Blackburn vs QPR prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-07-29 14:00.
Blackburn Rovers begin a new era under Danish manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, whose stock as a coach rose in 2021 after he guided Sweden’s Malmö FF to their third UEFA Champions League group stage. Strangled by a lack of off-season activity, Tomasson has pleaded for time and patience as he works on sustaining, if not improving, upon their best Championship finish (eighth) in nearly a decade.
It all kicks off at Ewood Park, where Blackburn have opened their home campaign with victory in the last two seasons and Rovers will be keen to continue a pattern that has seen the home side on the day win eight of the last nine H2H meetings (L1). An incredulously quiet summer leaves Tomasson with the tremendous challenge of replicating their impressive nine-match start to the last Championship season (W4, D4, L1) with what he laments is not yet “a Jon Dahl Tomasson team”.
The future fortunes of QPR are similarly shrouded in mystery, as they gamble their eighth consecutive attempt to return to the top flight on a young manager with no first team managerial experience in Michael Beale. QPR are now aiming to put three seasons of mid-table finishes under former manager Mark Warburton behind them, and hope Beale’s four-year apprenticeship under Steven Gerrard will pay dividends.
Known this century for producing a revolving door of managers, the QPR ownership may also need to exercise calmness and optimism if early results don’t go their way. No QPR manager has produced a higher finish than 11th in their first season (any league) since Ian Holloway in 2002/03, and like his upcoming opponent, Beale is also not yet satisfied with his “inflated” squad.
Players to watch: Blackburn midfielder John Buckley will hope to pick up where he left off last season, scoring inside 30 minutes in two of his last three league outings. In contrast, seven of Ilias Chair’s nine league goals for QPR last year – including a match winner against Blackburn – were recorded after half-time.
Hot stat: Blackburn received more total cards than any other club last Championship season, averaging over two per game.