GOING into the final third of the season I think Blackburn Rovers are in a good position.

Slowly but surely Gary Bowyer is putting together the side that he wants, he’s getting his views across and he’s getting his players to play how he wants them to play.

With so many players coming in and out, it was never going to happen overnight.

That’s how it has proved.

But I definitely feel Gary is going about it the right way. He’s doing a great job.

On the pitch, there is no question that Blackburn are in a better place than they were a year ago.

Okay there have been a few disappointing results, games that they were expected to win but didn’t win, like Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham at home and Barnsley away, but that happens in football.

You can’t win every game – especially in a division like the Championship.

You look at the sides above Blackburn in the table – the likes of Leicester, QPR and Nottingham Forest – and there are some very good teams there.

It’s going to be hard work to get into the play-offs but I still think they’ve got a chance of getting in there. T

he secret to getting in there will be about consistency.

Rather winning one, drawing one and losing one, you’ve got to string a run of wins together now.

But as I say, it is not easy to do that in this division.

And even though Blackburn haven’t been able to win three or four games on the run yet, you cannot accuse them of a lack of effort.

They always give 100 per cent every game and in that respect you cannot ask for any more.

But I do think they have got a good enough squad, skill wise, to get in there.

And as long as they match that up with the undoubted effort they are showing, they’ll have a chance. Reading a week on Saturday is a big game and I think it’ll do Blackburn good to have a week off.

It allows the lads playing with knocks the chance to get over them and it will allow Gary and his coaching team to work on a few things, which isn’t easy to do when you are playing so many matches.

It would be great to get into the play-offs – especially for the fans.

After all that they’ve been through, they would definitely deserve it.