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Blackburn cannot afford play-off gamble, says David Prutton

BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - JANUARY 27:  Bradley Dack of Blackburn Rovers in action during the Sky Bet League One match between Blackburn Rovers and Northampton T
Image: Bradley Dack of Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn are well-positioned for promotion as they push for a return to the Sky Bet Championship at the first time of asking.

Rovers are locked in a three-way battle for the top-two positions in League One, behind fellow relegated side Wigan and surprise package Shrewsbury.

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Blackburn will go top of League One if they beat Bury live on Sky Sports on Monday and as Peter Stevenson found out they are hungry for success.

Ahead of their clash with Bury on Monday night, live on Sky Sports Football, David Prutton assesses the job Tony Mowbray has done at Ewood Park...

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"You'd say that they've got a squad that could compete in the Championship, especially in attacking positions with the likes of Charlie Mulgrew and Danny Graham," said Prutton.

"They're still suffering from the very slow start they had. They struggled to deal with the relegation at first and to some extent the expectation levels, but Mowbray has proved that slow and steady can win the race.

"The owners at the club have allowed him to get on with the job, which is good because you couldn't always say that about them. He's brought in the type of players who you think should get them out of League One, but they're still trailing Wigan and Shrewsbury - as they have been all season.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet League One match between Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers.

"Wigan dealt far better with relegation from the off, which is what you'd expect as they've been at that level far more recently, while Shrewsbury's performances prove that nothing is an exact science.

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"Paul Hurst's side were among the favourites for relegation last season and now they're above Blackburn, which shows it's not all cut and dry.

"They were favourites pre-season, along with Wigan, and while they haven't blown the league away like many expected them to, Mowbray has still done well to bring a bit of attention back to what is going on on the pitch, rather than behind the scenes. He's restored a little bit of positivity there, and there will be even more if they get promoted.

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"The problem for Blackburn is that it looks like it's going to be a three-way battle for the two automatic promotion spots.

"They need to get back into the Championship and for that they need a top-two finish. They can't risk the lottery of the play-offs."

Don't miss the Sky Bet League One clash between Blackburn and Bury on Monday night, live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 7.30pm

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