Thetownend.com

Then why else would Blackburn Rovers let a world class manager like Big Sam go?  ;D

http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~2243513,00.html

Blimey!

Rafa's position is looking shakey at inter

Good shout.

Despite the fact this is another move by a bunch of owners who know sod all about football, I doubt there will be the sympathy from the football fraternity the Hughton enjoyed last week.

Good manager. Absolute nob.

Some people at the weekend were saying that Mick McCarthy is only 2 games away from the sack.

Fortunately for him,Wolves beat Birmingham yesterday.

Ah, I'd forgotten about the takeover. Maybe he refused to stand in the dugout dressed up as a chicken drumstick?

Set to join the MIGHTY Swindon Town as a coach, why else would he be let go? ...

Crazy.

Wonder if he's been sacked because they're planning on appointing Chris Hughton, or walked because he's been offered the West Ham job? Or more probably neither

Allardyce will probably pick up Sheff U....whilst Hughton will get Fulham, allowing Hughes the chance to take on West Ham.  Avram, will become D of F at Spurs.  Hodgson being relieved of post at Liverpool, will recreate his former success at Bristol City  ;), thus allowing Unai Emery to take on Liverpool...with Rafa returning to Valencia, to be replaced by Mauricio Pochettino at Inter.

There was talk in the papers last week that Allardyce was told that all the players he buys will be via an agency called Kentaro, a bit like the Portugeezers tried herewith the Three Amigos.

Allardyce apprently told the new owners there was no-one on their list he wanted and a week later he gets the boot.

You could probaby get one hell of an accumulator on that lot!

Blackpool, Bolton, Blackburn...Sam's simply trying to get as many Lancashire clubs beginning with the letter 'B' on his CV, so did a deal with Blackburn's owners to give him the boot.

Next up: Bury.  Or possibly Burnley.

Would have to be Burnley, Bury is in Greater Manchester.

Depends if you're talking about local government admin areas or traditional counties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bury

On that basis, Swindon hasn't been in Wiltshire since 1997.

I don't think the South of Wiltshire has considered Swindon part of it since 1897.

It will be Poyet to Sheff Utd once Speed it confirmed as Wales manager

so is bolton...

I refer you to my earlier answer...


Bury and Bolton are both now administered by Greater Manchester.  But folk who live in both places will consider themselves as Lancastrians.  The ceremonial (or traditional) county of Lancashire includes both towns.

Back on topic...who the #### do Blackburn think they are anyway?

Top 4 Finish?! (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackburn-rovers/8200889/Blackburn-owners-sacked-Sam-Allardyce-in-search-of-good-football-and-to-be-fourth-or-fifth-in-the-league.html)

Blackburn has always been on my list of clubs that I dislike for the simple reason that, were it not for the injection of cash from outside, they would be playing their football at a much lower level.  The town itself barely makes a mark on the map...much smaller than Swindon.  Withdraw the cash life support, and they would be yo-yoing between the Championship and League One inside 3 or 4 seasons.

Top 4 finish?  You can buy most things these days.

I dislike Blackburn from when they bought and didn't want Duncan Shearer

Bit of a spurious reason for disliking a club....without an injection of cash from outside, we'd be playing at a much lower level....probably about Supermarine's

The fact that a small town without much going for it, has maintained a decent standard of football for years, is surely a good thing.

I suspect someone had a look at Bolton and saw how an Allardyce style side, could be transformed into something that actually tries to play at least a bit of football, and thought they'd like a bit of the same.

I'm all for clubs punching above their weight.  That, after all, is what the league is all about.  Coventry and Southampton maintaining top flight status for donkey's years up until approx 10 years ago were good examples.

But what really gets up my nose is when that competition is distorted by an outside injection of funds.  And as a fan, I would hate it to happen to our club.  Yes, AF & Co have steadied the ship with their own funds...but I would draw a distinction between that - which to continue the metaphor - is a patch up job, and a Blackburn-style complete refitting courtesy of Jack Walker (RIP).

Other clubs in this category: Fulham, Wigan (especially).  I'm not doubting the quality of the football played by these clubs.  I just don't understand what makes their fans tick.

I've been to Blackburn 3 times. Once in old Div 2, once in the play offs and once in the Prem. After the game in the Prem I was walking back to my car when I heard a bloke in his 40's saying to his dad in his 60s / 70s - "the problem is that we shouldn't let shit sides like Swindon in the Prem". I've hated them since. I remember one year down at the CG when they didn't even bring a coachload down.

The new owners have had their say today...


Venky’s chairman Anuradha Desai asked for fans to show patience and trust as they set about turning Blackburn Rovers in to India’s favourite team.

The names of Martin Jol, Sven Goran Eriksson and even Diego Maradona have emerged as potential replacements though Desai’s desire for someone with experience of the English game appears to rule out the trio.

“We want good football and Blackburn to be fourth or fifth in the league or even better,” Desai told the Lancashire Telegraph.

The fans should trust us because this is in the best interests of the club.

“It is nothing against Sam but we have a different vision looking forward and we want the club to grow.

“It is not about the Bolton match. It has been a long time in our minds. We wanted good football, wanted the games to be interesting and of course wanted to win and to have good players.

“The fans should trust us and have belief in us.”

Having rejected plans by the Venky’s group, the Indian-based poultry company which secured a controlling interest at Ewood Park last month, to rely on advice from the sports agency Kentaro in relation to transfer targets, Allardyce was sacked by chairman John Williams on the orders of Venky’s.

The owners’ list of potential transfer targets are said to have had former Hull City midfielder Geovanni and Middlesbrough striker Kris Boyd at its centre whereas Allardyce wanted to move for Robbie Keane and David Bentley at Tottenham and Roque Santa Cruz, the former Rovers striker who has been marginalised at Manchester City.

Blackburn will not be rushed in to an appointment, with the owners expressing confidence in Steve Keen, one of Allardyce’s coaches, as an able caretaker manager.

“Our thinking now is that it will be a British manager, but we are open if there is an outstanding candidate: someone who would be really, really good for the club,” said Desai.

Jesus wept. These Indians obviously know their football...

If they think they will get 4th or 5th in the league or better they are absolutely barking!!!

Blackburn have had 2 6th places and a 7th place in the last 8 seasons....

That was before other teams starting investing even more crazy amounts of money and also before Blackburn became even shitter.

they've got better in the last couple of seasons.
sacking big sam was lunacy

07/08 they finished 7th...couple of points away from a European place...5th and 6th taken by Villa and Everton, neither of whom has spent any money.  In fact outside of Man City and to a lesser extent Spurs, hardly any Prem club has spent much.

My point is that although not easy....it's not that ludicrous a statement to make...certainly no more so than expecting STFC to be in the Championship within 3 years.

This baffles me. They have put Steve Kean in charge for the rest of the season.

What will he do that big sam wont?

What the board want him too

Lick their bum holes

Finally, a sensible answer to a question!  :pint:

It is a bit of a strange one, considering they said they wanted an experienced man at the helm, there has to be more to this surely

Experienced bum licker? He's been up Coleman's arse long enough to get that experience.

So he's Kean as mustard?

Good one. Must sting the ring thuogh.

Apparently Kean is represented by the same Sports Agency that are advising the Blackburn board.

My feeling is that the new owners just saw a big fat fucking chicken every time they saw Sam.
After numerous attempts to stuff him both sides realised that Sam working for the chicken kings wasn't going to work.