Rovers are ready to go again when Hull City visits town, as the games come thick and fast during the holidays.
There were plenty of positives to take away from the 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Boxing Day, with Harry Leonard scoring a last-gasp equaliser.
John Eustace’s men have won six of their previous eight Championship games, losing only once, as they look to maintain their momentum.
“That is the Championship,” Eustace explained of the demanding schedule. “It is the Christmas season, and we are looking forward to every game.
“We’ve got some extremely difficult games coming up, and we’re taking them one by one. We look forward to each challenge.
“I think Hull are a tremendously intriguing team, with a lot of skilful footballers. Obviously, there is a new manager coming in. He prefers to play a specific type of football.
“This is going to be a really difficult game. We only played them four games ago, so we know they have a talented roster of players.
“The manager is an excellent coach. It is going to be a difficult challenge.”
Nearly 25,000 fans attended the match against Sunderland at Ewood Park, and the head coach expects that his team will benefit from the crowd again on Sunday afternoon.
“The fans have been brilliant all season,” the coach said. “They have been extremely supportive of the players both at home and abroad. That is what I asked for, and they are surely providing it.
“The crowd erupted when we scored both goals, and when we fell behind 2-1, they rallied behind the boys. “The 12th man definitely paid off.”
Rovers jumped up to an early lead against the Black Cats and will be seeking for a similar start against the Tigers.
“I thought the first half was probably one of the best we have had this season, and we have had some good ones,” Eustace recalled.
“I was quite pleased with how we played and moved the ball; it was really exciting, aggressive football.
“It would have been ideal if we had been more clinical and arrived two or three up, but we didn’t.
“We knew we’d be up against it in the second half, against a good team.
“Being down 2-1, we had to demonstrate another aspect of our game. We have the spirit and solidarity to persevere till the finish and get the point.”
Rovers also earned points against Leeds and Middlesbrough last month, and the head coach claims they are playing with confidence and belief.
“We try to set them up to play a certain way but when they cross the white line, it is down to them to perform,” he explained.
“I believe they have been doing this throughout the season. When I think back to that first Derby game, I thought the football we played was outstanding, as did our defence.
“That’s getting better and better. The group is quite confident in each other.
“They look forward to each game, each test that comes, home and away, we are prepared and see where it takes us.”
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