Ally McCoist shares ‘quite right’ Sam Allardyce Leeds United verdict after Guardiola and Arteta jibe
Ally McCoist says Sam Allardyce is “quite right” after the new Leeds United boss compared himself to Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
In his first press conference as Whites boss, Allardyce noted that there was “nobody” ahead of him in football terms, including Guardiola and Arteta, as quoted by BBC Sport.
Allardyce will oversee the club’s last four matches of the season after replacing Javi Gracia at Elland Road.
“Quite right. He’s well within his rights to say that,” McCoist said on talkSPORT. “And I’ve got to say, I think Guardiola is a genius, I think Arteta is well on the road to building a fantastic side at Arsenal.
“However, if I was Leeds right now and I was offered one of the three of them to get my team to stay up, it would probably be Sam. I hear what he’s saying.”
Experienced man in the dugout
Allardyce has an immediate chance to prove his theory in his first match in the Leeds dugout, with the Whites travelling to the Etihad to take on Guardiola’s Manchester City on Saturday (6 May).
Out of all the managers out there to have experience of being in charge of struggling clubs, Allardyce is definitely right up there, with the boss proving his worth at various teams over the years.
Such experience is exactly why the West Yorkshire outfit have turned to Allardyce, who really is their last chance saloon of staying in the Premier League.
But this challenge at Leeds looks set to be one of his toughest, with the Whites bereft of confidence and ideas as they prepare for four cup finals between now and the end of the season.
Allardyce won’t be tasked with forming strong bonds with the players or the supporters, with Premier League survival his only aim.
In other Leeds United news, Gary Lineker has provided his reaction to the appointment of Sam Allardyce as the club’s new head coach for the remainder of the season.