Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce hit back at his critics after seeing his side win 2-0 at home to Fulham to end a run of nine Premier League games without a victory.

One national newspaper had suggested that Allardyce had only a couple of games left to save his job, a report which clearly irked the former Bolton Wanderers boss.

He told reporters:"It's a massive relief for the players. It's always been a fine line we've run.

"All of a sudden there was a massive turnaround in terms of pressure because one little man writes something about my job not being safe.

"That's converted into extra pressure on my players that they didn't need. We never had cause to be over-concerned.

"Somebody decided to exert a bit of pressure and it rings around the whole place. I could feel the tension on the inside of the club.

"It was a magnificent effort by the players. I felt for the players. The pressure made them a bit tense and nervous, but it lifted once we got the second goal."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email