No word yet if he's going to bring the mustache and glasses with him, but Sam Allardyce is Blackburn's new manager. Allardyce had been courting the Sunderland job pretty heavily. He was a former Sunderland player, and he also had his terrible stint at rivals Newcastle working for him. However, it was made clear that nobody at Sunderland wanted Big Sam. At Blackburn things are quite different, and his name was on everyone's lips as soon as Ince got the sack(fired).The appointment shows that Big Sam knows he can't get a job at a "big club." This is a big change from a little more than a year ago, when he left Bolton. He had been at the club for eight seasons, and helped them get promoted to the Premiership. During the 2004-05 season he led the club to sixth place, equal on points with Champions League winners Liverpool, and qualified them for the UEFA Cup for the first time in history. He followed with consecutive top eight finishes, and UEFA Cup appearances. His sixth place finish was the best by an English manager in recent times, and it was rumored that he might become England manager. However he was involved in a "bungs"(kickback) scandal during that summer, and the FA chose another English manager, Steve McClaren. He left for Newcastle in the summer of 2007, but on January 9th 2008, Big Sam left through mutual consent.
Sam Allardyce's contract may be a good move for Blackburn. Big Sam does not play pretty football(soccer), but teams in relegation battles don't care much about that. His style will be very similar to the one Mark Hughes brought to the club. There will be a lot of physical play, focus on set pieces, and a stingy defense. His time at Bolton was marked by signing former stars, and milking them for a couple more seasons. There is no doubt that he was promised some money in January, because it will be a struggle with his current squad. It's also a good investment for the Blackburn owners, who know that spending a few million now is preferable to being relegated and losing the tv money from the Prem. Neutrals may not be thrilled, but there is no doubt that he is more experienced and better prepared for the Premiership than Ince.
