Fulham vs Blackburn Rovers Preview: Three questions

Cottagers Confidential: Blackburn got a tough run of games after drawing at Norwich, you have to travel to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, host Preston, then travel to Brighton and Reading. That's five teams in the top ten in a row. Given your current position in the table and that run of games, how confident are you that you can do enough to stay up?

Paul Hill: If there's anything the Championship isn't then it's predictable. This has been proven in our two wins over Newcastle this season and two draws with Huddersfield, which gives me some confidence going into the tough run of fixtures. My heart (and head...just about) both tell me that we'll survive this season. We've been extremely unlucky with late goals and bad decisions, plus, with Tony Mowbray in charge, we've looked far more solid, organised and are five games unbeaten with him at the helm.

CC: Only Rotherham, Forest, and Norwich are giving up more goals a game than you are. Has the defense been the problem this year? What makes the team give up so many goals?

PH: We've been extremely unlucky with injuries in our defence all season. Apart from Derrick Williams at left-back our other three defensive positions have not been settled at all, which, in my opinion, is the single biggest important factor in defensive stability in a team- consistency. Jason Lowe, Charlie Mulgrew, Gordan Greer, Elliot Ward, Darragh Lenihan, Ryan Nyambe, Tommie Hoban, Wes Brown and Adam Henley have all filled in the other three positions and none have had the chance to lock down their place. However, the new manager seems to be settled on Nyambe, Mulgrew, Lenihan and Williams for the time being- so hopefully he can stick with that quadrant for the remainder of the campaign.

CC: If you were in charge of Blackburn, what would be your strategy going into this run of fixtures? Are there any you'd try harder to win, or would you just throw everything you have at every one of them and hope for the best?

PH: The nature of the Championship dictates that you can't plan too far ahead so I would just pick the best/fittest team available for each game. If we can get a settled 11 going then I'm sure we'll be able to pick up enough points.

CC: Predicted score and lineup?

PH: 1-1 (Tom Cairney to score)- Steele; Nyambe, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams; Conway, Guthrie, Lowe, Feeney; Emnes; Joao