Sam Allardyce fails to reunite with Sammy Lee at Leeds United for unexpected reason as new assistant chosen
Sammy Lee will not be the new assistant manager at Leeds United because he’s on jury service, according to The Times.
The newspaper’s Twitter account reported on Tuesday night (2 May) that Sam Allardyce had hoped the 64-year-old to head to Elland Road with him but he’s been beaten to the punch by the UK’s justice system.
It is understood that instead of Lee, former MK Dons, Oxford United and Charlton manager Karl Robinson has been asked by Allardyce to serve as his assistant.
Sitcom season
You couldn’t make it up, could you?
We doubt that any Leeds fan has ever heard of a coach not getting a job at a Premier League club because of jury service but here we are.
Lee has worked a lot with Allardyce.
The former Bolton manager has aided Big Sam at Bolton, Crystal Palace, Everton and West Brom.
He’s also worked with the likes of Rafa Benitez at Liverpool and Ronald Koeman at Southampton.
Lee’s a very good coach with a lot of experience and Leeds are missing out by not having him on board alongside Allardyce.
It remains to be seen what kind of impact Robinson will have but he’s also someone with a fair bit of experience in management and he’s also worked with Allardyce at Blackburn.
Leeds do need this, in all honesty.
It’s hard to come to terms with the fact we’ve gone from Marcelo Bielsa to Allardyce in just over a year but with four games left, the Whites look as good as dead and buried.
Allardyce’s survival record isn’t perfect but he’s got as good a chance as anyone at keeping this squad of unmotivated misfits in the top flight.
In other Leeds United news, Jim White has mooted another arrival at Elland Road with a former Leeds player appointment also on the cards.