Samuel Allardyce is still not ready to throw Croatian Nikola Kalinic in at the deep end with a run of Premier League starts.
Niko, as the fans like to call him, has been getting more and more impressive as a front man at Rovers after a poor start to his £6 million move to Blackburn in the summer.
But despite a good showing and a desperately unlucky run in front of goal – Allardyce is wary of voer using the youngster, still 20.
Allardyce said: “Nikola`s performance on Thursday might suggest that he is ready for a run in the side.
“But I`m still wary of the fact that if he doesn`t score then his confidence might go and never return.
“We didn`t really bring him here to be our top man this season. The aim is to bring him on slowly.”
I think Sam is making an error here. To me, Kalinic has looked a real threat whenever he has played.
You may take a knock to the confidence when you don’t score but you can also make a man by giving him a chance to sink or swim.
Nikola has ‘future Rovers legend’ written all over him… let him play!