JOHN Williams today underlined his determination to create a siege mentality around Ewood in a bid to drag Rovers out of the mess they currently find themselves in.

It's a powerful statement of intent from the club's chief executive and his message isn't just aimed at the players and coaching staff, it applies to the club's supporters, too.

My attempts to boost support for Rovers through this column ahead of the recent UEFA Cup clash with Genclerbirligi were described as 'shameful' by one irate supporter on our letters page.

But at the risk of putting a few more noses out of joint, I'd like to state here and now that I stand by everything I said.

It's all very well supporting your club when things are going well but it's through the bad times when Graeme Souness and his players really need you the most.

That's why the 8,000 or so Rovers fans who turned up to cheer on their team against Liverpool last week deserve maximum respect.

Let's face it, the first three months of the season have been nothing short of a nightmare and there's been precious little for the fans to shout about, particularly at Ewood.

Performances and results have not lived up to anything like the levels people have come to expect in the last three years and one look at the league table is enough to make you nauseous.

But this isn't a time to dwell on the past, it's a time to concentrate on the future and everyone must pull together and do their bit to ensure that Blackburn Rovers are still in the Premiership come next season.

So if you haven't got a ticket for Monday night's game against Everton then now is the time to pin your colours to the mast and really show that you are behind Graeme and the players.

It's easy to say 'one more fan won't matter', put your feet up, and watch the match on telly.

But from speaking to both the manager and the players, I can assure you that your support really does make a difference when it comes to the crunch - and next week's game against the Toffees has now become vital.

On Saturday night I tuned in to The Premiership to watch Arsenal mercilessly put Leeds United to the sword.

Arsene Wenger's Gunners were imperious going forward in what was the biggest mis-match of the season so far.

It was like watching a boxing bout between Mohammed Ali and Mohammed Al Fayed, but even when Leeds went 4-1 down their fans served up an incredible display of support and that collective spirit may yet manifest itself in the shape of a successful survival bid.

So although Leeds are currently the only team in a worse predicament than Rovers in terms of league position, maybe lessons can be learned from the way the club is coping with its latest crisis.

A successful club is a united club and what Rovers need now is your hearts and minds.