All Rovers fans in the past have had many an opportunity to review games in a pessimistic light and with good reason too.

There were times under former managers such as Don Mackay and Bob Saxton when the fayre was so poor at Ewood, one wondered where the next goal was coming from.

More recently there was the shambles of the Kidd era and, of course, there was the disastrous last eighteen months of the Souness era.

So why, after a two goal win over a team with one of the best away records in the Premiership, do I find myself hearing dissent among the supporters?

Last week we played terrific, as well as we have all season, and I was proud of the team. But we lost, and in years to come all the record books will have to show for it is a 3-2 defeat.

So, in what is a results business we should be happy that the bad luck that was suffered last week changed to good luck.

I've long held the view that there's a large percentage of Rovers fans who are only happy when they've something to gripe about and the reaction since Saturday has confirmed that view.

One should not forget that winning when not playing well is the sign of a successful team.

Never mind the performance - feel the points and look at the league table. Are things really so bad?

Nevertheless, with nine games still to go there's still all to play for and nothing (apart from avoiding relegation!) has been achieved yet.

The word from the players and management team down at Ewood is the old take each game as it comes' mentality but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's looked at the next four games as crucial to our European hopes. There may be no easy games in the Premiership but we couldn't have hoped for a better run of matches over the next few weeks.

Of course we all know that the fitness of Craig Bellamy is key to any success we may achieve but there are others who for me are just as vital.

Ryan Nelsen and Brad Friedel both proved on Saturday that you don't have to score goals to be a match-winner and the graft of Robbie Savage and Steven Reid in this team cannot be under-estimated.

One player who I believe really could make a difference though is David Bentley. Since his arrival he's shown brief glimpses of what he can do but not at a consistent level.

I think that he's becoming a victim of his versatility and even he himself has said he's not sure of his best position.

If Sparky can find a place for him, where his undoubted talents can be best utilised, even the glasses half empty' brigade may find something to celebrate at the end of the season.