STEVE Kean has warned his Blackburn Rovers side ‘the clock is ticking’ on their Premier League future – but insists they have the resolve to bounce back from Saturday’s Emirates Stadium humiliation.

Robin Van Persie’s hat trick helped Arsenal to a 7-1 drubbing, equalling Rovers’ worst ever Premier League defeat – and the scoreline in Sam Allardyce’s final game in charge - as Kean’s men sit second from bottom in the Premier League and three points from safety.

With relegation rivals QPR up next at Ewood Park on Saturday, an angry Kean admits the pressure is now on, but has backed his players to show the mental strength to recover.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice, with Mikel Arteta and Thierry Henry also on the score sheet, after Morten Gamst Pedersen had cancelled out Van Persie’s second minute opener.

Gael Givet faces a three match ban, after seeing red for a reckless lunge, while right back Jason Lowe is a doubt for the hoops’ visit to Ewood after suffering what is understood to be an ankle ligament injury.

Kean said: “The pressure is on. We have not got many games left and we need to get to a position and points tally that is going to take us out of this zone we are in that is not nice.

“So what we will be doing is making sure the lads know their responsibilities with and without the ball and they know now the pressure is on because the clock is ticking.

“We get back to work straight away and start to prepare for QPR. There have been many times this season where we have had disappointing results but we have always had a reaction.

“That is what I said to the lads. The game is finished and the pressure will be on to get a result against QPR. But we have always had a reaction.

“We have always bounced back. This one is really tough to take because of the score line, it is a horrible afternoon, but we have to respond and we always have.”

Kean also apologised to Rovers’ travelling support on Saturday after admitting they let them down.

“The boys know when I am not happy,” said Kean. “I will always give them credit where credit is due but I felt today our work ethic was okay in spells but I think we felt sorry for our ourselves.

“There is a way to respond. When you go behind it is about releasing your emotion to feel angry or feel embarrassed. That then motivates you to have a personal standard that you don’t go below but I think today we have to question ourselves on that.

“The fans stayed to the end and that is why when the final whistle went I made sure they all went over to applaud the fans because they stayed until the bitter end.

“They never gave us anything but excellent support and I feel for them because we have let them down.”