Experience of the relegation dogfight will be the key to keeping Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, Sam Allardyce said yesterday.

Former Bolton Wanderers manager Allardyce has taken over at Ewood Park following the sacking of Paul Ince after just six months in charge.

Ince had never managed in the top flight before but Blackburn, the 1995 champions, are now banking on a man who previously secured near neighbours Bolton's place in the Premier League to get Rovers out of the relegation zone.

"Having been there before, I know what it's all about," Allardyce said at his official presentation.

"I had experience of being in the bottom three in my first two years at Bolton and it's not the easiest place to play.

"But the team have got to play under that pressure now and under that pressure they have got to play to their best.

"I hope the players will respond very quickly. They finished seventh in the league last season and we have to try and get back to that level of performance."

Blackburn have not won for 11 league games in a run stretching back to the end of September and are five points adrift of the safety zone.

But Allardyce, who had been out of work since ending an unsuccessful stint as manager of Newcastle United in January, believes he can do the job.

"We have to try to get the players as quickly as we can to play to the maximum of their ability and I think they are good enough to do that and get us out of trouble."