BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has warned his young guns of the dangers of showboating ahead of today's trip to Queens Park Rangers.

Souness felt some of his players failed to show the necessary application against Sheffield United in midweek after getting carried away by Sunday's derby demolition.

And he has promised to crack down hard on anyone who fails to tow the line over the next nine games as Rovers chase their dream of a Premiership return.

"I think there's a danger with younger players that they think they can start from where they left off," said Souness.

"But what some of them don't realise is to get to the situation we found ourselves in against Burnley we first had to fight a hard, physical battle.

"You have to fight for the right to showboat and once we've scored four or five goals I don't mind people doing that.

"I just felt we weren't fully switched on for the job in hand against Sheffield United. So what they've learnt, I hope, is that no two games are going to be the same.

"Every time you start a game of football, what happened in the previous match counts for nothing.

"We've got some tough games to come and we're going to have to dig-in, fight and scrap on occasions between now and the end of the season."

Souness, however, believes his side do have the mental toughness to cope with the pressure during the run-in.

"I don't think nerves will be the problem," said Souness. "We are a young team who only want to play football.

"And then we have some old people who have been there, bought the ticket, the video, T-shirt and everything else that goes with it.

"So we should be more than capable of handling any pressure."