Blackburn Rovers captain impressed by 'Team Ince'

1:10pm Monday 29th September 2008

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BLACKBURN skipper Ryan Nelsen believes boss Paul Ince has now stamped his own fingerprint on the club and predicts exciting times ahead at Ewood Park.

Chris Samba and Roque Santa Cruz headers helped Rovers to a comfortable 2-1 win at troubled Newcastle on Saturday, the perfect confidence-boost ahead of next weekend’s visit of Manchester United.

Nelsen’s own rash challenge almost gifted the Magpies a lifeline at St James Park though, as Michael Owen converted the resulting penalty to bring the score back to 2-1, but the New Zealander insists the striker went down too easily.

The relieved Rovers’ skipper though did praise referee Steve Tanner for common sense later on, when the majority were expecting a second yellow card and subsequent red to be brandished after a late challenge on Charles N'Zogbia.

Samba and Santa Cruz’s first half headers ensured Rovers made it three successive victories and 10 straight wins in the North East – as the Lancashire outfit continue to respond positively to successive four goal drubbings earlier this month.

Since joining the club in the summer Ince has had his fair share of critics, but Nelsen believes the last seven days have proved the former MK Dons chief is more than up to life in the top flight.

Nelsen said: "Two weeks ago everyone was thinking the worst but everyone in the club knew what the players have got, knew what the management have got, and knew we would get out of it.

"We are showing what Paul Ince is about. He has put his fingerprint on Blackburn now.

"This is his team and we are showing what we can do.

"It showed on Wednesday how deep our squad is. We have a lot of players on the bench who could have played today.

"We have 20 odd guys who will believe they should be playing.

"It is really exciting. We just have to keep winning now. It is really exciting and good for the club."

A dominant first-half display from the visitors should have seen the three points sewn up by the break, as a Tugay-inspired Rovers toyed with a confidence-shot Newcastle.

Nelsen's clumsy challenge on Owen just five minutes into the second half lifted the gloomy home support though and almost cost Paul Ince's men a deserved away-day win.

Nelsen said: "It was definitely a deserved three points.

"In the first half we were fantastic and should have been up more than 2-0 and the game would have been completely to bed.

"But after they got the goal back the players got their tails up and the crowd got their tails up and it was a great result.

"I did touch Owen but he fell down very easily. I don't think the majority of strikers would have gone down so easy.

"But Michael has gone down and the referee is always going to give Michael those sort of decisions.

"After that they may have had one shot, which was pretty comfortable, but we saw it through."

Nelsen could have easily have seen red with just over 15 minutes remaining, to set up a grand-stand finish from the hosts, but his late tackle on N'Zogbia was merely waved away.

He said: "I think the ref used common sense more than anything.

"It was not nasty and it was really good of the referee to use common sense and let the game go on.

"I buried myself in the ground after the tackle though, hoping he would not see me."

Rovers reserves are away at Newcastle United tonight, kick-off 7pm.