EX-ROVERS midfielder Dino Baggio hasn't been able to resist a swipe at Blackburn - but former Rovers favourite Kevin Gallacher can understand the Italian's frustration.

Baggio, who made 12 appearances for Rovers but made only one start, returned home this month to join Serie A strugglers Ancona, and the Stadio del Conero's latest signing took no time in blasting former club Rovers.

"They made me clear promises from a technical point of view, but instead everything went differently," said Baggio, who suggested there had been a fall out with Rovers boss Graeme Souness.

"I was waiting for a call from Italy to come back.

"The bad feeling with the coach also influenced my decision to make a sudden return to Italy."

Former Ewood team-mate Ciccio Grabbi, who had joined Ancona from Rovers just two weeks before, had a hand in Baggio's return.

"Grabbi didn't have to do much to convince me," said Baggio.

"Two days after his arrival in Ancona he told me 'leave - you will feel better here'."

Baggio said that he was now concentrating on trying to help Ancona beat a drop that looks inevitable - Nedo Sonetti's side have just five points and are five adrift of their nearest rivals at the foot of Serie A.

"Let's hope we can show people what Ancona can really do," said Baggio, who made his Serie A debut in Ancona's 5-0 drubbing by Milan on Sunday.

"But we have a problem in that we are lacking match fitness, so we need patience."

However, despite the disparaging comments, former Ewood midfielder Gallacher had some sympathy for the former Italian international feeling that Baggio had not really had enough time to get used to the Premiership.

"It is hard to say where the fault lies, and really he did not play too much football for Rovers," said Gallacher.

"He really didn't get too much chance to show what he was capable of and because of that it is not hard to see how he left the club with a bitter taste in his mouth."

A product of Torino, Baggio's CV includes a World Cup final in 1994, 60 Italian caps, and spells with the very best of the Serie clubs having played for Internazionale, Juventus, Parma and Lazio.

However, Gallacher felt that Baggio's pedigree in the Italian game was possibly more of a hindrance than a help when he tried to switch to the Premiership style of football.

"I think that it can be hard for players to pick up a different style of play, it is almost impossible for a foreign player just to turn up and instantly fit in," said Gallacher.

"Baggio has been used to the Italian game and a different style of midfield play where he will have had more time on the ball.

"There is no doubt that Dino came as a proven player, who was fit and capable of handling big games - after all he has got a great playing record that includes the World Cup finals.

"And I think because of those factors, people's expectations were very high, I know Graeme Souness was hoping that he would be a big asset.

"And the fans were also hoping he would do well given his pedigree.

"But unfortunately he did not adapt and I think some of that has to do with getting into the British mentality of playing the game - which is probably 60 per cent of the battle for a player coming in from abroad."