Sam’s first tasks could be to sanction the sale of Santa

zocoss SG

Sam Allardyce has been appointed the new Blackburn Rovers manager after the sacking of Paul Ince yesterday.

The former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager has signed a three-year contract at Ewood Park and will be present in the dug-out for the crunch match at home to Stoke City on Saturday.

John Williams, the club's chairman, has moved quickly to secure the services of the man at the top of his wish-list.

Graeme Souness ruled himself out of the running for the post this morning. He said: "It doesn't surprise me to see my name in there but I'm not your man, I can definitely say that."

Williams, whose club are one place off bottom of the Premier League having won only three games this season, said yesterday that time was of the essence in appointing the new manager.

"I do have an idea of who I want to come in and we will be working to try and make that happen over the next couple of days. Hopefully we will have someone in by the weekend but there are no guarantees, we have to make sure we get the right man now.

"You can't underestimate how much of a boost a physical presence could have on Saturday for what is an absolutely mammoth game. Everyone needs to know how big this game is as this is a time the club really has to come together."

Allardyce will be presented to the media tomorrow afternoon. Steve McClaren, the former England head coach, Dave Jones, the Cardiff City manager, Roberto Mancini, the former Inter Milan coach, and Roy Keane, who left Sunderland only 13 days ago, were also thought to be under consideration.

gunner77 SG

expected

youyayu SG

Welcome back Big Sam

dotaro SG

Hoh Seh Liao!

When is Blackburn meeting Arsenal?

Time to place my bets on Blackburn beating Arsenal!

the Bear SG

at least they have a fighting chance.. when i saw Souness' name in the list of probables, i thought if they got him, liao.. see-chao... habis...

dotaro SG

If Souness comes on board,

Hoh Seh Liao!

Time to bet AGAINST Blackburn!

dragg SG

if souness come on board blackburn might end up the first premiership champion to be relegated.

RaTtY8l SG

blackburn already relegated b4.

limpper SG

good luck sam!

sand king SG

Nice... hope he can re-do what he did at Bolton.

zocoss SG

One of Sam Allardyce’s first tasks with Blackburn Rovers could be to sanction the sale of Roque Santa Cruz as the new manager stakes his reputation on attempting to keep the Lancashire club in the Barclays Premier League.

Twenty-four hours after dismissing Paul Ince, Blackburn appointed Allardyce as his successor on a three-year contract worth about £6 million yesterday. The former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager will take charge of his first game against Stoke City at Ewood Park on Saturday, with Blackburn five points adrift of safety, although Allardyce is partly focused already on the January transfer window and, most pressingly, the future of Santa Cruz.

Having had bids of £12 million and £14 million for the Paraguay striker rejected by Blackburn last summer, Manchester City are expected to make a vastly improved offer when the window opens in a fortnight.

Blackburn are expected to hold out for as much as £20 million, with Allardyce mindful that such a sum would give him scope to bolster a team bereft of confidence and without a league win in 11 matches. Should Santa Cruz stay, which appears unlikely, Allardyce would have little alternative but to wheel and deal, much as he did throughout his 7½-year reign at Bolton, given that Blackburn have next to no money to spend.

Allardyce might have been more averse to selling Santa Cruz had the striker been in the kind of prolific form that brought him 23 goals last season, but the 27-year-old has scored only three times in the league this campaign and appears to have had his head turned by City. Equally, Santa Cruz’s value would plummet in the event that Blackburn are relegated. Allardyce is expected to resist, however, any offers that may be forthcoming for Stephen Warnock. The left back turned midfield player was the subject of two failed bids from Newcastle last summer and City are also monitoring the situation.

The new manager will be presented at a press conference this afternoon and Allardyce said that he would “wait and see” if funds are available next month, although if they are, they will be limited. Blackburn are likely to adopt a “sell to buy” policy.