‘On the bandwagon' - Leeds United insider describes 'incredible' events leading up to Allardyce's first day

It is quite incredible because I think when you had Javi Gracia coming in, he's very calm, he certainly got the boys playing a system that suited them more so, and we were getting results more importantly, looking like we were going to tighten things up at the back. No-one could have seen what then happened from the second half of the Crystal Palace game. I'm looking at that first half and thinking, 'well we're unlucky to concede, we should have been going in one or two up'. We weren't, but second half you're thinking, ‘kicking towards the Kop, we're gonna win this one and we're going to be quite comfortable.’

How wrong was I? Now we have this turn of events which no-one could have foreseen. What's clear is since that moment, there's been a real fragility about the squad that things have gone wrong, and they've continued to go wrong quite badly. And there is one decision I suppose that had to be made, that has got to change, that sort of thing had to stop and how can we do that? So hence, all the changes that we're seeing.

I think what's clear is the malaise has been going on [for some time] - it isn't just one game. It's been quite a few now. And the Bournemouth [defeat], it was really disappointing. That was another great opportunity for us and the way that we lost that game, that is the problem, not so much we lost, but the manner of it.

The whole place needs a jolt, it needs a jolt from somewhere. I think Gracia, not quite that type of manager. Sure, he would want the chance to continue but who's available and who can make a difference to change the course of what is going on? Big Sam is the option and you've got to say, it's got to be worth trying because what he's done previously, the experience he's got, he will come in and he will make a difference, hopefully in a positive way and we're going to stop letting goals going in.

No matter what you do, if you concede that many goals, you lose a lot of football matches and also you're gonna make individual errors and lose a lot of matches [that way]. So he's got to quickly get the confidence back into the boys and make a change and I think really, it's a mentality [thing] and that's what Big Sam will come in and try and do.

It's difficult [for the squad] because there's no doubt the boys don't know if they're coming or going at the moment. It's bad enough they're losing matches and when the manager changes and changes again, the style, the system and what you're asked to do keeps changing.

You're wondering, are you going to play or are you not going to play? There's so many things [to consider] and then now we have another new manager. I think what's important is they approach it in the right manner and with the right spirit and the right unity, and that's unity for everyone, to get on the same page.

Everyone has to jump on the Sam Allardyce bandwagon and give it everything. Will it be enough? We don't know. But what's important is everyone gives it a good shot right until the last minute of the last game, and do their best – because what we've seen hasn't been.