Blackburn boss Paul Ince insists he is not feeling the pressure and his players are "willing to die for each another".

The one-time Premier League champions find themselves in the relegation zone after Sunday's defeat at Portsmouth stretched their winless run to nine.

Blackburn's worst succession of results in 12 years has seen speculation mount about the long-term future of Ince, who took over in the summer after leaving MK Dons.

But while the former England international confesses he is not enjoying Blackburn's current predicament, he is adamant he is not feeling the heat.

"This is not pressure. When you've got four kids, you live on your own, you can't find a job and you've got mouths to feed, that is pressure," Ince said in the Daily Mirror.

"I don't like where we are today but there are worse things in life."

Ince is also confident morale remains high among his squad as they prepare for Wednesday's trip to Manchester United in the Carling Cup.

"Nobody can question the spirit of the team," he added. "They are willing to die for each other. My players' heads will never go down."