Blackburn got their reward for going on the attack against Chelsea. So why won't they do it in the league?

Published 23:18 02/12/09

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Maybe old Sam Allardyce has been on the healthy dose of happy pills during his time in hospital for a minor heart operation.

If so the drugs were certainly working last night as he picked his most attacking side ever - a massive transformation from his more stale style - and it was just what the doctor ordered.

Allardyce has taken some stick from the fans for an approach that may be pragmatic but is usually fairly ugly. How they cried out for two up front and a couple of wingers and they finally got them.

The sight of the team sheet with Jason Roberts, Nikola Kalinic AND Benni McCarthy in midfield had many wondering if the boss had taken too much morphine and lost his senses.

But the forward-thinking side paid off and spread delight where there has been dissent. Sure, it was a scratch Chelsea team but Rovers actually went for it.

What a shame that so many stayed away, disillusioned by some of the fare of late. This kind of stuff will have them coming back in their droves.

Allardyce has his reasons for playing 4-4-1-1 for the dour Premier League battles, but perhaps he has seen the light while having his break for his surgery.

Now the snag is what to do against Liverpool at the weekend. Go back to the drab old ways or stick with this colourful pattern that showed there is some real menace in their ranks?

And there is the question of what to do with McCarthy and some others in next month's window. Allardyce was planning to shake up his squad, but when he sees the tape of this he may yet change his mind.

McCarthy played a big part at the point of the diamond, Morten Gamst Pedersen was a new man and Kalinic is slowly looking like a £6million signing.

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