• Premier League

Allardyce sacked over transfer row

ESPNsoccernet staff
December 14, 2010
Sam Allardyce reportedly clashed with the new Blackburn owners over transfer policy © Getty Images
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Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce was sacked because he refused to have new players forced upon him by the club's new owners, according to widespread reports.

Allardyce wanted to spend the modest £5 million investment promised by the Venky's group on his own transfer targets but the Indian-based poultry company, which secured a controlling interest at Ewood Park last month, has already struck a deal with one of Europe's leading sports rights agencies, Kentaro.

Kentaro are headed by agent Jerome Anderson, who helped former Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson sign the likes of Elano, Martin Petrov, Vedran Corluka and Geovanni when Thaksin Shinawatra began the revolution at Eastlands back in 2007.

Blackburn's owners reportedly seem more inclined to back Anderson's judgement when it comes to players recruitment rather than that of manager Allardyce, whose style and tactics have already been criticised by Venky's chairwoman Anuradha J Desai.

"We don't just want results, we want entertainment too," Desai said last month. "We should go up in the rankings but playing well is not just about winning."

Blackburn's search for a new manager is already under way, with former Ajax boss Martin Jol, axed Newcastle manager Chris Hughton and even Diego Maradona mentioned as potential successors to Allardyce, who replaced Paul Ince at the Ewood Park helm in December 2008.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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