BLACKBURN Rovers need to take ‘collective responsibility’ for their defending if they are to tighten up at the back, according to Derek Fazackerley.

As a former centre half and now a well respected coach, Rovers' record appearance holder is well placed to look at how his former club can improve, and he believes the players need to defend from the front as they bid to stop leaking goals.

Rovers have shipped 18 in 11 games so far this season, and only three Championship teams have a worse defensive record at this stage of the campaign.

Fazackerley, now assistant first team coach at Oxford United, said: “You hear a lot of people talk about defending and it starts from the front.

“If you’re a solid unit you are not relying so much on individuals.

“Defending includes work from the front men, the midfielders, the defence and the goalkeeper. Defending is a collective responsibility.

“You have to get the defence right because if you are having to score two or three goals to win a game it is going to be very, very difficult to do.

“I’m sure it is something that Gary Bowyer and his staff are working on to get them back on the winning track.”

Two weeks ago Rovers had to come from two goals down at home to Watford to salvage a point, but they couldn’t repeat the trick three days later, losing 2-0 away at Rotherham United, and boss Bowyer said he had spoken to the players about doing the ‘basics properly’.

Fazackerley, a former coach at Rovers, said the staff would be working on the training pitch to eradicate the defensive mistakes which have plagued the club so far this season.

“Part of it is about getting players to be a little bit more aware of their defensive responsibilities but at the end of the day it depends on how goals are being conceded,” he added.

“If a lot are coming from set plays then that is something you can look at.

“Goals are scored in a variety of different ways so it might not be one thing in particular that is causing it, but a more general issue.

“Sometimes it is down to individual errors which just happen and can be difficult to work on, you just hope it isn’t the same person making them all the time.”

It will be easier for the manager to work with people on the training ground, as Bowyer has mostly built his own squad since taking over at Ewood Park.

The reverse at the New York Stadium was Rovers’ fourth league defeat of the season, but on each occasion they have bounced back, including in last Saturday’s goalless draw with Huddersfield Town, and the inconsistency of performances, not just from game to game but from half to half, is something Bowyer is seeking to address with his squad.

“Gary Bowyer has been there around 18 months now and he has put together his own squad of players,” added Fazackerley.

“It’s frustrating and you can have good spells in games where you don’t always get the rewards for it.

“And if you don’t put together a complete performance over 90 minutes it can be a problem and it is one of the things they will be looking to improve on.”

But Fazackeley insists there are reasons to be positive for Rovers fans.

He added: “They are in a reasonable position but they can’t afford to have too many games where they are playing below par.

“At the end of the day the Championship is such a competitive league that if you are too inconsistent and fall below the standards expected it can be very difficult to get back into it.”