GRAEME Souness today said Rovers' recent slump in fortunes has only served to bring his players closer together as they attempt to kick-start a revival against Everton tonight.

Rovers are currently second from bottom in the table after a run of FIVE straight league defeats.

It's the club's worst ever sequence in the Premiership but, despite the seriousness of the current situation, Souness insists the spirit within the dressing room is stronger now than at any other stage in the season.

"I don't think I've got a group of players that I need to get angry with," said the Rovers boss.

"Within that group there's maybe two or three that you have to have a different attitude with.

"But in general, the players are so together at this time. Normally, when teams are struggling you get the dressing room fragmented but I've not seen any signs of that this year.

"If anything, I've seen them getting stronger and stronger and if they continue like that then we'll be fine.

"To a man since this run started, they've all been responsible, they've all said it's up to us to do a bit more and be more concentrated, so there's no way that it's only me who has taken the brunt of this. We are in this together, and we'll get out of it together."

Last week's 2-0 defeat at Leicester prompted Souness to label his side's slump as the worst he has experienced during 35 years as a player and manager.

But one major positive to emerge from the gloom was the reaction of the players in the immediate aftermath of the game at the Walkers Stadium as they opened an inquest into their latest defeat.

Contrary to some reports, Souness did not read the riot during the hour-long meeting.

Instead, it was a constructive session which confirmed to the manager that the players are still very much behind him in what is a difficult time for everyone connected with the club.

"There was some emotional stuff going on in the dressing room after the match and that pleased me," said Souness.

"I don't want to go into too much detail because what happens in there should stay private but it was what was said and how it was said by people."

If Rovers are to dig themselves out of the mire then that feeling of togetherness could be crucial over the next few months, which is why Souness whisked his players off for a short break at Gleneagles in Scotland last week.

"Obviously, they end up spending a lot more time together and they do a lot more talking," said the Rovers boss.

"On Tuesday night, I allowed them to have a couple of glasses of wine and I would hope at that point that they would open up a bit.

"That's my experience of these get-togethers and if you analyse how much time they actually spend together, unless they are mates and see each other after training, it's not a great deal.

"They come in at 10 o'clock and they're generally away by 1.30pm five days a week so it's difficult."

In the meantime, Rovers must get back to the business of winning football matches, starting against Everton at Ewood tonight.

In stark contrast to last season, both sides are currently struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Everton have yet to win away from home this season and David Moyes's side have now gone six hours and 38 minutes without a goal in the Premiership, the last coming in their 4-0 defeat of Leeds at Goodison Park on 28 September.

Rovers, meanwhile, have been experiencing difficulties at both ends of the pitch.

Souness's side have not kept a clean sheet in 14 League and Cup games this term and they have now gone 274 minutes - or four hours 34 minutes - without scoring in the Premiership, which has led to them slipping into the bottom two.

So what's the answer?

"We've worked very hard in a recent weeks to try and resolve the problems we have but there's not a lot you can do on the training ground about the concentration thing, that has to come from the individual at the critical time," said Souness.

"If you look at our football, certainly last Sunday, we did enough to win that game. We had enough chances but we were guilty of losing concentration at a vital time and that cost us dearly so that's something we've got to improve on."