Blackburn Rovers supporters must be mindful of Yuki Ohashi situation: View | OneFootball

John Eustace will be hoping for a big impact from his new attackers

There are likely to be some considerable nerves around Blackburn Rovers heading into the 2024/25 campaign.

John Eustace's side begin the new Championship season on Friday night, when they host newly-promoted Derby County at Ewood Park.

The Lancashire club go into the campaign, having only avoided relegation to League One by three points on the final day of last season.

Since then, there have been just four new senior signings made by Blackburn, meaning there is still a lack of depth in certain areas of the squad.

Meanwhile, big question marks continue to hang over the future of Sammie Szmodics.

It was the attacking midfielder's Golden Boot winning 27 league goals that proved vital to keeping the club in the Championship last season.

That though, has inevitably attracted attention from elsewhere, with Premier League side Ipswich Town in talks over a deal.

Indeed, the Republic of Ireland international's involvement in pre-season for Blackburn has been limited, and there is apparently an expectation that he will leave Ewood Park this summer.

Should that indeed prove to be the case, it is likely that one of the club's new signings who will find himself being looked to be those of a Rovers persuasion this summer, is Yuki Ohashi.

New attacker has a big part to play at Ewood Park

If Szmodics does indeed depart Lancashire this summer, Eustace is going to have to find other sources of goals from within his side, if they are to stay up again this season.

One player who will likely be relied on to do a significant part of that job, is Ohashi, following his summer move to Ewood Park.

The attacker has joined Blackburn on an initial three-year deal that secures his future in Lancashire until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Ohashi has moved to the Championship side from Sanfrecce Hiroshima in his native Japan, having scored 16 goals in 27 appearances for the club.

The 28-year-old is also capable of playing either as a centre-forward, or in the number ten role in which Szmodics is often employed.

As a result, it would be no surrise to see a significant amount of emphasis put on Ohashi, to do the sort of job that the Irishman did in the 2023/24 campaign.

But despite that, there is an argument that Blackburn fans may have to steady some of their expectations with their new attacker, across the course of the campaign.

Yuki Ohashi faces a big task at Blackburn Rovers

Having completed his move to England last week, the early signs have been promising for Ohashi.

He made his first unofficial appearance for Rovers in their final pre-season friendly last week, a 1-0 win away at League One side Stockport County.

Playing the second-half of that game, Ohashi earned positive reviews for his first impression in his new colours, linking up attacks and involving himself in proceedings.

However, with the friendlies now over, things will change, as the intensity and quality of opposition increases with competitive action getting underway.

Given the fact this is the first time Ohashi will be playing outside his home country, he may need some time to adapt to a new league, and the style of play he is involved in.

There is of course also a similar situation off the pitch, where he will be having to adapt to living abroad for the first time, and that too may require a settling in period.

Consequently, he may some time to get used to his new situation, before he can get up to full speed for Blackburn.

Another issue that gives those involved here something to think about is scheduling, with the Japanese season having begun back in late February.

While that ensures Ohashi is fit and ready to play now, it means that by the time the Championship season ends next May, he may have been playing regular football for almost 15 months.

Doing so would be a big ask for any footballer, and so Eustace may find himself having to manage the 28-year-old's workload at times during the campaign.

With all that in mind, it seems that while there are plenty of reasons for Blackburn fans to be excited about Ohashi, there may also be periods this season, where patience may be required with their new attacking hope.