'LIKE watching a pub team against a Premiership side' commented a friend following the Villa debacle.

I hesitated before using this analogy as I anticipated my editor might be inundated with complaints from pub team managers insulted by the comparison.

I also considered compiling my column by listing the positives to be taken from the last two games.

And then leaving a blank space. Whilst this would have been a highly effective indictment, conscience forbade me from earning my fee in such economic fashion.

I had hoped the season had reached its nadir last Wednesday night at Upton Park. With depressing predictability we became the only one of 14 visiting sides to lose there this season.

After we took the lead the travelling contingent lost no time in reminding the home fans that next season would no doubt see them sampling the delights of the local hostelries in Burnley (or words to that effect).

Whilst that will undoubtedly prove to be the case come the end of the season, the hapless Hammers still had the last laugh on the night.

The result was bad enough. What was even worse was the manner of the defeat. No obvious passion, desire, commitment or will to win.

Not one player prepared to carry the game to the home side who, despite their obvious failings, wanted the result more.

It couldn't get any worse than that could it? It sure could. If there was any justice in the world, Rovers should refund the admission fee of those hardy souls who decided not to opt for the comforts of watching the Villa game on Sky.

You don't have to be mad to be a football fan. But it helps. Around 15 hours on the road over the last week, travelling 750 miles for the privilege of watching two on-target efforts over 180 minutes.

That last statistic says it all. So what's gone wrong?

Not much really. Only the fact that the defence has started leaking goals at an alarming rate.

And the fact an anonymous midfield has lost the battle for supremacy and failed to create ANY (let alone many) chances for the forwards.

Tugay has found it virtually impossible to pass to a blue and white shirt recently and when he's not on song we struggle. Hard-working David Thompson is in a poor run of form. On the left Damien Duff is desperately missed.

Why has form dipped so alarmingly over the last month? To coin a Souness phrase is it because the team have 'taken their eye off the ball'? Souey has long professed the view that the aim this season is Premiership survival.

Given the standard of the bottom three sides there's half a chance that this has been achieved even with our current points total and the team are certainly playing as if their work for the season has been done.

This simply isn't acceptable. The fans won't get a third off next year's season tickets if results don't improve over the next 12 games.

Sunderland won't score another three own goals tomorrow night either and somehow we simply have to rediscover our motivation and urgency in time for the tie which has suddenly taken on monumental significance in the context of the season.