The last few seasons have been ones of false promise, and disappointing conclusions for many Blackburn Rovers fans. Starting off strongly, with the Championship playoffs firmly in sight, before falling by the wayside and having to settle for a spot outside of the top six has become all to familiar with the club.
Let's not forget, last year, Tony Mowbray had the side joint first in the league in January, before the dreaded February curse struck and the club eventually fell all the way to 8th, losing three of their final five league games. It's been a frustrating pattern in recent years, and as Rovers fought their way into playoff contention earlier this season, many expected a similar capitulation, but no, this time it feels a little different.
With Jon Dahl Tomasson in charge, the club are fourth in the league and instead of looking likely to slip down the table, they seem primed to continue climbing it.
The February Curse Is No More
It's become customary at Ewood Park for fans to expect the absolute worst during the month of February. For one reason or another, Rovers always seemed destined to fall to pieces in the second month of the calendar year, for no good explanation other than their seeming destiny to fall just short of the finish line.
Things are different now, though, and beyond all belief, JDT's side actually stepped things up in February and had one of their best months of the season. Unbeaten all month, Rovers rattled off four straight wins to end the month, and a sense of promise and hope surrounded what had initially been a bleak month for the club.
Big results against the likes of Watford, West Brom and QPR has put Rovers in prime position to make a real run at securing a playoff spot towards the season's conclusion for the first time since they were relegated from the Premier League over a decade ago.
Players Are Stepping Up In the Absence of Others
At the start of the season, you'd be forgiven for claiming that Thomas Kaminski, Ben Brereton Diaz, Bradley Dack and Scott Wharton were four of Rovers' most important players, and any chance at a successful campaign would rely on those four, amongst others, pushing the team forward.
Yet, despite losing all four, as well as Daniel Ayala, to injury recently, the club has actually taken things to another level. Individuals have stepped up in their absence. Aynsley Pears is making one hell of a case to secure the number one spot between the sticks, even after Kaminski returns. Hayden Carter is having the best season of his Ewood Park career, Tyrhys Dolan is finally putting it all together and Sammie Szmodics is showing why Rovers were so eager to sign him in the summer.
That's not forgetting Joe Rankin-Costello whose Rovers' career look doomed earlier this season, with talks of a potential loan away from the club in January circulating for a while, but after the World Cup break, he has been a man possessed. The 23-year-old is playing out of his skin and has transformed himself into one of the first names on the team sheet every single week.
The Club are Getting to Grips With JDT's Style of Play
Earlier in the year, things were a little inconsistent, with Rovers struggling to maintain any semblance of form. They'd win one week, then lose the next. It's to be expected from a side as youthful as the one they possess, but questions were being raised about the style of football that Tomasson wanted to deploy and whether it would work at the club.
The decision to play out from the back was costing the club dearly at times, but he stuck to his guns and it's paid off in a huge way. Strong in possession, and relentless in their pressing when out of it, Rovers are proving to be increasingly difficult for opposition sides to handle.
The recent fixture against Sheffield United is a prime example of the way the club's approach to fixtures is really causing problems for their opposition. A side that have been fantastic all season long, the Blades just couldn't keep up with Rovers' cut-throat nature and the intense pressure they forced on Paul Heckingbottom's side. Tomasson's men dominated the entirety of the game, similarly to how they dealt with Premier League side Leicester City earlier in the week.
In the past, Rovers have been scintillating, and often unplayable at times, but there was a sense that the club was playing a little above its own ability, and there was an inevitable downward swing waiting for it in the future, but not this time. Not this team. These guys look like the real deal. This time, it all feels very different.