Before the 2017/18 League One season kicked off, Blackburn Rovers were seen as huge favourites to secure immediate promotion back to The Championship following their relegation last season. However, it has been a remarkably poor start to the season for Rovers under the management of Tony Mowbray, and they are in desperate need of three points to get their season underway.
Blackburn Rovers began the campaign with a tricky away fixture at Southend United which they eventually lost 2-1 despite mounting a second-half comeback. However, it was the 3-1 defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers the week after that has really caused concern at Ewood Park that this season may not be as straightforward as many people thought.
As for Bradford City, they have been knocking on the door of The Championship for several years now and have made another strong start to this campaign. They have maintained a 100% record so far with wins over Blackpool and Gillingham and will fancy their chances of picking up another three points against Blackburn at Valley Parade on Saturday.
We take a look at five players who could potentially have a significant influence on the outcome of Saturday’s match between these two promotion candidates.
Danny Graham
The 32-year-old striker is arguably far too good for League One, and it, therefore, comes as a surprise that he is yet to open his account for Rovers this season. He scored seven goals in 18 appearances for Blackburn Rovers last season as they failed to survive in the second tier which proves he does have the quality to find the back of the net.
It is surely only a matter of time before Graham does get his first goal of the season as he will want to get it out of the way as soon as possible. This could signal bad news for Bradford’s defence as if Graham is up for the physical battle, and they could be set for a difficult afternoon.
Peter Whittingham
Whittingham, similarly to Graham, is arguably too good for this level and his arrival at Ewood Park from Cardiff City this summer stunned many. During his spell at Cardiff, he oozed class, and he is gifted with a wand of a left foot. He even enjoyed a brief spell in the Premier League with the Bluebirds.
He will, without a doubt, find his form at Blackburn once he has settled into life at the club and also in League One. There is a significant difference between The Championship and League One, and it may take the 32-year-old midfielder a bit of time to adapt his game. He could go on to be a key figure for Blackburn this season, and he is certainly one to look out for in this game as he will be looking to dictate play throughout.
Bradley Dack
Mowbray recognised that he needed to add players who have proven that they can perform in League One this summer and by acquiring the services of the Bradley Dack, he certainly did that. The 23-year-old midfielder’s development has stuttered in the last year, but if he can reach the heights of his 2015/16 campaign with Gillingham again this season, then Blackburn have a superb player on their books.
He scored 13 goals in 40 league appearances for the Gills during that campaign, and it remains his most successful return to date. He was named on the substitute’s bench for Blackburn’s 3-1 defeat to Doncaster last week, and he will now be looking to force his way into Mowbray’s starting line-up for the trip to Bradford.
Dominic Poleon
The 23-year-old got off the mark for Bradford last weekend after joining the club from AFC Wimbledon earlier this summer. He scored the only goal in an impressive 1-0 victory away at Gillingham and will now be looking to build on this by continuing to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
The striker is still at a relatively young age and therefore still has time to reach his full potential. He was very highly rated during his time at Leeds United a couple of years ago but it never quite worked out for him at Elland Road. He has had spells at four clubs since and he has been largely inconsistent during this time. He will be hoping that Bradford is the club where he can settle down and be a success.
The 21-year-old is a relatively unknown quantity at this level with no previous experience in the Football League. His previous clubs include Beaconsfield SYCOB, Kidderminster Harriers and Barnsley. However, he did not make a single appearance at Oakwell which led to his move to Bradford on a one-year deal this summer.
Stuart McCall was clearly impressed with the youngster’s performances in pre-season and has subsequently given him an opportunity to impress in the first team. This appears to be an opportunity he has grasped with both hands as he scored the winning goal on his debut in the 2-1 win over Blackpool on the opening day of the season.
