Down by the RIVERSIDE with Phil Lloyd

A WARM August afternoon. An expectant buzz around Ewood. A visiting team ready for a sound beating. Renewing acquaintances not seen since May. Singing and bunting and chanting and smiling.

Well that was last season and of course it all went horribly wrong against Port Vale, who ultimately fell through the First Division trap door. So what was different on Saturday against Crystal Palace?

Only the bunting, it seemed before the game, now replaced by 'Goal' cards and two 'Sky guys' one of whom suffered sadly from inflation, specifically a lack of it. And maybe you could detect a rather greater showing of blue and white among the home ranks. The new home shirt has clearly been a best seller during the summer-time.

Once the game was underway, Rovers fans rubbed their eyes in disbelief. Undeterred by a massed defence and an even more massive Ruddock, here was a Rovers team knocking the ball around confidently and accurately, always seeming to have a man spare and options ahead. They took a while in coming given Rovers' dominance, but here was another change to 12 months ago -- goals, two of them, both created deliciously and served on a warm plate by our close-cropped, all-action young chef. You can say it again: the boy Dunn good!

At the end, no-one was getting carried away. There'll be tighter defences, more creative midfields and sharper attackers than Palace's, but it's a start and a darn sight better start than we've seen for some time. The perfectionist in me would have liked to see Duff taking on a worried full-back with more panache, Flitcroft and Jansen shooting straighter, and Short and Dailly less ruffled by two bustling, wrestling strikers.

But, again unlike last year, no-one was complaining either. We'd been entertained, we'd seen effort allied to skill, and we'd got three points.

But for me, the biggest difference of all was not on the field of play. He was pointing meaningfully on the cover of my season-ticket book, straight-talking out of the pages of the programme and newsletter, glowering from his perch high in the Directors' Box and later bawling and gesticulating from the touchline. And then he was proclaiming himself 'satisfied' in the after-match interviews, and even 'pleased' with the first-half performance.

You can't help but be aware of the presence of Souness.

You'd probably not choose to cross him. And hey, lads, if Saturday was good enough for Graeme, it was good enough for me too. Let's keep it going!