During the 2005–06 English football season, Blackburn Rovers F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary
After relegation struggles during the two previous season, Mark Hughes marked his first full season in club management by taking Blackburn to sixth place - four points off Champions League qualification - and reaching his second successive cup semi-final, in the League Cup, only to be knocked out by the eventual cup winners again, Hughes' old club Manchester United. Blackburn had been in mid-table for much of the season before gathering momentum to put real pressure on Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the crucial fourth place, eventually finishing in a UEFA Cup place. Rovers' good form was largely in part down to the good form of Welsh striker Craig Bellamy, a summer signing from Newcastle United, who scored 13 goals in the league. However, Bellamy would then exercise an option to enable him to move for £6 million to a Champions League club, signing for FA Cup winners Liverpool. As his replacement Hughes signed South African striker Benni McCarthy, who had helped fire Porto to the Champions League title two years earlier.
Final league table
Source: Barclays Premier League
Rules for classification:
1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
For further information on European qualification see Premier League – Qualification for European competitions.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
1.Liverpool had already qualified for the Champions League by league position, as a result, their UEFA Cup berth that they earned through winning the 2005–06 FA Cup, went to West Ham, who were FA Cup runners-up.
Results
Blackburn Rovers' score comes first[3]
Legend
FA Premier League
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
13 August 2005 | West Ham United | A | 1–3 | 33,305 | Todd |
20 August 2005 | Fulham | H | 2–1 | 16,953 | Pedersen, Tugay |
24 August 2005 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–0 | 22,375 | |
27 August 2005 | Aston Villa | A | 0–1 | 31,010 | |
11 September 2005 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–0 | 24,405 | |
18 September 2005 | Newcastle United | H | 0–3 | 20,725 | |
24 September 2005 | Manchester United | A | 2–1 | 67,765 | Pedersen (2) |
1 October 2005 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–0 | 26,310 | Kuqi (2) |
15 October 2005 | Liverpool | A | 0–1 | 44,697 | |
22 October 2005 | Birmingham City | H | 2–0 | 18,341 | Dickov (pen), Bellamy |
29 October 2005 | Chelsea | A | 2–4 | 41,553 | Bellamy (2, 1 pen) |
5 November 2005 | Charlton Athletic | H | 4–1 | 17,691 | Emerton, Dickov, Hughes, Pedersen, Bellamy |
19 November 2005 | Manchester City | A | 0–0 | 44,032 | |
26 November 2005 | Arsenal | A | 0–3 | 38,192 | |
3 December 2005 | Everton | H | 0–2 | 22,064 | |
10 December 2005 | West Ham United | H | 3–2 | 20,370 | Dickov (2, 1 pen), Kuqi |
17 December 2005 | Fulham | A | 1–2 | 20,138 | Knight (own goal) |
26 December 2005 | Middlesbrough | A | 2–0 | 29,881 | Kuqi (2) |
31 December 2005 | Wigan Athletic | A | 3–0 | 20,639 | Pedersen, Reid, Bellamy |
2 January 2006 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 19,521 | Pedersen, Dickov |
14 January 2006 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 18,180 | |
21 January 2006 | Newcastle United | A | 1–0 | 51,323 | Pedersen |
1 February 2006 | Manchester United | H | 4–3 | 25,484 | Bentley (3), Neill (pen) |
4 February 2006 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–2 | 23,993 | |
11 February 2006 | Everton | A | 0–1 | 35,615 | |
15 February 2006 | Sunderland | H | 2–0 | 18,220 | Bellamy (2) |
25 February 2006 | Arsenal | H | 1–0 | 22,504 | Pedersen |
5 March 2006 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 2–3 | 36,080 | Sinama-Pongolle, Bellamy |
11 March 2006 | Aston Villa | H | 2–0 | 21,932 | Todd, Bellamy |
18 March 2006 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–2 | 18,681 | Bellamy (2), Pedersen |
25 March 2006 | Sunderland | A | 1–0 | 29,593 | Reid |
3 April 2006 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–1 | 20,410 | Kuqi |
8 April 2006 | Portsmouth | A | 2–2 | 20,048 | Bellamy (2) |
16 April 2006 | Liverpool | H | 0–1 | 29,142 | |
19 April 2006 | Birmingham City | A | 1–2 | 25,287 | Savage |
29 April 2006 | Charlton Athletic | A | 2–0 | 26,254 | Reid, Powell (own goal) |
2 May 2006 | Chelsea | H | 1–0 | 20,243 | Reid |
7 May 2006 | Manchester City | H | 2–0 | 25,731 | Khizanishvili, Kuqi |
FA Cup
League Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
R2 | 21 September 2005 | Huddersfield Town | H | 3–1 | 11,755 | Bellamy (2), Khizanishvili |
R3 | 25 October 2005 | Leeds United | H | 3–0 | 15,631 | Emerton, Dickov, Neill |
R4 | 30 November 2005 | Charlton Athletic | A | 3–2 | 14,093 | Kuqi, Thompson, Bentley |
R5 | 21 December 2005 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–0 | 14,710 | Dickov |
SF 1st Leg | 11 January 2006 | Manchester United | H | 1–1 | 24,348 | Pedersen |
SF 2nd Leg | 25 January 2006 | Manchester United | A | 1–2 (lost 2-3 on agg) | 61,637 | Reid |
First-team squad
- Squad at end of season[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Starting 11
- Considering starts in all competitions[8]
- Considering a 4-4-2 formation
- GK: #1, Brad Friedel, 46
- RB: #2, Lucas Neill, 42
- CB: #3, Zurab Khizanishvili, 30
- CB: #6, Ryan Nelsen, 36
- LB: #33, Michael Gray, 37
- RM: #29, David Bentley, 29
- CM: #8, Robbie Savage, 42
- CM: #14, Steven Reid, 34
- LM: #12, Morten Gamst Pedersen, 40
- CF: #10, Paul Dickov, 21 (#16, Tugay Kerimoğlu, has 29 starts)
- CF: #11, Craig Bellamy, 26
Top scorers
FA Premier League
References
- ↑ http://origin-www.rovers.co.uk/page/Goalscorers/0,,10303~200510303,00.html
- ↑ http://origin-www.rovers.co.uk/page/Attendance/0,,10303~200510303,00.html
- ↑ http://www.statto.com/football/teams/blackburn-rovers/2005-2006/results
- ↑ http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2005-2006/faprem/blackbrn.htm
- ↑ Kuqi was born in Vushtrri, Kosovo (then SFR Yugoslavia).
- ↑ Reid was born in Kingston upon Thames, England, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally through his father, and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in 2001.
- ↑ McEveley was born in Liverpool, England, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally and would make his full international debut for Scotland in August 2007.
- ↑ http://origin-www.rovers.co.uk/page/Appearances/0,,10303~200510303,00.html