MARTIN Olsson insists Saturday’s heroic draw at Arsenal has to be the start of better things to come.

Rovers’ energetic Swede believes the 0-0 draw at the Emirates has to be used as a turning point in their troubled season and insists it is their togetherness that will see them through.

A horrific run of Premier League results has seen Rovers plunge towards the drop zone since the turn of the year, with Steve Kean’s men written off by large sections of the footballing world.

Kean’s position as Rovers boss has been under intense scrutiny while Venky’s ownership of the club has seen them attract huge criticism from all sections including the club’s own fans.

Dubious penalty decisions have cost Rovers three points in the last few weeks and, after seeing Steven Nzonzi harsly sent off with 10 minutes left on Saturday, Olsson admits lesser characters could have folded under the growing pressure.

He said: “For such a long time we have played good football but things haven’t gone our way. Today we got a result and there was no penalty against us so we have to be happy.

“The spirit in the dressing room now is high and we have to take that forward against Birmingham and the others.

“I didn’t see the sending off so I don’t know but that just showed the commitment of the team. If we were one man down, we were just going to be more committed. We wanted that point.

“Lesser teams could have buckled under everything that has gone against us in recent weeks. It would have been easy for us to get down.

“I have to admit I have been thinking about it a bit and when Steven was sent off I thought ‘not again’. It just feels good to get one point.”

Rovers remain heavily entrenched in a relegation scrap, with just two points separating them and the drop zone.

The visit of fellow strugglers Birmingham could yet prove pivotal next weekend but, with seven games remaining, Olsson is determined not to waste all of Saturday’s hard work.

“The way Arsenal played here, I think only Barcelona can play better football at their own ground,” said Olsson. “We just proved we can stand up to a very good team.

“I don’t think they were bad, I think we were playing well. "Junior Hoilett kept taking on the right back, I don’t know how far Jermaine Jones was running but everyone just gets happy for that.

“We see him working so hard and everyone wants to start working hard. When he starts running about, everyone wants to start running about. He gives us that extra energy.

“Steve Kean has always been positive in training, even when things haven’t gone our way, and if we take this into Birmingham and the other games left there is no problem.

“We build on this from here.”