GRAEME Souness sent out a chilling message to his players when he warned he's ready to make sweeping changes next season -- whether Rovers win their battle to stay in the Premiership or not.

The tough-talking Scot believes Rovers have paid a heavy price for being too cavalier this term and that's why they are still fighting for their lives going into their last five games of the season.

Souness -- a firm advocate of free-flowing football -- wants to build a side which will not only survive in the Premiership, but survive in style.

However, in order for that to happen the Ewood chief believes he may have to sacrifice the luxury of playing with two out-and-out wingers in favour of greater stability if he wants to avoid another ungamely relegation scrap.

At present, Rovers are currently one of the few sides in the top-flight who attempt to play with two genuine widemen and it's an attacking philosophy which has delighted fans.

But when you actually analyse the stats, Souness appears to have a point when he says it's a policy that he can't afford to adopt on a weekly basis next season -- no matter how attractive it may be on the eye.

"I feel that playing with wingers makes us vulnerable at times," said the Rovers boss.

"When you're under the cosh it's not ideal.

"The top teams don't do it but that's what we've got at the moment.

"I think we have to go that way too.

"We have been caught out this year when we've been chasing games. We have to be more conscious of how to play when we don't have the ball.

"We have players who like running forward and it's great for the supporters when it's going well.

"But it is something we need to look at. It's about personnel as much as shape."

If you study Rovers' Premiership record to date, Souness would appear to have a point.

Of the 16 games Damien Duff and Keith Gillespie have both started together, Rovers have won just three and drawn five, losing the other eight.

In contrast, their record when just one or none of the wingers have made the starting line-up reads six wins, four draws and seven defeats from 17 games, which seems to back up Souness's argument.

What is surprising about those stats, however, is the respective for and against columns.

With the two wide-men operating in tandem it's logical to assume that Rovers would score more goals playing that way but their goals-per-game ratio is actually higher when one or none of the wingers have appeared in the starting line-up.

Likewise, at the heart of Souness's argument is the fact that Rovers appear to be more vulnerable defensively with two wingers in the side but the stats would seem to suggest the opposite as the team have conceded fewer goals-per-game when Gillespie and Duff are both operating in tandem down the flanks.

So where does all that leave us in the great winger debate?

Can Rovers play with two out-and-out wingers in Duff and Gillespie next season or not?

I, personally, still believe it's possible, providing the two men in the centre of midfield are discplined enough to provide the necessary cover.

Craig Short certainly enjoys watching Duff and Gillespie in full-flight but, like Souness, he admits such a system also has its flaws.

"I think other teams must be a bit fearful playing against us when they are up against players like Keith and Damien," said the Rovers defender.

"If I was playing in another team and saw those two up against me then I'd certainly be very, very worried.

"But then maybe you do leave yourself slightly exposed at the back by playing that way, too, so maybe you can only play one of them and the manager needs to look at some kind of rotation system.

"We don't look very solid at times, the game tends to get stretched and gaps do start to form.

"Having said that, I think Keith and Damien work very, very hard and sometimes their job is to work back which takes something away from their attacking side of the game.

"Physically, they are playing in the hardest position on the pitch because you've got to get forward and help the attack but you're also expected to get back and help out your full-backs whenever they get tucked in.

"So I can see why the boss said what he did because we have been found out a bit this year.

"I don't think the boss wants to be winning games 5-4, he could do with one or two more one-nils and two-nils, and maybe playing with a bit more solidity.

"But those two are matchwinners who are capable of detroying any defence on their day."

Never has that been more underlined than over the last few weeks when Duff has weighed in with some vital goals to boost Rovers' survival bid.

"Damien has got a massive future in the game, there's no doubt about it, but I also think Keith has been excellent this season, too," added Short.

"Albert Ferrer didn't know whether he was coming or going on Wednesday night and Keith did the same thing to Wayne Bridge last week, who is an England left-back.

"So if I was playing full-back against him and Keith got taken off I'd be delighted.

"Sometimes people say his final pass lets him down but if you show him inside he's equally as quick, and Damien's just the same.

"They always say if you've got quick wingers then show them inside but Damien has cut inside and scored goals with his right foot on a number of occasions over the last few weeks so any defence is going to have problems coping with that."

Rovers' record in games which Duff and Gillespie have both started:

P16 W3 D5 L8 F13 A18 GD-5 PTS14

Rovers' record in games where one or none of the two wingers have started:

P17 W6 D4 L7 F29 A25 GD+4 PTS22