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Leeds is currently out of the relegation zone on goal difference, sitting one place above Nottingham Forest in 17th. Allardyce has four games to maintain the club’s top-flight status, starting with a tough trip to Premier League champions Manchester City.
Sam Allardyce, the former England manager, has boldly declared that he is just as good as some of the top managers in world football, including Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta.
Allardyce has recently taken over at Leeds United, with the aim of keeping the team in the Premier League.
Leeds is currently out of the relegation zone on goal difference, sitting one place above Nottingham Forest in 17th. Allardyce has four games to maintain the club’s top-flight status, starting with a tough trip to Premier League champions Manchester City.
Despite his age of 68, Allardyce is confident in his abilities and believes he can outthink his counterparts, regardless of their status.
“Far too many people think that I am old and antiquated which is far from the truth. I might be 68 and old but there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms. Not Pep, not Klopp, not Arteta,” Allardyce said.
Allardyce has nine spells as a Premier League manager and has become renowned for avoiding the drop, although he has not managed in almost two years after suffering his first relegation at West Brom.
However, he is determined to succeed at Leeds and keep the club in the top-flight division. “It’s the adrenaline when you walk in."
"You look at this facility, particularly the pitches, and think here we are, we’re back in the big time. It’s the biggest league in the world. It’s a difficult job, but it’s a great place to be," Allardyce stated.
Allardyce replaces Javi Gracia, who was sacked after 12 games in charge, and becomes Leeds’s third manager this season, with Jesse Marsch being dismissed in February.
As an added incentive, Allardyce would earn up to two million pounds if he were to keep Leeds in the Premier League. The money helps, but the desire to succeed drives him.
Allardyce has brought in the former Oxford manager Karl Robinson, who worked under him at Blackburn, as part of the backroom staff, while Robbie Keane returns as a coach to the club. One of Allardyce’s usual trusted henchmen, Sammy Lee, is absent due to jury service.
“The judge has left Sammy unemployed because he is on jury service and wouldn’t let him off. I find that to be very, very poor judgment indeed,” he explained.
Allardyce acknowledges that he has a limited time to make an impression but is not ruling out staying on at Leeds if he succeeds.
“Never say never. 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,” he said.
Despite the tough run-in for Leeds, Allardyce remains positive and confident in his abilities to keep the team in the Premier League.
He has already held conversations with senior players and taken training sessions in an attempt to do his due diligence after a short turnaround between hearing about the job and signing a contract.
“First impressions are that they are desperate to do better, and that of course needs a bit of support and guidance, and breeding a bit of confidence,” Allardyce said.
With Allardyce’s experience and determination, Leeds fans will be hoping that he can work his magic and keep their club in the top-flight division.
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