Five things we learned from Blackburn Rovers' pre-season opener at Stanley

Blackburn Rovers kicked off their pre-season schedule with a goalless draw against Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium – but what did we learn? Two different line-ups, featuring a blend of first team names and Academy prospects, played the respective halves against the Reds. Kristi Montgomery had one of few chances in the opening 45 minutes, but his header from a corner was straight at Louie Moulden. Mathias Jorgensen and Igor Tyjon both went close after the break but Rovers couldn’t find a breakthrough at the Wham Stadium. Here are The Lancashire Telegraph’s key takeaways from the annual friendly up the road Back in business One of the main positives of the afternoon was seeing Andri Gudjohnsen back in action after his return from injury. The Iceland international made a promising start to life at Ewood Park, scoring seven goals in the league before his campaign was cut short by an ankle injury. It was Gudjohnsen’s first appearance since the draw against Portsmouth on March 7, and now he’ll be aiming to kick on with Championship experience under his belt. The 24-year-old led the line in the first half and showed some nice touches, linking up with Todd Cantwell and Ryoya Morishita. Augustus Kargbo also featured against the Reds. The pacey winger had been sidelined since last October after suffering a leg injury. Kargbo got into some dangerous positions and his speed caused the hosts problems, but he couldn’t quite get the final pass or shot right. It was also a boost to see George Pratt in the backline during the second half. The centre-back was drafted into the senior ranks last season due to injuries and made a seamless transition to Championship football. However, he suffered a face injury and was left out of the 25-man squad for the second half of the campaign. Pratt and Tom Atcheson, who didn’t need to be registered due to his age, could prove to be important members of the squad next season. Missing personnel Ahead of kick-off, Rovers revealed that a number of first team players would not be involved at the Wham Stadium after a virus struck the camp. Ryan Alebiosu, Yuki Ohashi, Adam Forshaw, Scott Wharton, Atcheson and Axel Henriksson were all absent from the squad. Those absences provided opportunities to Academy prospects, with Lucas Houghton, Michael Decandia, Theo Pitt and Harvey Pates all involved. The quartet didn’t look out of place and did their chances of being involved in future first team fixtures no harm. Mowbray knows first-hand the importance of bringing through young talent at Rovers and the Academy’s track record. While Rovers will be desperate to avoid the injury problems that plagued the squad last season, it is reassuring to know that there is a plethora of hungry youngsters ready to step up if called upon. Early impressions Rovers lined up in a 4-2-3-1 system against the Reds, which looked similar to how they tended to operate during Mowbray’s first spell in charge. A back five was favoured at times last season and Rovers didn’t always have out-and-out wingers on the pitch. But the set-up against the Reds may offer encouragement to the likes of Dion De Neve and Dapo Afolayan, who failed to make their mark last term. De Neve looked to provide width and get round the outside of his defender during the opening 45 minutes. Afolayan’s role was more flexible, often drifting inside into central areas, but he can also hug the touchline and stretch the opposition when needed. It is still early days in pre-season and Mowbray will take time to cast his eyes over his new-look Rovers squad. But there may be hints about the way he wants to play next season from the opening friendlies, even if the squad may look different come the opening day at Wolves. Familiar pattern One of Rovers’ main problems last season was simple; they didn’t find the back of the net often enough. Only bottom club Sheffield Wednesday scored fewer goals in the league, and it was the defensive record that ultimately kept the squad in the division. Rovers arguably have the quality they need in the final third in Jorgensen, Ohashi and Gudjohnsen, but the aim now is to create more chances for their strike department. Opportunities were hard to come by against the Reds. Jorgensen came closest to breaking the deadlock and perhaps should have done better after going round James Rogerson, but Rovers generally struggled to break down the hosts. At such an early stage of pre-season, and with different line-ups for each half, there is only so much you can read into these fixtures. But Mowbray is well aware of Rovers’ problems in front of goal last term and will be keen to make sure that those habits don’t seep into the new campaign. Igor involvement One of the more interesting names on the teamsheet was Tyjon, who played off Jorgensen during the second half. The 18-year-old nearly managed to get on the scoresheet but was denied by the legs of Rogerson from a tight angle. Tyjon barely featured in the first team last season amid speculation over his future, with Arsenal reportedly interested in his services. But the retained list earlier this summer confirmed that his scholarship had been extended into a third year. The young attacker has shown real signs of promise in the Academy and could be Rovers’ secret weapon if he returns to the first team set-up next season. First half: Toth; Houghton, Decandia, McLoughlin, Ribeiro; Montgomery, Baradji; Morishita, Cantwell, De Neve; Gudjohnsen Second half: Pears; Pitt, Carter, Pratt, Pates; Tavares, Garrett; Kargbo, Tyjon, Afolayan; Jorgensen Subs: Goddard, Mansbridge, Lister Stanley: Moulden, Moore, Rawson, Grant, Sinclair, Trialist A, Mols, Caton, Anderson, O’Brien, Woods Subs: Gilks, Rogerson, Love, Coyle, Whalley, Matthews, Trialist B, Walton, Trialist C, Conneely Referee: Benjamin Speedie Attendance: 3,982 (1,913)