Sam Allardyce makes 'desperate' Leeds United claim and ‘miserable’ squad admission on first day

Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce believes the squad of players available to him are ‘desperate’ to do better and anticipated working with a more miserable group given the club’s situation
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Allardyce has been drafted in at short notice to oversee the Whites’ final four matches of the campaign, which will decide their Premier League fate.

Should the 68-year-old fail to improve results almost immediately, due to the unprecedentedly short period he has to turn things around, Leeds are faced with not only the possibility, but the probability of dropping into the Championship.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ahead of this weekend’s fixture with Manchester City, Leeds are finely balanced on the brink of the relegation zone in 17th place. Only goal difference is keeping Allardyce’s new side out of the bottom three, which could change after results on Monday night.

Sam Allardyce hosts his first press conference as Leeds United manager (Pic: Leeds United)Sam Allardyce hosts his first press conference as Leeds United manager (Pic: Leeds United)
Sam Allardyce hosts his first press conference as Leeds United manager (Pic: Leeds United)

Nottingham Forest host Southampton at the City Ground, while Everton travel to Brighton and Hove Albion on May 8, after Leeds have taken on Pep Guardiola’s men two days prior.

Should United fall to defeat in East Manchester, Leeds will drop into the relegation zone provided at least one of the sides below them pick up a point on bank holiday Monday.

Nevertheless, Allardyce admitted in his press conference unveiling on Wednesday that after taking his first training session, he did not anticipate the players’ spirits to be as high as he found them to be.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I've seen quite a positive attitude,” he said. “I would have expected [them to be] a little bit more miserable than what they were or what they seem – collectively they seem quite good together.

"Your first impressions are that they are desperate to do better.

"[They] of course need a bit of support and a bit of guidance and breeding a bit of confidence into the fact that the player will build himself up for the game on Saturday and go out and give that little bit more.”

Leeds’ hierarchy hope the motivational role Allardyce is expected to carry out will be enough to glean positive results from the club’s remaining fixtures, after the decision was taken to part with interim head coach Javi Gracia and staff earlier this week.