Blackburn Rovers transfer demand made amid Aynsley Pears concern | OneFootball

Rovers have been told to consider alternative goalkeeping options this summer to boost their quality between the sticks

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers will have plenty of transfer demands regardless of which division they find themselves in next season, with Valerien Ismael likely to want to put his own stamp on the side he inherited from John Eustace last month.

The Frenchman’s tenure at Ewood Park got off to a dramatic start at the weekend, with Andi Weimann’s 97th minute equaliser earning 10-man Rovers a point against Norwich City, after Emmanuel Dennis had seen red for two bookings earlier in the second-half.

Two dropped points saw the Lancashire side drop out of the play-off positions with eleven games remaining in the season, but whether they finish in the top six places or not, there will be a question mark surrounding the goalkeeper position at Ewood Park for next season, with Aynsley Pears’ spot not as secure as it could be right now.

With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst about the scenario between the sticks for his side, and what he would do about the situation in the summer.

Blackburn Rovers urged to take Aynsley Pears action this summer

Pears has emerged as Rovers’ number one over the last two seasons, with the 26-year-old keeping 13 clean sheets in his 34 league outings across the current campaign, and only 33 goals conceded in that time.

While the former Middlesbrough man has proven he is more than capable of providing the spectacular during his time at Ewood Park, there has been the odd horror show that stops Rovers fans putting their full faith behind him when he dons the gloves for their side.

A reliable presence in goal can be the difference between a place in the top six and being an also-ran over the course of the season, and Middlehurst is in two minds regarding their last line of defence as we head into the summer.

When asked about the goalkeeping situation right now, the Blackburn fan said: “Aynsley Pears is a bit of a weird one. When he first joined the club a couple of years ago he was back up to Thomas Kaminski, and he wasn’t getting much of a look in.

“That was expected because at the time Kaminski it was fair to say that Kaminski was probably the best goalkeeper in the Championship hence why he got the interest he did from the Premier League.

“Aynsley Pears has grown in the last couple of years since he has stepped up to the number one plate, however, at times he does show that inconsistency.

“Sometimes he will have a game where he has pulled off three or four key saves that have been vital to giving us three points, one point, or whatever. But then the game after he can do something where you wonder what he is doing, and think he should be doing better.

“He is still young as well, he is only 26 and soon to be 27, and for a goalkeeper that is still fairly young.”

Blackburn Rovers, Balazs Toth verdict made as transfer demand outlaid

Rovers will have thought they had given Pears competition for the number one spot at the club last summer, when they signed Hungarian shot-stopper Balazs Toth from MOL Vidi in his homeland.

But since making the move in August, the 27-year-old has hardly been a reassuring presence between the sticks, with his only Championship outing coming in a 2-0 defeat to Coventry City in January.

The recent arrival looked shaky that day against the Sky Blues, with Ellis Simms capitalising from his inability to deal with balls into the box to head home the first of the game, before Brandon Thomas-Asante doubled the advantage after the break.

The only other outings have come in the FA Cup, with a clean sheet against Middlesbrough followed up by a 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fourth round, where he let a tame effort from Joao Gomes squirm under his body to allow the Premier League side to open the scoring.

Despite only getting a glimpse of the Hungarian, Middlehurst has made up his mind on the reserve goalkeeping option, with action needing to be taken this summer: "With Toth, he came in and did really well in his first game, but since then the two or three games he has played he has looked a bit of a liability and nervous, I think he is still adapting to English football.

“Another goalkeeper would be good, I think. There are no names that spring to mind at the minute, because all the decent goalkeepers will be snapped up at the minute.

“So I am not too sure, but getting a goalkeeper in during the summer is definitely something to look at.”