da 888casino： Leeds United's desperate bid to stave off the drop has seen the club turn to survival expert Sam Allardyce to steer the ship until the end of the season, with the 68-year-old set to replace Javi Gracia in the dugout at Elland Road.
da pinnacle： That left-field appointment of the one-time England boss is a clear indication of the Whites' current turmoil, with the Yorkshire having opted to find some much-needed inspiration from a man who has been out of work since leaving West Bromwich Albion back in 2021.
For all the potential concern that supporters will have with regard to the capture of the Englishman, the experienced figure's ability to guide teams to safety may just be what Leeds are in need of, having only suffered relegation once in his lengthy Premier League career – with that coming during his most recent stint with the Baggies.
If the Dudley native is to avoid a similar fate occuring in his new home then he will need to act quickly to revive the fortunes of the relegation strugglers, with the one-time Everton and West Ham United boss needing to make bold decisions in order to end the club's current five-game winless run.
One key alteration that Allardyce will likely need to make is in the goalkeeping ranks, with it perhaps time that Illan Meslier is ditched from the starting lineup, with the 23-year-old having proven a "massive liability" in recent times, as per reporter David Kent.
Should Meslier be dropped?
While the young Frenchman is clearly not the sole cause of Leeds' recent woes, the £30k-per-week dud has certainly been a contributing factor in the club's current rot, in particular, having shipped 18 goals in the last five league games.
Currently second in the division with regard to errors leading to goals (three), Meslier again came under fire for his erratic display in the 4-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth at the weekend, with Leeds Live's William Jackson noting that the stopper had 'committed a howler' for the Cherries' second goal of the day.
Not only a 'liability' as a shot-stopper, the 6 foot 6 asset was also rather underwelming with regard to his quality on the ball, having been criticised for his 'poor' distribution by Jackson, while the Yorkshire Evening Post's Graham Smyth suggested that the towering figure's 'kicking was an issue'.
As BT Sport pundit Joe Cole suggested following the defeat to Fulham last month, it could be for the "team's good" to take Meslier out of the firing line, even if it would be a "big call" to make for the manager.
Although reserve option Joel Robles has yet to make a league appearance for the club, the 32-year-old does have notable "experience" – as per pundit Simon Walton – having previously worked under Allardyce at Goodison Park, albeit while making just a solitary outing.
While there may be question marks over whether the Spaniard is actually "ready" to play, in the words of Walton, it does appear that the Whites simply cannot persist with Meslier in the sticks any longer.
Taking the bold decision to make that change could well something of a masterstroke for the incoming Allardyce…