Leeds United: Sam Allardyce talks himself up in Pep Guardiola’s shoes amid ‘dream come true’ Manchester City verdict
Sam Allardyce has continued to put himself in the conversation with the Premier League’s best after parachuting in to rescue Leeds United.
After refusing to accept that the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta are tactically superior to him in his first press conference as boss of the relegation-threatened Whites [BBC Sport, 4 May] he has doubled down on his assessment of the Manchester City boss.
Leeds United head to the Etihad in the new man’s first game, so there must be at least a hint of a plan to unsettle his two-time Champions League-winning and heavy favourite opposite number for the clash on Saturday (6 May).
The new Whites boss was asked by Tim Thornton for Sky Sports, as per Football Daily on Twitter: “Do you feel as though if you were in charge of that group you could also get them challenging for the treble?”
He replied: “Absolutely. The players make you a really good manager and good coach, and then your job is to be able to communicate to those players of course.
“We all have our own pressures but to deal with the high quality players that they have is dream come true.”
Mind games
Allardyce has already alluded to the fact that he is playing the game with the media upon arrival at Elland Road [Football Daily via Twitter, 5 May], and while he has never been shy about espousing his own tactical greatness in comparison to the biggest names in the top flight there has to be more to it right now.
The old tactic used by star managers like Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho is to take the heat of the players by making everything about controversy surrounding the coach.
And this Whites squad certainly look like they need the heat taking off them after a dismal run to give Big Sam a crack a the job in the first place.
Guardiola probably does get overhyped at times but there is no disputing the fact that he has been in charge of some of the most dominant teams in the modern era.
The players he has been provided with certainly makes that easier for him than some of his rivals, and it would be illuminating to see what he could get out of the embattled Leeds United squad right now.
But Chelsea appear to have proven beyond doubt this year that it takes more than hundreds of millions spent in the transfer market to be successful.
Allardyce can say what he likes in interviews for the next few weeks if he keeps the Whites in the Premier League, but if it doesn’t work and he gets a second relegation on his record it will only add to the view that he has a higher opinion of himself that warranted.
In other Leeds United news, there is conflict among the players at Thorp Arch as Allardyce arrives in place of Javi Gracia.