The Glenn Keeley column

THE curse of the new signing strikes again.

No sooner has Jonathan Stead become an instant hero with the Rovers faithful, he's following in the footsteps of Lorenzo Amoruso and Barry Ferguson on to the treatment table.

And what a blow for the youngster after starting so well.

I understand, though, he won't be sidelined for long. Hopefully that's true, because he's looking like a really good buy.

And I honestly believe that he's got what it takes to help Rovers stay up this season.

Stead has impressed me at an early stage in his Ewood career and looks very comfortable with the ball. Losing people of the quality of Damien Duff and David Dunn made you question where the next bright young things might come from.

But Stead and Paul Gallagher are offering hope for the future. Stead obviously has an eye for goal and Gallagher is starting to settle at that level.

Having a couple of guys up front who know where the net is - that's vital at any level but particularly in the Premiership.

But it seems to be turning into one of those seasons that you just want to end, survive the drop and live to fight another day.

A win against Southampton this weekend would give Rovers the chance to get some home form together.

Their problems at Ewood Park this season have been well documented. Their home record is still the worst in the division, so I'm surprised they aren't in bigger trouble in the league.

That's why it's vital to stop James Beattie. You always worry when an ex-player comes back because you know they are going to be highly motivated.

He is a danger, but Rovers will be aware of that.

So let's get a good crowd behind us for the lads to show what they can produce at home.

Friedel's heroics were in vain

I'VE never been involved in a team where the goalkeeper's scored, or even in a match where that's happened. But I have seen a stopper get on the scoresheet before, although it wasn't Brad Friedel-esque.

When I was a young boy, probably about six or seven, I went to Wales and my dad took me to watch Cardiff.

I can't remember who they were playing but the Cardiff goalkeeper kicked the ball downfield, the keeper at the other end misjudged it and the ball bounced over his head and into the net.

I remember the game just for that.

Cardiff won that day, so how gutted would Brad Friedel be that his heroics failed to even salvage a point for Rovers. It was all done in vain.

It's like walking along the street and finding a pound then getting home to discover you've lost your wallet with all your credit cards in.