Rovers have also made a fast start to the season, with a 4-2 win at home to Derby County and then a 2-2 draw at Norwich City. A 6-1 win at Stockport County in the Carabao Cup was sandwiched in the middle of the two league games.

One blow for Rovers has been the sale of Sammie Szmodics, the Championship’s top scorer last season with 27 goals, to Ipswich Town.

We caught up with The Lancashire Telegraph’s Blackburn Rovers reporter Elliott Jackson to get the lowdown on the Ewood Park outfit.

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What’s the start of the season been like for Rovers?

It’s been very positive. They started the season with a morale-boosting 4-2 win over Derby County and then a late equaliser earned them a point at Norwich City last weekend.

In between, they thumped a very under-strengthened Stockport County 6-1, but you can only beat what’s in front of you. These early results have certainly raised confidence levels in the fanbase.

Just how big of a blow will losing Sammie Szmodics be?

You can’t downplay it, it’s huge. But the new signings have made an early impact which always softens the blow, with four more expected before next Friday’s transfer deadline.

He was the talisman on the pitch but also a massively influential figure around the training ground and in the dressing room.

Without him, they are obviously weaker. He scored almost half of their Championship goals last season and so it’s a massive task to try and fill that void.

“It’s incredible and I feel really privileged to be in the situation I’m in. The club has been my life really.”

Chris Hackett on the privilege of being an Oxford-born coaching staff member at #oufc https://t.co/YbwgziPCMA

— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) August 22, 2024

What else has happened at Rovers during the summer window so far?

Sam Gallagher has left, as have a few younger players on loan. Szmodics is the big departure and there’s work to do in the market to fill out the squad.

Makhtar Gueye was signed as their new number nine, and he looks very promising early on. As does Yuki Ohashi, a diminutive Japanese striker who has already scored three goals in three appearances. He looks pretty lethal and a coup for the very modest outlay.

What’s the playing style like under John Eustace?

It’s been mixed. Last year, the emphasis was on improving the defensive record and being hard to beat.

It’s early days but the handbrake appears to have been lifted a little more this season. Rovers look good going forward, even without Szmodics.

They are playing some nice football, but are still steely, which they lacked towards the end of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s reign.