Allardyce: Wants 40 points
Sam Allardyce is keen to lead his Blackburn Rovers side past the 'magic' 40-point mark after admitting the club are not yet out of danger.
Rovers' 3-0 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday left Allardyce's side in 12th position in the table, seven points outside the bottom three.
Allardyce is aware 40 points has not been required to avoid relegation in recent seasons, but it is still a target he wants his team to reach as soon as possible.
"I said it last week, but the throwing away of two points at West Ham was the big one for us," Allardyce told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. "That is where we are looking back and are very regretful we didn't get those three points.
"Sitting on 30 points rather than 28 would make us look a lot more comfortable.
"We are not out of trouble by a long chalk yet. The magic 40-point mark is looming and that is where we have to get to. You haven't had to get that many for many, many years, but that is the magic mark."
Hull City visit Ewood Park on Wednesday evening and Allardyce is aware it will be a test for his team following the Tigers' positive results at home to Chelsea and Manchester City.
He added: "We now have a big game Wednesday. We have to put the disappointment behind us and get back to winning ways.
"I am very disappointed in our overall performance at Stoke, even with the refereeing decisions going against us.
"Our players were not as good as they should have been by far and we have to take it on the chin, pick ourselves up for Wednesday, which is going to be a hugely tough game.
"I saw Hull City against Chelsea in midweek and they have beaten Manchester City on Saturday, so it will be a big, big game for us to get three points on the board."

Fulham 1-2 Man City - Hodgson
Blackburn 1-1 Chelsea - Allardyce
Blackburn 1-1 Chelsea - Ancelotti
Fulham 1-2 Man City - Mancini
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool - Fletcher
Mancheter United 2-1 Liverpool - Ferguson
Mancheter United 2-1 Liverpool - Benitez
Stoke 1-2 Tottenham - Pulis
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 23rd March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | West Ham vs Wolverhampton |
| Wednesday 24th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Aston Villa vs Sunderland |
| 19:45 | Man City vs Everton |
| 19:45 | Portsmouth vs Chelsea |
| 20:00 | Blackburn vs Birmingham |
| Saturday 27th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Birmingham vs Arsenal |
| 15:00 | Chelsea vs Aston Villa |
| 15:00 | Hull vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Portsmouth |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Wolverhampton vs Everton |
| 17:30 | Bolton vs Man Utd |
| Sunday 28th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:00 | Burnley vs Blackburn |
| 16:00 | Liverpool vs Sunderland |
| Monday 29th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Man City vs Wigan |
| Friday 2nd April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Wigan |
| Saturday 3rd April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Man Utd vs Chelsea |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 | Bolton vs Aston Villa |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Blackburn |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 21st March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 2 - 1 Liverpool | |
| Fulham 1 - 2 Man City | |
| Blackburn 1 - 1 Chelsea | |
| Saturday 20th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 2 - 2 Wolverhampton | |
| Stoke 1 - 2 Tottenham | |
| Everton 2 - 0 Bolton | |
| Sunderland 3 - 1 Birmingham | |
| Arsenal 2 - 0 West Ham | |
| Portsmouth 3 - 2 Hull | |
| Wigan 1 - 0 Burnley | |
| Tuesday 16th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Wigan 1 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Monday 15th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 4 - 1 Portsmouth | |
| Sunday 14th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 3 - 0 Fulham | |
| Sunderland 1 - 1 Man City | |
| Saturday 13th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 3 - 1 Blackburn | |
| Bolton 4 - 0 Wigan | |
| Chelsea 4 - 1 West Ham | |
| Burnley 1 - 2 Wolverhampton | |
| Stoke 0 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Birmingham 2 - 2 Everton | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 31 | 69 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 31 | 67 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 30 | 65 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 30 | 55 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 29 | 53 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 31 | 51 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 29 | 50 |
| 8 | Everton | 30 | 45 |
| 9 | Birmingham City | 30 | 44 |
| 10 | Fulham | 30 | 38 |
| 11 | Stoke City | 30 | 36 |
| 12 | Blackburn Rovers | 30 | 35 |
| 13 | Sunderland | 30 | 34 |
| 14 | Bolton Wanderers | 31 | 32 |
| 15 | Wigan Athletic | 31 | 31 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 | 28 |
| 17 | West Ham United | 30 | 27 |
| 18 | Burnley | 31 | 24 |
| 19 | Hull City | 30 | 24 |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 30 | 13 |
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