Allardyce raring to go again

New Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce today insisted the time was right for him to return to football management.

The 54-year-old was unveiled at a press conference at Ewood Park this afternoon, having rejected the chance to manage the Barclays Premier League club earlier this year.

But Allardyce insists he now has the hunger to lift them out of the relegation zone, following the departure of Paul Ince earlier in the week.

He told the press conference, covered by Sky Sports News: “Six months ago it was a case of speaking with (chairman) John Williams, going home and talking to my better half.

“After 15 years straight managing and coaching I decided it was too early to jump back into the mainstream.

“Now I can get going in terms of getting my teeth stuck into the job and improving results, certainly in the beginning.”

Rovers are second bottom of the top flight with 13 points and Allardyce continued: “It’s difficult – an unexpected position I think.

“Everyone here didn’t expect the club to be in the position it is.

“But I’ve been there before and now the players must respond very quickly.

“You can never say you are too good to go down – clubs have fallen foul of that before – but the players have to play to the maximum of their ability to get us out of trouble, hopefully as quickly as possible.”

Williams told the press conference Allardyce was ``first choice and a unanimous candidate'' to replace Ince.

He explained: “It wasn’t the classic interview situation as it was in the summer.

“The reality is we’ve now got 13 points and when Paul Ince left the decision by the board was unanimous and quick.

“Experience is the word, he’s been there (and) done it. There’s a huge amount of confidence from the board down to the training ground – we feel we’ve got the man to pull us round.”

Williams is determined that Blackburn will not be the first team of the trio promoted in 2001 to be relegated – one of Allardyce’s former clubs, Bolton, and Fulham were the others.

The chairman continued: “We’re a similar-sized club to Bolton and we came up together, with Fulham.

“All three clubs are still there and we want to be certain we’re not the one that breaks that particular achievement.”

Allardyce, who has also managed Newcastle, will assess the players at his disposal before making any decisions ahead of the January transfer window.

He continued: “I’ve got to evaluate the squad before even venturing into what we might or might not do in January.

“We don’t want to have to sell anybody in the January transfer window.

“I think it’s very important from my point of view to have joined the club because I know the team pretty well from a few years down the road (at Bolton).

“I’ve got to know how good they (the players) are so why would I want to sell the best ones? Why would I want to do that?”

Williams insisted he would back Allardyce with funds for transfers, adding: “We’ll do our best – but he’s already hinted the key is assessing what he’s got.

“There’s a general feeling we’re perhaps underachieving and should be higher in the league but we’ll do our best to support him.

“We always have done that with our managers, we’ve usually managed to give them every penny we have got – and some that we haven’t got.”

Allardyce today appointed Neil McDonald as his number two and is planning “maybe one more addition”.

He explained at the press conference, televised on Sky Sports News: “I know quite a lot of the staff here and we’ll roll along with that for now.

“It seems very professional, just a bit of tweaking is needed.”