Heading to heaven through Eyal

After plunging out of the land of plenty, when Kidd's stuff proved child's play for the rest of the Premier League, Ewood's been a success-free zone.

And when -- even with millions at their disposal -- Rovers failed to make the play-offs last season Ewood Park was not a happy place to be.

Graeme Souness' arrival, though broadly welcomed, was somewhat muted.

Actions were needed not fine words.

So sceptical supporters waited for a sign(ing) from Souey that he was the right man to lead them back to the promised land.

I believe they've just witnessed it.

Think back to Souness the player.

Shudder and wince a little, if you aren't a long-standing Liverpool fan.

Now, imagine what sort of qualities a team built by Souness is bound to have. Yes, you've got it in one. It's a side with backbone, character, guts -- call it what you want.

So, with the man himself prowling the touchline, like some mafia hitman, Rovers have become a team of battlers.

Against Bolton on Saturday Matt Jansen and Marcus Bent led their first line of defence.

They were crunching into tackles and fighting for every ball with Souey grit.

But Souness isn't simply a soccer hard man.

He's clearly a football thinker too. And his season-long quest to bring Eyal Berkovic to Lancashire couldn't have come to fruition at a better time.

But for Garry Flitcroft's rush of blood at the Reebok I'm confident Rovers would already be making plans for a trip to Highbury in the FA Cup quarter finals.

Sadly the little Israeli was sacrificed early in the game though not before underlining what a dramatic impact he could have on the promotion chase.

He sliced one of the division's meanest and best organised defences to shreds.

He made mugs of two of the game's most experienced defenders.

My only worry is that the controversies that have dogged his career -- remember the Kevin Gallacher FA Cup rumpus and the John Hartson nastiness -- could return to haunt him.

If he can let his feet do the talking Berkovic is as gifted a playmaker as there is at Nationwide level.

I know the Rovers have a lot of ground to make up but they have plenty of games left.

Souness has transformed a team of underachievers into a merciless fighting machine.

It's a machine that will be well-oiled by Eyal and could motor past the promotion pack by May.