BARRY Ferguson had to contend with a barrage of criticism during his first few weeks as a Blackburn player.

Pundits like Ian St John were quick to point the finger as the former Rangers captain made the transition from the SPL to the Premiership.

But judging by his recent performances in a Rovers shirt, Barry is now starting to enjoy his new life in England and don't be surprised if he ends up being named Blackburn's player of the year next May.

When any player switches clubs, there's always a settling in period.

Not only has he got to adjust to playing with new team-mates under a new manager but he also has to cope with the stress of relocating his family, too, which if anything is even harder than making the transition on the pitch.

It's an unsettling time for everyone and it does take a good few months to adapt to your new surroundings.

In Barry's case, he also had to bridge the gulf in class between the SPL and the Premiership, which is no mean feat in itself.

With that in mind, I think he's settled in pretty quickly.

There was a lot of pressure on him when he first moved down from Scotland.

Rovers had splashed out big money on a player who had a big reputation north of the border and people were queuing up to see him fall flat on his face, particularly those who were bitter about him leaving Rangers.

Graeme Souness also added to that pressure by describing him as Blackburn's answer to Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira when he first signed, which is some accolade when you think about it.

Only time will tell how right he is but if Fergie turns out to be even half the player Keane and Vieira are then he'll prove to be an excellent buy for Blackburn Rovers.

In the meantime, we should get a clearer picture of just how good Barry is in the next few days as he takes on two of the best midfielders in the business.

Tonight he will come face to face with Edgar Davids in Amsterdam as Scotland take on Holland in the second leg of their Euro 2004 play-off.

By all accounts, Barry came out on top when the two went head-to-head on Saturday at Hampden and the Scots will need him on top form again if they are to book a place in Portugal.

Then it's the small matter of a trip to Old Trafford and a meeting with Manchester United and Roy Keane on Saturday.

Once again, Rovers will need Fergie firing on all cylinders if they are to come away with any kind of result against the champions but I'm sure he'll be up for the challenge.

That will be his first ever visit to the Theatre of Dreams in the Premiership and he'll be desperate to put on a show, if only to make his critics eat some humble pie.