Steve is keen on Blackburn Rovers old guard

The Blackburn Rovers boss has formed a ‘senior committee’ since taking charge at Ewood in December after insisting his senior players have a huge role on and off the field in determining the club’s future.

Ahead of today’s crucial visit of Birmingham, Kean revealed the likes of Ryan Nelsen, Chris Samba, David Dunn and Paul Robinson have been meeting with him once every two or three weeks, in the belief they can help get his message across.

They met again yesterday with Kean’s message to them loud and clear – ‘don’t waste the hard work we put in against Arsenal last weekend’.

He said: “We have got a senior group that I bring in and talk to once every two or three weeks. We don’t just talk about the games we talk about different aspects. It is like a senior committee.

“We talk about not just how we have been doing but things off the field. That senior group, your Chris Sambas, Ryan Nelsens, David Dunns, Paul Robinsons, these guys have been playing at a high level for a long time and have been up and down in every part of the league.

“The information I want to get across to the team, I give to them in more detail because they can comprehend the enormity of where we are at in the league but also that we are in a position where we have got a healthy group that has a great team spirit and togetherness.

“It is making sure that gets radiated right the way through to the younger guys. It doesn’t mean just a pat on the back, it could mean ‘you could have done that better’, ‘you could have stopped that cross’. It is still positive feedback but given from the senior guys can be as effective, if not more, as coming from the staff.

“The message this week is we might have come down a place but probably no one expected us to get anything from Arsenal. Everyone wrote us off so it is a brilliant point provided we add to it against Birmingham. That is the message.”

While Kean uses his ‘inner sanctum’ to help him, he believes the meetings also help players communicate any problems they have with his regime.

“It is a way for the players to say what they think as well. Sometimes it is tiny thing,” he said. “Maybe can we always start training at the same time. In the past it has varied and that upset the wives more than anything but the players like a consistency. It doesn’t matter to us, if that minimises a bit of friction and aggravation then fine.

“Or do we have to go overnight to a game in the north west, can we not stay in our own beds and meet up for a pre match? If that is the consensus of opinion then I have no problem with that.

“I picked the senior players myself. It is different dynamics, some English lads, some foreign lads. Some aren’t senior by age like Chris Samba. It is having an element of every part, for instance the French speaking lads can go back to Chris Samba. Everything gets pulled together.

“I had this at Fulham and I think it helps a manager get his message across and he can give it in much more detail.”

With Rovers and Birmingham just two points clear of the drop zone going into this afternoon’s clash, many are describing it as a ‘must-win’ in the fight for survival.

Kean himself was careful not to pile such pressure onto 90 minutes of football and, while recognising the importance of the game, was quick to warn nothing will be decided come 5pm whatever the result.

He said: “I think if you build the game up and it goes really, really well then that is fantastic but if you don’t manage to get the result you thought you were going to get then it can be very, very detrimental.

“We are being careful not to build everything up. We aren’t going to say the team that scores the first goal are going to survive in the Premier League because that is not the case.

"If you win that is not it and if you lose that is not it.

“It is about putting everything into perspective. We are moving forward and have gone two games unbeaten. You have to start somewhere.”