Ince happy to take the flak

2nd December 2008

Thick-skinned Blackburn boss Paul Ince is determined to protect his players from the rising negativity surrounding his reign.

After just a few months in the job at Ewood Park, Ince is under severe pressure after a run of nine Barclays Premier League matches without a win.

Heading into Wednesday's Carling Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford against former club Manchester United, Ince's side are one place and two points off the foot of the table.

Ince insists while he can cope with the criticism, it is the players he is more concerned about.

"It's easy for me to be a target, but I've got thick skin," Ince said. "I don't really care what other people say about me or what people write about me.

"All I care about are my players. They're the most important people to me. It's important I come in every day smiling and making sure they're happy and then they're prepared to hopefully get a win Wednesday and three points on Saturday."