Paul Ince, the manager of Blackburn Rovers, rounded on his critics last night, accusing them of conspiring to get him sacked because they are envious of his career as a successful player for Manchester United.

In an extraordinary outburst, Ince claimed that people were desperate to see the likes of him and Roy Keane — who resigned as manager of Sunderland this week — fail because of the success they enjoyed as “snarling” midfield players at Old Trafford.

Blackburn are nineteenth in the Barclays Premier League and play host to Liverpool, the leaders, at Ewood Park today. Defeat, coupled with a victory for West Bromwich Albion at home to Portsmouth tomorrow, would leave the Lancashire club propping up the table, with no wins in ten league matches, and could spell the end of Ince’s 5½-month reign.

More likely, though, is the prospect of Ince being shown the door should Blackburn fail to take anything from their subsequent league games away to Wigan Athletic and at home to Stoke City.

Graeme Souness, the former Blackburn manager, whose name was sung lustily by supporters during the 5-3 Carling Cup quarter-final defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday, has been touted as a possible successor, with Tugay Kerimoglu alongside in a player-assistant manager capacity. Sam Allardyce, the former Newcastle United manager, is also said to be in the frame.

Ince, though, is determined to turn around Blackburn’s fortunes, however much he cries conspiracy. “There are people out to get us,” he said. “They look at Keane and I in our Manchester United days and see us as snarling old people, but we are not like that.

“We are nice guys, family men. People are envious and don’t want us to succeed. I want them to understand the hard facts and not focus on two men trying to make their way and kick us around all the time.”