I think Rovers will be fine. Yesterday's performance certainly didn't make me feel worse about the upcoming season, and I'd venture to say that there's reason for optimism.
First of all I should say that those who bemoan a lack of creativity in the center are correct. As far as I could tell, Sav and Reid have been instructed to fire the ball out wide to Bentley at every available opportunity. MGP didn't show much going forward with the ball (but really, when has he ever); his utility seems limited to late arrival in the box and dead balls.
Bentley, on the other hand, was outstanding. Once Roberts and Benni adjust to his style of play and are more able to attack the crosses he sends in, chances should come by the boatload. Emerton looked excellent on the overlap, as well. Perhaps there's something to be said for the defensive awareness enforced by lining up at right back; Emo knows he has to be running at a defender or getting back into defensive position, not simply dinking around with the ball near the touch line.
We shouldn't overlook the fact that width and early crosses were demanded by Chelsea's shape, and Hughes had certainly instructed our midfield players to spread the ball wide and fire in crosses. Boro apparently took advantage of just such an approach last week. So while it would've been nice to see Reidy tearing in on goal from the center circle and firing in a piledriver, I'm not shocked that it didn't play out that way. When you have Lampard/Ballack, Essien, and Makelele occupying the same 30 yards square in the middle of the pitch, the game is always going to spread wide. I thought Reid was fine in the middle (though not terribly impressive) and Sav was excellent (even after being booked for getting karate-kicked).
At the end of the day, we've just lost to the champions on a dodgy penalty and a goal off the break, when they spent a good half hour in the second half with ten men behind the ball, playing like a League One side in the cup. Nelsen will be back, Ooijer can't play worse, Emo has clearly revealed himself as a solid option in the backline (though let's see him play a game where the opposition is fielding a winger), and Neill has proved capable (for once) on the left. If Roberts finds his way to an inviting cross or two and either of two threatening free kicks goes in (or Clattenburg awards a penalty for Carvalho's shirt-tug), we're talking about the one-off poor performance at Pompey and top four dreams.
So let's everybody take a moment and relax.