Blackburn better than they've been

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.

The Blackburn Rovers and Stability

Way back in 2010, the Blackburn Rovers were a mid-table team in the Premiership under the leadership of venerable manager Sam Allardyce. Allardyce was so respected that he eventually went on to coach 4 other EPL teams, and even the English national team in 2016. Then, Venky's London, an Indian firm that got their start in chicken, bought the team and sacked Allardyce.
Within 5 years, and after 6 (!) managerial changes, the Rovers became the first team ever relegated to the third tier after once holding the Premier League title. Tony Mowbray was given charge of the team, and Blackburn immediately climbed back into the Championship, if not the top league in the country.
The Rovers had a little bit of a slow start this season, losing their first two matches and being assigned a 17% chance of relegation by FiveThirtyEight's soccer predictions. Since that time, the rovers have won 3, lost 1 on and drew with Cardiff. They've moved into 12th place after a dire start to the season, which had many fans ready to give up hope on this team again.
With their hotter stretch as August turned to September, the Rovers seem to be putting together a respectable season. In many sports, but particularly in European soccer, many owners can be quick with the trigger, and are liable to let a manager go after a slow start.
Blackburn has been patient in the last couple of years, finally. And now, in the past couple of seasons, they are moving back up the table and may actually be in a good position to solidify their spot in the Championship, if not the Premiership.
It's a good lesson for fans of not only the English Football system, but any sport, nearly at any level. It takes time to build camaraderie and cohesion on a roster, let alone develop an organizational ethos. It's easy to read into a couple of results and attribute the entire season to the first bit of data. It takes longer than that to build a team, especially when it's been razed just a few years before.

Stability and success

One thing that has been a real problem for the Blackburn Rovers ever since Venky's took ownership of the team is the absolute turmoil atop the team. They took control of the team in 2010, and have averaged a new manager every season, although that number is skewed heavily by the whirlwind of 2012-13 when Henning Berg and Michael Appleton combined to manage for 124 days after the team had been relegated under Steve Kean's leadership.
Then, the Rovers simply swapped out their manager every year after that, it seemed. Paul Lambert left of his own accord, not wanting anything to do with he mess in Blackburn, but all others were let go by the team. Last year, Owen Coyle was fired and Tony Mowbray was hired, but not before the damage was done, and the Rovers were again relegated.
Then, Venky's did something crazy: nothing. Mowbray, a fairly popular manager, was allowed to keep his job, and perhaps because of the stability, there weren't nearly as many significant departures as one might expect during the summer transfer window, though there were a few midfielders and backliners that found work elsewhere.
More impressive was the investment in the attackers. They signed all three of their leading scorers, Dominic Samuel, Bradley Dack and Joe Nuttall just in the last few months, including an impressive outlay for Dack. This is a completely different change from the disinterest Venky's showed for years.
And how is it working? You'll have to forgive them if it isn't perfect, but they are only one point out of the playoffs with two games in hand. Sure, they now play on the third tier, but this "patience" and "trying" thing seems to be working.

How much does Blackburn need to gut themselves?

This season wasn't the most painful in Blackburn Rovers history, primarily because most Rovers fans have been resigned to the fate that has befallen the squad since Indian poultry company Venky's purchased the team in 2010, driving the organization to depths they haven't seen in generations.
No, this was not the saddest season, because it was expected, but this was likely the worst team that the Rovers have had in decades. They were relegated to the third level of English soccer for the first time since 1980, and are the first team that has won the Premier League to drop two full tiers... ever.
The money is simply not the same in League One, even as compared to the Championship. The transfer window is now open, and the Rovers are going to have to shave payroll.They are sitting at a payroll of 14.9 million pounds, which is the highest valuation in the league, and more than twice as much as all but 3 squads. It's three times more than 18 other squads in their division. TV revenues are nonexistent and the ticket sales will be vastly different than they were in the Championship. Unless Venky's are willing to take a bath this season as they try to get back into the Championship, expect some serious cuts. Just to adhere to Fair Play rules, they will have to cut a few million dollars.
Getting back to the Championship will not be as easy as saying that the team will be better than the competition this year, because they were a level above last year. There was Championship caliber talent on the squad in 2016-17, but that talent will likely remain in the Championship, but with different teams. There will be a complete reimagination of the chemistry of the 2017-18 team, depending on who they are left with at Ewood Park.
As July 1st dons on us in the United States, the free agency period begins for the NBA and NHL, transfer season begins for soccer across the world. The difference is that for the NBA and NHL, especially in Minnesota, fans will monitor all the players coming in. Blackburn fans like myself will see just how fast players head out the door.