ROVERS boss Graeme Souness may be in danger of sounding like a cracked record but his message remains a simple one.

"We are playing better than our results suggest and we have to just start taking our chances," he insisted as he spoke ahead of tomorrow's clash with Everton at Ewood Park.

"I truly believe that with the kind of chances we are creating it is not normal to keep missing them. We are just having one of those periods at the moment.

"The players have proved in the past that they can score for me, often more difficult chances than they have had this season."

Souness believes that it is only a matter of time before his £6.5million Ciccio Grabbi starts to find the net while Matt Jansen should have scored more than the two he got in successive games against Oldham and Ipswich Town.

The Lancashire derby against Bolton on Wednesday was typical of Rovers start to the season, the home side only salvaging a point through a late goal from new signing Lucas Neill.

The young Australian has made an instant impact at Ewood Park and his manager is delighted with his baptism in the Premiership.

Souness, who himself played with great confidence and a touch of arrogance, likes players in the same mould and he claimed: "He's got a thing about him - arrogance which I love in a player.

"Perhaps arrogance is not quite the right word, but he's got this belief in his own ability that he should be a Premier League player and we've given him the chance to show that."

Neill will continue at right-back against Everton at Ewood Park because of John Curtis' calf injury.

Craig Short's injured knee will deny him the chance to take on his former club and Souness will be forced to make do with the same squad that drew with Bolton.

Having lost the services of defender Martin Taylor it had been thought Souness might try and bring in some defensive cover, possibly in a loan deal, but the Rovers boss is going to struggle on for the moment.

"Nothing is happening about bringing in a new face," he said. "We came through the Bolton game okay and so it will be the same squad that played that night.

"You don't want to pick up knocks at the best of times but it is especially important when you are already down to the bare bones."

The last time Everton visited Ewood Park Ashley Ward got Rovers goal in a 2-1 defeat, Ibrahim Bakayoko scoring twice for the visitors.

With only one win in the opening six matches Souness is aware that his side needs to start turning draws into victories.

Tomorrow afternoon, against a side managed by his close friend and former colleague Walter Smith, would be a very good time to start.