Sam Allardyce still holds the record for shortest time in charge of Leeds.
The 71-year-old managed Leeds for just 30 days and four games when attempting to steer the Whites towards Premier League survival at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Sam Allardyce ultimately left Leeds 19th in the table – five points clear of safety – and years later, has now admitted something to talkSPORT that should anger supporters.
Sam Allardyce suggests he never really held much hope of keeping Leeds up
Wolves have just sacked Vitor Pereira, and when asked if he feels he could keep the Old Gold up, Allardyce responded: “Yeah if they (the players) are good enough, obviously. Leeds was just a journey for me. Four games, it would have been an absolute miracle if I pulled them out.”
These comments suggest the man born in Old Park Farm never really had much belief he could keep Leeds in the Premier League when agreeing to replace Javi Gracia in May 2023, and should have given someone with more confidence a chance instead.
It also somewhat contradicts what Allardyce said upon accepting the offer.
What Sam Allardyce said when arriving at Elland Road in May 2023
Allardyce suggested to talkSPORT that he felt optimistic about survival upon replacing Gracia in 2023, a stark contrast to him now admitting it would have been a “miracle” to keep Leeds up.
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In May 2023, he said: “I know it (Leeds) is in a lot of trouble. I have seen a lot of trouble before and – I could have done with a little bit more time but four games – hopefully we can make a difference and keep this fabulous club in the Premier League.”
Sam Allardyce while managing Leeds.
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Allardyce is understood to have received £500,000 in wages during his 30 days at Elland Road, and had a further £2.5m bonus payment waiting had he managed to achieve survival.
With figures like that involved, nobody can begrudge the former England manager for taking the job, but his latest comments strongly suggest he never really had much confidence about achieving his target in Yorkshire.