Sam Allardyce has been appointed as Leeds United manager until the end of the season in a remarkable move to save the Yorkshire club from relegation. Leeds are currently 17th in the table, only outside the relegation zone on goal difference above Nottingham Forest. Allardyce, who has managed Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Everton and West Brom in the Premier League, is confident that his footballing knowledge is comparable to the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Allardyce said: ‘Far too many people think I am old and antiquated, which is so far from the truth. I may be 68 and look old but there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms, not Pep (Guardiola), not (Jurgen) Klopp, not (Mikel) Arteta, so it’s all there with me. I share what they do and I do what I do but in terms of knowledge and depth of knowledge, I’m up there with them – I’m not saying I’m better than them – but certainly as good as they are. I just wish sometimes you get the opportunity that you can show but that’s not going to happen for me now apart from if I keep Leeds up and if this club was big enough to build a team that was going to challenge the big boys eventually, but that’s a long story away.’
Allardyce has a tough task ahead of him with the remaining four games being Manchester City (a), Newcastle (h), West Ham (a) and Tottenham (h). His first game in charge will be at Manchester City on Saturday. Leeds supporters have issued a ‘no confidence’ statement and called for Javi Gracia to be sacked as relegation threat worsens.