BLACKBURN Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray believes he can lead the club to Championship safety and wants that to be the start of an exciting new Ewood era.

Mowbray takes charge of Rovers for the first time tonight at Burton Albion (7.45pm) having being appointed as head coach on an 18 month deal on Wednesday following the departure of Owen Coyle.

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The 53-year-old has 15 games to save Rovers from relegation to League One but is confident in his ability to turn things around.

“We’re second bottom of the Championship and we have to win some matches,” Mowbray said. “I have to respect that’s why I’m sitting here.

“My job is to win some games and get us away from the situation we’re in and then look to try and build a team that can try and compete at the other end of the table.

“I believe that if we can get the club going in the right direction then it will take some stopping.

“But the situation we find ourselves in reswe have to get ults.

"I’m not here to play pretty football and to do things other than find the best balance with these players and win some games.

“Football is in my blood and the Championship is a league I think I can work well in. I know I can build football teams and win games and I’m looking forward to that challenge.

“I truly believe I can help this club win games and, looking forward, build a style that the supporters will enjoy and want to watch.

“I try and create an environment at the football club where players want to come to work.

“I’m looking forward to seeing if we can create some positive vibes at the football club.”

Mowbray takes charge of Rovers during a busy spell of games, with today’s trip to Burton the first of seven Championship fixtures in 22 days.

The former Celtic and Middlesbrough boss has been out of work since resigning from Coventry City in September.

The Sky Blues job was one he took on in March 2015 with the club in a not too dissimilar position to Rovers.

Mowbray led them to League One safety in the final months of the 2014/15 season, before finishing the calendar year with his side top of the table.

And he’s hoping for a similar revival for Rovers.

He added: “My last club, Coventry City, have some problems and some issues and the full season I had there, there were no issues. The fanbase were solely behind the football club and it helped because the football club were winning and we were at the top end of the table.

“The team on the pitch galvanised the football club and as a coach I want to try and galvanise this football club.

“How do you do that? I focus on the team and on the players. I want a guy who comes to the games on a Saturday to go in the pub that night and say to his mates ‘Rovers were good today, they scored some great goals’.

“The only way to have a positive vibe at a football club is by winning matches.

“If we can get some results then let’s try and build the club, turn it round and put it back in the right direction.

“All the other stuff on the outside is there until we hopefully put the club back to where it belongs, and even then it might not (go away), I understand that some things run deep, but for me as a football guy I want to create a team that the fans are proud of and this is a team that people want to come and watch.”

And Mowbray believes Rovers have all the ingredients to succeed, adding: “This is a Premier League set-up. I believe that if we can get it going in the right direction then it will take some stopping and people will want to come to this football club, have a look around and go, ‘I want some of that.

“I hope that the people who support this club respect that the lads on the pitch are giving everything for this club and hopefully find some unity to move forward.

“We can dream and think that will happen really fast, but first we have to win some games.