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Leeds United manager update as Sam Allardyce speaks from Thorp Arch Wednesday amid 'shocked' admission
Sam Allardyce has admitted he was “shocked” to get the call to take over at Leeds United but agreed in “two seconds”, in an interview with Jim White.
The new man was at Thorp Arch on Wednesday morning (3 May) to take over a struggling squad in place of Javi Gracia, ahead of the official announcement.
He has a hugely difficult task with Manchester City and Newcastle in his first two games but he didn’t hesitate to accept the offer at Elland Road.
Speaking to White on talkSPORT in a clip aired at 10.11am the new boss was asked: “How did you feel when you got the call, Sam?”
Allardyce replied: “Shocked. I never thought at this stage of the season I thought there would be no jobs offered at all.
“Of course when the phone popped up with a name I knew pretty well I knew who it was straight away. It took me about two seconds to say yes.”
Challenge
It is pretty shocking that Big Sam is back in the Premier League at this stage of the season after two years out of the game.
But the mess that Leeds United have got themselves into has called for desperate measures, and before his relegation with West Brom he had a strong record of keeping clubs up.
He walks into a difficult situation for many reasons, but he is in line for a bumper payday if he succeeds in securing top flight survival.
It would be a turn up if he took anything from the first two games, but a new manager bounce can do strange things to the form guide.
City and Newcastle are two of the toughest assignments in the division this year, and treating both as free hits would be reckless even if that’s what they amount to.
If it proves to be zero points from six there will be huge pressure on the final two games against West Ham and Tottenham, but with sides below in miserable form as well it could be as little as three or four points that turns out to be enough.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has named three more figures to leave Elland Road amid the current exodus.