Under-fire Steve Kean says Blackburn are treating their upcoming run of games as 'cup finals' as they look to climb the table.
Beleaguered manager insists upcoming matches are must-wins
Under-fire Steve Kean says Blackburn are treating their upcoming run of games as 'cup finals' as they look to climb out of the Premier League basement.
Rovers are currently rock-bottom of the standings having failed to win a league game since September 17th, while they exited the Carling Cup at the hands of Championship side Cardiff in midweek.
Despite their lowly spot in the table, manager Kean has taken positives from Blackburn's displays against high-profile opposition such as Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea this season.
But the boss admits it is how they fare in upcoming meetings with the likes of Swansea, Sunderland, West Brom and Bolton that will be crucial.
Massive
Rovers' next challenge will come against the Swans at Ewood Park on Saturday, where Kean is likely to be met with a hostile reception, with many fans calling for his head.
He told the club's
official website: "We need to get back to winning ways in the league. Saturday is massive for us.
"We are in a position now where we need to treat Saturday's game like a cup final.
"We've got Swansea, Sunderland, West Brom and Bolton all coming up, teams that we feel as though we are in touching distance of.
"We've played a lot of the teams that are up there in the top four or five, so these are games that become our cup finals."
He added on
Sky Sports News: "The amount of games we've had at home this season, we've played very well in a number of games.
"We've played against a lot of big clubs. We've beaten Arsenal, we've played well against Tottenham. I feel as though we should've got something out of that.
"We played against Chelsea, we played very well and narrowly lost. But I think it's about victories now.
"There's a time where you can take positives from playing well against these clubs but what we need to do now is get points."
Kean is adamant Blackburn can get things back on track, adding: "I believe we'll get the points. I believe we can go on an unbeaten run.
"I think the lads have showed, in the games that I mentioned, that they can perform at the highest level against the clubs that are going to be up there challenging for the championship so we need to perform now in these games and I'm sure we will."
Venky's
Kean has been in regular contact with Blackburn owners Venky's, who he says are "concerned" at the team's league position but understanding about the injury problems the Scot has had to contend with.
"We have got a board meeting on Monday to speak about the transfer window," he said.
"The owners are obviously concerned at the position we are in, but I think they also understand that the selection process will now be tougher for myself because of the amount of players who are coming back.
"We have had key players missing and it is a fact we have had to deal with.
"But now we are in a position where we can get players like Samba, Salgado and Olsson back available for selection."
Asked if the owners were still supportive, Kean said: "Yes, 100 per cent. That has never ebbed or quivered one day.
"They are fantastically behind everything we are trying to do and I think they are excited about this period of games as well."
