9:58am Friday 12th March 2010
By Andy Cryer
SAM Allardyce has warned his Blackburn Rovers side it is vital they do not ease up now as bids to ensure a brighter Ewood Park Premier League future.
The Rovers boss stressed to his players yesterday morning that the threat of relegation was still hanging over their heads, before pointing to the financial rewards, collectively and individually, of climbing the Premier League table.
Allardyce’s men travel to Champions League chasing Tottenham tomorrow lunchtime 10 points clear of the drop zone but, with a daunting season run-in ahead, the Rovers boss knows nothing can be taken for granted.
He is also determined to see his side finish as high up the table as possible, with an extra £750,000 cash pot available for every improved position, having been promised any extra revenue as part of summer budget.
He said: “I stressed the dangers that are still there this morning to the players.
"We have had a look at what is coming up and we have to make sure we upset one of the bigger clubs that we are going to play in the very near future.
“We were always planning our season to say we must be safe or very, very nearly safe by this time.
"Because a lot of the teams we are playing are above us out of the last 10.
“Our strive for safety could have been taken one step further by getting at least a draw at Liverpool but we haven’t got it.
"Hopefully we can get something against Tottenham and we will move on from there.
“We have got Chelsea very shortly and obviously Birmingham and Burnley and we have to accumulate the points as quick as we can and secure that safety in a very difficult 10 fixtures.
"But the form we are in and the squad we have got available I am very confident we will do very, very well.”
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