OWEN Coyle has told his wantaway stars Shane Duffy and Ben Marshall to improve their performances in a Blackburn Rovers shirt - even if they want to leave Ewood Park.

Irishman Duffy has endured a shocking start to the season, collecting three own goals and a red card as his side have slumped to three Championship defeats on the spin.

Both he and Marshall rejected new contract offers last week and are the subject of renewed interest from Championship rivals.

Fulham are reportedly lining up a bid for Marshall and Brighton & Hove Albion are keen on landing Duffy.

But Coyle, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s crucial home clash with Burton Albion, says they must concentrate on their performances on the pitch while the maelstrom swirls around them off it.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I always try to be protective of anybody that plays here at Blackburn Rovers.

“There’s no doubt that when you’re in that situation where there’s been interest and offers for both players, Ben and Shane, then of course people can get their heads turned by somebody in one ear telling you this and somebody in the other ear telling you that.

“As footballers, the only thing you can control is your level of play and getting on the field and trying, as difficult sometimes as it is, to park all those outside influences to the one side, go and play your game and do what brought you to the level in the first place.

“And really that’s the message to those boys; control what you can and that’s on the football field.

“By doing that, although you’ve already got interest, maybe there’s more interest.

“It maybe then that the owners say, ‘I’m going to give you X, Y and Z to stay at the club’.

“I think you control your own destiny in that respect.

“But those players are both under contract to Blackburn Rovers and that’s where we are. It’s the same with any player.

“If offers come in then of course you look at it on its merits and take it from there.

“We’re not looking here to throw anybody under the bus. That’s not how we work.

“We know deep down those are decent lads and everything that goes with it.

“What we’re trying to do is get to a point where they can control their football and not be listening to outside influences.”

Coyle said there have been no new offers tabled for either player, and told possible suitors to put their money where their mouth if they want to prise his players away from Rovers.

“We’ve had no fresh written offers but that’s not to say representatives aren’t doing what they do as that’s the nature of the game,” he added.

“If somebody wants them, make those offers.

“I want players who want to be at Blackburn Rovers, I want players who are totally committed to give everything they’ve got.

“Talent is a fantastic thing, but talent is only able to show itself when all the hard work comes off the back of it.

“Hard work will always beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

“At the end of the day we have to get a team on that field which will represent our supporters and by doing that it will be enough to win points and move up the table.”