Rovers Offside Exclusive: Allardyce ‘Egogate’ press statement in full.

Statement from Mr Sam Allardyce:

I feel it is necessary to issue this personal statement in response to press and internet reports over the last five days. Prior to Saturday’s match I was interviewed by a journalist who asked me if I had ‘found my level’ at Blackburn Wanderers FC. I admit that I was a little upset to be asked such a stupid question, but I’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with the press and so I humbly gave the following answer:

“I’m not suited to Bolton or Blackburn, I would be more suited to Internazionale or Real Madrid. It wouldn’t be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the double or the league every time”.

Let me clarify my comments. Some people have interpreted them to mean that I think I am too good for the likes of Bolton and Blackburn. Clearly, this is not the case. There can be no doubt that my words demonstrate my long-term commitment to Blackburn, and emphasise my pride at having the opportunity to manage such a fantastic football club.

Secondly, some so-called ‘experts’ have suggested that my comment implies that I feel I am more suited to Internazionale or Real Madrid, and that it wouldn’t be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the double or the league every time. I am unsure as to how the media could draw these conclusions. Patently, my thoughts only serve to highlight how desperate I am to stay at Blackburn and take them to the higher enchelonts of the Premier League and that my abilities are perfectly suited to this task. That my words have been twisted by the pundits to imply that my ego is so out of control that I believe I could win the championship in any country I work in for the rest of my life is a sad reflection on contemporary society.

With this in mind, I would like to put on record my sympathy for the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt. He too has been a victim of a media witch-hunt following a recent one-day international, when he said that:

“There is loud and clear talk in bookie circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose. No wonder there was total collapse of the English side”.

Subsequent reports tried to trick cricket fans into believing that he felt that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose, and that it was no wonder there was total collapse of the English side. When comments are taken out of context in this way, it is very unhelpful, and it has made him appear as if he is trying to deflect attention away from the allegations made against his players.

Similarly, when my comments are taken out of context in this way, it is very unhelpful, and they have made me appear as if I am trying to deflect attention away from the fact that my only managerial silverware is a Division Three championship medal from thirteen years ago and coming second in the Carling Cup Final. The allegation that I am doing this to hoodwink my way to the England job is obviously untrue.

I also want to reassure the Blackburn fans that they need not worry about me leaving the club. I can confirm to them that in the absence of any offer from a bigger club or England I will continue to be 110% committed to their club, and will continue to build a team who entertain with dazzling panache by kicking the ball longer, higher and harder than any other team in Premier League history. I will never resort to the kind of pacy, slick passing game relied upon by the less sophisticated teams, and am certain that last season’s wonderful achievements of coming tenth and beating Burnley twice can be repeated (apart from the Burnley bit).

I hope this statement has clarified my position. I hope that further comments I may make will not be taken out of context to allege that I am an egomaniac who is desperate to manage a better team than Blackburn like Internazionale, Real Madrid or England. This is definitely NOT the case as everyone now sees and believes.

Sam Allardycio Allardyce

Category: Team News