PAUL Robinson is confident there will be no repeat of Leeds United’s Premier League plunge at Ewood Park – after insisting the close of the transfer window has brought some vital stability.

The Blackburn Rovers skipper suffered relegation from the top flight at Leeds United in 2004 but, ahead of this evening’s crucial visit of Sunderland, claims there is a very different feel around his current club’s scrap for survival.

Rovers know victory tonight, their first back to back league wins under Steve Kean’s management, would send them six points clear of the drop zone with just nine games remaining.

Robinson said: “The difference here is that this a stable club with a solid background. You are not coming into the dressing room each day wondering if players are still going to be there, as was the case at Leeds.

“When we went down with Leeds it was more about the financial situation, it was more like the Glasgow Rangers situation than what we have here.

“Here we have got a group of players who want to be here. We’ve got a very solid foundation and I think we’ve got a very good chance of getting out of it.”

The January transfer window saw a number of experienced players leave Ewood, including the likes of Ryan Nelsen, Keith Andrews and Jason Roberts.

Former skipper Chris Samba quickly followed them out of the door, joining Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala, but Robinson believes an end to that uncertain period has helped the club kick on.

“Now the transfer window has closed we’ve got a group of players who want to be here,” he said. “We realise the situation we are in and everybody is pulling in the same direction.

“There’s obviously going to be speculation about this club because of the owners and the financial situation, and whether there are going to be players coming in or leaving during the transfer window.

“In every window there is unrest and unsettlement but now the transfer window has closed it has given us a platform. We know what we’ve got and what we have to do to pull Blackburn Rovers off the bottom.”

Boss Kean has echoed his captain’s call, going into his 50th Premier League game in charge, after admitting Samba’s situation was unsettling for all concerned.

He said: “We’ve got a good spirit. A young emerging team. Everyone on this training ground wants to be here. I’ve said that for a number of weeks.

“In the past we’ve had a couple of lads disillusioned who wanted away. They’ve gone now and we wish them well. Everyone who is here now wants to be here.

“There was never any negativity or irritation. But if someone puts in a transfer request, like Chris, and he doesn’t want to be here then it’s going to effect us. He was in a bad place but he’s moved on.

“Now we’ve got a younger player who has come in - Grant Hanley. He’ll play with Scott Dann and is showing he’s well capable of being a Premier League player.”