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."
