The 2009–10 season was Blackburn Rovers' 122nd season as a professional football club. The 2009–10 season was Blackburn Rovers' 16th season in the Premier League, and their 9th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
Pre-season
Ins and outs The end of the previous season saw the departure of first-team squad players. André Ooijer, Aaron Mokoena and Tugay Kerimoğlu all left the club on free transfers. With that in mind, Sam Allardyce wasted no time in bringing new additions into the club, with the signing of the South African international winger Elrio Van Heerden from Club Brugge on 2 June on a free transfer.
A few weeks later, Roque Santa Cruz signed for Manchester City, ending 12 months of speculation. Two days later, Matt Derbyshire completed a move to Olympiacos, where he had been on loan since January 2009. With the incoming cash, Blackburn quickly move to secure Gaël Givet to a permanent contract following his successful loan spell from Marseille in the second half of the prior season.
He was swiftly followed into Ewood Park by another free transfer, right-back Lars Jacobsen, who had been released from Everton following two years plagued by injury, and Steven Nzonzi, a central midfielder who joined from French club Amiens for an undisclosed fee.
With the departure of two strikers and the lack of depth shown up front the prior season by being forced to play Christopher Samba as a striker for the most part, the attention was then shifted to strengthening the frontline. After being linked to numerous big-name strikers such as Bojan, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Christian Vieri throughout the summer, Blackburn finally secured the signings of Franco Di Santo on loan and the permanent signing of Croatian striker Nikola Kalinić in early August. Due to the arrival of two new strikers, Paul Gallagher was allowed to leave the club, joining Championship side Leicester City in order to play regular first-team football.
In mid-August, Míchel Salgado became available on a free transfer after being released by Real Madrid. Given Allardyce's previous experience of prolonging older players careers, Salgado opted to join Blackburn. This would seemingly signal the end of any summer transfer activity as the board had requested that the wage bill be reduced and that a large amount of the transfer fees received from the sales of Santa Cruz and Derbyshire go towards paying off existing debt and supporting the upcoming season's wage bill.
However, after the season had begun, Aston Villa began to pursue Blackburn's previous player of the season, Stephen Warnock. Unable to resist the money on offer, Blackburn accepted the bid and allowed the player to leave. A reason behind allowing the move was that a ready replacement was already lined up, in the form of Pascal Chimbonda, who joined on the same day as Warnock departed.
Barring loan deals to lower league teams, this would mark the end of Blackburn's summer transfer activities.
Friendlies
The matches against Nacional and Hajduk Split were both 45 minutes in length as part of a mini tournament. The match against Roma ended with a penalty shoot-out which Blackburn lost 3–2.
Premier League
August
At the end of August, Blackburn were sitting 18th in the table, taking only 1 point from a possible 9.
Club18Blackburn Rovers301214-31 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
September
From the September fixtures Blackburn had taken 6 points from a possible 9 and moved up to 13th in the table.
Club13Blackburn Rovers621369-37 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
October
From the October fixtures Blackburn had taken 3 points from a possible 12 and moved down to 17th in the table.
Club17Blackburn Rovers103161124-1310 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
November
At the end of November Blackburn were sitting 13th in the table taking 7 points from a possible 12.
Club13Blackburn Rovers145271628-1217 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
December
At the end of December Blackburn remained 13th in the table taking 4 points from a possible 18.
Club13Blackburn Rovers205692035-1521 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
January
At the end of January Blackburn were sitting 10th in the table taking 7 points from a possible 12.
Club10Blackburn Rovers2477102540-1528 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
February
At the end of February Blackburn were sitting 10th in the table taking 6 points from a possible 12.
Club10Blackburn Rovers2897123045-1534 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
March
At the end of March Blackburn were sitting 10th in the table taking 7 points from a possible 12.
Club10Blackburn Rovers32118133550-1541 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
April
At the end of April Blackburn were sitting 11th in the table taking 3 points from a possible 12.
Club10Blackburn Rovers361111143854-1644 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
May
At the end of the season Blackburn finished 10th in the table taking a maximum 6 points out of 6 in May.
Club10Blackburn Rovers381311144155-1450 Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Results by round
Final league table
FA Cup
Third round
Both managers seemed to have placed the mid-week League Cup semi-final higher on the priority list as, between them, they made a total of 16 changes from the teams that started their previous matches.
Villa's line-up was the stronger of the two and the home side went ahead after 12 minutes. Cutting in from the left, Ashley Young centred the ball to Nathan Delfouneso, who opened the scoring with a straightforward header from 10 yards out. Young could have extended the lead himself before Villa conceded a penalty when Nigel Reo-Coker was adjudged to have brought down Steven Reid, but Brad Guzan saved from David Dunn. The miss was made worse when Young's free-kick was glanced in by Carlos Cuéllar to give Villa a 2–0 lead six minutes later. Things got even bleaker for Rovers when El-Hadji Diouf was given a straight red card before the break when he recklessly brought down Habib Beye.
Blackburn's attempts to get back into the match were given an unexpected lift when Guzan dropped an inswinging corner to allow Nikola Kalinić to score. Villa suddenly looked perturbed and Kalinić could have levelled matters after being sent clear by substitute Morten Gamst Pedersen, but Villa restored their authority when Reo-Coker had a shot turned round the post and, in the 90th minute, Gaël Givet brought down John Carew in the box with the Norwegian sending Rovers keeper Jason Brown the wrong way from the spot to send Blackburn crashing out at the first hurdle.
League Cup
Second round
As one of the 13 Premier League teams not involved in European competition, Blackburn entered at the second round along with the winners from the first round plus Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, who also received a first round bye. The draw for the second round took place on 12 August, after the first round had been completed. Blackburn were drawn away to Gillingham; the match was played on 25 August.
Blackburn started the game brightly and, within 5 minutes, were 1–0 up when David Dunn slotted home Nikola Kalinić's through ball. Gillingham pressed for an equaliser and went closest when Mark McCammon headed just wide. Two minutes after the break, Rovers doubled their lead when Keith Andrews crossed the ball for David Hoilett to score his first goal for the club with a diving header. In the 70th minute Zurab Khizanishvili brought down Simeon Jackson in the box; Jackson himself got back up and scored from the spot to bring Gillingham back into the game. It proved not to be for Gillingham as Blackburn's progress into the next round was sealed 4 minutes later when Morten Gamst Pedersen scored direct from a corner on the right hand side.
Third round
The draw for the third round took place on 29 August, after the second round had been played. The seven Premier League teams involved in European competition entered at this stage, joined by the winners from the second round. Blackburn were drawn away to Nottingham Forest; the tie was played on 22 September.
Both teams created a few chances in an opening period where Forest looked more than a match for their Premiership rivals, although it was Blackburn who took the lead in the 37th minute when Benni McCarthy's cross-cum-shot-cum-free kick bypassed everyone in the box and nestled in the far corner. Forest were nearly level soon after when Robert Earnshaw's freekick struck the corner of the goal frame with Jason Brown beaten. Forest continued to press after the break and were awarded a penalty on 70 minutes when Steven Reid handled in the box. Dexter Blackstock stepped up to take the penalty but it was saved by Jason Brown. In the 90th minute Earnshaw had an even better chance to draw his team level but managed to blast over from a yard out.
Fourth round
The draw for the fourth round took place after the third-round games had been played, on 26 September; the matches were played in the week beginning 26 October. Blackburn were drawn at home to Championship side Peterborough.
Sam Allardyce opted to make seven changes from the team beaten at Chelsea and was swiftly rewarded when Morten Gamst Pedersen rifled home a free kick in the fourth minute. Peterborough fought back and after a dangerous free kick of their own equalised when Chris Whelpdale headed Chris Rowe's cross back across Jason Brown and into the back of the net. Just before half-time Peterborough were reduced to ten men when goalkeeper Joe Lewis was sent off when he brought down Pedersen after a defensive header had fallen short. Steven Reid stepped up to take the penalty and, despite slipping whilst taking the kick, still scored.
5 minutes after the restart Peterborough once again got themselves on level terms when George Boyd hit a fierce left-foot effort past Brown. The game was effectively ended as a contest in the 57th minute when Míchel Salgado collected Brett Emerton's pass and blasted in his first goal in English football. In the 72nd minute Benni McCarthy calmly slid the ball past substitute keeper James McKeown after being put through by Nikola Kalinić and, when Blackburn were awarded a penalty for handball two minutes later, Kalinić stepped up to the spot and converted for his first goal for the club. Blackburn were successfully through to the fifth round for the third successive season.
Fifth round
The fifth round draw took place on 31 October, with Blackburn being handed a home tie against Chelsea. The match was played on 2 December.