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Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce keen to keep Morten Gamst Pedersen
Boss believes tactical switch has revitalised midfielder...
28 Jan 2010 21:27:00
By Alex Stamp
Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce believes Morten Gamst Pedersen will stay at Ewood Park even though his contract is set to expire in the summer.
The Norwegian winger has been strongly linked with a move to Turkish club Fenerbahce in recent times, with the player himself admitting the move tempted him but he also believed his future could be at Ewood Park.
Allardyce told Sky Sports that he was unaware of any interest in the wide player, however, and hoped that Pedersen would commit his future to Rovers.
When asked if he was confident of retaining Pedersen, the Blackburn boss said: "Yeah, I think so.
"We all know he is out of contract this year, so we will have to see what we can do about that.
"There's no reason for us to do anything with him at this stage, not unless somebody suddenly pops up from abroad to give him a pre-contract.
"If that was the case then we would have heard about that, so we'll obviously try and continue to talk to him regarding a new contract."
Pedersen has endured an up and down season at Blackburn, but a tactical switch moving him inside has helped revitalise the 28-year-old's form as demonstrated by a wonderful goal during Rovers' 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic on Wednesday evening.
Allardyce believes the tactical change has worked wonders for Pedersen, and revealed he was looking forward to seeing more from the Norwegian as his confidence grows.
"He is getting more of the ball, becoming more active," he said.
"He doesn't have to be quite as quick in that position as he does out wide, so doing that has brought the best out of him.
"It's been a major bonus for us and him. It's allowed him to get more involved in the game, to express himself more and he has found more space there.
"He is also finding his quality in the final third, which is something he has done before at this club.
"I hope he continues to grow in confidence like many of the other lads are doing at the moment.
"Some may say it's a long time over due, but if it's back, let's hope it's back for a long time."
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The Norwegian winger has been strongly linked with a move to Turkish club Fenerbahce in recent times, with the player himself admitting the move tempted him but he also believed his future could be at Ewood Park.
Allardyce told Sky Sports that he was unaware of any interest in the wide player, however, and hoped that Pedersen would commit his future to Rovers.
When asked if he was confident of retaining Pedersen, the Blackburn boss said: "Yeah, I think so.
"We all know he is out of contract this year, so we will have to see what we can do about that.
"There's no reason for us to do anything with him at this stage, not unless somebody suddenly pops up from abroad to give him a pre-contract.
"If that was the case then we would have heard about that, so we'll obviously try and continue to talk to him regarding a new contract."
Pedersen has endured an up and down season at Blackburn, but a tactical switch moving him inside has helped revitalise the 28-year-old's form as demonstrated by a wonderful goal during Rovers' 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic on Wednesday evening.
Allardyce believes the tactical change has worked wonders for Pedersen, and revealed he was looking forward to seeing more from the Norwegian as his confidence grows.
"He is getting more of the ball, becoming more active," he said.
"He doesn't have to be quite as quick in that position as he does out wide, so doing that has brought the best out of him.
"It's been a major bonus for us and him. It's allowed him to get more involved in the game, to express himself more and he has found more space there.
"He is also finding his quality in the final third, which is something he has done before at this club.
"I hope he continues to grow in confidence like many of the other lads are doing at the moment.
"Some may say it's a long time over due, but if it's back, let's hope it's back for a long time."
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
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