BIG SAM BLASTS BOLTON; BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE Blackburn v Bolton, kick-off, 8pm.

Byline: By DAVID ANDERSON 

SAM ALLARDYCE has re-opened his bitter feud with Phil Gartside, claiming Bolton have struggled without him.

Allardyce was shocked by Gartside's attempts to play down his role in Bolton's success during his eight-year Reebok reign and the Wanderers chairman said they would thrive without him.

Instead of pushing for Europe, Bolton are locked in another relegation fight and Allardyce claims Gartside is bitter because he could not accept his decision in 2007 to move on.

"What was said certainly hasn't been the case since I left, has it?" said the Blackburn manager. "The club hasn't moved on and it hasn't achieved the same things that I achieved. So because of that, they have had a struggle over the last season or two.

"People there said certain things, but the words were cheap, weren't they? They didn't prove it.

"It must have been said out of anger, I suppose, or people trying to protect themselves, but the bitterness came from the fact that I moved on.

"It was me who decided my time was up there and I don't think they took it too well. The people at the club didn't particularly want to go the same way as me at the time, so that's why I chose to get out."

Allardyce comes face to face with Gartside tonight at Ewood and Big Sam says their rift is as deep as ever.

"My relationship with the chairman and the Bolton board is distant now, but that's life," said Allardyce, who is unbeaten since taking over at Rovers.

CAPTION(S):

WAR OF WORDS Sam Allardyce rapped Gartside; ROW Phil Gartside fell out with Allardyce