ELEVEN goals conceded in four league games is in stark contrast to this time last year.

True, the Blackburn Rovers class of 2015-16 had also failed to win any of their Championship openers, and they also sat at the wrong end of the table.

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But they had let in less than half as many goals and, by the end of the campaign, they boasted the eighth best defensive record in the division and had racked up 14 clean sheets.

The loss of captain of Grant Hanley to Newcastle United is already being keenly felt. That and the loss of form of the Shane Duffy before he completed his move to Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday. The defence is having to be completely rebuilt.

But, ahead of today’s home clash with a transformed Fulham team (3pm), Owen Coyle admits there can be no excuses.

In total Rovers have conceded 15 goals in six matches in all competitions, including four to League Two opposition in the EFL Cup, with most coming, in the words of their manager, from ‘individual errors’.

“In fairness to the players, they are covering the yards,” said Coyle, who has brought in defensive reinforcements yesterday in the form of Tommie Hoban and Derrick Williams.

“When we look at the stats from our games they are covering the ground.

“But what you’ve got to be doing is covering the ground with a purpose and making sure that when you’re doing that hard work – the dirty work, which needs to be done – that it’s done with a real sense of purpose.

“And if truth be told when you look at the goals we have conceded a lot of them have come down to individual errors. It’s not that somebody is cutting us open or playing through us.

“Whether it’s that nervousness or that edge, or whatever you want to call it, we have to get that out of our system, and make sure we’re focused and do the simple things well.

“And if you do that then of course it eradicates those individual errors.”

Fulham have certainly done that. They conceded a whopping 79 goals in the Championship last time out.

But the Cottagers are so far unbeaten this season and they head to Ewood Park on the back of a midweek EFL Cup win over Premier League new boys Middlesbrough.

Coyle said: “Fulham are a good side. They’ve got good young players, they’ve invested heavily in the squad, and they’ve started the season in good fashion.

“That being said we’re at home, we’ll be looking to win against a good Fulham side, and we’re more than capable of that.

“We’ve already shown we have goals in the team. What we’ve got to do is make sure we stop them going in at the other end because that will give us the platform to win games.

“So instead of fighting to win a game 3-2, go and win your games 1-0 and 2-0 and really kick on from there. That’s the opportunity that Saturday presents to us.”