Survival of the fittest

And judging by the way Hughes' players are responding to their manager's new methods, there's growing evidence to suggest that Blackburn Rovers are winning the fight to avoid the drop.

A goal apiece for Paul Gallagher and Paul Dickov not only provided Rovers with their first away win in seven months, it also stretched their unbeaten run to an impressive five games.

However, it was the manner in which Rovers roared past the winning post that suggests better times may lie ahead.

For Rovers didn't just cruise to victory here by the Thames, they positively steamrollered Fulham into submission thanks to an awesome display of power and passion that bore all the hallmarks of a team on the up.

It's taken Hughes a while to stamp his mark on the club he served so passionately as a player but this performance provided the clearest sign yet that he's now beginning to mould the team into his own image and likeness.

When Hughes first succeeded Graeme Souness as the Blackburn manager in September, he knew straight away this was never going to be an overnight revolution.

There was too much inherently wrong that a quick wave of a magic wand could cure.

One of the new boss's biggest criticisms

of the mess he inherited was the lack of fitness - a fact borne out within a week of his arrival when five players complained of cramp during the Carling Cup defeat to Bournemouth.

Hughes's response was to oversee a complete change of culture at Brockhall, where greater emphasis is now placed on the scientific approach to football.

His first move was to introduce ProZone - a high-tech, video based coaching tool that allows you to analyse the physical fitness of your players, among other things.

Hughes even asked for part of the canteen at Brockhall to be converted into a special ProZone viewing suite where he and his coaching staff could decipher all the information.

Now all their hard labour is beginning to bear fruit, judging by the way Rovers so emphatically out-muscled Fulham here.

"It's not rocket science," said Hughes modestly, as the London press pack marvelled at Rovers' superior physical and mental strength.

"The information is out there, you've just got to use it and implement it. That's all I've done.

"Some clubs are using it, some aren't, but I'm of the view that if you don't try to implement these things then you're at a disadvantage.

"People can see for themselves that we look a strong, fit side and the desire to win games is there for all to see."

Rovers looked anything but a team who had started the day propping up the rest of the Premiership.

The foundations were laid at the back where Andy Todd and Craig Short - reunited for the first time this season - formed a formidable barrier, snuffing out the threat of former Rover Andy Cole.

And they were ably aided and abetted by Lucas Neill and Nissa Johansson, the latter doing a magnificent job at left back where he kept a tight rein on Fulham dangerman Steed Malbranque.

It was in midfield, though, where Rovers really hammered home their superiority and Barry Ferguson and Tugay were quite majestic in the way they dictated the game's tempo.

Tugay's ability to retain possession is well known but suddenly, under Hughes, the Turk is beginning to go that extra mile and he and Ferguson hunted the ball like a pair of ravenous wolves.

It helps, of course, when you've got two athletes like Steven Reid and Brett Emerton who eat up the ground down the flanks, and Emerton might have helped himself to a hat-trick on another day.

Thankfully, Dickov and Gallagher did bring their shooting boots and the two strikers deserved their goals for tireless contributions up front.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Brad Friedel, too. For the large part of this game, the big American was a spectator but he then pulled off his biggest save of the season so far when he thwarted Cole at a crucial point in the second half.

As good as Rovers were, it's got to be said Fulham were truly woeful.

There was once a time when the Londoners were considered to be the emerging force in English football with their owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, even boasting they would one day rival Manchester United.

These days, however, Fulham are all fur coat and no knickers, and flirting dangerously with relegation.

Defensively, they were incredibly passive - but then what do you expect of a central pairing called Zat and Zesh, who sound more like characters from a children's TV show?

Fulham's failings were exposed within the opening two minutes when Dickov crossed to the far post only for Emerton to find the side-netting but eight minutes later Rovers were in front.

A throw-in on the right touchline eventually found its way to Reid via a ricochet and the midfielder's cross to the near post was flicked home expertly by Gallagher.

With Fulham in complete disarray, Emerton fired narrowly over and a Dickov cross just evaded Gallagher.

Then Rovers had a let-off when Tomasz Radzinski raced clear only to drag his effort wide of Friedel's left-hand post.

As long as it remained 1-0, Rovers couldn't afford to relax, especially as Fulham improved slightly after the break, but the second goal killed the game off in the 77th minute.

Dickov raced onto Neill's through ball but as he attempted to check back in the area, a sliding Knight nicked the ball off his toes with his hand. The Fulham defender was red-carded for his second bookable offence and Rovers had a penalty - their second in three matches.

After waiting 53 games for one prior to that, suddenly they're arriving like London buses and Dickov did the rest from the spot.

It rather summed up Fulham's day when an announcement over the PA system appealed to those fans leaving early to do so via a back entrance, so as not to obstruct anyone's view.

By that stage, however, the home fans that remained were already watching through a lattice of fingers.

Fulham: Crossley; Volz, Bocanegra, Knight, Rehman; Legwinski; Malbranque, Radzinski, Bouba Diop, Pembridge; Cole. Subs: McBride (for Legwinski, 66), Van Der Sar (for Crossley, 73) Not used: Hammond, Pearce, Rosenior

Referee: Mr R Styles

Bookings: Fulham; Knight, Bouba Diop Rovers; Ferguson

Sendings off: Knight (Fulham)

Attendance: 19,103

Goals: Gallagher 10; Dickov (pen) 77