New owners Venky's indicated there would be around £5million to
spend to bolster Rovers' survival push.
But their targets could not have been more different to those
eyed by Big Sam. He was keen on Tottenham's ex-Ewood Park favourite
David Bentley - but the Indians fancied Brazilian crock Geovanni,
who had just left San Jose Earthquakes.
Allardyce wanted to bring back Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester
City or even make a move for Spurs' Robbie Keane - but the new
owners had their eye on Middlesbrough misfit Kris Boyd.
SunSport revealed last week how tensions were simmering between
the manager and the poultry firm who bought the club for £46m last
month. Venky's held a meeting in India 10 days ago with their
football advisors - sports agency Kentaro - and neither Big Sam nor
chairman John Williams were invited.
Allardyce was alarmed to hear the kind of names being mentioned
and made it clear they would not be players he wanted in his
squad.
The 56-year-old indicated he would walk away rather than have
meddling owners forcing them on him. But yesterday Venky's took the
decision out of his hands.
He was called to Ewood in the afternoon where chairman Williams,
who appointed Allardyce in December, 2008, delivered the shock
news. There was anger among senior club figures that the
well-respected Williams had been forced to wield the axe.
Despite the 7-1 hammering at Manchester United last month and
the disappointing 2-1 defeat against 10-man Bolton on Sunday, there
was no major crisis at Rovers.
Victory over Wolves the previous weekend had put Blackburn
temporarily eighth and they are now 13th. But alarm bells began to
ring soon after the family of late benefactor Jack Walker sold out
to little-known Indian firm Venky's.
Company chairwoman Anuradha Desai made some bizarre claims. She
said she wanted to see entertaining football as well as wins -
something which clearly angered Big Sam. Tellingly, she stopped
short of saying Allardyce and his management team would be staying
for the long-term, adding it would come 'under review'. The idea of
taking the squad to India to play exhibition matches also did not
sit comfortably with the manager.
Allardyce felt his initial meetings with Bilaji and Venkatesh
Rao - the brothers of Mrs Desai - had gone well. But senior Ewood
sources had indicated over the past couple of weeks they feared
there was 'trouble brewing'. Big Sam lasted just six months after
Mike Ashley bought Newcastle. Here, he managed just 24 days after
Venky's took control.
They issued a brief statement which said: "We have taken this
decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the
club."
Martin Jol is the bookies' favourite to take over after leaving
Ajax last week. But axed Newcastle chief Chris Hughton appeared to
rule himself out on Twitter. Allardyce took over from Paul Ince
almost exactly two years ago.
He dragged them off the foot of the table and went on to clinch
a respectable 10th place last term.
Allardyce, who had a heart scare last year, is expected to find
a new job quickly, with Sheffield United and West Ham already
mentioned.
Rovers club captain Ryan Nelsen said: "Sam did an incredible job
to keep the team from relegation and then got a top-10
position.
"He wasn't given the credit he deserved, to tell the truth. This
has come completely out of the blue.
"Once we got bought out you thought we were moving in a
direction and Sam might be given a certain amount of financial
resources to work with. But obviously he wasn't even given that,
which is devastating for the man."
