Sunday 7 May 2017 17:30, UK
Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray admits relegation from the Sky Bet Championship is difficult to stomach but said the club "hadn't been good enough" this season.
A 3-1 victory at Brentford on Sunday could not keep Blackburn as fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest and Birmingham both won to confirm their safety.
Mowbray only took charge of Blackburn in February after Owen Coyle left by mutual consent, with the club 23rd in the table and three points from safety with 15 games remaining.
Blackburn lost just three times under Mowbray (W5 D7), but even a final-day victory was not enough as Rovers became the first Premier League champions (1995) to drop to England's third tier.
"I knew we were playing against a good team today who were good with the ball and they showed that at times," Mowbray said.
"We had to have a game plan coming into this game, the plan was just to try and win the match and see what was happening.
"We managed to do that but ultimately you get judged over the 46 games in a season and we have to accept it.
"Over the 46 games this year this group haven't been good enough to get the points required. But I couldn't question them in the 15 games I've been here. They've lost three from being second-bottom in the league.
"It has been a fantastic effort from them all. It feels a little bit unfair today because of the effort they have put in.
"Over the last five games if you'd have offered me 11 points I'd have snapped your hand off, but ultimately it hasn't been enough."
