Former Leeds United boss Sam Allardyce doesn’t believe the Whites have enough to get promoted at the first chance of asking after losing a number of key players. The former Leeds boss believes Daniel Farke has inherited a hugely difficult job
Former Leeds United boss Sam Allardyce doesn’t believe the Whites have enough to get promoted at the first chance of asking after losing a number of key players. The former Leeds boss believes Daniel Farke has inherited a hugely difficult job
“I got to choose who I wanted to be. I chose whether I was going to get Leeds back up again, and under the circumstances of what I saw in a short space of time, I thought it was going to be hugely difficult because the reasons behind it are a lot deeper.
“There were a lot of players who had buy-out clauses in their contracts, so can you imagine a time when we got to August with two weeks to go until the window shuts and then, all of a sudden, four players abort? You have time to get more players in, but how good would they be?
“For years and years, I have had the aggravation of trying to get players to sign and re-sign on, sorting the pre-season, sorting the travel, seeing what the hotels were like, and checking what the food would be like. I could be walking around on holiday and the Mrs would say: ‘Are you ever going to put that phone down – what’s the point in coming abroad on holiday if all you do is check that?’
“The two factors in not staying were: do I think there are enough goals up front for Leeds? If they kept all the players, probably. Defensively, they are going to have to lose some players for financial reasons.”
“For years and years, I have had the aggravation of trying to get players to sign and re-sign on, sorting the pre-season, sorting the travel, seeing what the hotels were like, and checking what the food would be like. I could be walking around on holiday and the Mrs would say: ‘Are you ever going to put that phone down – what’s the point in coming abroad on holiday if all you do is check that?’
“The two factors in not staying were: do I think there are enough goals up front for Leeds? If they kept all the players, probably. Defensively, they are going to have to lose some players for financial reasons.”
David O’Leary left Rio Ferdinand aghast at his Leeds United Lucas Radebe snub
Rio Ferdinand admits he had no hesitation about taking the Whites captain’s armband from Lucas Radebe in 2001 – but feels the transition could have been handled much better.
David O’Leary decided to switch the Leeds United armband from the more experienced defender to his expensively-acquired colleague despite Ferdinand being just 22 and less than a year into his Elland Road stint at the time, having arrived from West Ham United for a British record £18m fee in November 2000.
Ferdinand praised Radebe for his characteristically supportive response to the sudden change, but looking back wishes he hadn’t had to replace such a legendary and well-liked figure in the post while he was still very much part of the side.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Ferdinand said: “The most difficult part is it was Lucas Radebe, because he was the captain and he’s like a cult figure there, fans’ favourite, great player…I’d only been there, like, two or three months and I didn’t really know the lads that well yet.”
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