ANOTHER weekend, another win. Getting boring now isn't it?
Oh, why can we not go back to the old days of going to games when we knew we'd lose but we weren't sure by how many?
Okay, nobody wants that, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has heard Rovers fans now question whether we are good enough to be in the position we are. Many is the time this season that I've witnessed a Rovers win but instead of hearing elation from the fans leaving the ground it's more a case of how lucky/undeserving we were.
Maybe, just maybe, we find ourselves with a great chance of European qualification because we're actually better than we've been told we were in the past.
Everyone remembers the same old words that emanated from the mouth of Graeme Souness at the start of every season about staying in the league being the priority. About how we were punching above our weight and anything above survival should be seen as a bonus. At times we had it hammered into us so much it was like we were being brainwashed.
Now what we hear is unbridled positivity from a manager and a backroom staff who totally and utterly believe not only in themselves but in the players. At no time during his tenure at Ewood has Mark Hughes ever undersold his players and slowly but surely the majority of fans' scepticism has evaporated until we are actually starting to believe him.
Take Steven Reid.
Under Souness I couldn't even see him as a squad player and to be honest I had no idea what position he could play and have any positive effect on the side. Now, he's become something of a lynchpin of the side, brimming with confidence and displaying leadership qualities that I certainly didn't think he possessed. The manager has instilled his confidence in him and we're reaping the rewards.
Yet again Mark Hughes has shown that he is superior in every department to his predecessor (apart from pulling the wool over our eyes) as he transforms what we once considered as a mediocre team into a very useful Premiership outfit.
When we lost under the previous manager there was always some kind of excuse, Lady Luck being the main perpetrator. Now a defeat is treated more as an opportunity for rectification.
Deficiencies are analysed, problems tackled, training is meticulous and nothing is left to chance. The result being that the long winless streaks of the past appear to be long gone.
There's a lot to be excited about and Mark Hughes and his backroom staff are the main reason for that.
As his star continues to rise the plaudits from the media are now somewhat grudgingly finding their way to him and about time too. Of course that could alert other Premiership chairmen to his talents but for now let's enjoy what we've got while we've got it.
There's seven games to go and the great pot of gold of the Champions League as a realistic target at the end of them.
With Sparky in charge, don't bet against us achieving it.
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