GRAEME Souness today backed Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke to end their goal-drought 'sooner rather than later' as he prepared for tonight's showdown with Chelsea at Ewood Park.

Big things were expected from the former Manchester United gunslingers when Souness decided to reunite them over the summer.

But so far their eagerly anticipated partnership has got off to a stuttering start with just Yorke's winner against Birmingham to show for their efforts from Rovers' opening four games.

However, Souness is not about to lose sleep over his twin-strikers recent lack of goals, preferring instead to place his faith in the old adage 'form is temporary, class is permanent.'

"Strikers are judged on what goals are scored and as yet Andy and Dwight will probably think they should have scored more than they have done," said Souness.

"But I'm not concerned about that because they will score more goals, you can be sure of that.

"They are proven goalscorers at the very highest level, as the two lads at Chelsea are.

"Strikers have to put up with a wee bit of criticism from time to time when they're not scoring but the thing which makes you a top striker is you accept that criticism and get on with it and come through the other side.

"That's why you're a top man if you play up front and you can do that."

Although Yorke has only found the net once so far since his £2 million move from United, Souness has been pleased with his all-round contribution.

That is why the Rovers boss insists it's only a matter of time before their partnership starts firing again.

"Dwight's football has been very good but, as I've already said, strikers are always judged on the amount of goals they score in relation to the number of games they have played.

"Generally speaking, though, I'm very happy with the pair of them and I know the goals will come."

The same could also be said of Chelsea pair Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen at present.

Last season, the Stamford Bridge strike-duo set the Premiership alight, sharing over 50 goals between as the Blues secured a top-six finish and an appearance in the FA Cup final.

However, persistent transfer rumours over the summer appear to have had an unsettling effect, so much so that Frank Lampard is the club's current leading scorer.

At one point, Hasselbaink looked destined for Barcelona while Rovers were among a posse of clubs who enquired about Gudjohnsen's availability as Ranieri toyed with the idea of cashing in on some of his most saleable assets in a bid to stave off a potential financial crisis.

In the end, though, both men stayed and Souness is all too aware of the threat they pose his side, even though Rovers successfully shut them out twice in the league last season.

"Those two are top class performers. You only have to look at the goals they got last season between them to see that," said Souness.

"They haven't fired on all cylinders as yet and I just hope we are still saying that after tonight."

Ranieri, meanwhile, knows he has it all to do if the Blues are to surpass the achievements of last term.

Enrique De Lucas, who arrived on a free from Espanyol, was his only signing of any significance in the summer as the club felt the financial pinch which is currently engulfing the whole of the game across Europe.

That forced Ranieri to virtually concede the title before a ball had been kicked as he admitted the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal are currently streets ahead.

So where do the Blues go from here?

A reliance on home-grown talent as opposed to the expensive foreign imports of the past could be the answer.

"We tried to put Chelsea in the Champions League. Now the strategy is to play the young players with the experienced players," said Ranieri.

"Carlton Cole, Robert Huth, Joe Keenan and so on.

"Like two years ago, I put in the team Eidur Gudjohnsen, John Terry, Sam Dalla Bona. This is now our strategy.

"I have good, young players, I work with them. For the first time there isn't a lot of change in the squad, and maybe the link will be better.

"Everybody knows there is a minimum of three big teams better than us -- Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

"So we've changed the philosophy. When I signed a new contract with the chairman, he told me you have another five years, you must build the new Chelsea."

Whatever side the Blues field tonight, however, Souness knows his troops are in for a battle as they seek to protect an unbeaten home record which stretches back eight games.