WHEN the chicken farmers got rid of Sam Allardyce I warned that certain things would come home to roost for Blackburn Rovers.

I felt when Steve Kean got the job at Ewood Park that the whole affair had been played out behind Big Sam's back, so with the club struggling so badly at the moment, it certainly feels like a case of 'what goes around comes around'.

If you want a good way of getting rid of your money, then buy a football club, and the people at Venky's are finding out quickly that you've got to sell more than a few chicken nuggets to break into the upper ranks of the Premier League these days.

I hear talk of them wanting to be a top eight side but they haven't invested anything like the amount of money it takes to do that. It isn't just a case of clicking your fingers and you get the whole thing on a silver platter – with a side of fries and a chocolate milkshake.

There are 20 teams all trying their best to stay at the top table, so if you are not going to spend millions then you'd better get yourself a top, top manager to knit everything together. And I'm not sure Rovers have done either.

There's always one club that drags themselves down into the mire and ends up getting relegated. I've got a funny feeling that this year, it'll be Blackburn, and I think the way we are playing, we might accelerate the whole process with a win this weekend.

We're in the situation that each victory keeps our season alive. If we'd have lost against Arsenal, and not turned the mood round completely, then I think that would have been game over.

Now we've got a local derby – which should be no problem to get ourselves up for – and a set of fans who will be desperate for a result.

Sixth place might seem a long way off but while it's mathematically possible, we've got to keep going.

NOTHING would make me happier than seeing Daniel Sturridge pull on a Bolton shirt again next season, but I'm afraid the possibility is a remote one.

This club has been fantastic for him, just as he has for it, but I think that – just as Jack Wilshere did this season – there are bigger things for him on the immediate horizon.

The two players could be mirror images. Both of them just needed a platform, and after Jack got that at Bolton, the world was his oyster. The same will happen for Daniel, I'm sure.

The best chance Owen has of keeping him would be for Carlo Ancelotti to get the sack from Cheslea over the summer and for a foreign coach to come in with his own ideas.

Every man has his little shortlist of players earmarked to make an immediate impact. If that happens, then Daniel knows the fans here love him, and that he obviously respects the staff.

My gut feeling is that Didier Drogba will move on in the summer, and that he will go back to Stamford Bridge as competition for Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres. He's that good.

TAMIR Cohen couldn't have written a better tribute to his dad than his winning goal against Arsenal.

The lad has had to wait around on the fringes of the team and might have wondered if he'd ever get his chance again before popping up with perfect timing.

He's a natural goalscorer and continually gets himself into those positions, but while it was fantastic to see him seize the chance after such a difficult year, I'm not entirely sure where his future at the Reebok lies.

Owen will have his little check-list and won't be operating with a big budget for players, regardless of whether any of the big names are sold or not.

There are a few of the lads in Tamir's situation and it's not a nice decision to make, but that's where managers earn their corn.

I'm sure he'll have to replace Johan Elmander, who'll have to say something about his future in the next few weeks.

Likewise, our biggest asset Gary Cahill will be attracting bids, no doubt, as will a few others, like Chung-Yong Lee.

I'm sure Owen has got his plan sorted but I think we're in for an eventful summer as he finally gets a chance to really put his mark on the club.

AFTER 'that' FA Cup semi-final I was inundated with emails and texts telling me where we had gone wrong.

In the wake of Sunday's win over Arsenal it's been the exact opposite, and people over here realise that we're not anywhere near as bad a side as we might have looked that day.

That performance repaired so much damage, but I've got to say, the supporters deserve just as much credit as the players.

For them to come out in such numbers after such a disappointing day shows you everything about this football club.

They set the tone from minute one and the lads responded.

We might have had a two or three goal lead by the time Arsenal got themselves back into the game but, again, the lads showed they have it about them to fight when they have to.

We played some great stuff, but we also put our bodies on the line when we needed to as well.

I was proud as punch watching the game over here and I'm sure everyone who wasn't wearing an Arsenal shirt at the Reebok that afternoon was bursting with pride as well.

IT would take a big man to stand in Kevin Davies's way if he wanted to take the next penalty we get – and I certainly wouldn't want to be in their boots.

He might have missed one against Arsenal but I've got no doubt in my mind that he'll be the first person to put up his hand in that situation again.

It looked like he tried the little dink into the corner, as he had against Birmingham, but just didn't make a great connection and the keeper got his legs in the way. It happens to the best of us, but it won't play on his mind again.