Blackburn have announced they have sacked manager Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce, 56, was relieved of his duties along with his assistant Neil McDonald by the club’s new owners, the Venky’s Group from India.
Rovers have lost three of their last five games, including a 2-1 defeat by his former club Bolton on Sunday.
“I am very shocked and disappointed to be leaving Blackburn,” said Allardyce in a statement released through the League Managers’ Association.
“I am extremely proud to have managed this club and I enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the players, my staff and the supporters during my time in charge.
“I now wish them and the football club every success for the future.”
Rovers are currently 13th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone.
The club announced that the first-team coach Steve Kean will take temporary charge of the club.
Sam Allardyce
Former Bolton and Newcastle manager Allardyce joined Blackburn in December 2008 and guided the Lancashire club to a respectable 10th place in the Premier League last season.
The club made a steady start to the current campaign, taking 18 points from 14 games to leave them 11th in the Premier League at the end of November.
But a poor run of recent results, including a 4-2 defeat by Tottenham and a 7-1 loss at Manchester United, have seen Rovers slide closer to the relegation zone.
However, had the club taken three points against 10-man Bolton on Sunday, they would have moved to sixth in the Premier League.
Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen said he learned of Allardyce’s sacking after receiving a text from a reporter in his native New Zealand.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I see this coming, nor did anyone else because of the job he has done since he has come to Blackburn,” he told BBC Radio 5 live.
“When he took over, it was a club that was absolutely in diabolical trouble and he turned it into a very efficient, streamline club that has spent no money and has done extremely well.
“A huge big leadership has gone from the club and the Premier League is unforgiving if you don’t have anyone directing the ship.
“They [Venky's] have a plan for the club – they must to have made a decision like this. But it’s ruthless.
“I feel gutted for the man, the players liked him, the club liked him.”
Sam Allardyce
Blackburn striker Morten Gamst Pedersen added on his personal website : “The table situation does not reflect on how our performance has been in this year’s Premier League season.”
The Rao family completed their £43m takeover of Rovers through their newly formed company, Venky’s London Limited, on 19 October.
And Venky’s chairwoman Anuradha Desai had told the BBC last month that the group had “promised manager Allardyce funds to spend in the January transfer window”.
But in a statement on Monday, the club said: “We have taken this decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club.
“We would like to put on record our thanks to Mr Allardyce for his contribution to Blackburn Rovers Football Club.”
Allardyce earned his reputation with Bolton, guiding the club to the Premier League in 2001 as well as helping the Trotters to their first appearance in Europe in 2005.
He resigned after eight years at the Reebok Stadium in April 2007, joining Newcastle the following month.
But his tenure at St James’s Park lasted just 24 matches, leaving the club in January 2008.
After an 11-month tenure out of football, Allardyce joined Blackburn in December 2008 after Paul Ince was sacked with the club second-from-bottom in the Premier League.
Under Allardyce’s guidance, Rovers finished 15th in 2009 before reaching the semi-finals of the Carling Cup at the start of 2010.
Richard Bevan, chief executive of the LMA, said: “When new owners take over a club, sadly, the manager’s position often hangs by a thread.
“To Sam’s great misfortune this has now happened twice and, on both occasions, it has been extremely difficult to understand the thinking behind the dismissal.”
“It is ironic that one minute Sam can be proposed as the next England manager and the next, he finds himself out of work.”
The club have not indicated a timeframe for the appointment of a new manager.
Former Tottenham boss Martin Jol, who who resigned as Ajax manager last week, ex-Aston Villa and Leicester City manager Martin O’Neill and former Rovers favourite Alan Shearer have been linked with the Ewood Park job.
Sam Allardyce has taken over as manager of West Ham, following the club’s relegation to the Championship.
The ex-Blackburn, Newcastle and Bolton boss replaces Avram Grant, who was sacked after the Hammers’ relegation.
“It’s a fantastic club with a great tradition and loyal supporters,” said 56-year-old Allardyce, who vowed to try to “play the West Ham way”.
“I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t think we could bounce straight back into the Premier League,” he said.
West Ham caretaker manager Kevin Keen, who took charge for the last game of the season, a 3-0 home defeat by Sunderland, had stated his desire to lead the Upton Park club in the Championship.
However, Keen has no formal managerial experience, apart from coaching West Ham’s reserve team.
Allardyce conceded several of the Hammers’ big names, including Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Robert Green, are likely to leave the club in the summer.
But he revealed he has been told by the club’s owners how much money he will have to sign new players, in a bid to get the club promoted next season, although he refused to disclose the figure.
“At the moment only Matthew Upson has left,” he told BBC Radio 5 live. “It’s likely [other] players may leave but the financial support from the chairman and the board will help me to cover those players.
“I’m very impressed with the facilities and the determination of the chairman and the board to get back at the first attempt, which will give me the support to try and achieve everybody’s goals.”
Allardyce’s reputation for using long-ball tactics has led some to question how he will fit in at West Ham, a club with a tradition of playing neat, attractive football.
But Allardyce insisted that would not be a problem: “That history that West Ham have I am very well aware of and we will play the West Ham way with the players we have got to achieve the ultimate, and that’s winning football matches.
“It’s a challenge for me to use my experience to get them back in the Premier League as quickly as possible. It’s a very exciting prospect for me and one I’m looking very much forward to.”
Allardyce was surprisingly sacked from his role as Blackburn manager in December after three defeats in five games and with Rovers 13th in the Premier League – five points above the relegation zone.
The Lancashire club slipped deeper into the battle to avoid the drop following Allardyce’s exit, and were only guaranteed another season in the top flight by beating Wolves 3-2 at Molineux on the final day of the campaign.
West Ham’s hunt for the man they will entrust to take them back to the Premier League could end tomorrow, with Sam Allardyce thought to be close to taking the Upton Park reins.
The Hammers sacked Avram Grant last month after their relegation to the npower Championship was confirmed with a game to spare, and a number of names, such as Dave Jones, Neil Warnock and Malky Mackay had all been touted.
But Press Association Sport understands that 56-year-old Allardyce has impressed co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan so much that he could be unveiled on a two-year deal as early as today.
If Allardyce is the man, it will be his first job since he was dismissed by Blackburn in December and it will be the first time he has managed outside the top flight in a decade.
Having cut his teeth with Blackpool and Notts County, he made his name as a manager with Bolton and took them to the Premier League through the play-offs in 2001.
He then established them as a Premier League club and even took them into Europe in 2005.
His work on a relatively low budget did not go unnoticed and he moved to Newcastle in 2007, only for Mike Ashley to take over the club two weeks later and sack Allardyce after just six months.
After an 11-month absence he returned to management with Blackburn in December 2008 and was thought by many to be doing a reasonable job, again on a low budget, when he was sacked six months ago.
Again his dismissal was authorised by an owner that did not employ him, but, if Gold and Sullivan make the decision to appoint him, Allardyce can hope to get the time he needs to reshape the east London club.
One of his first tasks will be to resolve the future of the club’s leading names, the majority of whom are expected to leave.
England quartet Carlton Cole, Rob Green, Scott Parker and Matthew Upson will all have suitors, as will midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.
SAM ALLARDYCE will be the new boss of relegated West Ham after agreeing last night to try to save them from an Olympic Stadium meltdown.
Allardyce, sacked by Blackburn last December, could land a £1.25million bonus if he gets the Hammers back into the Premier League at the first attempt.
It is vital the club win back their top-flight status with the move into the massive London Games arena due in 2014.
Otherwise, the club, which owes at least £100m following the disastrous regime of their previous Icelandic owners, could be threatened with bankruptcy.
Allardyce is seen as a hard-headed and experienced boss who can quickly sort out the problems at West Ham.
It is believed Allardyce has agreed a three-year package.
He is sure to have demanded guarantees about bringing in his coaching staff and, in particular, about the signing of new players, with agent Barry Silkman having been very influential at Upton Park since the club’s takeover by David Sullivan and David Gold.
Blackburn say “it could be a couple of months” before they appoint a manager to replace Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce was sacked by the club on Monday and Steve Kean was placed in temporary charge of the first team.
Anuradha Desai, chairwoman of the club’s Venky Group owners, said: “It could now be a couple of months before a new manager is put in place.
“Right now we are going to have a study and put a lot of thought into who the next manager will be.”
Speaking to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Desai added: “We don’t want to make a hasty decision and we are in a good position to take our time because Steve is quite capable.”
The club, who are now without a manager with the January transfer window approaching, appear to prefer a British manager to succeed Allardyce but are also keeping their options open.
“Our thinking now is that it will be a British manager, but we are open if there is an outstanding candidate who would be really, really good for the club,” said Desai.
“Right now Steve Kean will take over while we are looking for someone to take over on a permanent basis.
“Steve is a hard worker and he is doing a very good job as a coach.
“We have been studying him and have been very impressed. He works long hours and is talented at his job.”
Blackburn became the first Indian-owned Premier League club when they were taken over by the Rao family, who own the Venky’s group, in a £43m deal in November.
Their decision to part company with Allardyce came as a shock, with the club 13th in the Premier League following a defeat by Bolton on Sunday.
But, even though a difference of opinion in the way forward for the Ewood Park outfit appears to have sealed Allardyce’s exit, Desai has asked Rovers fans to trust the new owners.
“We do not mean anything bad for Sam Allardyce but we feel that we need to take the club up in the league and grow,” she added.
“We want Blackburn to be fourth or fifth in the league or even better. It is not about the Bolton match. It has been a long time in our minds.
“It is nothing against Sam but we have a different vision looking forward and we want the club to grow.
“We had been talking to Sam for the past few weeks and he did not fit in with our vision for the club’s future.
“We wanted good football, wanted the games to be interesting and, of course, wanted to win and to have good players.
“We needed to make some changes and Sam going is of course the main change. This is a major step – but we thought ‘why delay?’.
“The fans should trust us and have belief because this is in the best interests of the club.”
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has described Sam Allardyce’s sacking by Blackburn as “absolutely ridiculous”.
New owners the Venky’s Group announced they had dispensed with the former Bolton boss’ services despite Rovers sitting relatively comfortably in 13th in the Barclays Premier League.
And Ferguson, speaking after his side’s 1-0 win at home to Arsenal on Monday night, was baffled by the move.
The United boss told Sky Sports 1: “He phoned me at 3.10pm today saying ‘can I have a cup of tea tonight?’ because he was coming to the game. Then he phones me at half past four and says ‘I’ve been sacked’.
“I’ve never heard of such a stupid decision in all my life, it’s absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know what they’re doing up there, but deary me.
“It confounds common sense to be honest with you. Absolutely ridiculous.
“I wouldn’t like to follow him!”
Blackburn have booted out Sam Allardyce in the latest shock sacking to rock the Barclays Premier League.
After Newcastle harshly axed Chris Hughton last week, Rovers are the next club to surprisingly pull the trigger.
The move comes 24 hours after Rovers lost 2-1 at 10-man Bolton. However, his side were still five points clear of the the bottom three and in no obvious danger of relegation.
The former Newcastle and Bolton boss admitted: ‘I am very shocked and disappointed to be leaving Blackburn Rovers.
‘I am extremely proud to have managed this club and I enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the players, my staff and the supporters during my time in charge.
‘I now wish them and the football club every success for the future.’
He later added on Sky Sports: ‘The owners have their plan and I would have loved to have been a part of it, but the club needed to be sold.
‘I look forward to working in football again, very shortly I hope.’
Allardyce’s assistant Neil McDonald will also depart, with first team coach Steve Kean stepping temporarily into the breach.
A statement on the club website read: ‘We have taken this decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club.
‘We would like to put on record our thanks to Mr Allardyce for his contribution to Blackburn Rovers Football Club.’
The early favourites to take over from Allardyce are former Tottenham boss Martin Jol, who was linked to the Newcastle job last week after quitting Ajax.
Leicester boss Sven Goran Eriksson and former Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill are also being touted for the post.
Earlier this month, Blackburn’s new owners hired sports agency Kentaro to help them sign new players, although it is unclear whether they have influenced the decision to axe Allardyce.
A bookmaker revealed there had been a flurry of sizeable bets on Allardyce being the next top-flight manager to vacate his post and subsequently slashed odds from 33/1 to 3/1 earlier on Monday.
Intriguingly, William Hill also revealed that many of the gamblers betting on Allardyce were also placing money on Avram Grant to leave West Ham.
However,.Sportsmail understands that the Hammers are not interested in bringing him to Upton Park.
League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan hit out at the decision to dispense with a manager who only last week had been tipped by Fabio Capello as the next England boss.
The situation at Rovers mirrors Allardyce’s troubled reign at Newcastle, where he was appointed by Freddy Shepherd in May 2007 just a month before Mike Ashley bought the club.
The boss was then sacked just eight months into his three-year contract at St James’ Park.
Bevan said: ‘When new owners take over a club, sadly, the manager’s position often hangs by a thread.
‘To Sam’s great misfortune this has now happened twice and, on both occasions, it has been extremely difficult to understand the thinking behind the dismissal.
‘It is ironic that one minute Sam can be proposed as the next England manager and the next, he finds himself out of work.
‘He is widely acknowledged within the game as one of the most progressive and forward thinking managers, embracing new concepts and technologies to create an environment which leads to success for his club.
‘It will not be long before Sam, with his exceptional management experience, is back in a managerial post.’
Allardyce signed a three-year contract at Blackburn almost exactly two years ago, taking over from Paul Ince when the side looked in serious danger of relegation.
Rovers finished the campaign 15th and improved to 10th last season, earning a place in the Carling Cup semi-finals along the way.
Blackburn skipper Ryan Nelsen and striker Jason Roberts were both left stunned by the news.
Nelsen told Sky Sports News: ‘I’m just absolutely shocked and devastated for him. He had a fantastic relationship with all the players and he took the club out of the doldrums – we were in massive trouble – and with no money he’s solidified us. It completely came out of the blue.’
Roberts added: ‘I just heard it now and couldn’t believe it. I don’t think anybody saw it coming.I’m shocked and disappointed for the manager.’
Roberts, one player who didn’t see eye to eye with Allardyce, speculated that Blackburn’s direct style of play under Allardyce may have been a factor in the dismissal, saying: ‘It is polarising the way we play.
‘Some people are turned off by our tactics. Even though we never got on, I would never have wished him to get the sack.’
PLAYERS and pundits have spoken of their shock at the sacking of Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce by new club owners Venky’s.
Rovers striker Jason Roberts was taken aback by the dismissal.
He told Sky Sports News: “I just heard it now and couldn’t believe it.
”I don’t think anybody saw it coming.”
He added: “I’m shocked and disappointed for the manager.”
Roberts speculated that Blackburn’s direct style of play under Allardyce may have been a factor in the dismissal, saying: “It is polarising the way we play. Some people are turned off by our tactics.”
And he remarked: “Even though we never got on, I would never have wished him to get the sack.”
Lancashire Telegraph columnist Kevin Gallacher told Sky Sports: “I was sure Sam would have got more time “A club like Blackburn is about staying in the Premier League not thriving in the top four, so with the way Sam’s team was performing it was about nicking a draw and beating the teams about you.
“People expect Blackburn to be 8th-12th with Europe being fantastic. That’s all they can hope to achieve. Maybe Sam’s type of football was not beneficial for the new owners.
Tony Gale, who won the league title with Rovers, added: “I’m astounded but I’m sure there is a lot more to it, what with the new owners coming in and probably taking some of the initiative off Sam and managing the club.
“He is definitely the right man for that job. What he has achieved there on a shoestring budget is incredible because if you look at what they’ve got on paper you wouldn’t think they’d be surviving in the Premier League at the moment.
“It’s far from the days of Jack Walker and Sam coming in there kept them up in the first place.
“Unless these owners are going to pump millions of pounds into the club and become another Man City it seems another case of owners knowing nothing about football.”
Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers’ Association said: “When new owners take over a club, sadly, the manager’s position often hangs by a thread.
“To Sam’s great misfortune this has now happened twice and, on both occasions, it has been extremely difficult to understand the thinking behind the dismissal.
“It is ironic that one minute Sam can be proposed as the next England manager and the next, he finds himself out of work.
“He is widely acknowledged within the game as one of the most progressive and forward thinking managers, embracing new concepts and technologies to create an environment which leads to success for his club.
“It will not be long before Sam, with his exceptional management experience, is back in a managerial post.”
Howard Wilkinson, chairman of the LMA said, “Sam chose the traditional route to becoming a professional football manager. Having achieved notable success as a player, he made the decision he wanted to coach and manage.
“He first attained his professional technical qualifications whilst studying the methods of outstanding coaches and managers from various sports throughout the world.
“Sam spoke recently at the launch of the LMA’s Leadership and Management Programme about ‘creating the team behind the team’ and has applied his philosophies in each of his managerial appointments with increasing success at the highest level of the game.
“Sam’s commitment to his profession does not stop with his own career; it extends to the immense contribution he has made as a member of the LMA’s Executive Board where he has always been keen to champion the cause of mandatory qualifications, continuous personal development for young aspiring managers and creating a positive working environment for his fellow colleagues.
“Without question, Sam is a manager who can, does and always will, deliver results.”
SAM Allardyce has been sacked as manager of Blackburn Rovers.
Venky’s, owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, today confirmed his departure along with assistant manager Neil McDonald with immediate effect.
First team coaching duties will be taken on by Steve Kean (currently 1st team coach) for the immediate future.
A club statement said: “We have taken this decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club.
“We would like to put on record our thanks to Mr Allardyce for his contribution to Blackburn Rovers Football Club.”
Allardyce tonight said he was “very shocked and disappointed”, in a statement released by the League Managers Association.
He added: “I am extremely proud to have managed this club and I enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the players, my staff and the supporters during my time in charge.
“I now wish them and the football club every success for the future”.
Rovers lost 2-1 away to Bolton yesterday, the team where he made his managerial name and brought European football to for the first time in the Trotters’ history.
That defeat left them still five points clear of the bottom three and in no obvious danger.
One bookmaker did reveal a flurry of sizeable bets on Allardyce to be the next top-flight manager to vacate his post and slashed odds from 33/1 to 3/1 today.
William Hill also revealed many of the gamblers betting on Allardyce were also placing money on Avram Grant to leave West Ham, leading them to conclude Allardyce may be headed for Upton Park.