Blackburn Rovers boss Paul Ince is set to be given a deadline to turn results around.

The Guardian says directors of Rovers have reluctantly begun talks to decide how long they can give Ince to reverse the club's slump before they consider his position untenable. Fans called for Ince to be sacked during the 5-3 Carling Cup defeat at Manchester United on Wednesday and there is a deep sense of shock behind the scenes about the rapid manner in which the club's season is threatening to disintegrate.

Blackburn's hierarchy spent long parts of yesterday deliberating whether they should give Ince more time and, if so, how long. Uppermost in their thoughts is that the manager now appears to have lost the backing of a sizeable proportion of the club's fan base.

The chairman, John Williams, is for now supportive of Ince and desperate for him to succeed. However, there is an increasing state of unease about their fall into the Premier League's relegation places.