Blackburn owners ponder 'plan of action' to halt slide

The owners of Blackburn say they will come up with a "plan of action" this week following the club's poor start to the season.

Since taking over Rovers just under a year ago, Indian poultry firm Venky's have seen the team narrowly avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League last term and lose five of their seven league fixtures to date in the current campaign.

Blackburn are 19th in the table and the pressure is mounting on manager Steve Kean, who was installed as a replacement for Sam Allardyce by Venky's shortly after they completed their buyout.

During and after Saturday's 4-0 defeat to Manchester City at Ewood Park, a section of Rovers fans loudly voiced their dissatisfaction and held up 'Kean Out' banners.

Blackburn are in India this week and Venkatesh Rao, who co-owns the club with his brother Balaji Rao and sister Anuradha Desai via Venky's, says a "very big discussion" is going to take place about the situation in the next few days.

"I have spoken with Steve and we are working on our weak points," he told Sky Sports News.

"We are going to sit this weekend and we are going to have a very big discussion over this.

"I'm sure we are going into the depth of it and believe me, myself, my sister and my brother, all of us are going to sit and have a long, long chat and come out with some plan of action."

Rao stressed the importance of the Blackburn supporters making their opinions known about the club's plight.

"It is like a family and we should know totally what the fans feel about it," he said.

"It is an open interaction, so that we know exactly where we are going wrong, where we are doing good and where we can improve ourselves."

Rao admits Venky's must take some of the blame for what has happened, but was keen to emphasise their commitment to Blackburn and determination to succeed "at any cost."

He said: "We treat the club as a family and work as a family.

"We want to see this club running successfully at any cost - whether the value is by time, money, expressions or feelings.

"I think we are going to be here for a long time and we are going to see the club be very successful with the help of the entire team. We are there to stay and serve the fans.

"The responsibility is not just on the club - it is ours also and we are equally disappointed, not with the players or anybody, but with ourselves.

"We promise the fans that we will deliver results by hook or by crook.

"I would ask to kindly bear with us for some time, because the conclusion will be good."

Meanwhile, Rovers midfielder David Dunn has expressed his disappointment at the way the fans vented their frustrations at the weekend.

"It was disappointing," Dunn told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"If you had asked the fans before the season would they have taken four points from Fulham and Newcastle away and Arsenal and Manchester City at home, many would say yes.

"Going further back, if we had converted our two penalties against Everton we would be sat 11th or 12th with probably not much being said.

"The booing and the jeering doesn't help anyone. From a players' point of view, we see the hard work the manager and the staff do so it is disappointing to see the reaction.

"I am hoping it is just a minority. I heard the guys that are leading the protest on the radio and it is poor. To be leading protests is poor."

PA