Back in 2011, the Blackburn Rovers were bad enough that they were relegated to the Championship, the second tier of English soccer. I'm a Rovers fan, as you probably know by now, and upon their demotion, other fans assured me that they would be be promoted soon enough.
It took until 2017, but they were indeed promoted. Unfortunately, they had been relegated to League One the year before, and were only back in the Championship. Sometimes, this momentum can lead to a quick rise to the Premier League, but it was not in 2018.
Now, though, the Rovers are only a few points out of the playoffs. For a refresher, the Championship sends the top two teams into the Premier League, and the next 4 teams participate in a single elimination playoff for the final spot. this season, they sit in 8th place, only 4 points out of the final playoff spot, which is closer than they've been since they dropped.
They've had some good players on the squad in that time, such as Phil Jones, who has been a stalwart for Manchester United for some time now, former striker Jordan Rhodes, and most recently midfielder Bradley Dack, who has anchored the team since 2017.
Well, he's anchored the team until this year, but has missed substantial time of late, leaving the squad without a proven superstar. Adam Armstrong, the leading scorer and TransferMarkt's suggested most valuable player on the roster, is still there, but he isn't necessarily a player that one would latch on to as the great hope for the future.
But here they are, in contention. One problem the team has had since the dawning of the 2010s was a quick trigger ownership group, who cycled through managers like dirty socks, even after spending too much time with Steve Kean, the first manager they hired after sacking Sam Allardyce. Now, Tony Mowbray has been in charge since 2017, and has shaped the team, tactically and with personal, in the image he wants. the team is in the position because of their stability.
I've always lamented the impatience of sports. Too many teams try to completely overhaul things without giving them a chance, unless there is immediate success. Give a quarterback a couple of years, let a prospect play in the major leagues for a while before you deliver the assessment. And let your coach lead the team for more than a minute. Blackburn is the latest team to learn this lesson.
