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- Allardyce took charge of struggling Leeds
- Claimed to be among the best in PL
- Guardiola agreed with his comments
WHAT HAPPENED? After Allardyce replaced Javi Gracia at the helm of Leeds United, he insisted that he's on par with the best managers of the Premier League and “there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms – not Pep, not [Jurgen] Klopp, not [Mikel] Arteta”. His comments were put before Guardiola for his reaction after Manchester City's 3-0 win against West Ham and the Spaniard not only agreed with his claims but hailed several other experienced English managers like Roy Hodgson and Harry Redknapp for their contribution to football.
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WHAT THEY SAID: "He is right. I want to be honest. Look at the managers, Roy Hodgson for Crystal Palace, what they have done. They are really good, they have incredible experience, they know the game perfectly and if he feels that it is because of this. It will be tough because he has the charisma, he will put out the pressure to the players and he knows exactly what to do in this kind of situation in a relegation battle," he told reporters.
"It looks like this type of old managers… I’m honest, so what they have done for the club [is dismissed as] ‘they are old, whatever’.
“Now the people who are 35, 40, 45, we invent football or we create football. No, football is already created and these guys belong to that league and helped us to do it and that’s why. So, Neil Warnock, Huddersfield was in the last [spot] and now already out of the dangerous positions. I could not experience what Harry Redknapp has done in this country.
"There are many, many English managers that have done really, really well. You don’t have to be young to be a good manager. As much experience you have, you are good."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Allardyce has made a name for himself by helping lower-half sides stay afloat in the Premier League. However, he failed to save West Brom from going down to the Championship in his last managerial stint but saved Crystal Palace from getting relegated in the penultimate game of the 2016–17 season with a 4–0 victory over Hull City at Selhurst Park. Before that, he had also ensured Sunderland's safety from relegation in the 2015-16 season with an incredible 3-0 win over Everton on May 11.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Allardyce will get the opportunity to walk the talk when Leeds lock horns with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 6 May in a Premier League encounter.