Allardyce: I have a point to prove

Sam Allardyce admits he has “something to prove” after his failure at Newcastle knocked his career back seven years to see him once again take on the task of saving an unfashionable North-west club from relegation, as he did with Bolton in 2001-02.

Roque Santa Cruz Not for sale Roque Santa Cruz: Not for sale

Blackburn unveiled Allardyce publicly as their new boss yesterday, after he had already got straight down to business by relieving Paul Ince’s assistants Archie Knox and Ray Mathias of their duties, appointing former Bolton coach Neil McDonald as his assistant and speaking to the players for the first time.

But the first message he wanted to send out to the world at large – and Manchester City in particular – is that striker Roque Santa Cruz is not for sale.

“We won’t be selling Roque,” he said.

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“Where are the players who can replace the quality of the players already at this club who have Premier League experience?

To sell any of your best players, particularly one of your leading goalscorers, is not the case whatsoever for us

Sam Allardyce

“To sell any of your best players, particularly one of your leading goalscorers, is not the case whatsoever for us.

“It’s constantly rumoured that the first thing that’s going to happen is Roque’s going to want to leave and move on.

“From all accounts, the chairman [John Williams] has told me that’s not the case.

“And it’s not about what happens with this particular player. It’s about everyone pulling together to get a result on Saturday.”

A resounding victory is something Allardyce needs almost as much as Blackburn after lasting just seven months in charge at St James’ Park.

Allardyce said: “I feel I have something to prove.

“If I want to decide I am finished in the game I want it to be my decision and not somebody else’s.

“I probably think I should be at Real Madrid, but I’m English, aren’t I?

“If Juande Ramos can leave at the bottom of the table with Tottenham and get the Real Madrid manager’s job, you have to think that if I was Spanish, I might be able to do that as well. But I’m not.

“I just didn’t think that any of the big clubs, irrespective of whether it was my fault or not during my short tenure at Newcastle, would be interested in taking me on.

“What you have achieved and done before quickly gets forgotten in this game.”

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