Pundit drops resounding Sam Allardyce claim after confirmed Leeds news
Frank McAvennie agrees with Leeds United boss Sam Allardyce after his claim he is on a managerial par with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former West Ham striker said Allardyce is a “damn good manager” and wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps Leeds in the Premier League.
The Whites appointed Allardyce as Javi Gracia’s successor last week (3 May) ahead of their final games of the season.
As quoted by the BBC (3 May), the new boss said that as a manager he is “up there” with Klopp and Guardiola and insisted nobody is ahead of him “in football terms”.
The 68-year-old lost his first game in the fight to keep Leeds in the Premier League with a 2-1 defeat to Man City on Saturday (6 May).
The Whites still have to face Newcastle United, West Ham and Tottenham in their remaining three games of the season.
But McAvennie agreed with Allardyce’s confident claim.
“I knew what he was talking about, he has been in the game for so long,” he told Football Insider.
“Unlike other managers who are getting flung into it he learned his trade. He is a damn good manager no matter what people say about him.
“He will get the Leeds boys defending for their lives. Unfortunately they have not got a striker who is on form at the moment but he could get him fired up.
“Would you be surprised if Leeds won a game? No. They are decent, they should not be where they are. Sam coming in just makes it a wee bit harder for [David] Moyes.“
In other news, Leeds United rejected as Brighton in advanced talks to sign Liverpool midfielder.