Pundit suggests how Leeds reacted to what Allardyce has already done

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Troy Deeney has suggested the Leeds United squad should be ‘all in’ after hearing Sam Allardyce compare himself to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.

Elland Road chiefs appointed Allardyce as the latest manager of Leeds on Wednesday after sacking Javi Gracia after 12 games.

Allardyce would waste no time in declaring himself the right man to keep the Whites in the Premier League. He takes over with just four games still to play.

New Leeds manager Allardyce is ‘up there’ with Guardiola and Klopp

Leeds go into the weekend and a trip to table-topping Manchester City sat just 17th in the table. They are only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference, as well.

The Whites hope Allardyce can steady the ship following four defeats and one draw in their last five games. And he certainly has the confidence to do a job.

Allardyce declared during his first press conference as Leeds’ manager that he is ‘up there’ with Guardiola and Klopp.

“I’m 68 but there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms. Not Pep, not Klopp, not [Mikel] Arteta,” Allardyce said, via BBC Sport.

He also added: “In terms of knowledge and depth of knowledge, I’m up there with them. I’m not saying I’m better than them but certainly as good as they are.”

Deeney believes the Whites will now buy into Allardyce’s confidence

Deeney believes the Leeds squad will now buy into Allardyce’s plans given the manager’s unyielding confidence in himself.

“I know a lot of people laughed when, during his first press conference, he claimed he was ‘up there’ with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp,” Deeney wrote in his column for The Sun.

“I didn’t find it funny – I thought it was brilliant and I was buzzing for him.

“This is a self-confident man with an excellent CV to back up his words. If I was a Leeds player, I’d be thinking: ‘This bloke believes he can get us out of jail, I’m all in’.”

Allardyce has, indeed, proven in the past that he can put fires out and Leeds will hope he can now guide them away from the relegation zone.

The veteran tactician has guided Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton to survival.

But his last job ended with relegation from the Premier League at West Bromwich Albion in 2020/21. The Baggies appointed him with 25 games remaining but only won four.

West Brom lost 14 times and drew seven of Allardyce’s 25 top-flight matches in charge at The Hawthorns. They also conceded 50 goals to just 25 scored.

Leeds will be desperate for history to not repeat itself and see Allardyce register another relegation on his CV.

Allardyce will also need the Leeds squad to buy into his plans straight away given their run of results under Gracia.

The Spaniard won three of his 11 Premier League matches at Elland Road while scoring 15 goals to 28 conceded.