NEW Blackburn Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray says his first objective is to ensure Championship survival but insists he will work to bring a new football identity to Ewood Park.

The 53-year-old was unveiled on Wednesday and was at training at Brockhall this afternoon ahead of Friday’s crucial league clash at fellow strugglers Burton Albion.

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Mowbray admits he took more of a watching brief, with the session led by newly appointed assistant boss David Lowe and first-team coach David Dunn.

And Mowbray admitted he was impressed with the players at his disposal after his first day in the job.

Asked if safety was his number one aim he said: “That has got to be our main objective. We are in a pretty precarious position and yet I stood on the side and watched training and said to the group that there is some real talent there.

“It amazed me how technically good a lot of the footballers were. It left me surprised with the league position.

“After day one I am excited.”

He replaced Owen Coyle who left his role on Tuesday with Rovers three points from safety in the Championship.

The new Ewood chief hopes to bring free-flowing football to East Lancashire but knows that will take time and admits results will come first as Rovers seek to claw themselves out of the bottom three in the remaining 15 games of the season.

Mowbray feels it has been something of a sabbatical for him since resigning as Coventry City manager back in September.  But he was delighted to get his tracksuit back on and return to the training pitches after six months out of the game.

Mowbray added: “I am an emotional person about football.

“Today has been good because I have talked to the group a lot and I hope they feel that emotion.

“I want them to be inspired. I want them to ask questions. I want them to love coming into training.

“I want to inspire young men to be better at football and obviously help this football club win lots of games and start moving back in the right direction.

“I have spoken to a couple of players individually after training and I think footballers like it when their manager is emotional.”

The Rovers boss will be in the dugout for Friday’s visit to the Pirelli Stadium, though he admits it would have been beneficial were Rovers to have something of a break from league action following his arrival.

Instead, he faces the prospect of seven Championship fixtures in just over three weeks.

But he has a firm belief on how he wants to set his side up once he gets his teeth in to his new role.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he added: “I want supporters to look at the team and go ‘wow.’

“It is a fine balance because ultimately we have to win. It is no good being the best team on a Saturday and losing 1-0 so we have to find the balance.

“I want to give the team an identity. I want the supporters to come to Ewood Park and know that we are going to be good with the ball and know that we are going to create chances.

“It is easier said than done of course because I have to give the players the belief and the confidence to play the way we want to play.

“I can’t do that in one day or two days. In an ideal world there would be a two week break now and we would have 10 days on the grass trying to get the beliefs and philosophies across.”