If there is anyone in this land who does not realise the utter desperation felt by clubs when it comes to staying in the Premier League, Leeds United should have now rooted them out.
The sacking of Javi Gracia and appointment of Sam Allardyce in early May is pretty much the definition of desperation. Allardyce says his friends refer to him as Red Adair but the Texan firefighter took longer to put out the flames from the Piper Alpha disaster than Big Sam has got to save Leeds’ Premier League skin.
But do not put it past Allardyce, not even with a trip to Manchester City as stage one of his survival mission.
For a start, there are instances where it doesn’t actually matter who the incoming manager is, only that the previous one has gone. For example, Roy Hodgson has done a great job at Selhurst Park but it was probably a case of the players wanting anyone but Patrick Vieira in charge.
There appeared to be weight lifted from their shoulders when the Frenchman went. And there could be a similar ‘bounce’ effect at Leeds, although it would have to be some bounce to get anything at the Etihad on Saturday.
But Allardyce is likely to have a positive effect because he has a point to prove. In fact, Allardyce has had a point to prove throughout his entire managerial career. After his firefighting failure at West Bromwich Albion, he did not want his career sign-off to be a negative one.
And when it comes to praise for his achievements, Allardyce has always considered himself to have been short-changed, to an extent where some people find his prickliness on that subject to be almost comical.
Have your say! Will Leeds survive? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
But don’t forget, this was a manager selected to lead England and as time goes on - it will soon be seven years since he was sacked after one international - the more trivial the cause of his dismissal becomes.
That still hurts. How can it not?
This is surely Allardyce’s one last chance to convince those doubters out there that he has been - and is - a truly elite manager. Keep Leeds United up and have a crack at next season. It IS a desperate move and the odds are stacked against him … but don’t bet against Allardyce defying them.
Because few are as defiant as Big Sam.
