GRAEME Souness has delivered his verdict on what will mark a successful season for Blackburn Rovers - survival.

A haul of 40 points, usually enough to ensure staying in the Premiership, will be the Rovers boss's first target as he gears up for today's opening fixture at home to West Bromwich Albion.

"We need to get to 40 points as quickly as we possibly can," said Souness. "The bar is rising every year and we are one of the majority of teams whose main aim is to survive in the league.

"Maybe Middlesbrough want to break into the top five, but outside of that we want to get to 40 points. That's how we all see it.

"Surviving in this league is a success for a lot of us so we have to have senior professionals.

"I was talking the same way this time last year after finishing sixth the year before. We knew we weren't going to be in the top five but we didn't expect to drop nine places.

"But if we stay up we'll be having the same chat 12 months from now and it's the same for the majority of the top six."

The air of caution around Ewood Park will be circulating rapidly this afternoon as Rovers welcome a set of new boys eager to impress on their return to the top flight.

And while the fixture computer could have thrown up trickier tests than West Brom at home, Souness reckons his side will have to work equally as hard for points every week.

He said: "For the next nine months I will be saying we have a difficult game because they are all really, really difficult games, whoever we play.

"It's important to make a good start because if we don't we heap pressure on ourselves.

"We'll do our best and give 100 per cent in every game and see where it takes us. Last season we had a good season away from home but at home we were miserable.

"We need to have as good a season as we did away from

home last season and win more home games and give our supporters a good weekend because there were too many miserable weekends last season."

New signing Dominic Matteo added: "I'm sure West Brom will be very well organised, very fit and will make it hard for us.

"We're looking forward to it because it's at home and we hope we can get a win under our belts."