Bramwell Speaks Out - by sports editor Neil Bramwell

BEWARE the knee-jerk reaction to the pre-season friendly.

There were, however, still a lot of Blackburn Rovers fans leaving Ewood Park on Saturday with sore chins.

The whole purpose of the build-up programme is to turn negatives into positives but it is already clear that Kidd has his work cut out.

I know he has been exasperated with his side's ability to pass with accuracy, even during training sessions at Brockhall.

But that was not the only problem in evidence against Liverpool.

There appeared to be little unity within the ranks and a number of players fell way short of the desired application.

The oasis in the desert was, of course, David Dunn.

If the 11 players selected to start against Port Vale show his desire, energy and ability, Rovers will be back in the Premiership before you can say Guy Fawkes.

It would be a brave man who left him out of the first line-up.

However, should even a fraction of the team feel that they can rest on their Premiership laurels, expect problems.

The start is everything. Good early results are necessary for the confidence of both players and supporters and would generate an irrepressible momentum.

But I am afraid that the excuse of injuries is starting to wear a bit thin. Sure, Rovers have had an appalling run of serious injuries to key players and that knocks any club out of their stride. The club, though, have had all summer to assess the situation and act accordingly.

And, while some of the injuries have dragged on longer than expected, the recent spending spree is puzzling.

Kidd has either been gently dissuaded from spending during the summer - a scenario which would have frightening echoes of the post-championship transfer policy - or has been happy with the current crop all along.

If the latter is true, the very fact that Rovers can go out and spend at the drop of a hat to cope with unforeseen injuries, is something 23 other Division One managers would envy. But I would always advocate the proactive rather than reactive approach - buy the players you want so that injuries can be absorbed, rather than snapping up the available at the last minute.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.