GRAEME Souness has backed Brad Friedel to pull Rovers out of the bottom half of the Premiership.

The Ewood chief praised his goalkeeper's super-human efforts for helping them earn a UEFA Cup place last season by finishing in sixth place.

And Souness is confident that the giant American stopper can be the man to kick-start Rovers' season.

"I feel that we're getting punished for every mistake that we make at the moment," Souness said.

"Last year, when we were making mistakes, Brad had one of those very special years when he would get us out of the river.

"Mistakes do happen in football matches but last season Brad would have made a magnificent save or the guy would have missed what was regarded as a very good opportunity to score.

"Brad's been absolutely fantastic this year too - he's made one rick at Leeds, and that can happen as any goalkeeper will tell you.

"I still think Brad's the best goalkeeper around but, what I'm saying is, he was pulling things off that really we couldn't expect him to do and, in several games last year, that was the difference.

"He was making a ridiculous save that he wasn't entitled to and we were winning a game or drawing a game.

"I'm sure that will happen again this year."

Souness added: "We would never rely on Brad all the time though because we've all got to stand up and be counted.

"I'm encouraged by the opportunities that we're creating. We have players who can win games with one piece of brilliance, and that's very important at this level."

Souness has likened Rovers' current frustrations in the Premiership's lower echelons to the season they returned to the top flight.

After promotion from the First Division in 2001 Rovers struggled to find their feet before a late rally helped them finish 10th.

And he has urged his players to maintain faith in their own ability and set their sights high.

"The season we came up we found ourselves in the bottom three but kept playing our football and we ultimately finished tenth," he said.

"You have to keep believing in what you're doing and it will change.

"We still attempted to play football the way I believed in and the way the players believed in. That's what got us to 10th place that season and finishing in the top six again this season is a real possibility as well with the quality of players I have.

"Ultimately the harder you work the luckier you become and that's my message to the players - keep believing.

"Our football is good enough and our luck will change."