Phil Hay shares what Sam Allardyce told Leeds United chiefs about Georginio Rutter
Phil Hay has revealed what Sam Allardyce told Leeds United chiefs about Georginio Rutter behind the scenes, while he was in charge at Elland Road.
The French striker arrived for a club-record £30million fee in January of last season but struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League, failing to score and assisting only once in 11 appearances as the Whites were relegated to the Championship.
When Allardyce took over at Elland Road for the final few games of the campaign, the striker barely featured for Leeds due to the former England boss not believing that he could do little to help the forward during his four-game stint in charge.
Writing for The Athletic on Friday (29 September) Hay said: “Sam Allardyce, who took charge of Leeds’ final four games as they were relegated in May, told the club’s hierarchy that though there was a lot to like about Rutter, the Frenchman’s flagging confidence meant he could do very little with him in such a short space of time.
“At that point, Rutter had played fewer than 300 minutes in the league for the club and started just once. In short, he was another representation of Leeds getting it wrong; of Leeds misjudging what it took to stay in the Premier League.”
A lot to like
Allardyce’s time at Elland Road is likely best left forgotten for several reasons, but both his appointment and the decision to sign Rutter in January are indicative of the failures the Whites made when trying to secure their Premier League safety last season.
Signing a 20-year-old in the hope that he’ll fire you to Premier League safety having never played in the division is rather optimistic to start with, but it becomes even more of a shot in the dark when you then appoint a manager whose sole focus is on staying up, rather than utilising the talent at his disposal.
Had Leeds United stayed in the Premier League last season you could understand Allardyce’s appointment, but for Rutter, relegation and the appointment of Daniel Farke may well have been the best thing to happen to his career and ensure that his time at Elland Road didn’t fizzle out quickly.
Farke has instilled that confidence in the forward that Allardyce didn’t have the time to nurture and Leeds are reaping the rewards of it, with the Frenchman already registering four goal involvements in seven matches as he leads the frontline with so much quality.
Now Leeds have to ensure that his confidence remains high as he could be the difference between the Whites playing in the Championship or the Premier League again next year.
In other Leeds United news, Rutter himself has opened up about the struggles of his first season with Leeds