Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Leeds United fans would really accept Sam Allardyce as their new manager.
Leeds appear to be on the brink of sacking Javi Gracia following Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth.
The Athletic report that Leeds are seriously considering appointing Allardyce as their new manager.
That would be a quite astonishing move with Allardyce now out of management for almost two years.
Allardyce should be able to strengthen Leeds defensively but this feels like quite the separation from the Marcelo Bielsa era.
Add in that Allardyce would be coming in for four tough games against Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur and this seems like a daunting task.
Jamie Carragher comments on Sam Allardyce to Leeds United
News of Allardyce being in contention for the Leeds job broke on Monday evening.
Monday Night Football was still on air on Sky Sports at the time and that meant pundit Carragher was able to give an immediate reaction.
Carragher suggested that Leeds would be looking for Allardyce to focus on making them better defensively, just as Everton wanted from Sean Dyche.
The former Liverpool defender believes Allardyce can do that job but noted that he has never really come this late into a job.
Think back to Allardyce’s times at Crystal Palace, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion and he was usually able to use the January window to aid his cause.
That won’t be possible now and Carragher isn’t sure whether Leeds fans would be fully on board with appointing Allardyce.
Still, Carragher thinks there is nobody better on the market when it comes to tightening up defensively – something Leeds desperate need.
“Sean Dyche is that similar sort of manager, he has came in at Everton to do that job of making them better defensively. We know, in the past, Sam Allardyce has done that job before,” said Carragher.
“I don’t think he has ever come in this late, I think he has normally come in, he’s had a January transfer window, he can bring his own players in and have that time to change it but I think it’s probably a decent appointment.”
“Whether the crowd get behind that, I’m not so sure, I don’t know how Leeds supporters would react to Sam Allardyce but in terms of trying to make them more solid and better defensively, there’s probably no-one better out there,” he added.
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