BLACKBURN ROVERS today admitted they have had talks about the possibility of signing Turkish strike-ace Hakan Sukur.

Manager Graeme Souness held preliminary discussions with a third party about luring the Inter Milan star to Ewood after missing out on former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler.

But the Ewood chief now looks set to turn his attentions elsewhere in an attempt to boost his striking options in the wake of Rovers' 2-1 defeat against Leeds yesterday.

"Graeme did think about going for Hakan and had some preliminary discussions with someone working on his behalf but we don't think that's going to happen now," said chief executive John Williams today.

Souness has been repeatedly linked with the 30-year-old in recent weeks after the pair worked together successfully at Galatasaray.

But, despite stories over the weekend claiming Rovers were close to agreeing a deal for the Turkish international, that move now appears to be dead in the water.

And reports of Souness switching his attentions to Portsmouth frontman Peter Crouch are also wide of the mark.

Rovers DID have the giant striker watched recently after the former QPR man was recommended through a third party.

But Souness has now cooled his interest in that direction, although he is still keen to bring in extra cover for Matt Jansen and Ciccio Grabbi.

Meanwhile, Souness today urged fans and players alike to keep the faith despite crashing to a second successive home defeat yesterday.

"On another day we would have won that game," said Souness.

"Leeds had a very good 10 minutes at the start of the game and another good five minutes at the end of the first half.

"But we bossed the rest of the game. I thought we played some excellent football at times and we caused them lots of problems.

"If we keep playing like that, though, then we'll be fine because we're currently playing with a great deal of fire and spirit.

"I just feel sorry for the players because they've put so much work in again like last week and got nothing from it.

"But we have to keep on believing because we had them rattled for long periods of the game and they're a team who a lot of people think are potential champions of England.

"We had chances which you'd normally expect to end up in the back of the net but on the day it just wasn't to be and Leeds enjoyed the luck that was going."

"But they're always going to be dangerous because they have some quality players."

Those thoughts were also echoed by Rovers defender Lucas Neill.

"It's disappointing because I thought we more than matched them," said Neill. "We didn't sit back and get intimidated by a big team which cost a lot of money to put together. We took it to them and for long spells I thought we were the better team. But, in the end, clinical finishing cost us the game."

ROVERS were drawn away to First Division strugglers Barnsley in the third round of the FA Cup yesterday.

But manager Graeme Souness was busy preparing his squad for tomorrow's Worthington Cup quarter-final against Arsenal at Ewood rather than thinking about a trip to Oakwell in January.

"It's an interesting draw but I've got enough on my plate to think about at the moment rather than that."