Can survival specialist Sam Allardyce keep Leeds United up?

He's back
Gracia sacked
No dream start
Three games left
The situation
Form
Big Sam
Bolton 2002/2003
The fight back
Blackburn 2008/2009
Keeping them safe
Sunderland 2015/2016
Relegating their rivals
Crystal Palace 2016/2017
Mid season run
Win record
Can he do it again?
He's back

Premier League managerial veteran and survival specialist Sam Allardyce returned to the dugout this weekend with the task of keeping Leeds United in the top division.

Gracia sacked

Leeds sacked previous manager Javi Gracia with just 11 games in charge after Jesse Marsch was kicked out of the hot seat in February this year.

No dream start

'Big Sam's' first game back in charge ended in defeat away from home to Manchester City, losing 2-1 due to a brace from Ilkay Gundogan in the first half.

Three games left

68-year-old Allardyce now has three games remaining to save Leeds from the drop, facing his former clubs Newcastle United and West Ham and finally playing Tottenham on the last day of the season.

The situation

Leeds currently occupy 19th in the table, two points from safety, and have a goal difference of -25 after conceding loads of goals in the last month.

Form

Allardyce will need a miracle to turn this Leeds team around in the next three games, having picked one point up in the last six matches and conceded 12 goals in their previous three home fixtures.

Big Sam

If anyone can do it, Sam Allardyce can do it. Let's look at the times he's kept teams up in his 17-year managerial career in the Premier League.

Bolton 2002/2003

In Bolton's and Sam Allardyce's second season in the Premier League, things looked to be going downhill, winning two of the first 21 games.

The fight back

Allardyce had rallied his troops in the final two months of the season, leading his team to win five of the last ten games of the campaign, keeping themselves up by two points after beating Middlesborough on the final day.

Blackburn 2008/2009

Allardyce was appointed as Blackburn's manager on the 16th of December 2008, with the club in 19th position and winning only three of the first 17 games under Paul Ince.

Keeping them safe

Allardyce would be the catalyst for change at Blackburn, going unbeaten in his first six games and leading them to 15th place on 41 points.

Sunderland 2015/2016

After not picking up a single victory in the opening nine games of the 2015/2016 season, Sunderland appointed Allardyce after sacking Dick Advocaat in October.

Relegating their rivals

Sunderland looked to be in jeopardy up until the start of April, when Allardyce used his magic again, going unbeaten in the last six games and securing victories in three of them. The key game was the final home match against Everton, winning 3-0 and relegating Newcastle.

Crystal Palace 2016/2017

Alan Pardew was sacked by Crystal Palace in December 2016, with the club in 17th place, winning only four of the opening 17 games before Allardyce took over.

Mid season run

The veteran manager led Palace on a mid-season run, securing six victories in eight games between February and April, helping them finish 14th in the league.

Win record

Sam Allardyce has a record of 178 wins in 537 matches (33%-win ratio), 145 draws, and 214 losses. His teams have scored 631 goals and conceded 748 over his entire career in the Premier League.

Can he do it again?

Over the years, 'Big Sam' has proved he is capable of saving teams at the death of a campaign, but can he do it again with this poor Leeds United team?

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