Blackburn boss Steve Kean wants to put contract talks with Rovers on hold until they improve their league position.
Rovers boss claims they have missed influential skipper this term
Blackburn boss Steve Kean wants to put contract talks with Rovers on hold until they improve their league position.
The Ewood Park outfit are currently second from bottom in the Premier League as they continue to struggle this term.
Kean's present deal is not due to expire until June 2013, but there had been speculation that the club's Indian owners, Venky's, had given him an extension.
Those rumours have since been quashed by both Kean and Blackburn, and the Scotsman told
Sky Sports News he would like to elevate his team's position in the table before undertaking fresh talks.
Leadership
"I don't think this is an appropriate time for where we are now," he said.
"I would like to get ourselves in a position where I think we should be, and then we can talk about that."
Despite his side's low standing in the table, Kean remains convinced they are in a false position and that once his experienced players return their fortunes will turn.
"We want to assemble a squad that can get in the top 10, and I don't think that we are far away from that at all," he added.
"It's difficult when you miss a lot of your senior players because we are so young, so we have missed Ryan Nelsen and his leadership qualities on the pitch."
Compliments
Many reports have illustrated a picture of mass frustration among the Ewood faithful this season about the state of the team and their current plight.
Kean, however, believes that most supporters are right behind him and the team.
He continued: "The majority of fans have been 100 per cent behind the lads, there has been a very small section at home that have been a bit negative.
"But when we meet people in the village and around the training ground, it's nothing but compliments.
"They are saying things like 'stick with it', 'we can see things are getting better', 'we can see massive signs [of improvement]', 'it's the best we've been playing in years'. They are enjoying seeing the young players coming through."
