EWOOD enforcer Garry Flitcroft today delivered a stirring battlecry ahead of tomorrow's crunch clash with struggling Derby by vowing 'We need to win it for the gaffer.'

The straight-talking midfielder felt he and his team-mates let manager Graeme Souness down when they slumped to a desperately disappointing defeat at the hands of Sunderland on Boxing Day.

However, with Rovers now in danger of being sucked into a relegation scrap, Flitcroft insists it's pay back time. And he's doubly determined to ensure the Rams feel the full force of any potential backlash as he looks to put some much-needed daylight between Rovers and the bottom five.

"To be honest, all the lads were gutted after Wednesday's game and we just want to play tomorrow now and get it out of our systems," said Flitcroft. "We let the manager down badly on Wednesday and I know he was absolutely gutted after the game.

"So we owe him a performance tomorrow and it's up to each and everyone one of us to put things right on the pitch."

Ewood became something of a fortress in the opening weeks of the season as Rovers made a promising start to life back in the top-flight.

But a haul of just two points from the last five home games has seen Souness's men slide down the table.

Now Flitcroft insists it's vital they rediscover that siege mentality quickly if they want to steer clear of danger during the second half of the season.

"I don't know what's happened to us over the last couple of weeks," said the Ewood skipper. We slipped up against Middlesbrough and Leeds and then again against Sunderland on Boxing Day. "But before that we had been quite decent at home and we felt like we had a chance of beating anyone at Ewood.

"So somehow we've got to rediscover that and tomorrow would be a great time to start.

"I know people talk about six pointers but this is a game we simply have to win -- a draw just wouldn't be good enough." Rovers will be boosted by the return of Turkish midfield ace Tugay after he missed Wednesday's game with Sunderland through suspension. But Craig Hignett is still struggling to shake off a tendon injury which has dogged him over the last couple of weeks.

Rovers are expected to choose from: Friedel, Neill, Bjornebye, Berg, Short, Johansson, Flitcroft, Tugay, Dunn, Duff, Gillespie, Jansen, Hughes, Grabbi, Mahon, Taylor, Ostenstad, Kelly.