BLACKBURN Rovers' recent defensive problems prompted calls for the immediate return of Craig Short.

But I'm not so sure if Graeme Souness should be rushing to bring back the veteran defender given the way that Andy Todd has been performing since he returned from his loan spell with Burnley.

I've got to admit I wasn't convinced by the former Bolton defender on the few occasions he got to play last season.

He angered fans when he kicked Christophe Dugarry up the backside in January -- a senseless act which cost us two points against Birmingham.

But I've got to say he looks far more focused now and it would be extremely harsh if Graeme bombed him out of the side on current form because he's barely put a foot wrong since his Turf Moor sabbatical.

Based on their performances against Everton on Monday night, he and Markus Babbel would appear to have the makings of a decent partnership, assuming they are given time to develop it.

That was the most solid we've looked defensively for some time, which is why I think Graeme must resist the temptation to bring back Shorty for next week's trip to Old Trafford.

What impresses me about Todd is he's not afraid to put a foot in.

He's the type of player who takes no prisoners and when you are struggling at the wrong end of the table, that's exactly the type of character you need in your side to see you through the bad times.

As a striker, I certainly wouldn't like to play against someone like Andy week-in, week out because you'd know you were in for a battle.

On top of that, he can also play a bit, too. One of the main reasons why Graeme replaced Henning Berg with Lorenzo Amoruso in the summer was he wanted a ball-playing centre half because possession is nine 10ths of the law in the Premiership.

Now Todd looks as though he could be the man to fill that role while Amo recuperates from his knee op.

He certainly appears to be a good foil for Markus Babbel, who is starting to make his own mark at the back for Rovers.

Todd's aggression combined with Babbel's sense of calm looks like a potentially winning formula, assuming the rest of the side can cut down on the individual errors which have cost us dearly in recent weeks.

That first clean sheet is still proving to be elusive but, with a little more concentration, I'm sure it won't be long in coming.

In the meantime, the other thing that impressed me about Monday night was the positive start we made.

It's imperative you go out with the right attitude at this level because what happens in that first 20 minutes sets the tone for the rest of the game.

I'd still like to see Graeme add a genuine target-man to his squad, maybe when the January transfer window opens.

That would give us a few extra options up front but right now, it's all about working with what you've got and although one good result doesn't constitute the turning of the corner, at least it's a start.