Feb 26

Sam Allardyce revives Rafael Benítez spat with DVD claim

• Sam Allardyce says Benítez sent DVD to referees chief
• Disc alleged to have documented Spaniard’s grievances

Sam Allardyce has rekindled his feud with Rafael Benítez by accusing the Liverpool manager of sending a DVD to the referees’ chief Keith Hackett in protest at his rival’s methods with Blackburn Rovers.

There has been no love lost between the managers since Allardyce, then in charge of Bolton Wanderers, inflicted the first league defeat of Benítez’s Anfield tenure in August 2004 and prompted the first in a series of complaints about his perceived direct, physical approach. The animosity deepened last season when Allardyce and Sir Alex Ferguson accused Benítez of showing contempt for Blackburn with an alleged dismissive gesture during Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Rovers at Anfield.

And their manager has continued his criticism of Benítez ahead of Rovers’ return to Liverpool tomorrow. Allardyce said: “I have no worries about what he thinks of me or my team. The most important thing to me is we can beat them on any given date and we know we can beat them because I did it at the Reebok.

“Because he didn’t like it he found an excuse about how we played. [Arséne] Wenger did it, [José] Mourinho did it; they all do it when they get their backside smacked. That will get him moaning about me again but I am not bothered. He even went as far as putting a DVD together and sending it to Keith Hackett. He doesn’t know I know that, but I do. I got on to Keith Hackett and told him I didn’t want it to influence what refs do because it is all a load of rubbish. He had a bee in his bonnet for a while.”

Ferguson and Allardyce claimed Benítez dismissed Blackburn with a hand gesture after Liverpool’s second goal last April, even though the Rovers manager did not witness anything at the time and everyone else inside Anfield that day suspected it was aimed at Xabi Alonso for taking a quick free-kick against his manager’s instruction.

But Allardyce said: “I won’t get an explanation for that. He is his own man and he does things his own way. I didn’t particularly like it. We were finished then because they got the second goal. They were terrific that day. Based on how well they finished last year I am very surprised they have gone through the turmoil they have in the past few months.”

Sam AllardyceBlackburn RoversRafael BenítezLiverpoolPremier LeagueRefereesAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

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Feb 21

Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Bolton Wanderers | Premier League match report

Reunions can come with the cruelty of the realisation that the past was preferable to the present. For Bolton Wanderers, the sight of Sam Allardyce serves as reminder of a preferable era. The manager who oversaw four successive top-eight finishes at the Reebok Stadium has quietly taken Blackburn to the brink of safety and, in the process, endangered his old employers.

Goals from Nikola Kalinic, Jason Roberts and Gael Givet ensured Allardyce extended his unbeaten record against the club he served as player and manager for 16 years in emphatic fashion. Bolton, meanwhile, remain marooned in the relegation zone.

Blackburn were the better team from the start. The initial threat came from Morten Gamst Pedersen’s set-pieces when referee Chris Foy, as much as the Bolton defence, preserved parity. First the Norwegian’s throw from the touchline had too much force. It sailed in untouched, although a section of the Rovers support began celebrating. Then Pedersen’s free kick was met by Kalinic, whose downward header was well saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen before the Merseyside official ruled the Croatian had been offside.

A third delivery from Pedersen came altogether closer to producing a legitimate breakthrough. His corner was bent into the path of Keith Andrews at the near post. The Irishman’s header was hacked off the line by Fabrice Muamba. It then fell for Kalinic, whose rasping shot rebounded back off the post.

Blackburn, already without one central defender in the suspended Christopher Samba, were then further disrupted by the loss of the injured Ryan Nelsen. Within a couple of minutes, Bolton almost capitalised as Matt Taylor drew a save from Paul Robinson.

Instead, Rovers soon led. Junior Hoilett’s diagonal ball was headed down by Pedersen into the path of Kalinic. The Croatian’s crisp strike took a deflection off the diving Zat Knight before beating Jaaskelainen.

The advantage could, and perhaps should, have been doubled. Pedersen steered a cross into Hoilett’s path and the Canadian’s header produced an athletic stop from Jaaskelainen.

Indeed, the Finn excelled again to thwart Steven Nzonzi, but it transpired he was only delaying Blackburn’s second goal. The subsequent corner was not properly cleared, Givet hooked it back into the penalty area and Roberts applied the finishing touch. Victory was completed when Givet met El-Hadji Diouf’s cross with a glancing header.

Blackburn RoversBolton WanderersPremier LeagueRichard Jollyguardian.co.uk

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Jan 26

Sam Allardyce launches verbal attack on Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy

• McArthy went AWOl as Rovers negotiated deal with West Ham
• ‘If they want something they do anything to try and get it’

Sam Allardyce delivered a farewell blast to Benni McCarthy after Blackburn Rovers agreed a fee with West Ham United to sign the South Africa striker. McCarthy has gone AWOL this week in an attempt to force through a transfer but such action may have been unnecessary after the clubs agreed a fee believed to be £2.25m.

The 32-year-old has stayed away from training for the last three days, with some reports saying he was in Spain, and his behaviour drew the ire of the Rovers manager Allardyce, who condemned McCarthy as “unprofessional” and said his conduct is symptomatic of selfishness and disloyalty shown by many players.

“What he has done is unprofessional. It shows you that the only loyalty a player has got is to himself,” Allardyce said. “This is what we deal with today in football, there’s not such a thing as loyalty as there used to be in the older days when I was a player.

“It’s a selfish attitude they have and that’s not just about Benni, that’s all players today. If they want something they do anything to try and get it,” Allardyce said, adding that McCarthy may have been badly advised. “If he is trying to manipulate a move by staying away it’s not the right thing to do. Sometimes players will get advised wrongly and I think whoever is advising him to stay away is very wrong as he’s done himself no favours.”

Blackburn have been linked with the Turkey international Yildiray Basturk from Stuttgart, Stoke’s James Beattie and Eidur Gudjohnsen, once a player with Allardyce at Bolton and now at Monaco. Allardyce hinted at interest in them, saying: “If those players are available we may start negotiations but the first thing would be to contact the club.”

McCarthy is, of course, absent from the Blackburn squad for tomorrow’s home match with Wigan and Chris Samba is suspended but David Dunn has recovered from a knock and is available. Jason Roberts also comes back into the Rovers squad, although midfielder Vince Grella is still sidelined with a thigh strain.

Allardyce wants his players to build on the form that saw them lose 6-4 in the Carling Cup semi-final to Aston Villa despite being reduced to 10 men. He added: “If we win it’s back to back victories in the Premier League and that is incredibly important.

“Wigan are a good side but we were not clinical enough when we played them before and drew 1-1, but we should have confidence to put in a good performance at home. It was very disappointing to go out of the Carling Cup at that stage but now we have only the Premier League to concentrate on.”

Sam AllardyceBlackburn RoversTransfer windowPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

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