AT BLACKBURN on Saturday I witnessed fantastic skill, energy and talent in abundance.

Unfortunately for Rovers fans this was some hours after Howard Webb had blown his whistle at Ewood Park and I’m referring to the music and dancing at the latest Soul extravaganza at King Georges Hall.

A very decent Ewood turnout was treated to a turgid contest between two similar sides who rather cancelled each other out.

Given the lack of excitement, Mrs Allardyce would certainly not have had to worry about Sam’s heart-rate.

Both sides, you sensed, set out to ensure they did not lose the match rather than going all out to win it.

That’s excusable for Stoke, as the away side, but desperately disappointing for Rovers who at least until David Dunn’s enforced substitiution were lined up once again with only one striker.

So a disappointing week after the false promise of that away victory against Bolton.

Practically every fan I spoke to thought we’d get something from the Fulham game and a 3-0 defeat was a bitter pill to swallow against a side that Rovers should always be looking to beat.

Nikolai Kalinic again featured for part of that match but was unable to make an impression.

It is becoming a cause of some concern that our big money signing is not playing regularly and while it may be a case of ‘building him up’ or ‘breaking him in gently,’ fans are already wondering if these are euphemisms for ‘He’s not good enough.’ I suspect there may be departures in January and that our Croatian, billed let us not forget as the future of Croatian football by Slaven Bilic, will get his opportunity to show whether or not he has a future with Blackburn Rovers.

I sincerely hope he will ‘Grabbi’ the chance and prove that he is not destined to join the ranks of expensive Rovers flops. Our Premier League future could depend on it.

Tomorrow night’s Carling Cup game against Chelsea gives us a respite from the constant pressure of the Premier League.

Chelsea will be hot favourites, of course, but if the Rovers team can relax and play some football without the fear factor and at least give us a good open entertaining game no-one is going to be too disappointed if our cup run is ended by probably the best team in the country at present.

That will be no shame, but it will be a great shame if we have to endure another stalemate like last Saturday.

Let’s see if a bit of Northern Soul from the Rovers can be both effective and entertaining.