Rovers reporter Rich Sharpe picks out three talking points after the defeat at Huddersfield Town. 

TEAM CHANGES

The Rovers team was always likely to change over the festive period, with three games in the space of six days, and still two more to come before January 4.

Rovers went in to them with a near fully fit squad, but since the Wigan game have seen Ryan Nyambe, Tosin Adarabioyo, Derrick Williams, Corry Evans, Bradley Dack and Lewis Holtby all spend time on the sidelines.

Some of those will be shorter lived by others, with Dack and Greg Cunningham undoubtedly big misses for Rovers. But from a position of strength, Rovers were forced to call up Harry Chapman and Jacob Davenport to the bench, with Dominic Samuel, also short of game-time, making up the matchday 18.

Below the first-team, Joe Grayson, Joe Rankin-Costello and Danny Butterworth were also unavailable. 

But it was the changes within the game that didn’t help Rovers’ cause. Stewart Downing started at left back, was moved to left midfield and finished the game in central midfield.

Sam Gallagher finished the game on the right wing where John Buckley started, with the youngster ending the match as a No.10. It all felt a little confusing.

Gallagher is a willing worker and will play whatever role his manager asks. But if ever was the time for him to be given a run of games as an out-and-out No.9, this feels like the chance.

 

DISAPPOINTING WEEK

Looking back 12 months, Rovers couldn’t have picked a much tougher schedule playing Norwich City, Sheffield United and Leeds United, last season’s top three, in consecutive matches between December 22 and December 29.

But their 2019 fixture list offered more hope, back-to-back home matches against Wigan and Birmingham followed by a trip to Huddersfield Town.

Having taken 16 points from 18 heading in to them, hopes were high of a decent return to sign off 2019. Instead, they took just two points from a possible nine and saw their unbeaten run end at eight matches.

As disappointing has been the number of clear cut chances. While they hit the woodwork in games against Wigan and Birmingham, they managed seven shots on target, but few clear goalscoring opportunities.

Gallagher and Adarabioyo drew saves out of Kamil Grabara at Huddersfield, while Buckley volleyed over from arguably Rovers’ best move of the match, but they struggled to find any form of fluency.

They will need to rebound quickly, with Nottingham Forest around the corner on New Year’s Day before the FA Cup will likely offer some tired bodies the chance to rest.

It hasn’t been the sign off for 2019 that Rovers would have hoped for, but the excellent run before that, and the make-up of the league, means they’re still well placed going in to 2020.

 

BRERETON UNUSED

For the third game in a week, with Rovers needing a goal in each, Ben Brereton remained unused on the bench. Brereton would likely be seen as the longer-term replacement for Dack, hence the investment to bring him to the football club.

Rovers would have wanted it to be on their terms when Brereton was needed to step up, but this feels like an opportune moment for the 20-year-old to take. He was handed a rare start, only a first Championship since April, against Bristol City on December 14 but hasn’t been seen since.

It would seem that his time may well come on New Year’s Day at former club Nottingham Forest.

At least one shirt is certainly up for grabs in the attacking area of the pitch. But the sight of Gallagher on the right wing, and Brereton sitting on the bench, with Harry Chapman preferred over him in the dying stages, was of particular surprise.

Though whoever would have featured for Rovers in attack at Huddersfield would have found it tough, goalscorer Danny Graham touching the ball just seven times in his 60-minute appearance.