Source: PA
Allardyce calls on midfield to pick up slack
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce admits he has been left short up front after being beaten by the clock on transfer deadline day in his attempts to replace Benni McCarthy with another striker.
Although a move to West Ham had been on the cards for some time, McCarthy's eventual transfer to Upton Park was not completed until Monday due to complications over a work permit.
With a satisfactory fee for the for the 32-year-old South African finally secured Allardyce then swiftly went about trying to reinvest the money in a forward to take McCarthy's place.
But once his initial target, Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari, had chosen to join Sunderland on loan rather than sign up at Ewood Park, there was not enough time for Allardyce to seal a deal for Aruna Dindane before the window closed.
He revealed Dindane, who has been on loan at Portsmouth from Lens this season, had even completed his medical at Blackburn's Brockhall training complex on Monday but had to be turned away at five o'clock as the paperwork had not been finalised.
Allardyce said: "We tried to sign Benjani on a full-time basis but the work permit was a big problem, getting it through on time. Then it could only become a loan scenario. He wasn't the only player we went for - we went for many players before that but couldn't get it to a conclusion."
