Sparkle is back

GRAEME Souness used to be known as Champagne Charlie because of a flamboyant lifestyle off the pitch.

And, judging by the way his players are starting to strut around with the same air of confidence, they are beginning to adopt a similar sense of style on it, writes Andy Neild.

After some of the sobering performances of last season's failed promotion attempt, Souness has managed to put the fizz back into a squad tagged 'under-achievers'.

Inspired by the genius of Matt Jansen, a rampant Rovers side polished off Forest with the minimum of fuss thanks to this sparkling -- if not vintage -- performance.

And, in a message which is sure to send a chill down the spine of every one of his First Division rivals, Souness insists his side will get better with age.

"That's the best we've played this season," purred the Scot.

"We looked exciting and threatening going forward, we got three good goals and we could have had more."

It's far too early to get light-headed, but Souness is starting to mix the kind of heady cocktail which could take Rovers all the way back into the Premier League.

This time last year a squad bereft of confidence was struggling to find the killer instincts to finish teams like Forest off.

But there's a swagger about Rovers now as this victory stretched their unbeaten start to the season to seven games.

And a strikeforce which spluttered its way through most of last season is starting to roam around with real menace. Jansen and Blake have now shared seven goals between them and, on this kind of form, they will tear apart far better defences than Forest's powder-puff back line.

Those two were undoubtedly the star men in a slick performance which oozed class but there was plenty more to satisfy even Souness's insatiable appetite.

Henning Berg returned to the centre of defence and immediately slotted in as if he had never been away, stiffening up a Rovers rearguard which had creaked its way through the previous three games.

And the likes of David Dunn and Damien Duff provided much of the attacking thrust going forward.

Souness decided to alter his side's approach slightly, instructing his players to throw the ball foward quicker than they have done recently.

And it worked a treat as they played all their football in the final third, teasing and tormenting an overworked Forest defence.

With so much technical ability flowing through the whole team, that allowed Rovers to play at a tempo the visitors found simply too hot to handle.

And if they can sustain the same levels, then someone is going to get a real hiding in the not too distant future.

That looked on the cards for Forest as Rovers made a blistering start.

This mis-match was barely two minutes old when Garry Flitcroft flicked on John Curtis's long throw and Blake turned on a sixpence inside the box before belting a shot against the foot of the post.

But the opener did arrive 15 minutes later.

Jason McAteer rolled the ball into the path of Flitcroft and his searching right-wing centre was met by Jansen who looped a brilliant header back across Dave Beasant for his third of the season.

The Blackburn End was then in dreamland two minutes later as Mathieu Louis-Jean hauled back Jansen in the box, referee Graham Laws pointed to the spot, and David Dunn stepped forward to slot home his four penalty in four days with customary aplomb.

Jansen and Curtis both went close to extending Rovers' advantage before Jack Lester came close to pulling one back on the stroke of half time when his header came back off the bar.

Rovers eased off in the second half but continued to carve out a host of great openings.

Duff fired over and Blake lifted a similar effort over the top before he made amends in the 64th minute with a goal which was pure poetry.

Flitcroft fed Duff in the centre circle who quickly transfered the ball out to McAteer on the left and he raced clear before whipping over a pin-point centre for the unmarked Blake to head home from eight yards.

From then on it was cigar time as an impudent back heel from Jansen teed up Duff but the Irishman fired wide.

Then substitute Kaba Diawara -- already a huge favourite with the fans -- was just off target with a deft flick.

Watford's visit to Ewood tomorrow night is sure to provide a more reliable test of Rovers' promotion pedigree.

But, after some of the dross of the last 12 months, enjoy this one while you can.