Black positive on Rovers survival hopes

Blackburn's new assistant manager Eric Black feels the club's chances of beating the drop are "50-50" - but has seen enough in recent weeks to be optimistic they will do so.

Rovers on Friday confirmed former Birmingham, Wigan and Sunderland number two Black as the successor to Paul Clement, who recently left to join the coaching staff at Paris St Germain.

With the Ewood Park currently 18th in the Barclays Premier League, Black admits he and his fellow Scot, boss Steve Kean, have a major challenge ahead of them in trying to keep the team up. Having been encouraged by Rovers' form of late, though - Saturday's 1-1 draw at Everton made it eight points from the last five league games - it is something the 48-year-old is feeling positive about.

"I am excited about the project that Steve has outlined and obviously a big part will be down to if we manage to stay in the division," said Black, quoted in the Lancashire Telegraph. "Hopefully that is the first hurdle I can help them across and then who knows what happens from there?

"I am not going to jump up and down and promise this and that but I was extremely encouraged by what I saw on Saturday. I have looked at the stats for the previous games as well and I am very encouraged.

"Make no mistake, it is a hard challenge, as it is for five or six other clubs. But three will go down out of probably six that will be in it. So we have a 50-50 chance of staying up and I am hopeful we will be one of those sides that do stay up."