IN the past few years we've seen the Premiership become pretty much an exclusive club. A place where the rich are successful and, as a consequence get richer, and the rest of us scratch around for the crumbs that the big boys don't want.

So while Arsenal and Man Utd continue their forlorn chase of Chelsea it's left for the rest of us to push on, get the mythical 40 points as early as possible and see where it takes us.

Now, if the media are to be believed, the club that all those out of the top three should aspire to be is Charlton Athletic. I have no doubt they have made great strides since their promotion to the Premiership, but one has to question why they should be held up as some kind of blueprint.

On the field, their supporters witness the same pattern season after season. A bright start is had where enough points are amassed to stave off any relegation fears. This is followed by the inevitable 'Charlton for the Champions League' and 'Curbishley for England' hysteria, generally led by the Southern based Press and pundits like Rodney Marsh. Then we have the fall-off in form, the early cup exits and their season meandering towards mid-table mediocrity around April.

So the question is, why should we aspire to be like Charlton?

Unlike the South Londoners, we have won trophies in the past decade and have qualified for Europe, achievements that would make any Addicks fan green with envy.

They may have spent money in the transfer market over the past few years, funded by the healthy wedge they received for Scott Parker. Their gates may also be bucking the downward trend of the majority of Premiership clubs, but I seem to remember them tailing off when they weren't performing so well in the latter stages of last season.

Although one has to respect how they've been transformed from a team that had no ground 15 years ago to where they are now, I certainly hold no desire for Rovers to be like them. A view strengthened by Rovers' performance against them last Saturday.

Every player in blue and white was exceptional and the football at times was breathtaking, epitomised by the imperious Tugay. Watching the Turk when he is on song is like watching a master craftsman. Charlton players just couldn't get near him and the telling moment for me was when the talented Danny Murphy had to be substituted to put him out of his misery. I just wish he was 10 years younger.

While Rovers fans used to go down to Ewood with a little trepidation in the last couple of seasons, five wins on the spin seem to suggest that we are making it a fortress this time around. All that's needed now are more fans to come in and witness it and there's no better selling point than watching a winning team that plays attractive football.

On the evidence of the season so far, we're getting there.