Rovers appoint Allardyce

Former Bolton and Newcastle boss named successor to Ince

Last updated: 17th December 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Rovers appoint Allardyce

Allardyce: To succeed Ince

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Blackburn Rovers have appointed Sam Allardyce as their new manager on a three-year contract.

Allardyce had been in discussions with the Ewood Park outfit since late on Tuesday night and he has now been named successor to Paul Ince.

The former Bolton and Newcastle boss has made no secret of his desire to return to management since leaving St James' Park in January.

Allardyce, 54, along with ex-England boss Steve McClaren, was a contender for the Ewood Park hot-seat in the summer, but Ince - who was sacked on Tuesday - was the preferred candidate.

However, it has now been decided that Allardyce is the right man to steer Rovers away from Premier League relegation danger and his first game in charge will be Saturday's home meeting with Stoke City.

"Blackburn Rovers are delighted to announce the appointment of Sam Allardyce as manager with immediate effect," read a club statement. "Sam has signed a three-year contract."

Graeme Souness, who managed Rovers between 2000 and 2004, was rumoured to be close to making a return to the one-time Premier League champions but he ruled himself out of the running on Wednesday morning.

Comments (73)

Paul Wilson (Newcastle United fan) says...

I have absolutely no doubt that Sam Allardyce will keep Blackburn up this season and if given the chance he will create a team which will provide mid table mediocrity for years to come. It won't be pretty to watch but they will be solid and difficult to beat. Now, if Blackburn fans are happy with that then good luck to them, but these days with the extortionate prices of season tickets, a little entertainment is the least we fans should expect. No doubt we will hear the old adage from Sam of "playing to our strengths" which really means he doesn't know how to manage a creative team or how to provide free flowing football. One dimensional yes, but hey, they'll be difficult to beat !!!

Posted 09:18 19th December 2008

Yash Siddhartha (Chelsea fan) says...

Going against the popular opinion of other Chelsea fans, I think Allardyce will do a great job at Blackburn. If he could do well at Bolton, he would definitely do well at Blackburn who already have more talent than Bolton did.

Posted 08:12 19th December 2008

Joe Brown (Newcastle United fan) says...

I think that this time with big Sam back into football. Things will start on an up and blackburn will stay up. Then in Summer Blackburn will strengthen their squad with about 5 or 6 players. Then spirits will still be raised. Blackburn will then start the season OK and then dip in form. But this time blackburn will do what Newcastle had no common sense to do and keep hold of him as soon as things got tough. Big Sam all the best for the future. Also, thanks for bringing Habib Beye to the club. One of the best right backs in the premiership.

Posted 20:43 18th December 2008

Cj Pearson says...

Intresting appointment...lets see if he can get a win against Stoke in his first game. If he does, then best of luck to him and Rovers

Posted 19:47 18th December 2008

Michael Gibson says...

I think Blackburn have made a Big Mistake. If you look at Big Sam when he was at Newcastle He Sat with Mike Ashley and Chris Mort and You Shouldnt be There. You Should be on The Touchline and Another Big Sam Will Play Something Bolton Could Play and Teams Like Newcastle, Blackburn, Etc Bottom Line - Big Sam Wrong Choice For Blackburn

Posted 16:48 18th December 2008

Ian Treanor says...

Oh Please come on you football fans! BigSam, I didnt want him in the summer but hindsight is a wonderful Science. I AM A LIFELONG ROVERS FAN, I have seen it all high and low and the Premiership years have been the best. Sam will keep us there and styles are dictated by resources,he will have better players overall at Ewood than he had at Bolton. My wife is from Bolton and supports them so I HAD plenty of chances to see them play under Sam, they were never as bad as they were paintedby the Southern biased press. As for the Geordies, well marra, BIG CLUB small trophy cabinet and KK is NOT the messiah. Sam would have got you into Europe you muppets. Rovers back in the top half by March and back To Europe next season and last of all ROQUE IS NOT FOR SALE! THE WILD ROVER

Posted 14:15 18th December 2008

Richard Hall (Newcastle United fan) says...

I think Big Sam will just manage to get Blackburn to survive. To be honest look at where all of Newcastles managers of the past are at now and i know that they are not in the premiership, or doing well at all.

Posted 13:45 18th December 2008

Greco Oasis (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Worst appointment that could have been made! If i had a shortlist of the worst managers that i woulnt consider for the maccasfield job....sam allardycw would be top! the guys a clown and talks the most most amount of bull than anyone else! as a fan....i hope we go down in order to get rid of that clown! cant stand the sight of him! id rather shteve maclaren....even tho hes not much better!

Posted 10:42 18th December 2008

Christian Smith (man utd) says...

Why is it that every negative comment on here is from a Chelsea fan?!! Big Sam is a great manager for any club....played the game at top level throughout the 70's and early 80's and knows the game inside out. Good luck to you Sam and Blackburn....He is no worse an appointment than Phil "long ball to Drogba" Scolari!!

Posted 09:39 18th December 2008

Mark Rammond (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Big Sam achieved four successive top eight finishes in the Premier League with Bolton. A team that on Boxing Day, 1986, were fifteenth in the old Division four with an average gate of 5000. Of his global giant competitors, who are regular Champions League semi-finalists, one was able to continually access football academies across the globe and sign their best players for little or nothing whilst hand-picking top British talent. The other three had teams with market values well over £200 million and full internationals in the stands. Despite this Sam had a good track record against three of these four without a massive advantage of e.g. double attendances, a worldwide fan base, wages near £100k a week, £20 million signings etc. I would say within his peers, he was probably only outperformed by David Moyes. At Newcastle he faced many of the same challenges as at Bolton. Bolton had acquired players cheap or free such as Anthony Barness, Gareth Farrelly and Mike Whitlow as they had no money and Sam had to make them into the team. However at Newcastle, although money was theoretically available, a succession of half-wits had decided to pay tens of millions for unknown, low quality foreign players; massive wages to players with a track record of injury and sign players with no re-sale value. It was always going to be a gradual process to clear out this dead wood as Newcastle could not afford to pay them all off together. The intolerable pressure of the fans helped drive out the likes of Gullit, Sir Bobby, Dalglish, Keegan (twice) and many others, but Sam's reputation remains undiminished. The rug was pulled out from under him before he had got started. As for complaints about the style of football, I would play percentage football against a better team. Anyone sensible would not play a superior opponent in his preferred style. Cheers Mark

Posted 09:02 18th December 2008

Mark Ellis says...

Its about time BIG SAM came back to the prem, he WILL turn Blackburn around and stay in the prem....

Posted 03:57 18th December 2008

Dan Thompson (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Why Big Sam will 'do a Bolton', and then some..... There's an important difference between Blackburn and Bolton: Blackburn's board has much more ambition than Bolton's. That's what led to Blackburn's mistake in appointing Ince, but it's also what will allow Sam to achieve more than he did at Bolton. Back in June, the Rovers post was seen as very attractive, because Hughes had taken them to the brink of being an established top 6/7 team. Back then, Ince was regarded as an exciting up-and-coming manager who could take Rovers to that next level, with an attractive brand of football thrown in as a bonus. Today, the set up at Rovers is no different to how it was back in June: the decent players, excellent training facilities and fantastic board are all still there. Friedel was getting old (Robinson is showing great signs now) and Bentley was an inconsistent prima donna. And here's the point: Big Sam will rescue Rovers from the drop this season (but it will be close) and, as long as he does keep them up, I think he could take Rovers further than he took Bolton. The Rovers board and John Williams (in particular) have great ambitions for the club. They will back Sam up and help him to turn Rovers into a regular UEFA Cup team, frequently ruffling the feathers of the top 4, and perhaps winning a domestic cup. Come on Rovers!!!!

Posted 01:45 18th December 2008

Dennis Hienze (Chelsea fan) says...

Blackburn will be relegated for sure now and Allardyce will be sacked by March (pink scarfe and all). Newcastle reject. Says it all.

Posted 01:32 18th December 2008

Robbie Herd (Liverpool fan) says...

Big Sam will grind out results and lift Blackburn, however that is all that he will do. He hasn't the tactional awareness to be a top flight manager, he proved that at Bolton. Blackburn may stay be alive in the premiership with him but that is all. Blackburn will always be the team that just escapes the drop or does reasonably well in cups under Sam, they will be another Bolton. God knows why he was ever considered for the England job? Should have reappointed Souness.......big mistake

Posted 01:01 18th December 2008

Danny West (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Sam is a great appointment for blackburn but as a bolton fan i am disapointed to see a former manager of ours go to our bitterest rivals. He may not play the most attractive football in the premier league but he certainly gets results. Getting a small team like bolton into europe was beyond what people expected of him and we all thank him for what he acheived for us

Posted 23:28 17th December 2008

N Becks (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

No disrespect to Blackburn but I think you are on par with Bolton and who better to pull you out of things than big Sam. I hope he does it as it would be great to see you in the Premiership next season. Good Luck and all the best to Paul Robinson - A Great Keeper - Look after him as I'm sure he will be England's No.1 before long.

Posted 23:16 17th December 2008

Roque Santa claus (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Big Sam's appointment a positive and a negative move in one sweep. I believe he is the right man to get us out of the mess were in but at the same time, we will have endure some scrappy, boring football. It will be interesting to see who he will bring in in next months transfer window. The one thing i am extremely disappointed is that were going to lose the player who created the most buzz around the town, Carlos Villaneuva. He is an exciting player and i was frustrated at how Ince utilised him. Its time to look the future now and i am confident we will be safe this season.

Posted 22:55 17th December 2008

Usman Hussain (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I think all the Allardyce haters need calm down a little. Every manager no matter who they are will have bad spells. It depends on the club, the players and what style both manager and the team are best suited with. Paul Ince did very well with MK Dons but poorly with Rovers. It's mainly because he didn't have enought time and he couldn't buy his own choice of players. Obviously Allardyce will improve the team's position because there is a transfer window round the corner. You have to give a manager a chance to do some magic. Just because he has a cocky front people dont like him.

Posted 22:25 17th December 2008

Rikin Pabari (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Newcastle could have been playing Champions league football now with Allardyce. Who are you going to bring in as your next manager then? Christian Gross? Ian Dowie? or wait a minute is there going to be another big hype because Kenny Dalgish or Rudd Gulliet are coming back? Stop bringing back managers from the past Newcastle who has even mentioned Joe Kinnear's name in the last few years? Blackburn are going places under Allardyce and all Newcastle and Dennis Wise can do is sit and watch (see you in next season's championship) !!! You know you should have stuck with him.

Posted 21:56 17th December 2008

Gig Barbour (Celtic fan) says...

Great, Big Sam should have been appointed in the summer, nothing but admiration for the man.

Posted 21:56 17th December 2008

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