Happy New Season! I would have liked my first article to have been written in somewhat better circumstances.

Bottom of the league with a minus five goal difference, I should be full of doom and gloom about Rovers' prospects.

So why am I far from despondent despite the hard evidence of the first three games? Well, for one thing, I am writing this after we more than held our own (apart from the result) with the millionaires of Chelski.

Indeed, both home performances since the debacle at Portsmouth have been as good as most of last season, albeit with no more than a point to show for the effort.

True, some players (Reid and Perderson for two) are certainly not playing up to true form. And the partnership of McCarthy and Roberts, while showing promising signs, has mustered only one goal between them in three games.

In truth, most realistic Rovers fans would have been very happy with four points from our first three games, so you could say, if you were an optimist, that we're only three points off target.

Of our opponents so far, you would have to say that Portsmouth were a surprise; Everton are going to be a far better side than last season; I felt Chelsea were a major disappointment.

You don't expect great champions being one (lucky goal) up with 25 minutes to go and be timewasting!

The Chelsea game proved to be a baptism of fire for our new Dutch defender Andre Ooijer and he was unfortunately involved in both Chelsea goals.

Just as we shouldn't judge Rovers on their current league position, neither should we judge Ooijer on the evidence of one game.

I'm sure all Rovers fans welcome him and hope he becomes an Ewood legend.

The international break (groan) gives us an opportunity to reflect upon our early non-dominance before we take on the Blades of Sheffield.

This game already takes on the status of a "must-not-lose" match but I fully expect the lads to be equal to the task. Shortly after that it will be the Red Bulls of Saltzburg on their plastic pitch.

That looks like being an awkward challenge but frankly, given Rovers' European record, the Icelandic equivalent of Accrington Stanley would pose a threat, so perhaps it's a good thing we're meeting a team and pitch we won't take for granted.

Always look on the bright side - if we manage to stay out of the top six this season, we won't have the European worries to contend with next year.