Blackburn issue hands off warning over Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce: linked with West Ham
11 April 2012

Blackburn chairman John Williams has warned rival clubs they will strongly resist all attempts to lure manager Sam Allardyce away from Ewood Park.

Reports yesterday suggested Allardyce was on a four-man shortlist for the vacant West Ham job after Gianfranco Zola was sacked earlier this month.

However, no official approach has been made to Blackburn and Williams said it would be rejected even if it was forthcoming.

"There's been no approach and we wouldn't welcome any approach," he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

In the 18 months since taking over from Paul Ince, Allardyce has lifted Rovers from relegation candidates into the top half of the table with a 10th-placed finish this season.

The Rovers boss has achieved that success on a very limited budget but is now looking to get the club back into Europe, having last played in the UEFA Cup in 2007-08.

Blackburn midfielder Martin Olsson has received a first call-up to the Sweden squad for a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Stockholm on May 29.

However, following that match Olsson, who turned 22 yesterday, will drop back into the under-21 squad for their UEFA qualifiers against Israel and Montenegro.

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