GOALKEEPER Jason Steele has admitted Blackburn Rovers have to work harder and take more pride in their performances after a shocking start to the season he insists no-one in the squad saw coming.

Rock-bottom Rovers head to Cardiff City tomorrow looking to pick up their first point of the Championship campaign after going down 3-0 at Wigan Athletic and 4-1 at home to Norwich City.

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Wigan were two goals to the good at half-time at the DW Stadium on Saturday while Norwich were three up on the opening day after another depressingly one-sided first half.

And Steele, who took full responsibility for the goal that doubled the Latics’ advantage, said: “We had a really good pre-season and I came into the season on a high. We all did.

“We thought we were a really hardworking team with a bit of quality.

“But the hard-working side is really letting us down at the minute and we can only start that by doing that at the training ground.

“Each and every one of us have got to have more pride about our performances and show something now.

“You can’t be conceding five goals in 90 minutes, or two first halves, of football. You’re on a hiding to nothing if you keep doing that.

“It’s something we’ve got to address quickly because we’ve been 5-0 down at half-time over the course of two games. It’s not good enough.”

Wigan would have been further in front at the break had it not been for gilt-edged misses from Alex Gilbey and Yanic Wildschut.

And Steele said: “We can have no complaints. First half we were by far second best. We’re all bitterly disappointed.

“We didn’t start until the second half and, just as I felt we were getting on top in the game, we go and concede another one and it’s game over.

“There were some voices and opinions at half-time, and a lot of things were said, and we reacted quite well, and if we’d have nicked a goal there might have been a chance for us, but it wasn’t to be and we’ve got to move on and quickly.”

Adam Henley was at fault for Will Grigg’s opener and Shane Duffy’s own goal ended Rovers’ hopes of a comeback.

But Steele accepted he should have saved Nick Powell’s free kick.

“I’m disappointed,” said the former England Under-21 international, who was part of the Rovers backline which had the eighth best defensive record in the Championship last season.

“I don’t like conceding goals full stop. Last week I conceded four goals and it was one of the only times I’ve come off the pitch and thought there was not much I could do.

“Now it’s another three goals. I’ve never experienced two games like it.

“The second goal, without a doubt, I shouldn’t get beat at my near post. I’ll hold my hands up.

“I probably showed him too much of my near post. I was thinking he was going to cross it in because a lot of the time you’d whip it across the face of goal.

“But to be fair he hit a good free kick.”

Rovers have so far sold around 200 tickets for tomorrow’s trip to the Welsh capital.

And Steele said: “We understand why the supporters are unhappy.

“None of us can help what goes on other than what goes on the pitch and, as far as I’m concerned, if the fans are with us, we’ll have more of a chance of winning football matches.

“We had spells when we had Wigan under the cosh for 15-20 minutes and I thought the fans reacted really well, they were positive towards us, but then we went 3-0 down.

“Hopefully we’ll get everybody on board and start the season on Wednesday because we haven’t started very well.”