Sam Allardyce has accused Rafael Benitez of being a hypocrite in light of Liverpool's recent form.
Rovers boss sees irony in Liverpool's physical style of late
Sam Allardyce has resumed hostilities with Rafa Benitez after accusing the Liverpool boss of being a hypocrite in light of the Reds' recent performances.
The two managers lock horns on Sunday when in-form Blackburn journey to Merseyside to play Liverpool in the Premier League and Allardyce has commenced the war of words against his Spanish counterpart.
The Rovers boss, who has never seen eye to eye with Benitez since the Reds tactician came to England in 2004, claims Liverpool's displays of late have seen the former Valencia manager sacrifice style for substance to get his team back into top-four contention.
And Allardyce has offered the view that Benitez, who has made no secret of his criticism of the way the former Newcastle and Bolton boss utilises the physical nature of the game, is using the same tactics to churn out results.
Ironic
The Blackburn manager told
The Sun: "He's used all that stuff that he always says he doesn't like - it's ironic isn't it?
"I watched them at Manchester City and they got six players booked so it shows he's brought the physical side out as well.
"If it's a physical challenge on Sunday, I'll be more than happy to go down that route although I don't have the players here to do that like I did at Bolton.
"But they've had to go back to basics and the pretty stuff goes out of the window until you start winning matches."
Allardyce admits he has been surprised to see Liverpool struggling this season after finishing the last campaign in such commanding form, but he has praised their battling qualities to get back in the hunt for a UEFA Champions League spot.
He added: "At the end of last season they were scoring freely and it was all looking so rosy for them.
"So I'm surprised to see them going through the turmoil of the last few months.
"Liverpool are not where they expected to be and got themselves into a difficult position.
"Yet they've been professional enough and dogged enough to slowly and surely improve over the last few weeks.
"They have not been as pretty and fluid as they could be but have done the job and got the needed results."
