Sam Allardyce made an unlikely return to the Premier League on Wednesday when the 68-year-old former England coach was hired by Leeds until the end of the season after the relegation-threatened club fired manager Javi Gracia.
Leeds United is 17th in the standings, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference with four games remaining.
Sam Allardyce made an unlikely return to the Premier League on Wednesday when the 68-year-old former England coach was hired by Leeds until the end of the season after the relegation-threatened club fired manager Javi Gracia.
Allardyce바카라™s last coaching role was at West Bromwich Albion for the second half of the 2020-21 season, when he failed in his short-term mission to keep the team in the Premier League.
That hasn바카라™t stopped Leeds from turning to Allardyce, previously regarded as a survival specialist, as the replacement for Gracia, who leaves after two months in the job and after winning only three of his 12 games in charge.
Leeds lost five of its seven games in April and conceded 23 goals in that period 바카라” the most allowed in a single month in Premier League history. Gracia바카라™s last game proved to be the 4-1 loss at Bournemouth on Sunday.
The team is in fourth-to-last place in the standings, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference with four games remaining.
According to British newspaper The Times of London, Allardyce will earn more than 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) if he keeps Leeds in the Premier League.
바카라śObviously there바카라™s a tingle that runs through your veins when you take over a football club,바카라ť Allardyce said in an interview with British radio station talkSPORT, which was given before his appointment was officially announced.
바카라śI know it바카라™s in a lot of trouble. I바카라™ve seen a lot of trouble before and hopefully 바카라” I could have done with a little bit more time, but four games 바카라” hopefully we can make a difference and keep this fabulous club in the Premier League.바카라ť
Allardyce said he was 바카라śshocked바카라ť to get the opportunity.
바카라śI never thought at this stage of the season, there would be jobs offered,바카라ť he said. 바카라śWhen the phone popped up with a name that I knew pretty well, I knew who it was straightaway. So it took me about two seconds to say yes.바카라ť
Allardyce바카라™s four-game stint starts with games against two of the top three 바카라” Manchester City away and Newcastle at home 바카라” before a trip to West Ham and a season-ending home match against Tottenham, which is fighting for European qualification. West Ham and Newcastle are two of Allardyce바카라™s many former clubs.
It is a desperate late-season move from Leeds, which 바카라” in the space of about a year 바카라” has gone from having something of a cultural phenomenon in Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa in charge to appointing Allardyce, an old-school English manager.
The change in styles between the two coaches couldn바카라™t be more stark, highlighting the lack of direction in Leeds바카라™ leadership.
Nowhere is Allardyce바카라™s preferred direct, pragmatic style better exemplified than the name of his weekly podcast, which is called 바카라śNo Tippy Tappy Football.바카라ť
It is proving to be chaotic week at Elland Road, with director of football Victor Orta losing his job on Tuesday.