Ups and down from Blackburn Rovers' start to the season

Tomasson’s men have picked up seven points from their opening five matches, including victories against West Brom and Watford.

The side has also progressed to the Carabao Cup third round, where a home tie against fellow Championship club Cardiff awaits.

Niall Ennis, Sondre Tronstad, Arnor Sigurdsson, Leo Wahlstedt, Andy Moran, James Hill and Semir Telalovic have all arrived in East Lancashire this summer, while there have been a number of outgoings.

Here are some of the key talking points from the season so far

Creating chances – Tomasson has regularly spoken about the “identity” he wants to instil at Ewood Park and there have been clear signs of progression since the start of the calendar year.

Rovers have the sixth-highest figure for expected goals from open play this season behind only Ipswich, Norwich, Cardiff, Plymouth and Watford. This is testament to both the number and quality of chances they are creating in the final third.

There has been plenty of encouraging build-up play in the middle of the pitch, with Adam Wharton making the most of his opportunities in a deeper role alongside Lewis Travis.

Lack of clinical edge – An issue that ultimately cost Tomasson’s side a play-off spot last season. Rovers were at their clinical best at Harrogate but allowed old habits to creep back into their game at Plymouth, with Ryan Hedges missing a golden opportunity during the opening stages at Home Park.

Injuries to Sigurdsson and Ennis haven’t helped, and the pair will be hoping to add a ruthless streak in front of goal when they return to action after the international break.

Telalovic’s arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach also bolsters Tomasson’s options in the final third, although it will could take time to adjust to the physical demands of Championship football.

Sam Szmodics goes for goal (Image: Camerasport)

Togetherness – It has been a challenging summer at Ewood Park, with lots of speculation around the club’s situation off the pitch after the transfer budget was impacted by a clamp down on foreign investment by the Indian government.

However, the squad has pulled together in the face of adversity and the spirit in the dressing room has been clear to see on a number of occasions this season.

The narrow defeat against Hull was a prime example, keeping the Tigers at bay until the 81st minute despite playing most of the game with 10 men after Harry Pickering was shown a straight red card.

The recent victory at Watford also proved that the squad is on the same page. Rovers weren’t able to dictate the play against the Hornets but showed resilience to keep an impressive clean sheet on the road.

Academy continues to shine – Tomasson has already proven he is willing to trust young players and there have ben plenty of success stories for Rovers’ Academy in recent memory.

Wharton is right at the top of that list, having broken into the first-team picture last season and making a seamless transition to Championship football, becoming one of the most important members of the squad at just 19 years of age.

The Harrogate victory was a real triumph for everyone involved at the Academy, with Tom Bloxham and James Edmondson both scoring on their senior debuts. Pat Gamble also started in the backline, while 16-year-old Tom Atcheson came off the bench for the final 10 minutes.

Jake Garrett and Zak Gilsenan continue to knock on the door, both getting on the scoresheet at EnviroVent Stadium. The Rovers squad is still stretched in a few areas but having an array of exciting young talent could make a big difference over the coming season.

Lack of experience – While it is always good to have promising youngsters in the squad, Tomasson has admitted it is important to have a few older heads in the dressing room in a league such as the Championship.

The Rovers boss was keen to replace the experience lost from the departures of Daniel Ayala and Thomas Kaminski among others, but Ryan Hedges is still the most senior member of the squad at 28 years of age.

It remains to be seen whether Tomasson’s young squad will be able to fill the void left behind by those who have departed, but the likes of Dom Hyam, Sam Szmodics and Sam Gallagher have embraced the extra responsibility as they look to set a good example for the youngsters to follow.

Rovers are back in action on Saturday, September 16 when Middlesbrough make the trip to Ewood Park.

Michael Carrick’s side currently sit at the bottom of the table, having taken just one point from their opening five fixtures. It is a stark contrast to last season’s form, finishing in the top four before coming up short against Coventry in the play-off semi-final.