BLACKBURN manager Graeme Souness does not think his one-match touchline ban will be that big a hindrance to his side's fight for Premiership survival.

Souness was banished to the stands for one game and fined £10,000 after pleading guilty to the charge of using offensive and insulting language to referee Graham Barber.

Souness blew his top with Barber after the official controversially sent off Rovers defender Lucas Neill during the club's FA Cup defeat at Middlesbrough in February.

Ironically Souness will be banished to the stands for Blackburn's return to the Riverside Stadium on April 20 although he does not believe his absence from the touchline will be that big a blow.

"I don't know if it makes that much difference," he said.

"I remember when I was at Liverpool and Ronnie Moran used to shout at us from the touchline and we would nod our heads and give him the thumbs up without having heard what he had said.

"Really it was only when we got back to the dressing room at half-time could they get the message across."