Allardyce set for Newcastle reunion as Leeds set to appoint survival specialist
Former Newcastle United and Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce is set to return to the Premier League to try and keep Leeds United amongst the elites in England’s first division.
Allardyce is set to replace Javi Gracia at Elland Road who was only appointed at the end of February. The Spaniard has really struggled to get his side defending well, conceding 30 goals in his 11 matches since taking over.
Only goal difference separates Leeds and the relegation zone, with the Yorkshire club winning just two of their last 11 Premier League matches.
The survival-specialist will only have four matches to try and create some of his survival magic we have became used to seeing in recent years with matches against Manchester City, Newcastle, West Ham and Spurs on the horizon – making his job to ensure Leeds remain in the Premier League an almost impossible task.
Allardyce’s first taste of managing in the home dugout at Elland Road will come against his former side, Newcastle. The former England manager was only in charge on Tyneside for eight months before being replaced by club-legend Kevin Keegan in 2008.
Allardyce has been hugely successful against the Magpies since leaving, only losing three of his previous 14 meetings with the Toon.
This time around he will face a different Newcastle, with lofty ambitions of qualifying for Champions League football, but will ‘Big Sam’ ruin the party again for the Toon Army?
