Blackburn Rovers 1 West Ham United 1

West Ham Undone By Samba Beating by Gary Jacob

Some things in the game come and go — such as Liverpool’s majestic dominance — but others will stay uncomfortably the same. Just as for all their new-found wealth, City will for ever be known as the second team in Manchester, so Sam Allardyce’s sides will revert to familiar, harrowing type. The Blackburn Rovers manager had changed to a more pleasing style with some reward, but when needs must in the face of a relegation battle, he can ask for an aerial assault to match the best... Times

Zola Hails West Ham Spirit After Dogged Point by Graham Chase

Many more performances like this and West Ham will gain themselves a reputation after a display of real grit saw them come through a second-half barrage to hold on for a point at Ewood Park. Having taken the lead through Mark Noble, the game's only moment of real quality, West Ham, whose front three of David Di Michele, Luis Boa Morte and Diego Tristan were dreadful, conceded to Keith Andrews five minutes after the break but managed to withstand incredible pressure to cling on... Telegraph

Neill Puts Body On Line To Leave Rovers Frustrated by Joe Bernstein

Predictably, Sam Allardyce left Ewood Park snarling about referee Chris Foy after Blackburn failed to lift themselves away from relegation trouble. Big Sam and his pal at Hull City, Phil Brown, seem to take it in turn to berate match officials and yesterday Allardyce was fuming at West Ham's 35th-minute opener through Mark Noble. Never mind that the goal was created with a classic series of one-touch passes, completed when Noble tucked away Diego Tristan's pass with the outside of his boot, the Rovers boss was angry that nobody had spotted Luis Boa Morte marginally offside earlier in the move... Mail

Allardyce Uses Praise To Bury Blackburn's Deficiencies by Guy Hodgson

If the last resort of the scoundrel is patriotism, you know a football manager is running out of straws when the praise is out of proportion to the achievement. Sam Allardyce has reached that point. Faced with another victory turned into a draw by panicky finishing and a deficit of imagination, the Blackburn Rovers manager abandoned laments about missed opportunities and went on a determined pursuit of the positive... Independent

Allardyce Sees Way To Safety In Samba's Transferable Talents by Ian Whittell

When Blackburn's manager, Sam Allardyce, emerged from the January transfer window having fought off the attentions of Manchester City for his star forward, Roque Santa Cruz, he probably did not expect that his team's Premier League survival might depend on the attacking threat of a 6ft 5in centre-half... Guardian