Blackburn 2-2 Blues

Starting XI

Four changes from last league game. George Friend and Gary Gardner start for the first time since August. Neil Etheridge and Lukas Jutkiewicz also come in. Troy Deeney is rested. John Ruddy, Hannibal Mejbri and Scott Hogan drop to the bench. Nico Gordon and Romelle Donovan are in the squad.

Game

Blues took the lead after a couple of minutes. Tyler Morton tried to switch play under a bit of pressure but the pass was cut out by Gardner. He found Reda Khadra who controlled and finished from 20 yards.

Ben Brereton Diaz was the Blackburn Rovers danger man and he was denied at the near and far post by Etheridge either side of a Khadra deflecting wide via Thomas Kaminski's boot. Scott Wharton headed a free kick wide.

Blackburn equalised after an impressive move. They breached the Blues midfield for a chance. Recycled possession twice when the ball was cleared, showing patience. I believe it was Morton who played a 1-2 with Gallagher and was denied by Etheridge only for Bradley Dack to finish the rebound.

The final chance of the half came when Jutkiewicz was denied by Kaminski with a near post header.

The hosts took the lead moments into the second half. Blues made a hash of clearing the ball, Dion Sanderson swinging a leg at the ball that hit Kristian Bielik and Joe Rankin-Costello (JRC) fired the loose ball beyond Etheridge.

Blues responded well, Jutkiewicz found Chong who ought to have done better than hit the ball straight at Kaminski. Ten minutes later, JRC fired over and Diaz was denied at the near post after being left free. Jutkiewicz headed over from a Friend cross. Khadra read a long punt forward but chose to be selfish rather than pull back to Tahith Chong. A Blackburn counter ended with Diaz not hitting the target despite a 3 v 1 situation.

After a triple substitution, Jutkiewicz made the most of some confusion but just swung at the ball. Dack was denied by Etheridge. Gallagher headed wide from a short corner. Hayden Carter headed wide from a crossed corner.

Substitute Alfie Chang's deep cross was volleyed wide by Jutkiewicz a moment before Blues equalised, Hannibal beating a challenge, driving forward and cutting back to Jordan James to scuff home.

Tactics

This was 3-5-2 v 4-3-3, an enemy of Blues in recent times.

Blues lined with Colin and Friend at wing-back with Gardner and Chong either side of Bielik. Blackburn with Dack and Morton either side of Buckley and Brereton and Hedges flanking Gallagher.

Blues prioritised shape and structure here. Whereas normally, Blues would charge into the press at speed, there was a little more caution. So when Blackburn had deep possession and moved to the full-back, Gardner and Chong would drift into a position rather than charge in to try and win possession. The strikers dovetailed onto John Buckley, the man at the base of the Blackburn midfield, Colin and Friend stepped up with Hedges and Brereton with the back three asked to shepherd Gallagher.

However, Blackburn were unique in how they rotated positions. The centre-back would play into midfield and receive the ball back. Once he received that pass, the full-back would step inside and the midfielder would take their place at full-back. This caused confusion amongst Blues players with wing-backs and midfielders not fully embracing who their new men were. It should have been the case that Gardner/Chong tracked the full-back, Friend/Colin stepped onto the central midfielder and with the wide centre-back stepping across onto the winger, with Bielik in support. Too often, however, Blues got caught between players and allowed Blackburn to build and find the full-back running beyond the centre-backs from a central position.

When Blues did win possession, there was often more composure in their game, trying to get the ball down and find a team-mate. Blues had more men behind the ball and therefore more options to play to where they had the game ahead of them, often seeking out Gardner and Chong to progress with the ball.

Blackburn lined up in a 4-4-2 out of position, Brereton and Hedges tucking in and Dack stepping forward. They blocked off the pass into midfield, forced it wide then tried to squeeze the pitch and pick off any passes into the wing-back. This meant Kevin Long was generally unchallenged in possession. He would pick the pass to the wide centre-back. Down the left, Trusty and Friend couldn't get anything going, the best option usually being Trusty going back to Long. Sanderson would either find Colin or look for the switch to Jutkiewicz or Friend.

In terms of substitutions, Blues had a change of shape for the final 15. Bacuna replaced Long and Blues moved to a diamond, Chang at the base, Hannibal at the tip and Bacuna and Chong flanking them.

Players

Gardner gave us much needed experience in the middle of the park, a touch rusty but stuck to his job and gave us more structure. Jutkiewicz is getting sharper with more game time. Khadra gives us much needed raw pace. Etheridge remains a fine shot stopper. Long is a little rusty but he's not far off.

For Blackburn, I can't look past Gallagher and Diaz. Two mobile, powerful units in the attack and always looking to stretch the Blues back line. Dack probed well from the left flank. JRC was positive down the right hand side, constantly breaking lines from the central position he was taking up.

Anything else?

Despite our recent downturn in form and the planned protests, four thousand Blues fans made the trip to Ewood Park. Some fans we have.

A sour note at the end of the game. Following Blues' late equaliser, the game paused while the referee went over to speak to both managers and the fourth official. Blues have released a statement post-match confirming that Neil Etheridge was racially abused. That this is happening in this day and age is astounding. Quite why a melee started between the players at that point, I'm unsure. Juninho Bacuna and Lewis Travis at the thick end of that one.

Wrapping it up...

This wasn't vintage Blues but it was far better than recent weeks.

We kept shape. We kept structure. We committed to a pressing pattern without leaving ourselves too short in the middle. We were less panicked in possession and utilised Jutkiewicz to effect, not as a hopeful get out clause.

There remains issues. Communication and reading of play, for one. There is still a lack of spark or invention about our game due to the lack of confidence and design of structure over style. But we are in a bad place at the moment and confidence doesn't get rebuilt with the click of a finger. The players have to earn it by getting the basics right again.

We play Blackburn in the replay this Tuesday then Swansea away at the weekend. I would be surprised if a full strength starting XI takes to the field in midweek as we bid to get our Championship season back on track.

Today felt like baby steps in the right direction. Only time will tell if that proves to be the case.