I actually like the Big Sam appointment, but it’s way too late. Leeds United have completely abandoned their famed aggressive style of play by appointing Sam Allardyce as the new manager, but this desperate attempt to stay up has to be too little too late.
If only Jose Mourinho was still in the Premier League, so he could say that “Big Sam” joke again.
Leeds United have thrown their last roll of the dice at staying up as they’ve appointed the relegation-preventing specialist Sam Allardyce as their new manager, officially ending the aggressive, high-tempo attacking football era that Marcelo Bielsa introduced to bring them back into the Premier League. Now, even though I actually like the hiring, this is just a stupid move this late in the season.
As I said, bringing in Allardyce really isn’t the worst thing Leeds could have done as he’s not only proven his track record of keeping seemingly desolate Premier League clubs afloat (Bolton: 2001-07; West Ham: 2013-15; Sunderland: 2015-16; Crystal Palace: 2016-17), but also gives a cult of personality this club has desperately needed since Jesse March’s firing.
Say what you will about March and his competence as a football manager (I don’t think he was as good as Leeds fans made out last season, or as bad as some people have said after his sacking), but the man had heart and the passion to lead men into high-stakes football matches. Again, his record obviously shows that he wasn’t one of the best managers in the division, but he certainly had the charisma and passion to manage football teams.
I’m honestly surprised Javi Garcia is able to get out of bed in the morning on rainy days, let alone manage a football team facing relegation.
I don’t want to sound like a complete jerk as I’m sure Garcia is a good guy, but he looked like a dead man walking on the Leeds touchline. Whenever the camera would pan to him, he’d either be dejectedly sitting in the dugout or have this look of utterly bewilderment/despair on his face as he posted a record of 3-2-7 in the 12 games managed from February 6th to yesterday.
Leeds would have finished dead last if they kept Garcia in the job, so it makes sense the hierarchy would sack him before the end of the season.
However, what makes absolutely no sense is that they’d sack him with just four games left and leave the new manager (who happens to be Allardyce) fixtures against Manchester City (currently 1st), Newcastle United (currently 3rd), West Ham United (currently 15th), and Tottenham Hotspur (currently 6th) to save the team? Do these executives want the club to go down?
If Allardyce had 10-15 games to work his magic and gritty, every-man-behind-the-ball style of play on this team that has given up a division-high 67 GA, I’d pick them to survive the drop. I mean, it’s not like Everton (currently 19th), West Ham, Nottingham Forrest (currently 18th), Southampton (currently 20th), or Leicester City (currently 16th) are unstoppable, unbeatable teams that won’t drop points over the next four games.
I highly doubt any one of these teams finishes with more than 37 points this season, which is actually quite shocking for a Premier League team. However, I do believe at least three of these teams (Forest, Leicester City, and West Ham to be exact) will finish with more than 34 points…which is not something I can say about Leeds.
Currently 17th on 30 PTS, Leeds is going to have to pull off a miracle getting 4 points (which should be enough to survive) out of the fixtures they have to close out their season. Other than a potential win versus West Ham, I don’t see Leeds beating Man City, Newcastle, or Spurs with their porous defense.
Unfortunately for Leeds fans, I just don’t think Allardyce has been given enough time to keep the club up for a fourth consecutive Premier League season.
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