Nobody is ahead of Sam Allardyce. Not Jurgen Klopp, not Mikel Arteta and not Pep Guardiola. Or so argued Allardyce, anyway. A game into his comeback, just maybe Guardiola is slightly ahead of him. The scoreline suggested as much, with the match – as one-sided as a 2-1 can get – indicating they are separated by a gulf, in ambition and skill, in ability, in possession and footballing philosophy. But, given the inferior players at his disposal and the difficulties he inherited, a man of Allardyce’s immense self-confidence may feel it supported his case that they are equals.
If a logical explanation of Allardyce’s debut defeat in charge of his ninth Premier League club – eight more than Guardiola – is that Manchester City are a better team than Leeds United, in better form and that the Spaniard has had seven years to work some of his players and the Englishman three days with his, there was little early evidence of his self-proclaimed genius. Not as Leeds amassed 48 passes in the first half, and Ilkay Gundogan completed 92 on his own. Nor as his defensiveness proved self-defeating as Gundogan, supposedly City’s holding midfielder, was in effect invited forward and duly delivered a swift, clinical brace.
