Allardyce returns to Premier League as Leeds head coach

Leeds United have put Sam Allardyce in charge for the final four matches of the season in a bid to avoid relegation.

Allardyce takes the helm as head coach at a record ninth different Premier League club, replacing Javi Gracia as Leeds make their second managerial change of 2023, having dismissed Jesse Marsch in February.

The club said yesterday that director of football Victor Orta had also also left.

Allardyce will be assisted by former MK Dons, Charlton Athletic and Oxford United manager Karl Robinson.

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2-2

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3-1

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The 68-year-old takes over with Leeds sitting outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone, having lost four of their last five matches and conceded 17 goals in those defeats.

The 23 goals they conceded in April was a Premier League record. 

Allardyce arrives with a reputation for guiding clubs in danger of relegation to safety, having finished in the bottom three in only one of his 17 seasons as a Premier League manager.

That solitary relegation came in his last job, at West Bromwich Albion in 2020/21.

Starting on Saturday, Allardyce faces a challenging run of fixtures to preserve Leeds' status as a Premier League club for a third season.

Leeds take on three of the top six sides - Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur - plus relegation rivals West Ham United.

The bottom six

Position Pos	Club	Played Pl	GD	Points Pts
15	Bournemouth BOU	38	-34	39
16	Nottingham Forest NFO	38	-30	38
17	Everton EVE	38	-23	36
18	Leicester City LEI	38	-17	34
19	Leeds United LEE	38	-30	31
20	Southampton SOU	38	-37	25

See the full table

Allardyce was formerly the manager of Newcastle and West Ham.

He will add to his tally of 537 Premier League matches as a manager, the fifth-highest total in the competition.

Allardyce's Premier League record

Most PL matches managed

*current managers