Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers are waiting patiently in the transfer market, with Tony Mowbray keen to assess his squad.

The Rovers head coach has been insistent that he needs time to audit what's already in the building before digging into the market.

Moussa Baradji's loan move has been made permanent but, otherwise, their powder has been kept dry. It means the next six weeks of the window will be busy, as will be the case at most Championship sides.

Mowbray has made it clear that firepower is the most obvious thing to address. Saturday's goalless draw with Accrington Stanley, albeit only a first friendly, hardly deviates from that belief.

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Looking deeper at some of the numbers from last season, it only affirms the eye test. It's obvious what Rovers need and which positions might help them fix some of their issues.

Last season, Rovers scored just 42 goals, fewer than one per game. At home, they were even less potent than on the road, making Ewood Park a pretty boring place to be.

Rovers collected just 40% of their total points in front of their own fans, with four home wins. That further highlights the need for Rovers to be comfortable at breaking down the opposition.

It makes more creativity a must for Mowbray. It is not just about putting the ball in the back of the net but the supply line for the forwards too.

Rovers need to be more comfortable when they have the ball. Home teams naturally have the initiative to be the aggressor and break down their opponent, backed by their home support.

It is something Rovers have struggled with. Losing Sondre Tronstad only makes that more difficult as he was a brilliant progressor of the ball from deep areas. Only Adam Forshaw has similar qualities in the squad but is four years more senior.

It is perhaps not a surprise then that Rovers earned so many more points away. The squad preferred playing on the counter-attack, with larger space to run into. It suited Ryan Alebiosu and Ryan Hedges as wing-backs, as well as the forwards who could run in-behind.

According to data from Opta, Rovers would've finished 12th on expected points (xPTS). That is a number calculated by comparing the quality of goalscoring chances created (xG) and conceded (xGA) in every match. This then allows the data gurus at Opta to formulate each club's xPTS total.

xPTS table for the Championship. (Image: BBC, data via Opta.)

The fact of the matter is the type of players that Blackburn need cost the most money. So the loan market will be vital, as Mowbray has already alluded to.

So what is a realistic window for Rovers? What does a successful summer transfer spree look like?

Well, to state the obvious, ending it stronger than you started it would be a great starting point. Rovers did not do that last summer having lost Callum Brittain, Lewis Travis and then Dom Hyam on deadline day.

This summer, Balazs Toth and Ryan Alebiosu are their equivalents. Toth's situation is manufactured by him again having one year left but the club have control on Alebiosu's situation and if they sell, it will be for a fee they deem fair.

(Image: CameraSport - Rich Linley)

There is an argument to be made that selling one of, if not both, of their prized assets might make some sense. If the fees are right, could that money be reinvested to create a better balance to the squad? It is easy saying that but perhaps harder to execute it.

For Rovers to be a better side in possession, it's evident they have three starting positions that need significant upgrades. Central midfield is an obvious one, given we have spoken about the loss of Tronstad and his ball progression.

They actually have plenty of options in the middle but none have stood out enough. A dominant replacement for Travis, which sadly Sidnei Tavares has not shown he can be yet, is an essential.

Left winger is also a glaring issue. When we talk about the need for goals and creativity, they haven't had anywhere near enough from their wide players.

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If it to be some variation of 4-2-3-1/4-4-2, that left side needs to be bolstered. Dion De Neve, Augustus Kargbo and Dapo Afolayan have not shown enough to suggest the answer already lies within the building.

Then there's the obvious issue of finding someone to put the ball in the back of the net. All three Rovers strikers have contrasting qualities and put them together, they probably wouldn't be playing in the Championship.

What is perhaps missing from the skillset is that focal point, target man figure. Yuki Ohashi is a presser, Andri Gudjohnsen a poacher and Mathias Jorgensen a runner.

Strengthening those three areas would be an easy barometer for what a successful window might look like.