• Premier League

Allardyce plays down Inter and Real comments

ESPNsoccernet staff
September 21, 2010
Sam Allardyce caused a stir with his comments regarding Real Madrid and Inter Milan © Getty Images
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Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce says he was taken aback by the response to his "tongue-in-cheek'' comments about winning titles every year with Inter Milan or Real Madrid.

Allardyce's comments, made before Saturday's game against Fulham at Ewood Park, caused quite a stir with many questioning the claim given his reputation for a direct style of football.

Now Allardyce has confirmed he was only responding in jest to a question at a press conference and did not expect it to get such a high level of publicity.

"I didn't think it would create quite as big a stir as it has done,'' Allardyce said. "It was a tongue-in-cheek comment. Somebody asked me if I had found my level and was comfortable as manager at Blackburn Rovers.

"I'm never comfortable as a manager because I am always looking to improve, and my terms of wanting to improve is about having a burning ambition to always get better than I am. Obviously, in the end, that would always be to try and get to the very, very top of the industry that I am working in.

"I believe in my own ability, that is the bottom line. At the moment it is with Blackburn Rovers, which I am very pleased about.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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