Sam Allardyce has been fired as manager of Blackburn Rovers,the Premier League club said on Monday. Venkys Group,the clubs new Indian owners,made the announcement a day after Blackburn lost 2-1 at Bolton,their third loss in five matches which left the team in 13th place in the standings. We have taken this decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club, Venkys said in a statement released by the club. The 56-year-old Allardyce,who was hired as manager in December 2008,said he was very shocked and disappointed to have been dismissed. I am extremely proud to have managed this club and I enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the players,my staff and the supporters during my time in charge, he added in a statement released by the League Managers Association. He is the second managerial departure in the Premier League this season,following Newcastles sacking of Chris Hughton a week ago. Allardyces assistant,Neil McDonald,has also been fired,with current first-team coach Steve Kean taking temporary charge until a replacement is found. The dismissal of former Bolton and Newcastle manager Allardyce came as a surprise,despite Blackburns embarrassing 7-1 defeat at Manchester United on November 27. Richard Bevan,the chief executive of the League Managers Association,said: When new owners take over a club,sadly,the managers position often hangs by a thread. To Sams great misfortune this has now happened twice and,on both occasions,it has been extremely difficult to understand the thinking behind the dismissal. It is ironic that one minute Sam can be proposed as the next England manager and the next,he finds himself out of work. Allardyce took over at Ewood Park with Rovers languishing in the Premier Leagues relegation zone,but guided them out of the bottom three and to a 15th-place finish that season. In his first full season in charge,during which Blackburn reached the semi-finals of the League Cup before losing to Aston Villa,the team finished 10th. Blackburn has been strong at home this season,winning four of their eight home matches,but have struggled on their travels,picking up just seven points from a maximum possible 27. Martin Jol,who resigned as coach of Dutch club Ajax last week,was installed by British bookmakers Ladbrokes as the 5/1 favourite to replace Allardyce. The Dutch manager was linked with the Newcastle job before Alan Pardew was hired as Hughtons replacement on Thursday.
