Javi Gracia spent just 71 days at Leeds United following his appointment in February and Sam Allardyce was unable to save the club from relegation with just one point from four matches
Sam Allardyce was not given enough time to turn Leeds United’s season around and avoid relegation. That is the view of former Whites striker Michael Bridges, who feels the ex-England manager would likely have had a greater impact had he been appointed instead of Javi Gracia in February.
Gracia was dismissed after just 71 days with the club sat outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone. Allardyce was tasked with guiding the team to safety, but picked up just a single point from the final four matches as Leeds’ three-year Premier League stay came to an end.
It is Allardyce’s second successive relegation from the Premier League, having failed to keep West Brom in the top-flight two years ago. However, Bridges feels the ‘firefighter’ manager could have saved United had he been called upon as Jesse Marsch’s successor rather than Gracia.
Bridges told the GegenPod Football Podcast: “I think if he had been given the time when Javi Gracia came in, I think if Sam would have had that kind of timeframe, we might have seen a different side of it. Victor Orta wanted to go with the pressing style that we witnessed at Leeds United under Bielsa, obviously Jesse Marsch came in with the Leipzig press, Gracia tried that and then they went a bit more defensive.
“I just feel the atmosphere at the time from what you hear behind the scenes, they didn’t captivate the players at that time whereas when Sam came in, he did. He got the place buzzing again, he got smiles on faces, people wanting to come in and train once again.
“I just think it was a little bit too short. If he had have got the time, I think the firefighter Sam would have done a job. It was just too short notice unfortunately.”
