KENNY Dalglish believes his old club have not had the breaks they deserved, as they stand on the brink of the relegation precipice.

Alex Ferguson and Manchester United are aiming to topple Blackburn Rovers at Ewood tonight, put one hand on the Premiership trophy and, at the same time, condemn their own old boy Brian Kidd to Division One.

But former Ewood manager Dalglish, saddened by Rovers' plight, revealed today that he feels they have suffered rough justice, especially on the injury front.

"They have had horrendous injuries," he said.

"People say that is part and parcel of the game but there's a level of fairness that Rovers have gone way past.

"If they had been given an even break, or a more even run of luck with injuries they would not be anywhere near their present position.

"The most important thing for them now is that they go out and try to do their best to avoid relegation.

"If they win their two games there is still hope. "But, if it happens, they have to analyse and look at things and get themselves back up to where they should be and deserve to be.

"Given an even break they would not be anywhere near the position they are in.

"I don't want that to sound patronising towards them, because I am sure that is the view most people hold."

Many fans trace the start of Rovers' decline back to the club's failure to strengthen the championship squad after Kenny stepped upstairs and Ray Harford took over as manager.

But few felt it would come to the present situation where their Premiership status is hanging by a thread.

Dalglish is saddened by it all.

"It doesn't give me any pleasure whatsoever. It's sad to see anybody go down but especially when it is somewhere you have worked before and have feelings for.

"There are so many decent people at Blackburn.

"Every time you go back there they are always so warm and friendly and I don't just mean the staff and directors. "There is certainly a bit of sentiment in the situation for me and if I had a league table of choice, Rovers would be a long way away from going down.

"Everything about the club is so good and the facilities, not just at Ewood but also at the training ground, are right.

"And there is the Academy getting going."

Meanwhile, Brian Kidd, as we revealed in last night's later editions, believes he owes a debt to the man who gave him his big break in the game - United boss Alex Ferguson.

Kidd now has to try to hit United's title hopes but he still paid tribute to his former manager when he said: "I owe the man.

"Everybody knows the respect and admiration I have for the gaffer and for the faith he had in me.

"I am deeply grateful for the chance he gave me."

Ferguson, however, is the man who could push Kidd and Rovers down tonight and, despite their friendship, he will have no hesitation in doing so.

There is no room for sentiment in the game. Fergie said: "This is the horrible part of the game when we have to go out and try to beat someone who did so much for this club.

"It's a fact that this is the kind of situation that nobody ever wants.

"But this is how the football fates seem to fall at times. Kiddo knows what it's all about though.

"He knows we have to go out and beat Blackburn if we are going to win the title.

"His team stands in the way of us winning the league. Winning is the name of the game.

"Sentiment can't come into it. You can't afford to think of Kiddo and what might happen to his team. We both know that.

"Yes, it is strange how things work out.

"We won so much together and he was a very good servant for Manchester United. But we just have a job to do."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.