GRAEME Souness has some major decisions to make during the next five days.

Now that the transfer window has slammed firmly shut, the Blackburn boss knows exactly who he can call on in the battle for Premiership survival.

And if he plans to win his fight then I think it's imperative that he starts picking a settled team.

Rovers have now played 27 games in all competitions this season and Graeme has only named the same team from one game to the next on three separate occasions.

A lot of the time, that has been down to injuries and suspensions and I think it's fair to say that Rovers' treatment room has been busier than most this term.

However, there have been occasions when the personnel has changed unnecessarily, like last Sunday against Chelsea when Nissa Johansson got dropped despite an excellent display against Manchester City a fortnight before.

At the end of the day, football is all about partnerships right through the spine of the team. It's vital that your two centre-backs develop an understanding and operate as a unit, and the same can also be said in midfield and attack.

I know I always preferred playing in a settled side as a player. Everyone knows each other's jobs and things start to become automatic after a while.

If the spine of your team is strong then you can build the rest of the side around it.

But Rovers haven't fielded a consistent 11 all season and it's no wonder they've played like strangers in certain games.

That's why Graeme must identify his best 11 now and stick with it for the foreseeable future.

If I was him, I'd look at the squad and pick out my best 11 battlers and then tell them that they've got the shirts until further notice.

It's time for people to roll up their sleeves and give every last drop of effort for the cause. Like it or not, Rovers are now in a relegation battle which could potentially rumble on for the rest of the season.