Former England striker Chris Sutton has criticised the decision to sack Javi Gracia to bring in Sam Allardyce as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘chaotic’ after the manager failed to rescue the Whites from relegation to the Championship.
Gracia lasted just 12 games as Jesse Marsch’s replacement before Allardyce was brought in at the beginning of the month with Leeds United sitting outside the relegation zone on goal difference, but they picked up just one point in his four games in charge and finished the season five points away from safety.
United’s 4-1 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur was irrelevant in the end with Everton claiming victory over Bournemouth, but Sutton feels the damage was done long before then with the club having ‘lost their nerve’ as they decided to appoint Allardyce in the first place
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Sutton said on BT Sport Score: “It was an absolute last roll of the dice, wasn’t it? Big Sam coming in, it was just ridiculous, chaotic. I don’t know why they made that decision.
“They had 11 points from 11 games with Gracia but they lost their nerve, didn’t they? They got absolutely smashed at home by Crystal Palace and then Liverpool.
“Big Sam comes in and now they’re all about long throws, bit of enthusiasm. They celebrated on the pitch after losing to Manchester City – that was embarrassing. Two games later, Big Sam is saying after the West Ham defeat, the team aren’t good enough.”
Leeds will now return to the second tier after just three years back in the Premier League following a 16-year absence.
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