Blackburn Rovers legend Tony Parkes insists the only way to beat the Premier League drop is ‘by sticking together’ after urging fans not to let their club be turned into ‘an easy target’.

Rovers boss Steve Kean has come under heavy fire following Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Fulham but, with club owners vehemently denying he is set for the sack, Parkes believes a united Ewood Park can play a huge role in avoiding a ‘disastrous relegation’.

Parkes, who enjoyed 35 years at the club as a player and coach, has called such talk “detrimental” to Rovers’ cause and, after seeing the manager given a vote of confidence by his bosses, insists it is time to back Venky’s man.

Rovers entertain another of Parkes’ old clubs Blackpool next in a crunch clash in a fortnight and he believes the winner of that match will go on to secure Premier League safety.

He also agrees with Venky’s standing by Kean and is adamant if anyone is going to steer them to top flight safety it will be the current staff.

He said: “The only way that Blackburn Rovers will stay in the division is if everyone stays together. The club and the manager need the fans behind them.

“If we do all stay together I believe the club will get out of this trouble but make no mistake it is touch and go at the moment. People have to forget the past, forget any concerns they have, and just support the team.

“Steve Kean was first team coach before he was made manager and knows the players as well as anyone. Getting rid of him at this stage would have left them in even more serious trouble than they are in.

“The owners have rightly said they back him and that should be the end of it . Continuing to talk about the rumours is only detrimental to what is a massively important couple of months.”

Rovers latest defeat has led to huge backlash from supporters with owners Venky’s being subjected to heavy criticism about the way they have handled their early regime.

The sacking of Sam Allardyce and replacing him with the inexperienced Kean in December was always going to be regarded as a controversial and baffling decision but club scout Parkes insists there is no point in reflecting on the past.

“You can’t do anything about the press,” he said.

“Sam Allardyce had a lot of friends in the press and maybe Blackburn Rovers have become a bit of a target since.

“Whatever you think about what happened though that has gone, it is in the past.

"Nothing can be done to change the past, all anyone can do now is get behind the players and the manager because they are the people who can do something about the situation.

“Suddenly if the manager and players start getting booed and people call for sackings then they start believing the criticism and things get even worse.

"It is difficult but everyone has to stay behind them.

“The Blackpool game is huge for both teams and I think the team that wins the game will be fine come the end of the season.”