Blackburn fans are harming their own team with their 'vicious' attacks on manager Steve Kean, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has claimed.
Kean was subjected to a torrent of abuse from the stands when Rovers lost at home to Bolton on Tuesday.
Pardew, who worked with Kean at Reading, said: "If they want to carry on like they are doing, all they are going to do is harm their own team. I can't see the logic in that."
He added: "It's a sign of the game. I don't know whether 20, 30 years ago, it would have been quite as vicious to Steve Kean. I know him well - he's a personal friend of mine - so I have great sympathy for the position he is in.
"There are a lot of factors in why he's receiving that. I don't go along with it and I don't think any member of the LMA (League Managers' Association) would go along with it in their right mind. He's trying to do the best job he can do. He has been given the job to do and that's what he is trying to do.
"He should be left alone to do that and it will be beneficial to the team if the fans take that view."
Celtic counterpart Neil Lennon, who also knows Kean, believes the Rovers boss seems to be in a no-win situation.
He said: "For me, it seems like he has never had the chance to do his job properly. For whatever reason, the support have never taken to him.
"Even when they were winning games like the other week, there was no pleasing supporters then. I know Steve from being on a few coaching courses and I know his assistant Iain Brunskill, who was with me on the Pro Licence.
"They are good football guys. At the end of the day it is a results-driven business and I just hope they start picking up positive results because there is a danger they could get detached from the rest of the clubs there. But in terms of the treatment, it's not on, it's not fair and I would hate to work in an environment like that."
Source: PA
