Leeds United has confirmed the sacking of Javi Gracia with Sam Allardyce appointed until the end of the season. With only four games left in the season, former England manager Allardyce, who hasn’t managed since leaving West Brom in May 2021, makes a startling comeback to football in an effort to prevent Leeds from being relegated from the Premier League. A challenging stretch of games awaits the 68-year-old, starting with a trip to league leaders Manchester City, followed by home contests against Newcastle and Tottenham, as well as a trip to West Ham. As the team’s fourth head coach of the year, Allardyce, who has previously saved Sunderland and Crystal Palace from certain relegation, takes over. Gracia only coached the team for 12 games before leaving. Along with Gracia, other members have left as well, including Juan Solla, Mikel Antia, and Zigor Aranalde.
“With a managing career spanning 29 years and over 500 Premier League games under his belt, Allardyce brings a wealth of experience to a team that is struggling for survival,” Leeds United said in a statement confirming the appointment of Sam Allardyce to replace Javi Gracia. “Karl Robinson, a former manager of MK Dons, Charlton Athletic, and Oxford United, will help Allardyce.”
Also anticipated to join Allardyce’s backroom staff is Robbie Keane. Leeds are barely above the Premier League relegation zone on goal differential despite Gracia’s February appointment as Jesse Marsch’s replacement on a “flexible contract” after Leeds suffered four losses in their previous five games. Sunday’s 4-1 loss at Bournemouth put an end to a dreadful month for Gracia and Leeds, who also suffered home losses of 5-1 and 6-1 to Crystal Palace and Liverpool. They set a new Premier League record for goals against in a month with 23 goals allowed in April.
The Leeds United Supporters Advisory management, a group of fans, voted against the club’s management and head coach Gracia on Sunday night. Before Gracia was fired, Leeds declared that the director of football Orta had left the organization of his own free will. the club’s long-awaited return to the Premier League three years after he assumed his position at Elland Road in the summer of 2017. But recently, events have gone astray, and troubled Leeds has officially announced Orta’s exit.
“Sam Allardyce has never arrived this late, in my opinion. He often arrives in January so he can bring in his own players and have time to make changes,” Jamie Carragher said. “But I believe the appointment would be appropriate. I’m not sure if the audience will get behind it. I have no idea how Leeds fans would respond to Sam Allardyce. There is arguably no one out there who is better at attempting to strengthen and improve his defense than him.”
Sam Allardyce has a history of keeping clubs in the top league despite the odds, and in his 17 seasons in the division, he has only faced relegation once, with West Brom in 2021. Speaking almost six years ago, Allardyce unveiled his very own formula for keeping teams successful, which included seven essential elements. Usually, there is a concentration on both aggressive offensive play, such as playing upfield quickly and taking advantage of knockdowns, and defense, with clean sheets and cautious possession in the defending half.
Using this strategy, Allardyce assisted Bolton in maintaining their place in the top division following their promotion in 2001/02, helped them avoid relegation the following year, and then helped them finish unexpectedly eighth in 2003/04. Following stints at Newcastle, Blackburn, and West Ham, he implemented his survival strategy at Rovers after succeeding Paul Ince when the team was ranked 19th and finished the season in 15th. When Sunderland was in 19th place in the standings when he accepted a new firefighting position there in October 2015, he successfully led the team to safety with a 17th-place finish, two points above the drop.
Allardyce succeeded Roy Hodgson as England manager in the summer of 2016, although he only managed one game before resigning amicably as a result of a media sting. Three months later, he took over a struggling Crystal Palace. Again, on the sixth day of the season, Allardyce earned top-flight safety. At the conclusion of that season, he declared his retirement from club management, but in November 2017, he decided to take over at Everton instead of Ronald Koeman, and the Toffees ended the season in eighth place.
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