Rooney previews Blackburn visit

If one is inclined to break down the Sky Bet Championship into blocks, particularly in the beginning months of the season when international breaks come around regularly, then this weekend sees the end of the second block of fixtures.  

Heading into a quintet of games, things looked a little daunting for Argyle. First off, they faced the two teams leading the division at the time, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion, and came away with a win over the former and a 1-0 loss to the latter, in which the Pilgrims were well in the game.  

Then, Argyle faced a pair of sides relegated from last season’s Premier League, Luton Town and Burnley, and again the Greens emerged with a win in the home fixture, against Luton, and a narrow 1-0 defeat on the road.  

A home fixture against Blackburn rounds things off as teams head into another international window immediately afterwards, and Argyle Head Coach Wayne Rooney would love to add some more points from this particular section of games.  

“We've done okay in this group of games, a couple of good wins and good performances, and we end with another difficult game, against Blackburn Rovers,” he said.  

“We're looking forward to the game. I think we're in good spirits; good confidence and belief about the players. Hopefully we can end this group of games with a victory which leads us into the international break. 

“You try to gauge how many points is realistic in those games. We try to win every game, but if we win on Saturday, I think nine points out of a possible 15 in this group of games would be a really good tally for us. 

“It's a big game for us. You always want to go into international breaks on a high, so if we can do that, I think we'll all be in a good place.” 

Rovers lost on Tuesday, 3-0 at Coventry City, their first loss of the season so far in the league. As a result, they sit sixth with 15 points from eight games.  

John Eustace’s team will reach Devon on Saturday with the contradictory situation of being in generally good form but having encountered defeat for the first time since 21 April.  

“Blackburn are a good team,” said Rooney. “They've started the season really well. John Eustace is a good coach, so we know we've got a difficult game ahead of us, but I feel if we put into action the plan we've put together, of how we want to play, I think we've got more than enough to win the game.  

“The Championship is all about consistency and momentum. Blackburn started the season really well and they've picked up a good amount of points.  

“They can be quite direct at times, they try to play at times, they try to press high as well, but if you break that, they can go into a low block. They are a difficult team to play against.

“If you're organised, you've always got a chance to win games and that's what we face on Saturday. 

“For us, it's about playing with a belief and a confidence, taking the ball, trying to create chances and getting the ball in the box. That's everything we've worked on. Hopefully, we can see that.”