At every position on the field, competition for spots is essential, and Blackburn Rovers currently have a lot of it, especially down their right side.

With three demanding Championship games in six days, Jon Dahl Tomasson shuffled his team last week. A lot of thought has been left for the international break by the players who arrived and attracted attention.

James Hill emerged as the most notable victor of the previous week. The loanee from Bournemouth had only made one appearance in the Carabao Cup before Rovers’ trip to Coventry City.

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old shown his flexibility by starting at right-back. Although Hill is a center defense by trade, he played right for Heart when on loan from the Scottish Premier League team.

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When in possession, he dropped to play as a third center back, with Harry Pickering or Callum Brittain occupying the midfield position. Under Tomasson, Rovers had employed the same 3-2-5 formation in the build-up for the whole 2023 season.

However, Pickering, who often tucks in to be the extra man, lacked stability; having a backup center-back did. He played like a more traditional right-back for Rovers when they didn’t have the ball. He is physically fit and aware of his surroundings to do that.

Even though Tomasson insisted that Rovers were “open,” adding extra defender undoubtedly made a difference. Hill also showed promise on offense, coming close to scoring twice at QPR and Coventry with a looping volley and thunderbolt, respectively.

It meant that Pickering and Brittain took turns during the week. The latter entered the game at Loftus Road as a halftime substitution and demonstrated another string to his bow by performing in a more sophisticated zone.

Although Brittain has primarily played right-back for Rovers, we are aware that he was a wing-back for Barnsley under Valerien Ismael. He was fast, sharp, and threatening down the wing; he didn’t appear to be a defense participating in an assault. The threat posed by Sinclair Armstrong and Kenneth Paal to QPR was totally neutralized by the additional defensive protection.

Given Ryan Hedges’ absence, might that be his long-term role? Andrew Moran is contending too, as is Dilan Markanday, but he would probably rather play centrally.

Add Joe Rankin-Costello to the mix, and the race for spots gets fierce. Tyrhys Dolan’s first goal was assisted by him, demonstrating his offensive contribution while playing in the proper number eight position in both contests.

Lewis Travis has been a member of the team for the majority of the year and has had a successful campaign. The first Championship game he did not start was Coventry.

Although Travis has made progress in that area, Rankin-Costello may have more energy in the closing third, but the captain adds the bite and persistence required to win a Championship midfield.

Who is behind them could also have an influence on who plays there. Travis makes more sense if it’s Adam Wharton, who is better known for his on-ball abilities than his defensive play. If Sondre Tronstad is involved, Rankin-Costello may have greater leeway.

This season, Tronstad has proven that he can be an asset to the Rovers. His introduction to the club has been gradual following a two-month hiatus between Championship starts. He disrupted play, was tidy with the ball, and shown strong defensive awareness at Loftus Road.

Could Wharton be able to play farther up the field if he returns to the fold? Although he started the season as a number six, he did play at a higher position when he initially made the first team.

In the end, rovers have an enormous variety of combinations at their disposal. It is a given that Sam Szmodics will start, and while he can play on the forward line, his best position is in a deeper role.

In my opinion, Szmodics should start at number eight without a doubt if you were to ask me. Given his skill, I believe Wharton also needs to be cast in a supporting role. Travis or Tronstad would definitely need to be in there to bring some defensive awareness in order to obtain the optimal balance. Brittain and Rankin-Costello are definitely in the starting lineup for Rovers’ finest team, in my opinion.

What Tomasson believes to be the ideal mix is the more important question. Is there even a single one? You also need to take the opposition’s strength into account.

All of these are good issues to have as a head coach. Rovers feel that they can be more unpredictable with their midfield and defensive formation going into the international break.