STEPHEN Warnock believes European qualification is essential if Blackburn Rovers want to attract top players this summer.

The full-back was as dejected as the rest of his Rovers team-mates with Sunday's disappointing 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.

A third successive Premier League game without a win has now left the club facing a mammoth task in salvaging their European aspirations - with games fast running out.

An Intertoto Cup berth is their only realistic hope, but sitting four points adrift of Aston Villa with four games remaining, the odds are stacking up against Rovers.

Warnock, however, remains optimistic and insists the club will pull out all the stops to reel in the maximum 12 points, which must include a victory over league leaders Manchester United on Saturday.

He insists qualifying for Europe is essential in helping manager Mark Hughes lure his big name targets this summer, while he insists Rovers have a point to prove after crashing out of this season's UEFA Cup at such an early stage.

"We let ourselves down in Europe - it was disappointing," said Warnock.

"But we need to be in Europe to attract better players to the club.

"We need to do that because that's where we believe we belong. We are good enough to play at that level.

"I think we've got to win all four games if we want to be in Europe again.

"We've got tough games coming up, but we know we are capable of getting results out of them.

"It's looking like the Intertoto Cup is the only way we'll get there.

"But we'll keep plugging away and I'm sure the manager won't let our standards drop and, hopefully, we'll bounce back with a good result against Manchester United."

After a strong start to their Premier League campaign, Rovers were well placed to qualify for Europe for a third successive year.

However, their challenge has stuttered since the turn of the New Year, while one win from their last six league matches has left them trailing Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the hunt for European spots.

"We've done well this season and we don't want to let things slip in the tail-end of the season - you want things to go as well as they can," added Warnock.

"It's important that we go into next season finishing well at the end of this season.

"People might say that's not necessarily important because it's just another new season, but we finished last season well and took it into this season."

And Warnock admits playing in the Intertoto Cup this summer is beneficial for Rovers ahead of the new league campaign.

He added: "Being in the Intertoto Cup was probably the reason why we had such a strong start of the season.

"The lads were all fully fit and raring to go. Our match-fitness was great and it's enjoyable being in the Intertoto Cup and playing competitive games right from the start.

"It can sometimes be tough playing friendlies and getting yourself through them to get your fitness, whereas you are straight into the Intertoto Cup, and it's tough.

"The teams you are playing are almost already upto full speed.

"They may be of a lesser standard as you are used to, but it's very competitive."