John Eustace felt Todd Cantwell was the difference-maker for Blackburn Rovers as they beat 10-man Queens Park Rangers.
Rovers had been frustrated in the first 45 minutes, with chances at a premium. However, Jonathan Varane’s red card shortly before halftime transformed the game.
Eustace made a bold, pre-planned substitution, introducing Cantwell. For 30 minutes, the ball acted like a magnet to him on the left side.
Lewis Travis and Danny Batth scored the winning goals, but it was Rangers’ summer addition that transformed the game.
“Todd is a top-class player who has had a tough time during the last 18 months,” according to Eustace.
“He’s a terrific player, and if you don’t have a career like his, you won’t have played for some of the best clubs. “We want him to be able to express himself and play freely.”If we can do that, we’ll have a great player on our hands. He is an outstanding player, and it is up to us to get him fit and firing.
“It was an excellent ball for the goal. He’s an excellent player, and that inspires everyone else. You can see that when he came on, the intensity and quality of the other players increased.”
Eustace thought Rovers played well in the first half but didn’t create many chances. Even before the send-off, Cantwell was ready to go.
The biggest relief was Batth’s escape from Varane’s terrible challenge, which appeared to result in a red card from the minute he went into the tackle.
“I thought we were really good. “In the first half, QPR frustrated us, but we played some good, progressive football,” Eustace explained.
“We had a couple of half-chances. We had a few excellent moments, kept the ball well, and followed our game plan. They were down to ten men, and it became clear that we could damage them down the flanks and play around them.
“It was certainly a brutal tackle, and we’re delighted Danny got up and was fine. I don’t think the lad meant it; you also have to consider the conditions, which were really wet, and he overran it. He went in for the tackle, which looked horrible, but I don’t think he meant to damage anyone.
“The message at halftime remained the same. We knew what we needed to do, so we hired Todd to execute it. He was coming on regardless; we could tell we were heading into good territory, and all we needed was one more bit of excellence to finish strong.
“We increased the tempo, played out wide, and recycled swiftly. Gaps appeared. I’m thrilled for Trav, who has two home games in a row. “If you hit the target, you always have a chance to score.”
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
Leave a Reply