Dunn demands Rovers bravery

Dunn demands Rovers bravery

Published Apr. 23, 2011 3:15 p.m. ET

Rovers are one of five clubs in serious danger and face Manchester City at home on Monday with Roberto Mancini's side hunting victory to keep them in a Champions League spot. Blackburn midfielder Dunn insists his and others' experience of previous relegation battles will stand the club in good stead. Dunn said: "Quite a few of us have been in this before and we know what it takes. I've been down here before and it's a real fight. "There are going to be a lot of pressures and we need a lot of bottle out there on the pitch - not just running around fighting and kicking people, but when we get the ball we need to move around and show a lot of bottle when we have got it. "It's not just our club in that fight - there are several clubs down there that are in it. We are aware of the situation and the negativity around the place, but it's up to us to go out there and get some points." Rovers boss Steve Kean has come in for recent flak from their fans after slipping towards the drop zone, but the club's owners have insisted the manager's job is safe - something Dunn says will help the players. He added: "I think everyone understands our position. We've recently been taken over, we've got a new manager in and there are certain concerns I hear from fans, but we're all striving for the same thing. "It's important that everyone gets together and all push in the right direction, and that is what we aim to do. "I think when we are in this position, stability is always good. You hear many things out there that are mostly untrue, but it's great that the new owners have come out and publicly stated that the manager's job is fine. "We're all happy with that and we just want to go out on that pitch. One win is the key here and we need to get that win as quickly as we can." Blackburn have a tough run-in on paper, with home matches against both Manchester clubs and their last two away game relegation scraps at West Ham and Wolves, but Dunn claims it does not matter who they are facing. He said: "Everyone wants to play in this league because it's so competitive and every team can beat the other. For me in this run-in it is as likely that we could beat one of the top teams as it is that we could beat one of the bottom teams. "The run-in doesn't really concern us - we know what we have got to do in our camp, and if we can do it, we'll be okay." Ryan Nelsen and Vince Grella are injured for Rovers and Steven Nzonzi serves the last match of a three-game suspension. Roque Santa Cruz, meanwhile, is unavailable against his parent club. Junior Hoilett, however, the 20-year-old Canada-born striker, should be back after missing the defeat at Everton with a hamstring problem.

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