The Blackburn Rovers squad is the second youngest in the division with an average age of a little over 24, while the departures of 12 players over the summer have afforded several players more game-time than they previously enjoyed. Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan is another Championship youngster who looks destined for the top flight of English football. Dolan has been one of these youngsters who has shined for Blackburn and is one of the most promising talents in the league. Rather than a loanee, Dolan is one of Blackburn’s permanent players, though they are remarkably grateful that near-neighbors Preston were not so confident in Dolan’s abilities when they released the tenacious forward in the summer of 2020.
The 19-year-old has already beaten his tally from last season in 2021-22 after his superb finish against Reading. He has three goals in the Championship and has also assisted two. He feels he’s in a good place as Dolan targets double figures before the conclusion of the campaign. Dolan has been aiming to reach double figures for goals by the end of this season and is on the right track. Some teams and players are studying the way Dolan plays, but he has been versatile, adapting and causing problems for opponents.
Let’s take a look at his stats so far in the Championship:
Dolan has featured in 16 games so far in the Championship and has contributed towards five goals that his team has scored. The youngster is a very efficient passer of the ball as he has a high pass accuracy rate in most of the games he plays. Dolan has attempted a total of 55 dribbles and has been able to get into threatening positions with the ball at his feet. Dolan has also completed many recoveries in the opposition’s half and can get the ball back in possession for his team.
Dolan has started in different positions for the Rovers based on the manager’s preferred formation. Dolan has started in a front two on the left flank and has also been a right-wide-forward in some of the games. As the heatmap suggests, Dolan has played most of his games on the right flank and tends to move towards his preferred side. At times, Dolan has a free role in the final third of the pitch and can switch his positions according to how the game is progressing and which flank is more vulnerable.
The above visual shows us the attacking stats of Dolan in the EFL Championship. The visual indicates that almost all of the metrics are much higher than the median league value. He has an xG of 0.23 per 90 minutes and has attempted 1.45 shots on average. He has managed to keep 72.22% of his attempts on target and is better than 98% of the players in the league for the same. These stats are extremely high considering that Dolan is only 19 years of age. The young midfielder has attempted 8.06 attacking actions per 90 minutes and has been able to complete 47% of these actions.
The pass map for Dolan indicates he has been involved in playing from both flanks for Blackburn, and is a threat from both flanks. Dolan has played several passes into the final third with a very high xT, putting in great balls into threatening areas near the opposition’s six-yard box. Dolan has also been linking up well with his fellow striker partner Brereton Diaz and has a very high xT from the passes he has played to the striker. He has played a total of 17 passes to Diaz, generating an xT of 0.678 from these passes.
Dolan has scored three goals for the Rovers so far and has been highly effective in front of the goal. He has attempted a total of 18 shots on target and has managed to keep 13 of his shots on target. This helps in maintaining the pressure on the opposition’s defense and also boosts the youngster’s confidence. Most of these shots are from the left side of the pitch from where he can cut inside and try to curl in a shot towards the far post, as he recently did against Reading.
Tony Mowbray’s inconsistent Rovers have one of the most exciting forward lines in the division, and Dolan’s three goals this season mean he has already matched his tally from the 2020-21 campaign. Rovers are unbeaten, with just one draw in the games Dolan has either scored or assisted in this season, but the wide man is far more than a good luck charm. Despite Ben Brereton Diaz being the headline-maker for all the right reasons, on and off the pitch, Dolan has taken himself to another level while still in his teenage years.
