Source: SKY_Sports
Big Sam rues missed chances
Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce was disappointed by his side's lack of a cutting edge in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke.
Rovers rarely threatened Thomas Sorensen's goal and Allardyce knows the final five games will be especially difficult considering some of the injury problems his side has in the attacking third.
The manager has been hampered by injuries to key strikers in the last few weeks, but things are unlikely to change too much before the season comes to an end.
Brett Emerton and Steven Reid will miss the rest of the season with knee injuries, Jason Roberts has been nursing a foot injury and Roque Santa Cruz is recovering from minor surgery.
So desperate was Allardyce last week, centre-back Christopher Samba had to single-handedly lead the attack
Missed chancesWhile Rovers were able to start two strikers on their trip to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, he says his side did not make the most of the possession they had or the chances they forged.
Allardyce said: "We've got Benni [McCarthy] and [El-Hadji] Diouf obviously, but Diouf doesn't play up there that much and Benni always needs the bigger man with him, whether that's a Jason [Roberts] or a Roque [Santa Cruz].
"We haven't got them and we have to deal with that and make sure we overcome those problems and produce a performance that can win next week.
"We are disappointed but it's the first time we've lost to anybody around us since I've been here."
Allardyce added: "All the four defeats prior to this were against the top five sides and we've got to make sure on Sunday we go all out for those three points and deal with the pressure that comes our way.
"We need to produce a performance under that pressure and try to get that all-important win."
