Blackburn Rovers ace simply has to start vs Middlesbrough as Valerien Ismael searches for his first win

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Things are not quite going to plan for Blackburn Rovers and their new manager, Valerien Ismael. But, one change to the starting lineup could make all the difference against Middlesbrough tonight.

Ever since John Eustace jumped ship to join Derby County, Blackburn have been struggling and have slipped down the Championship table.

Rovers are now 11th and their hopes of a play-off adventure are fading fast. For new boss Valerien Ismael, it’s been something of a nightmare start, with no win in his five games and just one point picked up.

The club were warned Ismael’s appointment would be a mistake, and it seems those predictions are now coming true. But, a win against Middlesbrough this weekend would be a big step in the right direction.

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Todd Cantwell could be the creative spark Blackburn Rovers need

Something just isn’t clicking for Ismael at the moment, but it’s early days and he is still trying to figure out his best XI, clearly, with lots of rotation week to week.

It’s likely Ismael will also have past errors on his mind, having previously admitted he got team selection and tactical decisions wrong against Michael Carrick’s side when he was at Watford.

But, a different combination is needed against ‘Boro tonight, and one player that simply has to come back into the starting lineup is Todd Cantwell.

The versatile playmaker has not started the last two matches, but he’s the kind of player who, on his day, can be an absolute gamechanger.

Cantwell may not have had the desired impact for much of this season, but he is still capable of being that creative spark that Rovers are sorely lacking at the moment.

Owen Beck started in a more advanced left wing role last time out, but he is far better utilised in his normal left-back role, which would allow Cantwell to slot in out wide against Middlesbrough.

Carrick’s team are vulnerable in the right-back area, and Cantwell’s intelligence and technical ability could and should cause problems for Anfernee Dijksteel there.

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Valerien Ismael’s winless streak likely to continue against Middlesbrough

Pundits have been having a hard time coming up with a Blackburn vs Middlesbrough score prediction, but frankly, it is hard to see Rovers getting the win here, even if Cantwell does start.

There’s a real lack of cohesion throughout the team, and confidence is naturally very low right now. The opposite is true of ‘Boro though, who are back in form and have the chance to jump into the play-off places if they get the win.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
7	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	39	16	9	14	59	49	10	57
8	Bristol CityBristol City	39	14	15	10	49	42	7	57
9	WatfordWatford	39	15	8	16	47	51	-4	53
10	NorwichNorwich	39	13	13	13	61	54	7	52
11	BlackburnBlackburn	39	15	7	17	42	41	1	52
12	Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday	39	14	10	15	54	60	-6	52
13	MillwallMillwall	39	13	12	14	37	40	-3	51
14	PrestonPreston	39	10	17	12	39	46	-7	47

It’s also worth noting that, while Middlesbrough lost to at Ewood Park last season, they have not lost successive away games against Blackburn since 2006.

Still, a win for Blackburn would be huge, and would certainly keep their play-off hopes alive a little longer. With so much at stake for both teams, let’s be honest, we’re probably going to end up with a really cagey 0-0 draw, aren’t we?