Blackburn Rovers have sacked manager Sam Allardyce today with immediate effect.

In a prepared statement by the club, they said that:

“The Venky’s Group, owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, has today confirmed the departure of manager Sam Allardyce and assistant manager Neil McDonald with immediate effect. First-team coaching duties will be taken on by Steve Kean (currently first-team coach) for the immediate future. We have taken this decision as part of our wider plans and ambitions for the club. We would like to put on record our thanks to Mr. Allardyce for his contribution to Blackburn Rovers Football Club.”

The decision is a poor one by The Venky’s Group. Just over two weeks ago, the Venky’s gave their full support to Allardyce by saying:

“We want results and Sam has taken up the challenge. He deserves a chance,” Venky’s chairman, Anuradha Desai, said. “Most of the time the team has been between eighth and 10th in the rankings. Only once it went out of the league. With the right motivation I feel they can go higher than eighth. Who is to say they cannot do better than that, say fifth or sixth position, why not? To this end the group have promised manager Allardyce funds to spend in the January transfer window. Some money has been put aside in improving the health of the club,”

So much for his chance to pick up some players in the January transfer window. For the Venky’s to pull the plug so soon on Allardyce after not giving him much of a chance is awful. In November and December, Blackburn Rovers has won 57% of its Premier League matches including wins against Newcastle United, Wolves, Wigan and Aston Villa. The Lancashire club lost 2-1 on Sunday in their local derby against Bolton Wanderers.

I’m presuming that the Venky’s already have someone in mind to replace Allardyce. Someone who will either receive a lower salary or has higher aspirations. But for Blackburn, who currently sits in 13th position, the decision by the Venky’s to pull the plug on Allardyce is a strange one indeed given Allardyce’s track record of keeping clubs in the Premier League.

What do you think? How do you explain the decision by The Venky’s? And will anyone of note be interested in taking his slot at Blackburn. Chris Hughton, perhaps? And could Big Sam be heading to West Ham where he could be the only person who could turn around that side and keep them in the Premier League at the end of this season.