Leeds United news as Sam Allardyce refuses to travel for training, stays much closer
Leeds United head coach Sam Allardyce has refused a daily commute to training by opting to stay much closer to Thorp Arch, as reported by the Daily Mail, [Page 63, 08 May].
Instead of a regular return journey from his home in Bolton, around 90 minutes away, he has decided to set up base in a hotel in the surroundings of Leeds until the end of the season.
It was also revealed that he sent an SOS call to Robbie Keane who responded in a very timely manner to serve at his former club.
The detail in the report is not a surprise, given the attention and focus that Allardyce will dedicate to his short-term assignment to keep the Whites on the Premier League.
“Sam Allardyce believes the task ahead of him is so huge that he has decided to base himself in the city,” they wrote.
“Allardyce wants to spend most of his waking hours at the training ground and since starting his new job on Wednesday, he has been arriving at Thorp Arch before 8am every morning and sometimes even earlier.
“While he lives in Bolton, which is within an hour and 30 minutes drive, Allardyce is refusing to commute. Instead, he is choosing largely to stay in a hotel on the outskirts of Leeds.
“Meanwhile, an SOS was sent out to Robbie Keane. Allardyce told chief exec Angus Kinnear he wanted Keane at 9.30 am. A call was made and former Whites man Keane agreed to come in without discussing terms.
Attention to detail
It is refreshing to hear that Big Sam is all in on this job, but it could be no other way.
If points are to be collected along the rest of the way in the tricky fixtures against Newcastle, West Ham, and Tottenham, then no stone will be left unturned in the pursuit.
The gaffer, alongside Keane and Karl Robinson, will be giving their all over the next few weeks so they will be demanding the exact same in return from the squad.
Saturday’s loss to Man City provided some encouragement in terms of the performance and spirit displayed, but only if it can be followed up by going on to accrue the points that will ensure Premier League safety.
What is more likely is that the race will go right down to the wire, in a similar conclusion to last season’s campaign, and if that happens, every single advantage and detail will be required from tapping into the experience of Allardyce.
In other Leeds news, watch here as American studio panel erupts after unbelievable Allardyce footage emerges.