Say what you want about Sam Allardyce, no one could ever accuse the former England, West Ham United, Sunderland – and potentially now Leeds United – manager of lacking in confidence.
“I’d have thought by now if they were interested in me, they know where I am. So call me,” Allardyce told the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast when asked about Leeds’ struggles back in February, shortly after Jesse Marsch had paid the ultimate price for a run of two wins from 17 Premier League games.
“If someone called me, I wouldn’t turn down going and chatting about it. I wouldn’t see any problem sorting them out, from my point of view, with my experience.”
Allardyce, now reportedly in advanced talks to become Leeds’ fourth head coach of a tumultuous campaign, will need every single ounce of that ‘experience’ if he is to become Elland Road’s answer to Captain John Colby and ensure that a sequel to Escape to Victory plays out on West Yorkshire soil over the next four games.
Javi Gracia out, Sam Allardyce in?
Like Sean Dyche and Roy Hodgson – who’s Crystal Palace side have been one of the division’s most entertaining since his return – Allardyce’s reputation as a manager from the Mesozoic era has been a little overstated. This is, after all, a coach who brought Jay Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaef to Bolton Wanderers.
During spells at West Ham, West Brom and Sunderland too, Allardyce coaxed greatness out of players such as Jermaine Defoe, Matheus Pereira, Wahbi Khazri, Stewart Downing and Diafra Sakho.
And, while had infinitely more time on his side at the Stadium of Light, that Allardyce managed to drag Sunderland from the mire during a run of one defeat in 11 games at the end of 2015/16 should give Leeds fans some hope that history can repeat itself, even if they are still due take on Man City, Newcastle and Tottenham during a daunting final stretch.
Back to a ‘back four’
Looking at his most recent spells in the Premier League, at Sunderland, Everton and West Brom, Allardyce has almost solely utilised a flat-back four. Do not expect to see a continuation of the three-at-the-back system Gracia used with disastrous results at the Vitality Stadium.
Allardyce often prefers at least one orthodox defensive midfielder to sit in front of the backline, allowing the full-backs to push on and provide width. Junior Firpo and Luke Ayling/Rasmus Kristensen could be beneficiaries of this system. A la Patrick van Aanholt, Conor Townsend, DeAndre Yedlin and co.
Further forward, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Conor Gallagher and Okay Yokuslu impressed at times under Allardyce at the Hawthorns, the 68-year-old utilising their drive and energy impressively.
Perhaps Weston McKennie and Marc Roca – two midfielders with Juventus and Bayern Munich on their CVs – would benefit from working under a coach who prides himself upon instilling a sense of organisation. McKennie and Roca have been in miserable nick of late, but both possess far more quality than many Leeds fans may believe.
Adam Forshaw’s vast experience could also make him a key part of the admittedly brief Allardyce era.
Park the bus
Do not be surprised, against Manchester City in particular, to see Leeds throw everyone behind the ball and wait for chances to come via counter attacks and free-kicks. It won’t be pretty. But it’s better than shipping four, five or six goals every single game.
With that in mind, the speed of Wilfried Gnonto, Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville may be more important than ever. Patrick Bamford, meanwhile, will have to do his fair share of pressing, marking and holding in what is likely to be a lone-striker role.
Defoe played arguably the best football of his career under Allardyce. He scored 18 times in 2015/16 after being utilised out wide by Dick Advocaat. Leeds’ hopes of survival may depend on whether Allardyce can have a similar impact on Bamford. A striker who – while gifted – remains frustratingly inconsistent and unpredictable.
“It’s well documented that at the beginning of the season I wasn’t playing in my favourite position. It was difficult,” Defoe said during his time alongside Allardyce at Sunderland. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to do a job for the team.
“But Sam has come in and played me (up front). That given me a lot of confidence.
“I’ve got a good relationship with Sam. He’s a top man and away from football. You can knock on his door and speak to him about anything, which is always important. I’m delighted.”
Big decisions needed
Perhaps the biggest decision facing Allardyce, however, is how to solve a problem like Ilan Meslier. The French goalkeeper made two more high-profile errors at Bournemouth. Perhaps now would be the ideal time to remove him from the firing line.
In Joel Robles, Leeds have a highly-experienced, back-up goalkeeper who worked under Allardyce before at Everton.
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