John Eustace has admitted Blackburn Rovers must be better at imposing themselves on the opposition.
Rovers were beaten 3-1 on Sunday by Sheffield Wednesday, missing the opportunity to secure their place in the Championship for next season.
The team now need at least a point from their final two games to be mathematically safe with Coventry City and Leicester City to play.
With the score level at half-time, Rovers struggled to match Wednesday in the second half. Two self-inflicted goals played a big part in swinging the momentum for the visitors but Rovers did not do enough to work their way back into the match.
READ MORE: Relegation permutations and what Rovers need to survive
Looking at the contrasting levels of performance in recent weeks, there's an impression growing that Rovers are better suited against teams that will them space on the counter-attack.
Rovers have only won once at Ewood Park since December, which was the 3-1 victory over Stoke City following Jon Dahl Tomasson's departure.
At Leeds United, and similarly, against Newcastle, Rovers were allowed to play deeper with a defensive game plan to stifle the opposition. In matches where they've had to be the aggressor, there has been less success.
Eustace admitted that is an area they'd like to improve, amongst many, for next season. But the focus for now is purely on remaining in the division.
"I think that's the challenge for everyone. When you play at home, you have to make things happen," he told The Lancashire Telegraph.
"I do think we have done that overall since we have been here. We've had lots of opportunities where we haven't been clinical enough.
"The opposition then score and it changes things. Listen, there is always room for improvement and there are lots of things I want to improve going into next year.
"But the most important thing this year is we get the points to stay in the league. The group have got the bounce-back ability. We have to again and work hard in training this week."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel