Gary Neville admits Sam Allardyce could ‘shock the world’ after first 48 hours at Leeds United ahead of Manchester City trip
Gary Neville admits it is possible that Sam Allardyce could “shock the world” with a result at Manchester City by using his first 48 hours with Leeds United to instil spirit in the squad.
The Whites have the toughest of all fixtures in the Premier League currently for the new boss’ first game in charge, and have looked devoid of confidence since collapsing to a 5-1 defeat under Javi Gracia against Crystal Palace (9 April).
But, while Neville doesn’t expect a “very bad” Leeds United side to take anything from Pep Guardiola’s title-chasers, he accepts it is an outcome that this Whites manager in this league could do if he gets his first days right.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “In his dreams he’ll be thinking he can come here and get a point or somehow get a win and that would shock the world.
“It’s something the Premier League could deliver and Allardyce could deliver. But I don’t think he’ll be thinking Saturday is the game where he picks up points.
“This will be the game where he wants to get to know his players and develop a spirit. And I’m sure he’ll be doing some things to develop that spirit before the game on Saturday but you come here and Guardiola will think a little bit more about the game, what Allardyce and his coaching staff could do that’s different, could they surprise us… but Leeds are very bad and have been very bad.
“They’ve got absolutely no discipline [in their play]. You’re thinking what’s he going to do to them in 48 hours, it would be the shock of all shocks but that’s what Allardyce has to try to deliver.
“They’re coming to one of the best teams in the world, certainly the Premier League, and they’re ill-disciplined in the way they play, they’re all over the place – everything you’d think an Allardyce team are not. He’s got to work a miracle in these next days.”
All bets are off
When a team makes the decision to sack another manager and part ways with the director of football with just four weeks of the campaign left, then turn to a man out of the game for two years, it shows that close to anything could happen.
On paper Leeds United haven’t got a chance at the Etihad, but if the game was played on paper there would be little point in anyone paying attention week after week.
Allardyce has got more than enough confidence that he can go head-to-head with Guardiola, and unless he is purely viewing his Elland Road tenure as a no-lose quick payday he must have belief he can steer the club to safety.
Perhaps the scale of the task has been overblown, with three sides currently worse off in the table, but the players have looked defeated in recent weeks so it is going to take a sizeable new-manager bounce from Big Sam to turn that around.
City and Newcastle as 50% of your available games looks like a hospital pass, but neither side are impenetrable and Sean Dyche duly rolled over Arsenal with a back-to-basics approach in his first game as Everton boss.
Until an Allardyce Leeds United side has been seen in action his presence is a wildcard and the effects of him arriving remain the great unknown.
It will need to be some effect though as a draw for either the Toffees or Nottingham Forest will lift them past the Whites and out of the relegation zone, unless the new Elland Road boss can avoid defeat against the odds.
In other Leeds United news, one of the many figures to leave the club this week has already been linked with a surprise return to his former club.