SEVEN defeats from the last eight Premiership games, including four successive home defeats, is relegation form in capital letters for Blackburn Rovers.

So what better time than to show faith in Graeme Souness than by renewing his contract with a lucrative five-year extension to his current contract which now has only 12 months to run?

It is easy to show faith in managers when things are going well. The time to support the manager is during the tough times, especially when that manager has given your club back its Premiership place and its pride.

Continuity in management is vital to being a good and successful club. Rovers have employed enough "turkeys" in recent years, but in Souness we have a manager of status, knowledge and ambition.

Souness knows the Rovers team is not good enough for the Premiership, but he has stuck to his word and given them all a chance and they have been found wanting.

He will now steadily and quietly rebuild the side. The structure is there and in Andy Cole he has signed a player of genuine Premiership quality.

But Rovers fans need to get to grips with reality. Talk of Jansen, Flitcroft and Dunn for England is naive. Dunn -- one day maybe, and his continual absence from the Rovers starting line-up is a mystery.

The Rovers board has backed Souness, despite one disappointing signing in Grabbi. So now back him further and secure his future at Ewood Park -- the Rovers' reward will be escape from the dreaded drop, but only just -- and a major Cup Final appearance for the first time in 42 years, plus a possible place in Europe next season.

That, to me, would be a very successful season. Here's hoping!

C H WHITESIDE, Biggar Village, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness