One last roll of Allar-dice

SAM ALLARDYCE will be laughed at and mocked for claiming no one – not even Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta – are ahead of him in football terms.

Most of his Premier League rivals probably eye Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal and think they could match those three elite coaches given the same resources.

The difference is Allardyce isn’t shy about saying so. It’s part of the plan, the Allardyce way. Brash, straight talking, shock tactics.

Leeds United heading for relegation? No room for self-doubt. Big Sam the man to clear up the shambles of the worst defence in the league – 23 goals leaked in April alone during four defeats in five games.

If a manager doesn’t believe in himself then who will. But do players buy into such cock-sure self-importance these days? Allardyce (left) was at his peak during the era of the power manager.

The all-controlling, multi-rollicking strong men of 20 years ago, who worshipped Sir Alex Ferguson. He thought nothing of consistently turning up two hours late for his press calls at Newcastle.

Players joked he sounded like Darth Vader, such was his heavy breathing when mic’d up to a sound system during training.

At Sunderland, in 2015, he talked of daily meditation sessions and was never shy of quickly adopting the most modern methods. You can’t blame Leeds for taking the gamble because Javi Gracia wasn’t working.

But how they’ve gone from identity and unity under Marcelo Bielsa to Allardyce in three sackings over 14 months is mismanagement and a lack of strategic planning.

Allardyce has two jobs – to shore up the Leeds defence and get Wilfried Gnonto scoring goals.

But it’s far from certain. Big Sam won four games in 25 in his last job, West Brom, inheriting a club in 19th and leaving them in 19th. Mind you, he inherited Leeds in 17th, and keeping them there will be a triumph worthy of, er, Pep and Klopp.