’s an intelligent and ambitious coach – we just hope that the club can match his ambition before someone else snaps him up. His passing philosophy has taken a year to bed in but we’re now seeing the fruits of it as the players are taking it all on board.
How about Tony Mowbray? What do you think of your former gaffer, and did you think he'd do this well at Sunderland?
He’s still well liked and will get another warm reception as he did a superb job at Rovers. We do feel like we’ve moved on now to a much more progressive coach who is working wonders, whereas Mowbray was perhaps more of a motivator. He’s very good at working with youngsters, and with the resources at his disposal and the momentum from League One promotion, it was no surprise that he was able to inspire Sunderland to shoot up the table last season. It will be interesting to see if his limitations will stop progress this year – the February/March slump is a usual Mowbray trait but he did manage to turn it around at the end to achieve the play-offs.
And attacking midfielder Bradley Dack?
Our best player from the last decade by far. There were mixed feelings about letting him go because when he played last season he was exceptional and back scoring goals, but injuries and not seeing eye to eye with Tomasson meant he was not a guaranteed starter anymore and we all want to see him playing every week after missing two years. It was a logical move to go to Sunderland with Mowbray who will get the best out of him again, even if the two ACL injuries and his age mean there’s fitness doubts. The goal he’s already grabbed for Sunderland was classic Dack – there’s no one better in the league in finding those positions and he could get double figures if he stays fit.
Who's been your best player so far this season?
It’s been a decent team effort with no absolute standout performers, although Sammie Szmodics has grabbed four excellent goals already from an attacking midfield position and made us realise it was right to let Dack go!
Which Sunderland player worries you the most?
It’s perhaps destined for Bradley Dack to score if he’s fit and then run towards the bench and have a look towards Tomasson! Jack Clarke continue to impress though and so we shouldn’t be focussed too much on keeping Dack quiet.
What are your aims this season? What position would be a successful finish?
Top half would be another success given the cut in transfer budget due to financial constraints put on the owners by the government in India. We did still have a decent window, if not spectacular, and with Tomasson’s ability to coach young players it wouldn’t be a surprise to see us push for the play-offs again.
What's your score prediction for the game?
Hopefully Sunderland won’t be extra motivated by the non-penalty award just before Brereton Diaz cracked one in at Ewood last October! It’ll be close, both teams seem to be at a similar level and a 1-1 draw might be expected.
Where do you reckon both sides will finish this season?
There seems to be a level of stability at both clubs with managers now in place for a year so they should be able to take advantage of other clubs’ turmoil. Top half finishes again and both pushing for the play-offs.
Finally, where's the best place for a travelling SAFC fan to grab a pint?
Away fans tend to be herded towards the Fernhurst on the main road at the away end of Ewood. They also gather round the Golden Cup next to the M65 motorway junction but that’s a 20-minute walk from the stadium. There’s a Wetherspoons called the Postal Order in the town centre which is also popular due to its location near the train station.
