Sam Allardyce was the relegation firefighter Everton turned to when there weren’t any real flames to put out. But almost five years after they sacked him, he could now play a pivotal role in whether the Blues finally drop out of English football’s top flight.
Leeds United’s decision to get rid of Javi Gracia – who only came in as Jesse Marsch’s successor in February – and replace him with Allardyce appears to be a desperate act but such gambles can still pay off. Given that former Watford manager Gracia won three of his 11 Premier League matches – the same number of victories Sean Dyche has secured in 14 games so far with Everton – it’s also a stark warning to the Blues boss, whose side are a point below them and in the relegation zone, over just what’s at stake.
Double disposal of bosses in the same season is not an alien concept with Tottenham Hotspur having already axed their interim head coach Cristian Stellini after just four matches in charge. There were even reports last year than Farhad Moshiri was considering getting rid of Frank Lampard a mere couple of months into his Everton tenure before a 1-0 win over Manchester United on April 9 eased the pressure.
