I KNOW it's Hallowe'en, but I'm hoping the ex-Rovers contingent at Leicester City don't come back to haunt them on Sunday.

No less than five former Rovers players are in the current Foxes squad - Keith Gillespie, John Curtis, Craig Hignett, Callum Davidson and Billy McKinlay - but friendships and old ties will be put to one side as the teams go head to head at the Walkers Stadium.

No disrespect to Leicester, but they are the type of sides that Rovers need to be picking three points up against. And now, more than ever, Graeme Souness' men desperately need a win to lay the ghosts of their dismal run to rest.

It all looked so promising against Liverpool on Wednesday night, but, by the letter of the law, there is no question that Lucas Neill had to go. And once he left the field of play, even though Rovers were leading, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

It's the first time in ages they've gone in front so it would have been nice to see how they'd have coped with that with 11 men.

And I think Dwight Yorke did enough to deserve a chance in the side. After all, it's not often you score two goals against Liverpool and then find yourself dropped.

Apart from Andy Cole, the strikers haven't been taking their chances this season, and that's been a big part of the problem.

The manager has tampered with formations and line-ups but I don't think that has anything to do with the way things have gone because strikers at this level should be capable of playing alongside anyone.

But it was good to see Yorke and Cole locking horns again on Wednesday night, and there were even flashes that took me back to their Manchester United days.

That's not something you're going to see week in week out because they're getting a bit older, but if they can reproduce that form again at Leicester then it should be a positive outcome.

Right now the lads won't be feeling too down, but if the number of games without a win stretches in to double figures, then there are problems because you can't see where the next win's going to come from and it can prey on your mind during a game, especially if you've gone a goal down.

The only time I remember being in a particlarly dismal run at Rovers was the first season I was there and we got relegated.

That's why Sunday's is such a big game for them and, while I've said it's a game that Rovers should be winning, I think Graeme would settle for a 0-0 draw for the sake of getting their first clean sheet and having a point to build on.

As for the former blue and white bunch, two things can happen when you play against your old club - you either have a stormer or a nightmare - there's no in between.

I think it goes without saying what sort of game I hope the old Rovers players have.