Steve Kean understands the anger of Blackburn's supporters while Middlesbrough pleased Tony Mowbray with their response.
Mowbray thinks Blackburn will be using a 'siege mentality'
Steve Kean understands the anger of Blackburn's supporters after being subjected to familiar calls for his head during the 2-1 Championship defeat by Middlesbrough, who pleased Tony Mowbray with their response.
Rovers remain top of the table ahead of Saturday's fixtures but Kean was barracked as his charges turned in a lacklustre display to suffer their first league defeat of the season.
Recalled Boro forward Lukas Jutkiewicz opened the scoring in the sixth minute before heading his second after the hour.
Substitute Grant Hanley pulled a goal back amid waves of Rovers pressure in stoppage time but chants of "Kean Out" boomed around Ewood Park at the final whistle.
"I share their frustrations," Kean said when asked about the abuse. "As a staff, as a group, we're frustrated we've lost our unbeaten run.
"I think the fans want to see us get promoted - like the staff, like the owners, like everybody connected to the club.
"We're on a run that's ended tonight but it's a block of games with a good return. I don't want anything else apart from promotion.
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"The players don't and I've been telling them that since the first day of pre-season. I believe we will get promotion, I think we've got a good enough group.
"And would we have taken this amount of points after this amount of games? Yes, because we're on track."
Middlesbrough manager Mowbray watched his team claim their first points on the road this season and produce the desired response from Tuesday night's heavy defeat at Blackpool.
"I think we were looking for a reaction after Tuesday," he said. "I think Blackpool gave us a football lesson on Tuesday if we're honest and we needed to bounce back.
"I'm really pleased with them and it gives us a platform. We beat Ipswich on Saturday and, six points out of nine, we'd probably have taken that at the start of the week."
On his opposite number's situation, Mowbray feels such hostility might have worked to Rovers' advantage in the season's opening weeks.
"I'm reasonably sure he's using a siege mentality with his group," he said. "I would assume that they would blank out the negativity from the terraces and try and use it as a strength."
