Savage: Blackburn back firing

Robbie Savage believes Blackburn have found their rhythm again after a poor start.

Last season's surprise package kicked off with a crushing 3-0 defeat away at Portsmouth, and had picked up just two points from their opening four fixtures.

But a battling 1-0 win at Middlesbrough on Saturday made it two wins out of two for Mark Hughes' men and Savage is convinced the improvement can be sustained.

"After a sticky start this team is on track again," Savage told the Daily Express.

"We were shocking at Portsmouth but gradually we've been getting better and better.

"We went into that opening game thinking we finished sixth last season and we're playing a team who've just avoided relegation. It's a mentality thing. You try not to think that way but it can happen.

"You get found out and it just shows you can't stroll around in this league. Last year counts for nothing.

"You can have the best players in the world - which we haven't - but unless your attitude is right, you're in trouble.

"Ever since then, we've been working on shutting down opponents, playing with a high tempo and not giving them time on the ball. The amount of times Boro kicked the ball out was credit to how hard we worked."

The 31-year-old suffered a cut nose in a typically tenacious performance at The Riverside, and is happy with his current form for Rovers.

"I'm probably playing my best football since I've been at Blackburn," he added.

"That's because I'm doing a lot of gym work which I've never done before.

"I covered a lot of ground against Boro and for the second away game in a row had to change my strip because it got bloodied.

"I don't mind. I give it out so I've got to take a few cuts here and there."

Congo striker Shabani Nonda scored the only goal of the game on his full debut for Rovers, ahead of the return leg against Red Bull Salzburg in the Uefa Cup on Thursday.