BLACKBURN keeper Brad Friedel today said it's only a matter of time before Rovers return to form in the Premiership.

Three successive home defeats at the hands of Manchester City, Liverpool and Fulham have undermined the club's start to the new campaign.

But Friedel is convinced Rovers' luck is about to change for the better as manager Graeme Souness attempts to iron out the teething problems which have dogged his new-look side in the opening two months.

"Whenever you shift nine or 10 players out and bring seven or eight in like we have, it's going to take time for everyone to gel so it's up to us to try and be patient," said Friedel, who became a father for the first time last week following the birth of his baby daughter, Izabella.

"In all the time that I've been here, we've always had a very, very good team spirit and a very good squad.

"And we still have a great team spirit and a great squad.

"It's just a case of people getting used to each other, and I don't just mean the back four, I mean everyone in the team.

"You've got to build up a rapport with each other and that doesn't happen over night."

Souness took steps to address that situation on two fronts this week.

On Monday he held a clear the air meeting with the players where he got several issues off his chest in regard to recent team performances.

Then later in the week, the squad went on a team bonding exercise in Manchester.

Now Souness hopes that new sense of unity will transmit itself onto the pitch.

Rovers started the season with a bang, thumping Wolves 5-1 on the opening day of the new campaign.

But subsequent performances have been punctuated by individual errors and a lack of communication between the back four, which ultimately led to this week's heart-to-heart.

"Results can sometimes mask a lot of the problems within a football club," said Friedel.

"You always learn more when you lose because it forces you to sit back and look at it.

"The big fault when you win is people tend to disregard the mistakes you have made in the game.

"The biggest and best club's and the bigger and better players, analyse themselves more in victory than they do in defeat, which is why they remain successful, and that's something we need to take on board."

Rovers' mettle is sure to be tested at Elland Road tomorrow where they will meet a Leeds United side who are desperate for a change in fortunes themselves.

Manager Peter Reid met chairman John McKenzie for crisis talks earlier this week after United slipped into the Premiership's bottom three for the first time in their history as a result of last Sunday's humiliating 4-0 defeat at Everton.

Reid will therefore expect a positive reaction from his players as he battles to cling onto his job.

"I know Peter Reid and one thing he isn't is a quitter. He'll stay and fight to the end and you can bet he'll have his players up for it tomorrow," said Friedel.

"So we've got to go into it thinking it's going to be our hardest game of the season.

"If we don't then we could come unstuck."