The SIMON GARNER column. . .

NOW that Andy Cole has gone to Fulham and Dwight Yorke will soon follow him out of Ewood Park, the question is do Rovers have the fire power good enough to do a job in the Premiership.

Personally, I think we do.

Jon Stead, Paul Gallagher, Matt Jansen and Paul Dickov are the men responsible for getting the goals and I think they are up to the job.

It is going to be a big campaign for the likes of Stead and Gallagher, who have lost that unknown quantity they had last season, while Jansen has to prove that he is back to full fitness.

And Dickov will undoubtedly add some valuable experience.

But which two does Graeme Souness start the season with?

I might surprise a few people by saying I would not have Dickov in my starting line-up and would plump for Stead and Gallagher.

Stead has to be Souey's first choice striker and I think he is capable of scoring 20 goals in a season while Gallagher did well enough last season to warrant a place in the team.

The two young strikers were one of the few pluses from last season and should be given a decent crack at establishing themselves as first choice strikers.

Dickov is a good signing for the club but I am not sure he can last 90 minutes -- especially at the beginning of the season when games are coming thick and fast.

But whatever partnership Souey's opts for, I think they can all work with each other. It is good to see Jansen back in the squad because he can offer something a little different. He can play down the middle, wide on the left or in a withdrawn role behind the strikers.

My only concern is that if Stead is injured or goes through a lean spell, where will the goals come from.

Dickov is capable of getting 10 goals a season while Gallagher will hopefully do a little better in front of goal than he did last season.

The club doesn't have the funds to splash out on a new striker so I would trust in the four strikers we have right now. If it doesn't work, then there is always the January transfer window.

Boot camp boost

I'M glad to hear that the Rovers players are getting a bit of a boot camp experience in Germany because I think it will do them the power of good.

Pre-season is all about training, playing games and getting ready for the big kick-off.

It is not about a round of golf and a night out with the lads -- that's a holiday not pre-season.

It seems Graeme is putting his players through their paces and making sure there are no distractions. They're in Germany to get fit and make sure they are in peak condition for the Premiership kick off on August 14.

I remember our pre-seasons when I was at Rovers and I hated them!

I didn't mind playing the games, when we went on tour to Sweden or the Isle of Man, but when it came to cross country and running up and down hills in Pleasington, I was useless.

Clubs today concentrate on things like conditioning and even have dieticians -- thank God they didn't have one of those in my time!