Leeds United have let go of Javi Gracia and appointed Sam Allardyce until the end of the season. The Englishman could convince the management of the club to let him remain beyond them but he will have to show them what he can do in his first test this weekend. That test is against Manchester City, who are led by Pep Guardiola, one of the world’s greatest football minds. Allardyce has made a name for himself as a relegation scrap expert in England. Almost the teams he has managed to date have survived the drop despite poor
Performances for most of the season. Leeds have appointed the man, whose last job was with West Bromwich Albion back in the 2020/21 season, to help them stay up following a very poor season under Jesse Marsch and then Javi Gracia. The 68-year-old is unfazed by the test that lies before him, even going ahead to compare himself to Guardiola, his protégé at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, and all the other top coaches in the world. “Far too many people think I am old and antiquated, which is so far from the truth,” Allardyce said to the media at his unveiling as Leeds’ new gaffer on Wednesday.
“I might be 68 and look old, but there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms — not Pep [Guardiola], not [Jurgen] Klopp, not [Mikel] Arteta.
“It’s all there with me. I shared it with them, they did what they do, I do what I do.
“In terms of knowledge, and depth of knowledge, I’m up there. I’m not saying I’m better, but I’m certainly as good as they are.”
Allardyce also spoke about his excitement about the role, which he said took him less than two seconds to say yes to. He then spoke about the team’s upcoming fixtures and went on to suggest that he could be the permanent manager of the club next season. “The first thing I did when I looked at the fixtures was I thought they could’ve been a bit kinder,” Allardyce said. “We have to create a shock … I hope we can find six points from four [games].
“Never say never,” Allardyce added about the prospect of his staying on. “Depends what happens at the end of the four matches and what the conversation is all about. How I feel and more importantly how the wife feels.”
After Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur lie in wait for Allardyce and his team.
There is no better moment to show that he is as good as he says it is.
