Villanueva eyes Ewood Park stay

11 May 2009 09:40
The 23-year-old Villanueva's loan spell from Audax Italiano is due to finish at the end of the season. He has struggled to establish himself at Ewood Park but said: "I want to stay as I feel as though I am learning every day. "It is very different in England from Chile. The game is quicker and stronger. It takes time to adjust and I feel I would improve next season. "When I arrived in Blackburn I got chickenpox and could not train for three weeks. Now things are better. "This is one of the best leagues in the world and I am enjoying being part of it. "While I would like to be involved in more games, it is okay. I am happy at Blackburn." Villanueva added: "I do not know anything about my future but I am not worried about that. "My focus is on the remaining games and trying to help Blackburn if I get the chance. I will always give my best." Rovers moved to the magical 40-point mark with a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday to all but secure their Premier League status. And Pedersen, who scored the opening goal against Portsmouth, believes the revival in the club's fortunes is down to Allardyce. Allardyce replaced Paul Ince at Ewood Park in December with the side five points adrift of safety and Pedersen has been impressed by the former Bolton chief. "We were in big trouble before the gaffer arrived," Pedersen told The Sun. "We had become used to operating in the top half of the league before this season but he impressed upon us the need to play a bit ugly at times to get the results we needed. "He has done a really good job since he arrived." Meanwhile, Allardyce claims keeping Rovers in the top flight has been the toughest job of his career. "I think it's the most difficult thing I've had to do since I've been a manager because of the time factor when I arrived," he said. "I was working with a group of players I didn't know that well and a backroom staff who were also foreign to me. "The players were bound to be feeling a bit sorry for themselves and looking round to blame somebody else, but I tried to dismiss those anxieties and remind them of where they were the season before and how good they'd been for Blackburn over a long period. "I hope it's never going to be as difficult as this again. It's extremely worrying as a manager when you're in that position week in, week out. I don't like it." Chelsea 4/11, Draw 4/1, Blackburn 7/1  

Source: Team_Talk