MUCH better performance, shame about the result.

I came off the ground on Sunday feeling far less downcast than after the Middlesbrough game. In places that was our best performance for some time. But, as in Brucie's game show points make prizes and for the second home game running we drew a blank.

In many respects it was just "one of those games." Gillespie's shot hits Harte on the backside. Tugay hits the bar. We should have been two up. All of a sudden we're two down. However, I think it would be very dangerous to simply dismiss the game as "one of those things."

A quick glance at the League table confirms that the season is now entering a critical phase Five league games in 17 days from December 15. Whilst there isn't any need to panic Corporal Jones style just yet, two points from the last four games have left us just six points away from the drop zone. Conversely, a six point swing in the other direction would see us leap from 14th to fifth. So which way is it going to go?

To the neutral observer the bare statistics would not make encouraging reading. Two points from four games. Just one win in the last seven games. Since we reduced our striking options to virtually nil by selling Marcus Bent on November 22, our only goal has come from central defender Henning Berg.

Our declining form can be attributed to two inter-related factors for me. Since the West Ham game we have started more often than not with a 4-5-1 formation. We have not yet won playing that way, nor do I really expect us to in the future.

It is particularly disappointing to see us lining up that way at home, no matter who the opposition. Matt Jansen is being run into the ground in a role totally unsuited for him. The talents of Duff and Gillespie are largely wasted with no-one to get on the end of crosses. The extra man in midfield usually does little for us. David Dunn has been wandering about unable to exert his influence and seemingly unsure as to his exact role.

The question is, what came first, the chicken or the egg? Has the system been forced on us by lack of personnel? The Grabbi situation could hardly have worked out worse for either club or player thus far and I suppose is just one of those things. However, no-one forced the sale of Blake and Bent without replacements. It really is a desperate state of affairs for a Premiership Club when we are unfairly looking to a 38-year-old and also a player who was previously not deemed worthy of a run out in Division One.

Rumours abound that a proposed move for Sukur from Inter Milan broke down due to excessive wage demands. I am ambivalent about that one. Would he be here to play or just for the money? That aside we have just got to get someone in of comparable quality (preferably before that run of five games). Whatever the cost, it would be a lot less than if things did go disastrously wrong.

Finally a memo to the Editor. Who writes your headlines? Despite Rovers' urgent need, I don't think last week's caption "Give me a big front man for Christmas" created quite the impression I was looking for! How am I going to get Claudia along to next year's LET Christmas bash when she reads headlines like that?

PS: Good luck tonight lads!