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Harry Fletcher
May 03, 2023
FILE: Leeds United hire Allardyce as interim manager after firing Gracia
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One of the biggest characters in football is back in the Premier League, after Sam Allardyce was announced as Leeds manager.
It comes as Javi Gracia, who himself was brought in to replace Jesse Marsch just 71 days ago, departs the club having claimed just one point in Leeds' last five Premier League matches.
Allardyce comes in with four games left in the season, with one job to do – keep Leeds up. The Yorkshire side are currently one place above the relegation zone with four games remaining.
Only Nottingham Forest, Everton and Southampton are below them, with Leeds, Forest and Leicester all sitting on 30 points in one of the closest relegation battles in years.
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\u201c\ud83d\udcf0 #LUFC can confirm Javi Gracia will leave the club, with our remaining four games overseen by experienced head coach Sam Allardyce. We thank Javi and his team for their efforts under difficult circumstances.\u201d— Leeds United (@Leeds United) 1683106200
Allardyce comes into the job after a period of two years out of the game, having left the West Brom job in 2021. Former Oxford boss Karl Robinson will be Allardyce’s assistant.
Sporting director Victor Orta was also dismissed a day earlier, the club labelling his departure “mutual consent” as they seek a “change of direction”.
The news has sparked a big reaction among football fans on social media, with Gary Lineker among those commenting on the appointment.
Lineker highlighted how ‘giving it to Big Sam until the end of the season’ was a footballing cliche come to life, with others quick to add their takes.
\u201cLeeds have literally given it to big Sam until the end of the season.\u201d— Gary Lineker (@Gary Lineker) 1683108289
\u201c@LUFC\u201d— Leeds United (@Leeds United) 1683106200
\u201c@LUFC Orta and Gracia out but Big Sam in\u201d— Leeds United (@Leeds United) 1683106200
\u201c@LUFC\u201d— Leeds United (@Leeds United) 1683106200
\u201cBig Sam at Three Legs after his 0-0 draw with Spurs secures PL survival for Leeds\u201d— Paud\u00ed (@Paud\u00ed) 1682980606
\u201ci need big sam to do the funniest possible thing here\u201d— Ashwin Raman (@Ashwin Raman) 1683034048
\u201cBig Sam in his first press conference #lufc\u201d— BARNEY \ud83e\udd9a (@BARNEY \ud83e\udd9a) 1683032014
\u201cBig Sam has 3 days to organise the most putrid, disgusting park the bus ball to deploy at the Etihad on Saturday\u201d— evan \u300b (@evan \u300b) 1683106710
\u201cBig Sam meeting Armas this morning #lufc\u201d— BARNEY \ud83e\udd9a (@BARNEY \ud83e\udd9a) 1683112988
\u201cBig Sam walking out at the etihad at the weekend\u201d— soner (@soner) 1682981111
\u201cBig Sam is back!\u201d— \u2018Out Of Office\u2019 - The Office Podcast (UK) (@\u2018Out Of Office\u2019 - The Office Podcast (UK)) 1683110517
\u201cBig Sam bowling into Leeds later with a vase of wine\u2026\u201d— European Bob (@European Bob) 1683035071
\u201cBIG SAM IS BACK IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE.\u201d— george (@george) 1683106560
\u201cOk Radz. Now put Big Sam in charge. #LUFC\u201d— The Ghost of Vim Fuego (@The Ghost of Vim Fuego) 1683004661
\u201cbig sam after drawing to city 0-0 with 2% possession\u201d— Bailey (@Bailey) 1683021496
\u201cThe Leeds owner when Big Sam explained his premier league survival record \u2026\u201d— Super Hans (@Super Hans) 1683098686
\u201cBig Sam is back! There\u2019s a theme here. The return of the dinosaurs. \ud83e\udd95. Hodgson Warnock Allardyce. You can\u2019t buy experience. Welcome back big man. What an incentive for him - keep Leeds up and relegate Everton.\u201d— Richard Keys (@Richard Keys) 1683019149
\u201cBig Sam and Gnonto after keeping us up \u201d— #FreeWilly (@#FreeWilly) 1682978941
\u201cBig Sam ripping up Jesse Marsch's playbook and sticking on The Dambusters before a game\u201d— Eugene (@Eugene) 1682980915
\u201cBig Sam is inevitable.\u201d— HLTCO (@HLTCO) 1683108222
\u201cBig Sam sat eating a deep fried pizza n gravy and seeing Gnonto and Summerville break dancing\u201d— chris (@chris) 1683103963
\u201cSean Dyche back\nRoy Hodgson back\nPep hitting it long to a big man\nBig Sam back\u201d— Tom Williams (@Tom Williams) 1683015415
\u201cHodgson, Big Sam and Warnock all back for another go after \u2018retiring\u2019 last season:\n\n#PremierLeague\u201d— Matt Jones (@Matt Jones) 1683114584
\u201cBig Sam ringing Radz tonight #LUFC\u201d— lufcollie\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\udde8 (@lufcollie\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\udde8) 1682978979
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