JONATHAN Stead has been a breath of fresh air at Ewood Park and has taken everyone by surprise -- including me!

I said a few weeks ago that I thought he would be one for the future so I was surprised as anyone to see Graeme Souness play him from the start against Middlesbrough.

But credit must go to Graeme for playing both Stead and Paul Gallagher together. It was a brave decision but it has worked.

Like any player stepping up from the lower divisions, Stead had a very good work-rate but he also looks to be quite a skilful player as well.

What he offers is the unexpected because the opposition don't know too much about him. I'm delighted for Stead but I will be interested to see how he is getting on in eight or nine games time when defenders figure him out.

But for the time being, you have to start with Stead and Gally because you can't change a front line that is playing so well. Here is my view how they fare alongside the rest of the Rovers

strike-force.

JONATHAN

STEAD: Couldn't have had a better start to his Blackburn Rovers career. He plays without a care in the world and is a breath of fresh air.

PAUL

GALLAGHER: What a good player Gally is proving to be. Like Stead he is young and energetic. He seems to be a bit more versatile that Stead and can play out wide or down the middle.

He has pace and likes to run at players which frightens the life out of defenders. He has scored a few himself but just as importantly sets up goals for others.

ANDY COLE: People look at Andy Cole and when they see he is not scoring they think he must be playing badly. I admit that he has struggled this season because of his lack of goals but there is so much more to him than finding the back of the net.

At Newcastle, he was on out-and-out striker but since going to Manchester United he has brought so much more in to his game. He is more of a team player now and while he may be lacking in the goal-scoring department he is more than making up for it with his work-rate.

DWIGHT YORKE: I think it would be fair to say that Dwight hasn't got much of a future at Ewood Park. Graeme has told him that he doesn't figure in his first team plans and has tried to loan him out to Wolverhampton Wanderers. That tells you everything.

When you get in to that situation, it is hard to motivate yourself as a player and it would probably be better for him and the club to part company.

MATT JANSEN: It's a different scenario altogether for Matt. He too finds himself on the fringes of the first team but I believe he has a future at the club.

With Matt, it's all about confidence and he could do with an extended loan, maybe a Division One club, where he can score a few goals.