Leeds United manager update: Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers view may mean Sam Allardyce ‘masterstroke’ – Ben Jacobs
Leeds United may have pulled off a “masterstroke” given the difficult circumstances by appointing Sam Allardyce with four games left, says Ben Jacobs.
Andrea Radrizzani hit the emergency button as the Javi Gracia reign rapidly unravelled, and made the surprise-move to appoint the Premier League veteran who has been out of the game for two years.
But Jacobs accepts that it would have been impossible to convince an alternative candidate such as former Chelsea boss Graham Potter or ex-Leicester man Brendan Rodgers, so Allardyce is the best option at that point on a short-term deal.
The CBS journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “When you bring in Sam Allardyce, I think that it’s about as good as you can get, unless you’ve got that permanent manager waiting in the wings.
“Because you’re not going to be able to go to a Graham Potter or Brendan Rodgers and say come in for four games. And those type of names if Leeds go down, don’t necessarily want to drop into the Championship either.
“So you have to find someone that either is going to come in for four games, or is prepared to come in for four games, and then continue the job in the Championship as well. In the case of Big Sam, the indication is it is just a short-term deal.
“It’s just about giving everyone a boost and about finding someone that can walk into the dressing room, and command respect. I don’t think that Allardyce will come under too much criticism or scrutiny if he doesn’t succeed, but if he does, then it’s a masterstroke.”
Pressure off
There is a mountain of pressure on Leeds United as a club but for Allardyce he can’t really lose.
The difficulty of coming in so late with little time to work with the squad means expectations were low for the 68-year-old, and if it doesn’t work out he can head back into the retirement £500,000 richer without much of a knock to his reputation.
If he keeps the Whites up then he will be hailed as a hero and may even get a longer-term route back into top level management, not to mention a £2.5million bonus [Daily Mail, 4 May].
Potter and Rodgers would be solid options going forward if the club does stay up, but they can’t really risk going down to the Championship at this stage of their careers, especially the former when he is just coming off a bruising experience at Stamford Bridge.
Big Sam bowling in at relative ease will help spread that attitude to a squad that has appeared to be frozen under the immense pressure at times of late.
The next step for the Whites and their new manager will only become clear once all four results are in the books, but if he can keep the club in the top flight and potentially hand off to one of the aforementioned names he will have secured himself a place in Leeds United history.
In other Leeds United news, a current EFL player has launched a scathing attack on Marcelo Bielsa as the new manager arrives at Elland Road.