BLACKBURN ROVERS midfielder Robbie Savage reckons he and his team-mates owe the fans a big performance against Newcastle United tomorrow.

Savage felt Tuesday night's display at Charlton Athletic, where Rovers lost to a last-gasp goal from Talal El Karkouri, fell below the standards manager Mark Hughes demands of the team.

And the Welshman fears Rovers could now get sucked in to a relegation battle unless everyone in the squad rolls up their sleeves and starts to produce the goods again in the Premiership.

"I think we owe the manager, the fans, and ourselves a performance after a diabolical display at Charlton on Tuesday night," said Savage.

"It wasn't good enough, it's as simple as that.

"We need to be tougher, we need to be stronger, and we need to be more resolute than we were against Charlton.

"From my point of view, Charlton were a poor team and yet we allowed them to beat us, so tomorrow has now become a big, big game for us.

"At the end of the day, we are treated like kings at this club.

"From the coaching we get, to the medical staff, and even the food that we eat - it's a Premiership set-up in every respect.

"Now we need to start performing like Premiership players."

Tuesday night's defeat at The Valley was Rovers' fifth in their last seven league games, and it left them just two points above the Premiership's relegation zone, which means the clash with Newcastle, who are one place below them in the table, has now become a six-pointer.

"It's time to stand up and be counted, me included, because none of us want to be involved in a relegation battle," said Savage.

"We need all 16 players in the squad to pull together and work their socks off because if you don't do that then you soon get found out at this level.

"I think the fans appreciate players chasing lost causes and not enough of us are doing that at the moment."

With tough away games coming up at Reading and Arsenal in the next fortnight, it's vital Rovers make full use of home advantage against Newcastle because what happens over the next few weeks could well shape the rest of the season.

"This next month or so is massive for us," said Savage.

"We've got to keep out of the bottom three and make sure we stay in touch with the teams above us, then in the New Year when we get the injured lads back, we can look to kick on and climb up the table.

"These next few games are all must win games'.

"It's vital we beat Newcastle tomorrow and to do that, it needs everyone pulling in the same direction - the fans, the players, everyone.

"The fans can play a big part by getting right behind the team.

"If we all work as hard as each other then we've got the quality to climb up the table."