THE debate raged across the table. Two Rovers supporters on opposite sides, one Rovers player the subject of their difference of opinion.

Marcus Bent. Is he the rapier-sharp striker we need, the perfect foil for Matt Jansen, someone who'll always give '110% effort'?

Or is he an idle so-and-so, the perfect replacement for Nathan Blake, more predictable than predatory?

Both camps dug in deep and fired the occasional mortar into No Man's Land to demonstrate the strength of their opinion. 'What about the goal he put on a plate for Jansen in the derby match?' 'But why didn't he follow in the shotthat bounced off the Sheffield 'keeper?'

By the end of the evening, as often in trench warfare, neither side had advanced an inch, nor retreated one. But then, what would football be without opinions?

As victory at Loftus Road became a matter of fact not opinion, Rovers advanced across the minefield between themselves and the Premiership. It may not have been pretty but it was pretty effective in the end and, in my opinion, the pressure will be less for Souness's men in having more matches on enemy territory before the end of this campaign.

When battle-hardened followers of past Rovers crusades gather together, the conversation often turns to famous skirmishes on foreign turf when Rovers, under Howard Kendall and King Kenny, were invincible away from home.

Now, without fanfare (but with drums beating), it's happening again. The Barmy Army that endured winless away trips until mid-October has enjoyed nine victories and three draws in thirteen away League games since. That adds up to a happy band of foot soldiers, in my view.

As against QPR, Rovers seem to do just enough to see off their opponents. Like the manager's cardiologist, we fans often wish they'd make it easier on the nerves by killing off weaker adversaries sooner, but we're not complaining really.

Fulham tomorrow will be a stern test of the capabilities of the Souness fighting unit and should be well worth watching. I expect the manager will stick with his preferred battle-line of three at the back.

It's interesting though that, while opinions differ sharply on Marcus Bent, there's a unanimous view from fans I've spoken to on our defence. Play Bjornebye in a back four is the view from the stands. The manager disagrees.

That's only his opinion, of course. But it's the one that counts!