Leeds United appointed landing specialist Sam Allardyce to avoid relegation. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Sam Allardyce: Leeds’ savior?
Leeds United appointed Sam Allardyce as manager on Tuesday as they try to survive relegation from the Premier League.
Leeds are level with Nottingham Forest, who are in 18th place, with 30 points
Allardyce was never considered a first-class manager, but specialized in helping struggling teams avoid the dangers of relegation to the lower leagues. He moves on to a Leeds side who are level with 18th-placed Nottingham Forest on 30 points (seven wins, nine draws and 18 losses), but are eight goals ahead on goal difference.
Everton made a similar decision to sign Sean Dyche in January. Although it didn’t come off and the Toffees are still 19th, Allardyce has pulled the rabbit out of the hat before.
It’s all about results
Allardyce, 68, has a winning percentage of 38.8%. This drops to 33.3% in the Premier League, although he averages 1.26 points per game, which would translate to 47.9 points in a 38-game season. That would have been good enough for the last 10 season and it represents more points than any team relegated from the Premier League in the year it fell.
The 20-year-old got his first managerial job as a player-manager at Limerick in 1991. He went on to manage a variety of English clubs until he got his big break at Bolton in 1999. He stayed there until 2007 and briefly managed Newcastle United during the 2007-08 season.
Allardyce’s reputation as a team saver began in 2008 when he was recruited to rescue a struggling Blackburn side who were 19th in the Premier League in December. Two wins and six matches unbeaten later, the team settled down and went on to finish the year 15th.
The unattractive practicality was only good for saving points at the bottom of the table
‘Big Sam’ took a hiatus in 2011 at recently relegated West Ham United. He rebuked claims that his unattractive business style was only good for saving points at the bottom of the table and would not be enough to win back the Irons. At the top of the flight.
After a series of transfers, he helped West Ham finish third in the EFL Championship and secure promotion to the English Football League with a 2–1 victory over Blackpool. He described it as his “best ever achievement”.
the modern history
In 2015, the native of England moved again, this time to Sunderland. The club had finished in 16th place the previous year and were in 19th place when they entered eight matches into the season. He started slowly, but led to two important victories towards the end of the season which saw Sunderland finish safely in 17th place and his former employer, Newcastle United, relegated from the Premier League.
Big Sam took his next step into the England national team in 2016, winning his only cap in charge, but was sacked after just over two months following accusations of misconduct.
Allardyce stepped down and said he would only return to international management
Without worries, he joined Crystal Palace in December 2016 after they, too, were threatened with relegation. The Eagles secured their safety with two games left in the season in a 4–0 win over Hull City, but Allardyce stepped down and said he would only return to international training.
Despite this, he moved back into the Premier League with Everton in November 2017. He joined when they were 13th and immediately tightened up the defense before finishing the year in eighth place. However, the club’s fans were displeased with his unattractive defensive style, and he left in the summer.
Allardyce finally fell to the sword in 2021 as the man in charge of West Bromwich Albion. He signed in December 2020 when the club was 19th in the table, but could not reverse his fortunes. West Brom finished the season 19th, starting Allardyce’s reign, and were relegated for the first time in 17 seasons.
Leeds are winless in their last five matches and have scored one goal in every game over that period. The club’s fans hope West Brom’s Allardyce relegation was just an aberration.
