The Glenn Keeley column

BLACKBURN Rovers fans have been waiting all season for a talisman to help fire the team up the Premier League table.

On Saturday evening against Liverpool, maybe - just maybe - that figure emerged from the pack in the unlikely shape of Brett Emerton.

The Australian international has had his fair share of critics since his much-hyped arrival at Ewood Park a little over 12 months ago.

The former Feyenoord star was often more infuriating than he was inspiring during his first full season at the club as he struggled to live up supporters' expectations.

But this season, the 25-year-old looks a different player altogether and I think we saw exactly what he can offer this Blackburn team during an exhilarating performance against the Reds at the weekend.

Mark Hughes's appointment seems to have given Brett a whole new lease of life and he now looks a far more confident player than the one who seemed to tie himself in knots at times last season.

Suddenly, he's found the confidence to run at defenders once again and when he gets the bit between his teeth, he can be an unstoppable force as Liverpool found to their cost.

It was his run and cross which led to Rovers' first half equaliser, then he had the confidence to slot home the second himself and he appears to have found a manager who believes in him.

Every side needs a player who can really drive at the opposition and that's exactly what Brett has started doing in the last few weeks.

I don't think anyone doubts the fact that Brett has ability but he's got to continue putting that to good use if Rovers are to climb the table.

If you can combine ability with hard work and effective application then you've got a chance of being a big influence.

I thought the whole performance of the team on Saturday was a lot better than anything we've seen for a while.

After two crushing back-to-back defeats against Middlesbrough and Chelsea it was vitally important that Rovers showed the right response against Liverpool and I don't think anyone could argue with the level of commitment shown by the players on the day.

There was certainly no shortage of excitement and although both sides made mistakes defensively, I thought there was some excellent football played by both teams in a pressure situation.

I was particularly pleased to see Jay McEveley back in the first team.

I know he was at fault for the Liverpool equaliser but I was hugely impressed by the way he bounced back from that, especially when you consider that was his first Premiership appearance in 18 months.

If Jay keeps his feet on the ground and continues to listen to all the advice he's being given then he could go on to have a good career at this level.

He's composed on the ball, he's got nice pace and he showed on Saturday that he's got the temperament to recover from a set-back, which is a vital part of any footballer's armoury.

I was also encouraged by the first half performance of his name-sake, Jay Bothroyd.

Mark Hughes took a gamble by throwing him in for his first Premiership start in such a big game but he more than justified his inclusion with a lively contribution.

He, too, showed great composure and he's the type of player who looks very comfortable with the ball at his feet.

The challenge for him now is to maintain that level of performance from one week to the next.

It's difficult being a forward because they are ultimately judged in black and white terms - it's all about how many goals they score in how many games.

If Jay therefore wants to keep his place it's up to him to score the goals to make it impossible for Mark Hughes to drop him.