Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean appears safe at Ewood Park - thanks to his new contract.

The Independent says Kean's position as Blackburn Rovers manager appeared to be safe last night, with the club's matriarchal owner Anuradha Desai apparently of the view that she cannot afford to sack him.

Though a Rovers board meeting on Wednesday was unanimous in the need to replace Kean, Desai finds herself bound by the terms of the new £1.5m-a-year deal she awarded Kean last month.

The cost of paying the Scotsman off, as well as the outlay on hiring a new manager and equipping him with players, seems to be prohibitive for the club's Indian owners, who appear to have limited cash to throw at the campaign for Premier League survival.