Jon Dahl Tomasson has warned that Blackburn’s squad “is even more stretched” than last season
Blackburn Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has warned his squad “is even more stretched” than it was at the end of last season ahead of their Championship opener against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Rovers narrowly missed out on the play-offs in Tomasson’s first season at the helm but the Danish manager has made his frustration clear about a lack of transfer business this summer, which looks like it could mean they struggle to make progress in 2023/24.
Blackburn Rovers 2023/24 summer transfers
Blackburn have made just three signings this summer – adding forward Niall Ennis on a free transfer from Plymouth Argyle, midfielder Sondre Tronstad on a free transfer from Vitesse, and playmaker Arnór Sigurdsson on loan from CSKA Moscow – and none since the 21st of June.
That’s despite a host of player exits, including Ben Brereton Diaz, Bradley Dack, Daniel Ayala, Daniel Butterworth, and Tayo Edun, and has left Tomasson clearly frustrated.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Blackburn warning
Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, the Rovers boss offered a warning about the state of his squad with the start of the new season now so close.
He said: “We want a team who can push each other and if you look at last season, for example, we were actually the team who used the lowest number of players.
“We even gave debuts to five or six youngers from the Academy, which was great.
“But we were stretched at the end of last season when we didn’t have a senior striker, and it was about winning in the end. Now we are even more stretched.”
On transfers, Tomasson added: “Of course, as a coach you want players in as quickly as possible and players you want to sell out as quick as possible, but it is never like that.
“That is why we have transfer deadline day and a lot of things going on. We know it’s always complicated, always two sides of the coin and there is always negotiation. People need to meet somewhere.”
Could Jon Dahl Tomasson leave Blackburn this summer?
Tomasson was linked with a move away from Ewood Park after an impressive first season at the helm and though things have gone quiet concerning a move to another club, his recent comments have done little to ease fears that he could leave.
Last week, he said: “It’s a difficult situation. When I started this project, it was a different project. The project has changed now, we need to be realistic about that.
“I really feel sorry for the fans that there is no clarity because they are the soul and the heart of the club. I think they should never be kept in the dark.”
On his own future, he added: “I think it’s an unclear situation. I signed up for a project and that project has changed.
“The goalposts have moved when you change the budgets and the ambition should also change in that way. For me, we can’t keep the fans in the dark but we need to be honest.”
