Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has slammed Blackburn Rovers fans ahead of this week's clash.

Pulis will be hoping he doesn't become a target himself after sticking up for Rovers' chief Steve Kean who gave his chances of riding out the storm swirling around his club a power of good following the New Year's Eve victory at Old Trafford.

Stoke's boss said: "I went to their game against Bolton. I came out at half-time, I thought what was happening was wrong.

"The one thing you expect from supporters is to support their club. When they are venting their feelings during the game, it's not doing the team - or Steve - any good. They have enough good players to have a chance of staying up. They should have been 110 per cent behind him.

"After the game if they want to moan, fine. It's just beyond me. I find it difficult to accept. Whether I like Steve or not, if I was a supporter, I would have gone to that game supporting my team.

"They were slaughtering Steve and slaughtering some of their players. I've experienced it myself - it does have an effect."