MARK Hughes has already begun ringing the changes at Blackburn Rovers following his appointment as the club's new manager.

After the players secured their first victory of the season against Portsmouth on Saturday their reward was a nice relaxing ... ice bath!

Goal-scoring hero Matt Jansen revealed: "I thought he said 'have a nice bath' but what he actually said was 'have an ice bath.'

"It was worse than I imagined. We had to go in four times for 30 seconds then have a warm shower.

"But it's for recovery and he's letting the experts decide what to do, and that's a bit of a change."

Hughes doesn't plan to stop there, either, when it comes to implementing new ideas at Rovers.

"I just feel there's certain areas which we can improve on that will enable the team and the environment they're in to be better and more successful.

"It's going to be a busy week this week. There's lots of meetings to go to and things to change around.

"And I hope the changes I make will be positive ones and we'll be a better side for it."

Hughes's managerial career at Rovers could hardly have got off to a better start.

A win, a first clean sheet of the season and the resurgence of a player who had lost his way under the previous regime gives Hughes the perfect platform to go forward.

And he was delighted with the way the players responded to him and his new assistant, Mark Bowen.

"I'm obviously delighted with the result. We wanted the three points and it was a good start," said Rovers' new boss.

"It was important to make an immediate impact and we've been able to do that.

"It's been a difficult week for the players as they've been in the dark for the last 10 days so I thought it was important to make an impact once the decision was made to come to the football club.

"There are obvious areas we need to work on and I will be doing that.

"We've made a good start - the best start I could have hoped for.

"We've got a base now with the other results going well for us - and now we've got to build on it.

"Sometimes when a new person takes charge it helps the team and you don't have to say much. The secret now is to keep that going."

Hughes did admit, however, that Rovers were slightly fortunate not to concede a late penalty when Brad Friedel flattened Ricardo Fuller in the box.

"I've got to say I didn't see it, haven't I?

"But I have to say my heart was in my mouth at that stage because you do worry when it gets to the latter stages of games.

"But the referee gave what he saw and he thought the lad dived."