SAM Allardyce believes David Moyes’ ‘slowly but surely’ approach at Everton is the only model to follow at Ewood Park, but fears copying his pal’s European exploits could always prove a step too far.

The Blackburn Rovers boss was in bullish mood as his side look to upset another Premier League high flyer this afternoon, with Everton visitors to Ewood, but admits defying the financial odds over 38 games could be a step too far.

Home draws against Manchester United and Arsenal this season have already shown Allardyce’s rejuvenated Rovers can mix it with the best and they will be hoping to strike against Europa League chasing Everton.

But, as they look to secure a top 10 finish, Allardyce fears the ‘top clubs’ are growing ever more powerful and fears Rovers’ own financial limitations will stop them achieving their dreams.

He said: “We had the same blueprint at Bolton.

“David Moyes has grown the club very, very well.

“When he has had year on year limited finance it has been spent very wisely and he has been in a position where he doesn’t have to sell anyone unless he wants to – or unless the money is that good, like Rooney and Lescott, that is he is able to go out in the world market and improve the squad.

“I think you have to understand the growth of the Premier League and I mean the growth of some benefactors who are deciding they will come into a football club and spend the sort of monies Aston Villa have spent, Manchester City have spent.

“I went to watch Aston Villa play in midweek and I counted £100m worth of players. Everton have done it as well now.

“They have grown gradually over David’s years but they have started paying £16m and double figures for players.

“Liverpool have constantly spent £100m plus and we are never going to compete at that level now. We are on a plus basis on transfers not a minus. As a football club we get more money in for players than we spend.

“We are in a very difficult situation in that the recent history of this football club is very difficult to emulate because of the financial situation we are now under – compared to the millions Jack had wanting to make Blackburn Rovers one of the only four clubs to have ever won the title.”

While Allardyce fears qualifying for Europe is unlikely in the near future, he isn’t about to stop shooting for the stars and hopes Rovers’ youth can help to prove him wrong.

He has nothing but praise for the sound financial footing the club is run on and insists from the youth level up is the only way to bridge that financial gap.

He said: “It is very good from a business point of view, £32m in this year and £14m out, but you have to understand that is bound to detract from the position we can finish in the league.

“This club is very well run though, it can take a little risk, but it is a calculated risk and it has paid off in the last 10 years.

“Our situation is we have got young players growing in the team which makes the club very, very strong for the future and that makes it very important to trying to achieve our European dreams or cup dreams.

“It has the chance in a year or two, if those players develop, that could help us grow from a league position point of view.”

With Rovers currently up for sale, with talks ongoing all the time, many fans still dream of a rich backer coming in to help Rovers’ battle against the financial odds. Allardyce though warns ‘don’t expect too much’ after admitting the ‘credit crunch’ has made football less than attractive for investors.

He said: “I think the world economy has killed the vibrant focus on football. In terms of lots of people were very interested in buying lots and lots of football clubs three years ago until the crash happened.

“Three years ago the wealth of the world was so great that buying football clubs was the attractive thing to do. Now it is not quite so attractive.

“It us like everything else though, if you put something up for sale for long enough someone will buy it.”