The beginning of every new year is always a time for reflection on the previous 12 months and a hope that the coming year holds many good times.

Blackburn Rovers fans over the past couple of years have looked forward with hope rather than expectation at the turn of the last couple of years.

There's always been that feeling of slow decline and that the constant battle against the odds is going to claim us once and for all and a fall into the abyss of the Championship was inevitable rather than improbable.

Yes, we've heard all the postivity coming from the club on these particular occasions and we've always wanted to believe that better times were ahead and that the corner would be turned.

But ultimately there has been disappointment and as the hopes have dwindled so have the numbers in the ground on matchdays.

But now things are different, markedly different.

Where the previous manager talked of how consolidation was his brief we now have a manager who talks about us as a top ten side, and while talk is usually cheap there is every reason to believe it on this occasion.

With an unheard of haul of nine points from the Christmas period safely bagged, Rovers suddenly look the real deal.

It's a pleasure to go down to Ewood these days and the main difference now is that you know you're not going to get short changed.

Long gone are the Souness days when excuses were plenty (see Newcastle now) and points were scarce. These days defeat is less likely (thankfully) but when it does happen there's always a positive reaction.

Rather than bemoan bad luck, injuries etc., Mark Hughes (above) is more intent on solving the problem in-house and getting into the next game to rectify the situation.

That way we've had no long losing streaks or poor performances just a steady improvement towards the situation we now find ourselves in...and what a healthy situation it is.

Into the top eight of the most competitive league in the world and in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup is a major achievement on it's own (I'm sure big clubs such as Newcastle and Birmingham would welcome it) but one gets the feeling that the upward curve will not stop there.

When Mark Hughes talks of the potential of the club he exudes confidence and with the progression witnessed under his stewardship it's hard to disbelieve him.

I've been battered into being a sceptic for three long years now and it's great to see how we're back punching our weight in a league I think we fully deserve to be in.

Happy New Year to all Rovers fans, it's definitely a case of looking forward with expectation rather than just hope this time.