Blackburn boss Kean vows to fight on at Rovers

07 May 2012 08:46

Under-fire Blackburn boss Steve Kean claims he will not quit even if Rovers are relegated this season as his side prepares for a crunch clash with in-form Wigan on Monday.

Blackburn know they will join Wolves in the Championship next season if they fail to at least match the results of Bolton and QPR, who both play 24 hours earlier.

Victory over Roberto Martinez's Wigan would ensure Blackburn's fight to avoid relegation continues to the last day of the season, but then they face a daunting away trip to Champions League finalists Chelsea.

Yet Kean, who has been heavily criticised by Blackburn fans this season, refuses to contemplate his Rovers team competing in the second tier of English football next season.

The Scot insists he will not resign even if they do fail to stay up, although the club's Indian owners Venky's may take the matter out of his hands.

"I definitely want to be here and I expect to be here," Kean said.

"The target for us is to make sure we're in the division we want to be in which is the top division.

"I do expect to be here even if relegated. But I don't expect the club to be relegated."

Pressure is certainly on Blackburn to deliver a result against a Wigan side who were rooted at the foot of the table in March but have come to life in the closing weeks of the season.

Kean added: "We need to create a hostile atmosphere for the away team. It's a massive game.

"It's probably one of the biggest games that we've had at Ewood in years. It's our last home game and we will want to finish it off with a home win.

"We want everybody to get behind the team. We're not thinking about losing the game. That's not crossed my mind."

Blackburn were heavily criticised for their last performance in the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham last Sunday after failing to register a single shot.

Kean labelled the performance as unacceptable and is demanding a better effort against Wigan, who have won five of the last seven games.

"We need to make sure we start the game brighter. Tottenham had chances particularly in the first few minutes and we got pegged back," Kean said.

"We have to improve on that performance as we have another big game against Chelsea coming. We can't perform the way we did against Tottenham as that's unacceptable."

Martin Olsson is in line for a return to the Blackburn side after spending the last three games on the bench due to a niggling groin injury.

Bradley Orr will be given a late fitness test, but Grant Hanley will not return until next season.

After a season long battle against relegation, Wigan know victory will earn them an eighth successive campaign in the Premier League after impressive recent wins over Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.

But Martinez insists his side, who entertain relegated Wolves on the final day, have their work cut out against Blackburn.

The Spaniard, who is set to name the same side which hammered Newcastle 4-0 last Saturday, said: "We've got 37 points. I don't see it as enough so we are in the same position as Blackburn.

"What we can't do is think we've got another chance at home to Wolves on the last day and just concentrate on that.

"Our target is to get six points from the last two games and give everything we've got."

Source: AFP