Find Out What Big Sam Said About the Leeds Job

Leeds United have taken evasive action as they desperately look to avoid relegation from the Premier League for the first time since the 2003/04 season.

The Elland Road club have dismissed both Javi Gracia and Director of Football Victor Orta and looks set to appoint ex-Bolton and West Ham manager Sam Allardyce for their final four matches of the 2022/23 campaign.

Allardyce, who has been the star of the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast will face a tough task, with the Whites facing Manchester City (A), Newcastle United (H), West Ham United (A) and Tottenham Hotspur (H) in their four remaining fixtures, while currently sitting level on points with 18th placed Nottingham Forest, and one point above 19th in the table, Everton.

This season has been one of many calamities for Leeds, having started the campaign off under Jesse Marsch, while signing a series of underperforming Red Bull-related players, before sacking the American and replacing him with Javi Gracia while Michael Skubala took charge in between these spells on an Interim Basis, earning a shock 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Marsch’s win percentage at Leeds was 29.73% after winning 11 of his 37 matches in charge, while Gracia somehow finished with a worse record, winning three in 12, equating to a 25% win percentage.

According to football predictions website FiveThirtyEight, there is a 56% chance that they will be relegated, while also being predicted to finish in 18th, one point shy of Forest, with the City Ground club having more favourable fixtures.

When talking to Dion Dublin and Natalie Pike on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the 68-year-old mentioned that “confidence is built by results” and that his aim is to “stop goals going in”. Leeds currently have the worst defensive record during the 2022/23 Premier League season, leaking 67 goals in 34 matches.

Ultimately, as seen on the table above, Leeds have a similar chance of staying in the Premier League due to the poor form of those sides around them, however, as Allardyce mentions, at the bottom end of the table, it is all about picking up results - it will certainly be interesting to see if he can do a better job than the likes of Marsch and Gracia managed to do at Elland Road.

Leeds United to Avoid Relegation & Keep 2 Clean Sheets - 11/1

During the 2022/23 season, goalkeeper Ilan Meslier has kept just five clean sheets, with only Gavin Bazunu of Southampton having a worse record (4). However, Big Sam is well-known for his defensive organization, having shown his tactical prowess at the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland and more.

The Elland Road club will likely be reliant upon their trip to West Ham and home matches with Newcastle and Tottenham if they are to get any clean sheets, due to the ferocious nature of Pep Guardiola’s side’s attack, which has seen the Cityzens fire their way to pole position in the Premier League title race and perhaps on their way to a historic treble.

Memorably, Leeds managed a 3-2 win the last time they travelled to the London Stadium for a Premier League fixture, as Jack Harrison scored a hat-trick. While against Newcastle, the Whites earned one of their five clean sheets in a 0-0 draw at St James’ Park on 31st December.

When Leeds met Tottenham earlier on in the season, they were beaten 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium despite taking a 76th-minute lead through a Rodrigo strike, as Rodrigo Bentancur scored a late brace for Tottenham.

You can listen to the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast on Apple, Spotify & YouTube. There will be a new episode each week with new guests alongside Sam Allardyce.

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