Premier League preview: Blackburn v Sunderland
How will Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce be feeling at the moment?
Fulham captain Danny Murphy’ comments about managers sending out their players too “pumped up” making them commit reckless challenges was aimed at Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager and surprise surprise Allardyce.
No matter who he has managed, Allardyce has built his teams to get into the faces of opponents and break the game up. Whether he sends his players out to deliberately go and make hard tackles is another matter, and it’s a good thing Blackburn are not playing Fulham tonight.
Since the comments were made, Murphy has said they were blown out of proportion, but that hasn’t stopped Big Sam from defending his players.
“I think it's very unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself, the players and Blackburn Rovers football club,” he said. “It should be unnecessary that I have to do it, but considering the allegation that was made by Danny, which was totally and utterly wrong, I had to.
“Myself as a manager, this football club and its players in its disciplinary terms since I've been here have improved enormously.
“We've reduced the average booking record. We've reduced the number of sending offs. We are not dirty. We never go out to injure a player. I never send a player out to go and try and injure an opposition player. We're too professional for that.
“We've had to pull up the stats and facts to show you exactly where we lie in terms of our disciplinary record. I think in the league's disciplinary table we're actually fourth. That's how good we are this year.
“Since I've been here it's been the best disciplinary record over the five years at the football club. I think that speaks volumes for what we really are. People like Danny Murphy are giving a perception that isn't true. I hate perception. There's far too much of it in the game. We should stick to the reality.
“The players are very, very angry about what Danny called it. Was it 'brainless' or 'mindless'? I think that's an outrageous statement to make. The players are unhappy about that.
“What we don't want is any backlash from those suggestions because they are unfounded. The backlash is that people's perception out there is that we're dirty side now and we're not, and we never have been,” Allardyce added.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce defended Allardyce. Along with that, he is trying to understand how his star man Darren Bent keeps on getting injured when playing for England. Ideally, Bruce would want to keep his man wrapped up in cotton wool when Sunderland are not in action, but because of the strong performances of Bent, it cannot be done, much to Bruce’s despair.
“Your worst fear is getting the call saying he is injured. It is a shame for Darren because that is three times he has been with England and got injured,” said Bruce.
The dreaded phone call. The one Bruce didn’t want to get but somehow expected it. Now he’ll be wishing he can wrap Bent in cotton wool.
“If you have a problem with a player, someone who has a bad back for example, you have dialogue with the England medical staff but you can't interfere with training games,” Bruce said.
“I will be informing my medical department to have a word. If it happens once, fine. But if it has happened so often when he has been away with England then that is not healthy, especially as he has not even missed a training session since he has been here,” added Bruce.
Allardyce tackled Murphy’s comments but at least he has the support of Bruce on the opposite dugout.
No Murphy around tonight, but his name is bound to be mentioned in a tough game for both sides.
Prediction: Blackburn 1 Sunderland 1
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