Benedict - Sky Sports Expert

Away from here

Sam's returns to the Reebok seeking away respite

Posted: 20th November 2009 13:58

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Away from here

Allardyce: Back where he no longer belongs

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The old cliché of 'The garden is looking a whole lot rosier' springs to mind at the Blackburn Rovers camp right now.

With three of the big four away fixtures, arguably the most difficult obstacles within the league, the Rovers faithful now anticipate and hope for an upsurge in terms of rising to a higher position in the league. The November and December outlook has a whole host of winnable games.

However, not getting too carried away, the team have to start by fixing their away performances and next up, it is the short journey to the Reebok stadium.

Without a single point away from Ewood Park, the performances will have to improve for us to prosper. Although the Reebok Stadium is not an easy place to go and return as victors, albeit this, it surely must be easier than Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal away, all of which Blackburn encountered within October.

Tough

Bolton have an industrious side, that can grind out results and it must be said Garry Megson is conducting a respectable job. Amongst their supporters, he is not a favourite to say the least, which in turn makes his managerial tasks somewhat more difficult.

Through this, Megson has made them a decent football team to watch, nurtured and developed a fantastic centre half in Gary Cahill, probably Bolton's most prized asset, and as a whole, maintained stability at low budget club. Without a doubt, both clubs will deem this as a winnable game and I have that gut feeling that Blackburn may just edge this match and gain the first point, if not points, on our travels.

Rumours have emerged this week that Big Sam is pondering making Franco Di Santo a permanent addition from Chelsea, not in January, but potentially a summer signing. I would, without a doubt, back the bid to sign him with anything up to £10million.

As I have stated within the previous blog how much I rate him, I can now only reiterate my stance. Since the last blog, a string of performances have demonstrated his skill, pace and power even further, enhancing his cult status he has now attained at Ewood Park.

Unwelcome

Returning to the club that made Sam Allardyce a domestic name within management, this only adds spice to this Lancashire derby. The Bolton fans made their feelings known about him becoming the Blackburn boss when facing them at Ewood last season with jeers and chants. In the same boat, so to speak, is the controversial El Hadji Diouf.

I can only believe this will build the desire within Sam to get one over on Phil Gartside, his former boss, who now clearly do not have time for each other. All the while I hope Diouf wants to show what Bolton have missed but recently it is surely evident his consistency, performance wise, leaves much to be desired.

Coming into this game, following a great victory against Portsmouth, the camp should be confident of turning over of somewhat a smaller club.

Needless to say, we will need to be at our best to defeat the Trotters. It will be a stern test and a battle of technical football, ability and surely, our away day form will improve this Sunday.

Within the last game against Portsmouth, the first half illustrated a performance that collectively, was unacceptable. As a fan, this Sunday, I desire many questions to be answered. The flair demonstrated within the second half of the Pompey fixture: can it be replicated away from home?

Can we use the three strikers from the offset (Di Santo, Roberts and McCarthy) instead of the 4-5-1 formation? However, the big question, every Rover wants to stop asking themselves in their heads, "When will we win away from home?" At full time on Sunday, this question must be stamped out.

Rovers til' I die

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