Kevin Davies did not have to say anything in response to the boo-boys who jeered him at every opportunity on his return to Ewood -- Graeme Souness said it all in a sporting salute to the Wanderers striker's derby display.

"What a waste of money!" was the predictable but cutting chant from fans directed at a player who scored just one goal in 23 games after Blackburn had paid Southampton £7.25 million for his services.

But Souness sang his praises when he admitted: "Our problems arose by not dealing with Kevin Davies. He messed our central defenders about and he did very well for them."

The disconsolate manager was anxious not to heap too much public criticism on his players after seeing Wanderers convert a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win that left Rovers just two places and three points above the relegation zone.

He did not question their character, as he had on previous occasions, but he could not conceal his dismay at the way they defended after finding themselves in a commanding lead 10 minutes before half time.

In an assessment that implied an unflattering critique of Wanderers' playing style, he said: "We just didn't deal with a simple form of attacking football, which was playing a big centre forward and lumping the ball up to him!

"It was defensive errors, not a lack of effort that cost us.

"We just didn't defend well from the first 10 seconds to the last minute. I think we summed up our entire season in 90 minutes there today. We were very good at some things, very bad at others and occasionally just bad.

"Sam must be delighted. At 3-1 we looked to be cruising it but you have to give them credit for coming back. They kept going and we tossed it away."

Souness reckoned the turning point came two minutes before half time when Tugay failed to cut out Emerson Thome's long, lofted pass and Youri Djorkaeff beat Brad Friedel to get Wanderers back into it at 3-1.

"To come in at 3-1 at half time and kicking towards our favourite end, we'd have really fancied our chances. But that goal handed the initiative to them and that made the difference -- 3-2 is not insurmountable."

Rovers have taken only five points from their last six Premiership games and Souness believes his players need to respond quickly if they are to keep their heads above the relegation waters.

"If they don't realise it now, they had better realise quickly," he said, "because it's going to be a long, hard grind."