ROVERS: Colly has wobbled but remains a danger

STAN Collymore's critics have not been short of ammunition to fire at their favourite target so far this season.

A scoring record of just four goals from 25 starts is an indictment of the £7 million striker's failure to hit it off following his move to Villa Park from Anfield.

Yet, as he returns to the scene of arguably the flukiest goal of his career tomorrow, the mere fact that he remains a maverick spells danger to Blackburn Rovers.

When Roy Hodgson took Blackburn Rovers to Villa Park for his first away game in the Premiership at the start of the season, Collymore was making his much-heralded home bow in the colours of the club he has supported since boyhood.

Some five months later, his ineffectual performance that night seems to have been reflected by his season.

But Aston Villa's visit to Ewood will give Collymore some encouragement.

It will be two years next month since he scored a bizarre goal to help Liverpool to a 3-2 win over Rovers.

Striking a feeble shot towards the Darwen End goal, the striker smiled broadly as Tim Flowers knelt to collect only to see the ball fly outrageously off the edge of the deep mark made by the keeper on his six-yard box line.

Instead of being an easy pick-up, it flew high over Flowers' shoulder and into the net.

Collymore will be looking for a similar slice of good fortune tomorrow.

For he is under pressure from all sources outside Villa Park to produce the goods and has withdrawn from the spotlight as much as possible by refusing to speak to the Press about his problems.

Just before Christmas, he was involved in an alleged assault and Sky TV's Andy Gray - a distinguished former Villa striker - was scathing in his criticism of Collymore's efforts. Yet Villa boss Brian Little has emerged as the striker's chief defender.

Having paid such a huge sum for his services, it is only logical he will back him and Little has never wavered, publicly at least.

Collymore's team-mates too have had re-assuring words to say and, when he responded to his mounting problems by doubling his goals tally against Tottenham at Christmas, the tide seemed to be turning.

It must have been a relief at a troubled time for the mercurial striker and his manager, as ever, was there to support him - stating he had never considered leaving him out of the side.

"The only way Stan can answer people is by playing football," he said.

"By not playing him the situation would have snowballed.

"The only thing he is here for is to play football and there were never any other thoughts in my mind."

Little's faith was repaid on that particular night but there remains the problem of a clear lack of consistency by Collymore in particular and the team in general.

The striker's team-mates seem to feel that if one of those two problems could be solved, it might well be the key to putting the other right too.

Mark Draper, who has hit a good streak of form recently, believes the opportunity is still there for Collymore to make his name in Villa colours.

"We know that we have done well in one game this season and then badly in the next," he admitted.

"What we need is consistency and it would be great if we could get some of that with Stan Collymore scoring regularly.

"Stan has got a lot of things on his plate at the moment so scoring those two goals (against Spurs) will really have done him some good. "There's no doubt that Stan has a lot of ability and the crowd reaction to him at the start of that game was amazing.

"If he could get a few more goals, there's no doubt he could become a hero at this club."

So far, however, it has been a case of 'if' for the costly signing.

What appeared to be a dream move to Villa has threatened to become a nightmare with our Carling Opta statistics giving his critics even more comfort.

Most strikers do their share of tracking back and defensive duties but Collymore has failed to make a single clearance all season.

His only defensive contribution has been one block and three interceptions and his tackling record is abysmal, having won just nine tackles for a success rate of only 30 per cent.

He has completed just16 per cent of his crosses, with the only real pluses being the five goals he has created and a dribble completion rate of 84 per cent.

The case for Collymore is a weak one, overwhelmed by the arguments against.

But Rovers will also be aware that a career, never mind a game or a season, can be turned in a flash.

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