We haven’t seen Sam Allardyce in management since the 2020/21 season when he was relegated with West Bromwich Albion. He faces similar circumstances this time around, with big Sam taking the reins at Leeds United as the Yorkshire club look to turn their poor form around and avoid being relegated to the EFL Championship.
The seasoned veteran made an extraordinary claim in his returning press conference too, which has sparked a range of responses from pundits and fans everywhere. The former England manager stated there is nobody ahead of him – “not Pep, not Klopp, not Arteta”. While the mystery remains about the reason and meaning behind such a bold statement, there is a theory that Allardyce’s intent was to take the spotlight off of his players in a bid to relieve pressure – a potentially clever idea if that’s the case.
Allardyce’s first game with the Elland Road club was something of a baptism of fire – away at the Etihad against title favourites Man City, and tactically, the game unfolded as you may expect – City dominating possession vs deep & stubborn defending from Leeds. Yes, Leeds were lucky to only be two goals behind before their consolation goal, but there were elements of their game implemented by Big Sam that we may see in their remaining three games.
This tactical analysis will look at Leeds’ defensive tactics in this fixture, while there will also be an analysis of the areas they may look to improve upon and utilise. We will also be looking at whether or not there is any merit in Allardyce’s claim, or the potential to be we will also briefly look at an elite coach who shares similar tactical ideologies to Big Sam to try and see if Allardyce can match that level.
Leeds lineup
Leeds have deployed a 4-2-3-1 more often than not this season and Allardyce kept that theme going in his first game in charge. They did, however, use a 3-4-3 in their previous Premier League match, a 4-1 defeat away at Bournemouth. One of the surprises sprung by Big Sam was the decision to drop Illan Meslier, bringing Joel Robles in to start.
Luke Ayling kept his place in the team but reverted to his more familiar role at right back, with Junior Firpo playing at left back. In the heart of defence, Rasmus Kristensen was partnered with Max Wöber. There were no changes to the central area of midfield, with Jack Harrison keeping his starting role, but playing as a left winger rather than the more defensive left wing-back as he did in the 3-4-3 system. Adam Forshaw, along with Wilfried Gnonto, completed the midfield unit, with Patrick Bamford leading the line.
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