STEVE Kean admits Rovers must respond to their relegation rivals’ revival but believes a shift in expectations could work in his side’s favour.

Ahead of this afternoon’s crucial trip to Swansea City, the Blackburn Rovers boss concedes the clock is ticking on their Premier League future with the games running out to save themselves from a financially disastrous drop into the Championship.

A defiant Kean though remains confident Rovers can make up the three-point gap to safety over the remaining five games, having watched some of their rivals up the stakes with a series of impressive results.

Kean said: “It is definitely time for us to respond, there’s no reason why we can’t. We did very well against Swansea in the first match at Ewood, they’re not on a great run.

“I had a look at them against QPR and there’s a number of things that we can take advantage of. We know the way they try to knock the ball about, they try to get their possession stats up and they try to play their football.

“There’s no reason why we can’t go there and get something.

“I think the games are running out.

“We’re in a position where we don’t want to be relying on the last game.

“We were in that position last year where it went down to the last game and it wasn’t nice. Over the next four games, before we play Chelsea, we want to get into a position where we are mathematically safe.”

Rovers appeared to be heading to Premier League safety when they moved six points clear of the danger zone with back to back wins over Wolves and Sunderland less than a month a go.

But a four-match losing streak since then – coupled with a resurgence from the likes of Bolton, QPR and Wigan – leaves them second from bottom and tipped by many to join Wolves in English football’s second tier.

Kean, in an attempt to shift the pressure on to his rivals, has questioned how their rivals will cope with their expectancy level after insisting they will now be feeling a new sort of pressure.

Kean said: “I think a few weeks ago we managed to put back to back wins together and people were saying ‘you’re definitely safe’ with QPR and Bolton struggling a bit.

“We’ve not managed to get anywhere near the amount of points that we wanted to get over the last couple of games.

“Now the pressure is on us.

“I actually think though on the flip side that people are now looking at QPR and expecting them to go to West Brom and win.

“They’re now looking at Wigan and thinking they’ve done very well against Chelsea away, they’ve beaten Manchester United, we expect them to get something from Arsenal.

“Sometimes then if they go there and don’t (get any points) that can be a negative for their team.

“If we can manage to get a result (at Swansea), it just swings.

“I’ve said that all along, it will keep turning week in and week out.

“There’s an expectancy there now.

“Everyone is saying QPR are going to go and roll over West Brom, but I don’t think it will be as easy as that because West Brom are a good side.”