' it will be tough but Cardiff have a fantastic record at Blackburn '
Blackburn will provide a big test for Warnock’s Cardiff
By Jamie Kemble
Monday 6th March 2017
Cardiff City take on relegation-battling Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday evening and it won’t be as easy as it may look on paper.
The Bluebirds head into this one on the back of a rare defeat after allowing QPR to come back from behind to take all three points at Loftus Road.
However, Neil Warnock wasn’t too disappointed after the defeat and he maintains that he’s enjoying learning key lessons about which players can handle playing in the top half of the Championship, and indeed where he’ll need to strengthen in the summer.
Cardiff make their way North on Tuesday evening and it’s another new test for Neil Warnock and his men, giving the veteran boss another chance to plan for next term.
And while Blackburn – perilously placed in 20th and just two points clear of the drop – may look like one of the Championship’s easier opponents, their current form means this will be another tough test for the Bluebirds.
Rovers have picked up seven points from a possible nine since replacing Owen Coyle with former Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray.
And both wins have arrived at home in the last two games, making this fixture their third consecutive home game and Rovers will be hoping that quickly translates to three consecutive wins.
Following a win over Derby County and most recently over relegation rivals Wigan Athletic, Blackburn go into this one with real confidence and with a real focus on reaching safety sooner rather than later.
However, Rovers now face a tough set of games where their next seven opponents are all in the top half of the table and with Cardiff sitting 12th, they become the ‘easier’ of the seven games.
Mowbray will be putting real emphasis on picking up points from home games with such tough opponents ahead and that will mean for a tough challenge for the Bluebirds.
And if Neil Warnock is attempting to shape a promotion-chasing team for next season, then his team will need to stand up to these sort of challenges – that’s the Championship after all, a completely different challenge every week.
The trip will be made even tougher by the fact a number of players are carrying knocks and with Rickie Lambert out, Cardiff have no real back-up striker, with the exception of Frederic Gounongbe who is far from Warnock’s plans.
Cardiff don’t have a fantastic record at Ewood Park but they haven’t lost to Blackburn since a 3-2 FA Cup replay defeat in 2005 and they will be desperate to continue that record to consolidate the
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