Gary Neville reacts to Leeds United footage vs Newcastle with ‘madness’ verdict amid evidence of Sam Allardyce safety boost
Gary Neville believes that the arrival of Sam Allardyce at Leeds United has given the club a much better chance of Premier League survival after watching the Newcastle draw.
The dramatic encounter on Saturday (13 May) saw the Whites throw away an early lead by missing a penalty and then conceding two before coming back to draw 2-2.
And while Neville called it “madness” in giving away such infringements in the box he believes the fact that Allardyce’s side didn’t wilt and fall apart in the face of that adversity is evidence of a new-found belief that could keep them in the top flight yet.
Speaking ahead of Leicester’s game against Liverpool on Monday Night Football for Sky Sports (15 May, 6.48pm) Neville said while reviewing footage of the game at Elland Road: “Obviously they missed the penalty and I think there’ll be an element of regret around this…
“When they went 2-1 down, I think what Sam Allardyce has done is he keeps the game alive, he’s kept them in the game. It’s such a lack of composure [to concede the first penalty].
“I think there is an energy about Leeds where there is a bit of belief, something inside them now where they feel like [they’ve] got a four-game season since he’s come in. Madness again [to concede the second penalty].
“I felt as though there was something in it. Look at all the bodies in the box, that’s what Sam Allardyce does, he plays the percentage game, he makes sure that they’ve got an opportunity to score goals, he knows how to circle the box and sustain attacks.
“There is an element that they’ve got a far better chance now of staying up, Leeds, even though it’s going to be really tough.”
Firefighter
On early evidence – and in the circumstances his entire tenure may end up counting as early evidence – the fourth Leeds United boss of the season has done exactly what it says on the tin in terms of tightening them up and giving them a chance.
A point against Newcastle after only losing by the odd goal away to the presumed champions Manchester City shows a fortitude that Whites fans could only dream of in the later weeks under Javi Gracia.
It could be argued that, for all his faults, Jesse Marsch had Leeds capable of challenging the top clubs in the Premier League, so it might have been an extremely long road back to square one this season.
But there isn’t much time to look at the big picture when the pressure is on to such a degree and only a result or two from the final pair of fixtures will prolong the stay in the top flight.
Few would have seen the return of Allardyce coming at the start of the season, but he has had an effect and if he manages to dig the Whites out of trouble it would have to go down as a successful move at the tail end of a chaotic campaign.
If he can get fewer of the kind of wild aberrations that saw Max Wober and Junior Firpo needlessly give away penalties he will have a better chance of doing that, with the “madness” much safer when it is confined to the other end of the pitch.
In other Leeds United news, the manager is “angry” at one player for what he did after being warned all week according to Phil Hay.