Sam Allardyce on why Leeds United will not suffer the problems behind his only Premier League relegation - Yorkshire Post 5/5/23


Sam Allardyce lost his fireproof status in his previous managerial job when he was relegated for the first time in 30 years.

Stuart Rayner

But whatever other problems he has at Leeds United, the 68-year-old says the circumstances that counted against him at West Bromwich Albion do not apply at Elland Road.

In latter years, the man who managed England for a solitary game in 2016 has gained a reputation as the Premier League version of Huddersfield Town's Neil Warnock – a "firefighter" who knows the top flight and kept Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton in it.

But in 26 games at West Brom in 2020-21, his unblemished record ran out, the Baggies dropping into the Championship after just four wins in his tenure.

Allardyce felt the unique Covid restrictions in place were to blame.

"You couldn't do your job properly, you couldn't train the team properly, you couldn't travel properly, you couldn't build any team spirit because you were eating in your hotel room, splitting team meetings up," he argued.

"It was a bad decision (to take the job) by me. It was hard enough taking a struggling team and getting it out of trouble but for me made nearly impossible by the fact you couldn’t create the environment and team spirit I would normally try and create."

When he took the job at the Hawthorns, Allardyce spoke of weighing up health concerns having had heart surgery as Blackburn Rovers manager in 2009. Again, it is not something he is worried about now.

"I missed a Covid top-up injection on Wednesday so I'll have to get the club to get me one so I can get my barcode up to speed but another jab and I'll be okay," he said.

"I thought I hadn't experienced it when I took over at West Brom but when they took my blood tests they told me I had.

"It was before Covid had come to this country, I must have caught it in Dubai and I was violently ill for about four weeks with the doctors not knowing what was wrong with me and no antibiotic worked. I thought I was in big trouble.

"That gave me the antibodies and then the (vaccination) jabs came out."

The veteran manager expects to make his first big selection decision on Friday – namely who should play in goal in the first of his four games in charge, at Manchester City. Gauging Illan Meslier’s mood will go a long way to deciding it.

The French Under-21 international was responsible for a number of high-profile mistakes at the end of previous coach Javi Gracia's tenure.

"What he says to me and what I feel will help me make the decision," explained Allardyce.

"It's not difficult to see unfortunately he's made mistakes and they've cost a couple of goals right at the wrong time for the team.

"The most important position is there if we're going to stop the goals going in because we're not going to stop every shot (coming in).

"I always thought he was a magnificent goalie considering how young he was."

The alternative, Joel Robles, is experienced but has not played Premier League football for six years. He made one appearance under Allardyce at Everton, for a youthful side in a Europa League dead rubber at Apollon Limassol.

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