Leeds United have turned to Sam Allardyce in a desperate attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The 68-year-old has been out of work since leaving West Brom in May 2021.
Nevertheless, Allardyce has built a strong reputation for himself as a relegation firefighter throughout his career, so he could be the man to save Leeds with just four games remaining.
Interestingly, the old England boss has already shared his views on whether Leeds will stay up or not, highlighting one key issue that he may not be able to sort out.
What’s the story?
Well, Allardyce revealed back in February that he thinks Leeds will stay up, but they have to finish off their chances in front of goal.
The man born in Dudley told the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “Oh yeah, I think so (they’ll stay up). I think one of their problems has been getting the ball in the back of the net at the end of the day.
“They have created but not been able finish, which was a particular problem for Brighton but the new manager at Brighton seems to have cured that now, as they seem to be scoring goals for fun now.
“Leeds seem to create the chances but not have the right guy to put the ball in the back of the net.”
With Manchester City, West Ham, Newcastle and Tottenham still to play, Leeds will have to be ruthless in front of goal.
Allardyce unlikely to sort goalscoring issues at Leeds
Throughout his managerial career, Allardyce has seen his sides score 1,088 goals in 825 games, but concede 1,126 in that timeframe.
That equates to 1.3 goals scored a game, which isn’t a large amount.
Allardyce’s sides have also been known to focus on a defensive style of play, so we wouldn’t expect him to arrive at Elland Road and turn Leeds into a goalscoring machine.
Of course, Allardyce has been out of management for a while now, so he may bring some fresh ideas with him to Yorkshire which oppose the image he has created for himself.
Whatever happens, his return to the Premier League certainly sets up an entertaining end to the season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
