No more Mr Nice

Bent 30, Taylor 40

GRAEME Souness had a stark message for Martin Taylor after the giant centre back helped shoot down sad Sheffield Wednesday -- become my Mr Nasty and I'll make you one of the game's greats!

A scorching left foot drive from the towering defender may have squeezed the life out of woeful Wednesday in this embarrasingly one-sided contest.

But it's in his own penalty area where Souness wants the 6ft 4in defender to start showing the same kind of killer instinct.

And, if he can unearth a mean streak, then the Rovers boss believes his 21-year-old prodigy can go on to emulate the achievements of his old Anfield pals Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson.

"We know what Tiny's all about," said Souness.

"He has the ability of Alan Hansen on the ball -- he just doesn't give it away.

"But where he lets himself down is that he sometimes doesn't show the level of aggression a man of his size should.

"If he can grasp that, then the world is his oyster -- and by that I mean he could go and play at the very highest level.

"He's exceptionally quick -- you won't see anyone run away from him.

"And when he's got the ball, he manipulates it like a skilful midfield player.

"It's just whether he grabs the other side of it which is to be mean and nasty and horrible.

"At the moment, he's Son-in-Law material.

"But I don't want Son-in-Laws when they're out on the pitch."

Such is Souness's determination to toughen up Taylor, he set about the young defender with a pair of scissors before Christmas in a bid to make him look more menacing.

But the likeable Geordie barely required a snarl to snuff out a powder-puff Wednesday side who, on current form, would struggle to fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

After blowing away Preston with some electrifying football on Wednesday night, Rovers never got out of second gear here.

But then they didn't need to against a sorry Sheffield side who look destined for the Second Division.

Even without pivotal figures like David Dunn and Mark Hughes, this was a stroll in the park for Rovers as Marcus Bent and Matt Jansen set about terrorising the visitors' defence with a mixture of power and pace.

But Owls boss Paul Jewell played a part in his own downfall.

Fearing a hiding after witnessing that opening 20-minute blitz against North End, the former Bradford boss sent out a side which featured at least five players in unfamiliar roles.

It wasn't surprising, therefore, when the plan blew up in his face.

"We didn't reach the heights we reached in the first half against Preston," said Souness.

"But, overall, I'm happier now than I was on Wednesday night.

"We got our goals then, in the second half, we didn't really look like conceding anything.

"So I thought it was a very solid performance."

With confidence coursing through the veins at present, it's going to take someone special to knock Rovers out of their stride.

You have to go back to the Roy Hodgson era to find a Blackburn side who last went nine games unbeaten.

But, after all the drama of the recent victories over Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Preston, this latest triumph was almost bordering on the tedious it was that straightforward.

With Alan Mahon asked to deputise for the suspended Dunn in midfield, Rovers took time to find their feet in the opening 20 minutes.

And they were nearly punished for that lacklustre start when Efan Ekoku crossed for Alan Quinn but, with the goal seemingly at his mercy, somehow Stig Bjornebye got back to make a last ditch block. But that merely acted as a wake-up call for Rovers and they instantly upped the tempo.

Jansen singed the fingertips of Marlon Beresford, Craig Hignett scuffed his shot in front of goal and the referee somehow missed a blatant foul on Jansen in the box before the deadlock was finally broken on 30 minutes.

Bjornebye played a neat ball into Jansen on the left and the quicksilver strike turned a defender before serving up a cross for Bent to supply a right-foot finish at the far post.

From then on it was a case of how many.

The second nearly arrived within a minute as Jansen crossed again from the left but Des Walker was lucky to see his attempted clearance bounce back off the post.

And Jansen then drilled another effort just wide of the upright after Damien Duff had intercepted a Steve Harkness pass in the centre circle.

However, Rovers' finally doubled their money on 40 minutes.

A Craig Hignett corner caused a mad scramble in the Wednesday defence as Jansen and Henning Berg both had efforts blocked.

But they could do nothing when the ball dropped to Taylor who rifled a venomous left-foot drive into the top corner for his fourth of the season.

Jewell threw on strikers Andy Booth and Gilles De Bilde after the break in a desperate attempt to spark a revival.

But, unlike Wednesday night, there was to be no dramatic comeback as Jansen, Bent and Duff all missed glorious chances to improve Rovers' goal difference.

Marc Keller entered the fray in the last 20 minutes and the former French international showed some sublime touches in a cameo appearance.

Tougher challenges lie ahead, however, if Rovers are to achieve their dreams.