The picture that shows why Sam Allardyce may be only man who can save Leeds United - Telegraph 7/5/23
James Ducker,
If Leeds United are to stop the rot and avoid relegation
this season, maybe they will look back on the final 10 minutes at the Etihad
Stadium as a turning point.
Two-nil down after 27 minutes away to Manchester City, the
Premier League champions and treble hunters, Leeds could have imploded. It has
certainly happened enough of late.
But having dug in and rode their luck on occasions, Sam
Allardyce’s side responded to Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty miss by grabbing a goal
back through Rodrigo and, while a dramatic late equaliser ultimately proved
elusive, the scenes at the final whistle suggested there was some fight and
unity left in them yet.
As soon as the game was over, Karl Robinson, Allardyce’s
assistant, was on the pitch instructing Leeds’ players and staff to come
together in a huddle before they marched over in unison to their supporters
and, one by one, players began ripping off their shirts and throwing them to
the crowd. First Rodrigo, then Luke Ayling, then Jack Harrison until, by the
end, almost half the squad exited the field bare-chested. The fans showed their
appreciation back.
It was a very different scene to last Monday morning when
Leeds players, beaten 4-1 by Bournemouth the day before, a defeat that cost
Javi Gracia his job and led to Allardyce being parachuted in, failed to
acknowledge the fans as they left the team hotel.
Allardyce and Robinson, it was clear, recognised that was an
issue that had to be addressed and, while their predicament remains precarious,
there were some seeds of hope against City as they head into their final three
games against Newcastle United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
“Even though my position is head coach I am a manager and my
biggest strength is making people feel better – man-management,” said
Allardyce, whose decision to drop first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier and
start Joel Robles paid off. “That has nothing to do with coaching and if you
haven’t got that skill, you won’t make people play better.”
