Premier League: It's all change at Leeds United
Leeds United have sacked manager Javi Gracia and appointed Sam Allardyce as they try to avoid relegation.
Spaniard Gracia was appointed in February and has been sacked after only 10 weeks and 12 games in charge at Elland Road.
Allardyce has been tasked with guiding 17th-placed Leeds, who are out of the bottom three only on goal difference, to safety with four games remaining.
Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)
His first game for his club is against Manchester City on Saturday. Gracia's final match in charge was Sunday's 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth. Can Leeds do the unthinkable and beat City?
That latest heavy loss followed an awful run of results that included 6-1, 5-1 and 4-1 defeats against Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Arsenal respectively.
Premier League: It was a dramatic Sunday (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)
This dismissal takes the total of managerial changes in the Premier League to 15 for the season, five more than in any other previous campaign. Leeds are the fourth top-flight side to have sacked two managers this season.
A perfect man for a relegation battle?
Allardyce does have a lot of experience in a tense relegation battle. Back in the 2003 season, he guided Bolton Wanderers to safety after a dramatic battle for survival with West Ham United. In 2017, he also kept Palace in the league on the second to last match of the season.
The former England boss (granted, he only managed one match) has never taken over a club in this situation though. He usually has a few months to put across his coaching and management style.
The latest official reaction from Yorkshire.
In a statement on their club website, Leeds United said: "Leeds United can confirm Javi Gracia will leave the club after 12 games in charge.
"Zigor Aranalde, Mikel Antia and Juan Solla, who joined alongside Gracia, will also leave the club.
"We thank Javi and his team for their efforts under difficult circumstances. The remaining four games of the season will be overseen by experienced head coach Sam Allardyce.
"Allardyce has managed over 500 Premier League games in a managerial career stretching 29 years and he brings a wealth of knowledge in fighting for survival, having guided a number of his previous clubs to safety."
Read more - Sam Allardyce to replace Javi Gracia - Leeds United
What are the fans saying?
🎙️ Watch Sam Allardyce's first press conference as #LUFC head coach https://t.co/E1q4WOLKku
— Leeds United (@LUFC) May 3, 2023
Oliver, a Leeds Season Ticket holder, gave his thoughts on the latest developments. He said: "What are we doing? I think we are down now! The board needs to focus on how to this club back into the Premier League and maintain a stable, mid-table position. They only have to look at clubs like Brighton for models that can work. Whatever happens though, Leeds United till I die."
Patrick was also concerned about the impact this might have on the club's season. He added: "Patrick: I watched the recent match between Leicester City against Everton and thought that both clubs played as though they wanted to stay in the Premier League. It was a great game to watch. I just don't see that from Leeds at the moment. We are playing like a team that is already down. I'm not convinced that 'Big Sam' will keep us up."
Amy has not missed a game all season, and she believes this appointment might actually have a positive impact on the season. She told us: The last few matches have been awful, so maybe this isn't a bad move. His experience might have a positive impact on us in the short term. It does show the incredible lack of planning at Elland Road though."
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